Differences in Globalization.Differences Between Globalization From Essay

Differences in Globalization.Differences Between Globalization From Above And From Below - Essay Example In the business front, globalization may refer to the aspect of investing resources and conducting businesses beyond domestic and national markets to international markets across the world with a view of enhancing closer relations in different markets (Investopedia 2013, p. 1). Indeed, globalization involves the creation of an open and common global market and investment opportunities. Generally, globalization may define distinct political, economic, and social processes of a given society where it involves the decentralization of modern technologies, ideologies, and practices (Najera 2007, p. 1). This allows for the sharing of information and exercising free will in defined aspects as more people across the globe establish close and relevant relationships. More so, this fosters international trade, international policies, and cultural exchange (Investopedia 2013, p. 1). Ideally, there are significant benefits that relate to globalization in the modern world and hence the support on globalization by various scholars. Nevertheless, there are differences regarding the future and expansion of globalization with some scholars viewing globalization as an inexorable process. This leads to the assumption of different views concerning globalization. This includes globalization from â€Å"below† and globalization from â€Å"above.† The proponents of globalization may relate it to industrial growth in developing nations where such nations benefit from increased employment opportunities and technological transfer from the industrialized nations. Indeed, globalization allows the developing nations to derive economic benefits from the industrialized nations thus fostering economic growth in the developing nations. Nevertheless, we still have critics of globalization who claim that the benefits of globalization are prone to numerous risks. Indeed, the critics of globalization have homogenizing impacts on culture and exploit the domestic people and environment ( Najera 2007, p. 1). Moreover, they assert that globalization demeans national sovereignty and underrates the domestic labor force (Investopedia 2013, p. 1). There are different instruments of globalization, which include the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, which recorded immense success in the recent past (Brecher, Costello & Smith 2000, p. 1). As such, it is evident that globalization has taken root and its application in the modern world bears potential benefits. There are different types of globalization, which include economic globalization, cultural globalization, economic globalization, globalization of sport, globalization of higher education, and globalization of medicine, health, religion, and science (Ritzer 2010, p. 60). More so, there are distinct factors that drive contemporary globalization which include technology, capitalism, and multinational corporations (Ritzer 2010, p. 60). Nevertheless, there are differences regardi ng the future and expansion of globalization with some scholars viewing globalization as an inexorable process (Ritzer 2010, p. 60). This leads to the assumption of different views concerning globalization. This includes viewing globalization from â€Å"below† and viewing globalization from â€Å"above.† Notably, there are significant differences between globalization â€Å"from above† and globalization â€Å"from below.† Ideally, we can refer to the view of globalization â€Å"from below† as democratic globalization and refer to the view of globalization from above as corporate globalization. More specifically, globalization â€Å"from below† refers to a situation where individuals (activists) or

Food is culture Essay Example for Free

Food is culture Essay According to the Executive Director of the Washington International Center, Robert Kohls (1984), â€Å"the different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions, and values of that particular group. † This legendary statement that was uttered more than two decades ago was intended to explain American values and to compare these values with those that belong to other cultures. But, as time went by, Khols insightful perception about culture has taken on international meaning and it was one of the fundamental concepts espoused by Montanari in his book entitled â€Å"Food is Culture. † Using historical reference to Hoppocrates, Montanari insisted that food has never been associated with nature and this contradicts the general idea advertised by people who campaign for organic foods. Montanari explains that food is the result of the efforts of a society to tame, transform, and interpret nature. This view can be supported by two related observations. First, societies all over the world encounter different environments. That is, societies in the Pacific region may find tropical climates whereas societies in the Mediterranean region have temperate climates. The differences in weather, together with the differences in geography, lead to the different ways that the members of the society learned to deal with their varied environments. Thus, the second observation is that the different societies have produced their own unique food and food culture. For example, Italian food reminds people of spaghetti, tiramisu, and other pasta dishes. Asian food, on the other hand, brings to mind bowls of rice. Kohls’ perception, when combined with Montanari’s view about the relationship of food and culture, evolves into something different then. That the different values of a people or a culture are revealed and understood when seen through the food culture of that particular group. Feedback from a reader: At first, it would take some stretch of imagination to associate food with culture. There are two major reasons for this difficulty. First, people eat food in order to survive and perhaps live a relatively healthy life. The desire to live and survive is so fundamental that all peoples possess this particular desire. And if all peoples and culture uphold this desire to live, then eating food is very common that it cannot be directly related to the uniqueness of culture. And second, food is almost always taken from nature. This means that food is obtained from farms and from forests. â€Å"Farm† and â€Å"forest† are two concepts that are associated with things natural. Food, therefore, is a natural resource. And despite the fact that most people in America consume processed food, food is definitely associated with nature. However, using a more critical thinking and a wider observation of the world, the statement that food is culture begins to make some sense. The values of a culture can be reflected in the kinds of food that people eat and the ways that people eat their food. For example, the Japanese culture carries out a tea ceremony, specializes in sushi, and usually serves food in small bite sizes. All these reflect the fact that the Japanese culture gives great importance to tradition. Thus, when Japanese encounters a problem, he turns to the knowledge of his ancestors for guidance. The typical American, on the other hand, rarely imitates the actions of his ancestors. When he encounters a problem, he tends to find help by himself and establishes some measure of control on his problem. The way that Americans value individuality and personal control over their environment can be seen in the way they wanted their food to be served individually. The Americans also wanted their foods to be served fast and this preference echoes the values of practicality and efficiency. Therefore, as a reader of Montanari’s ideas about the relationship of food and culture, I am convinced that food culture does reflect the values upheld by a society. Bibliography Kohls, R. (1984). The values Americans live by. Retrieved September 18, 2007 at http://omni. cc. purdue. edu/~corax/kohlsamericanvalues. html Montanari, M. (2006). â€Å"Introduction. † Food is Culture. A. Sonnenfeld (trans. ). New York: Columbia University Press.

Ideologies of Management

Ideologies of Management The extent of complexity in the organisational management processes requires many questions to be raised in the pursuit of effective strategy for management HRM and employees relation. For managers, what important is the know-how, what, why and how to take the right decisions and how to release these decisions to employees. For them, the challenge is how to use the information gathered and also know how to ignore it. Also, their challenge focuses on how to mix being competitors and being evolver, how to face this complex and non-linear dynamics of the business environment and stay lean and agile. The dilemma is to keep the relation to employees in a good state such that motivation and satisfaction are the status quo, meanwhile the common good for the business is realised. This is why, tangible and intangible have been mixed, and this is why many call for human factor and conscious to play a role. This is difficult, but not impossible, the evidence is produced by Brown and Eisenhardt (1998) quoting companies such as Nike, Microsoft, Virgin and others. Industrial relations are very much connected to the trade and workers unions history. At the beginning of the last century there was a leaning towards mass labour and their unions. Trade Unions moved from strength to strength until it started to collapse due to many unworthy tactics and unwelcome strikes which brought many industries to standstill situations. Governments, including the British government, started to attack militancy in trade unions. Industrial relation started to take new forms. Nowadays, many changes have occurred in industrial relations. Silva (1998) stated changes in industrial relations practices (rather than in institutions and systems) such as increased collective bargaining at enterprise level, flexibility in relation to forms of employment as well as in relation to working time and job functions have occurred as a result of such factors as heightened competition, rapid changes in products and processes and the increasing importance of skills, quality and prod uctivity. Management of todays organisations have the conviction that taking unilateral decision is in their own rights, and that it should not be challenged by employees, or even stakeholders. They consider that this is their duty to manage. The conviction follows the ideology of Unitarism. In this work, this notion of management will be discussed in the light of three ideologies which are Unitarism, Pluralism, and Marxism. However, I will start by looking at the concept of job regulation, which some see as the core of industrial relation. Then, the other parts of the question will be discussed within this context. The concept of job regulations in some authors views represents the core of industrial relations. Flanders (1965) stipulated that study of industrial relations should be limited to the institutions of job regulation. In this approach, (Oram, 1984) indicated that the human relations variable was given a relatively insignificant role in the explanation of behaviour in industrial relations. Although personal, or unstructured, relationships were acknowledged as being important, they were considered by Flanders to be outside the scope of industrial relations. Flanders (1965) made a distinction between internal and external job regulations. Internal job regulations are those rules and regulation that can be changed internally by management and subordinates without any outside authorisation. This internal regulation could be achieved unilaterally by the management or bilaterally through negotiation with employees. On the other hand external job regulations are those being imposed on the org anisation from outside agencies where they could be any third parties, state regulation or any outside stakeholders. Hence, it can be said that job regulations as such may forge the industrial relations and external job regulation may allow different forms of unions. As mentioned previously there are three perspectives on employment relations and these are Unitarism, Pluralism, and Marxism. Unitarism by definition has a set of characteristics. In Unitarism, the organization is considered as one unit that is working towards a single goal. It represents the happy family picture. It also follows that all members of the family, i.e. the organisation, are loyal. Unitalirsts do not believe in conflicts or disputes and they do not expect or accept it. Trade unions have no role to play in unitarism, no negotiations and no collective bargaining. Any of these issues would be considered a disruptive influence to the path of the organisation towards its goal. Management in Unitarism considers making unilateral decisions is the norm and any opposition to this is illogic and irrational. Unitarism has a paternalistic approach where it demands loyalty of all employees. Atkinson and Curtis (2004, p. 492) stated paternalistic approach to employee relations in many small companies was found to be largely still intact. The governments intention of developing partnerships in the employment relationship in order to promote greater fairness in the workplace has, to a significant extent, failed. Small companies may not be granting their employees all their statutory rights. The statement quoted indicates that in this approach there is a sense of unfairness in such ideology of unitarism, at least in the view of the author. Other authors such as Rodriguez and Rios (2007) see that paternalism is counterproductive to productivity. Rodriguez and Rios (2007, p. 356) stated Given this historical account, paternalism has been closely related to the traditional personalized social bond between a boss and his employees. The association also implies that paternalism and productivity are not compatible. In this paper we argue that some of the new modern labour bonds that are being established rise from the paternalistic womb. New fully modern bonds non paternalistic are present as well. Both are related to productivity under the condition that organizations act consistently with the premises under which the contracts are made. By consistent we mean non hypocritical relationships that realistically and sincerely take into account those premises to decide upon Human Resources management policies and practices. On the other hand, authors such as Lewis (1989) see that unitarism approach is what is required in the midst of recession. Lewis (1989) referred to Cressey and Mclnnes (1985) argue that the effect of the recession has been to downgrade the role of consultation. In the companies in which they reviewed the process of consultation, it was trivial and bland. Any lifeboat democracy, as they term it, brought about by the desire to improve co-operation in order to cope with the recession, is extremely fragile and will come to grief on the rocks of managerial prerogative. Moreover, some authors consider that unitarism is normal and required, for example Wilkinson, et al (1991) stated unitarism is an underlying theme which remains unquestioned. Implementation is se en as a matter of motivation, with the correct attitudes being instilled by simple training programmes. Black and Ackers (1998) termed the context of unitarism as looked upon in this investigation as macho management or direct control as a management style. The authors then referred to what they termed as new unitarism and indicated that there is now a shift towards such ideology. Black and Ackers (1998) suggest that management is shifting its emphasis, within the strategy of responsible autonomy, away from the shop stewards organisation towards the shop-floor worker. This involves a shift of issues from collective bargaining to consultation and an attempt to supplement or replace the workplace corporatism of the post-war period, with a greater stress on direct communications with and involvement of the shop floor. The new unitarism attempts to circumvent unions and restrict their scope rather than smashing them. In support of this Gunnigle (1992) views neo-unitarism as a unitarist perspective involving a range of HRM policies designed to eliminate employee need for collective representation. In this sense neo-unitarism is a diluted version of the old unitarism that is investigated here. The second perspective that will be discussed within the context of unilateral managerial decisions is pluralism. Keenoy and Anthony (1992) indicated that the 1970s debate about pluralism was centred on the appropriateness of pluralistic methods to the achievement of social justice; an ethical controversy regarding how the business organizations should be managed. Chigara (1995) indicated that Pluralism holds that employers and employees interests are diametrically opposed to each other, and that they are held in the balance by the common need of keeping the enterprise alive. For pluralists, the trade union is a welcome vehicle for communication. Oram (1984, p. 23) added to the above that Pluralists see trade unionism as merely one more example of a competitive pressure group which Western democratic society accommodates as a matter of course. Pluralists also see that within legal limits, trade union aspirations can be fulfilled sometimes by imposing their wishes in ways which manage ment may see as arbitrary. Trade unions are seen as presenting legitimate challenges to managerial rule with one outcome being in the form of agreed rules, regulating terms and conditions of employment. Dobson (1982) indicated that in the pluralist approach, it is implicit to industrial relations a great belief in the virtues of collective bargaining since it is the method which is used to resolve conflicts. Dobson (1982) stated that other forms of job regulation-especially unilateral regulation by employer, trade union and workgroup-are usually condemned, since they over-ride the interests of other groups. The author then aired the views of the critics to pluralism as stipulating that the legitimacy of collective bargaining is based on certain assumptions, most notably the assumption that all interest groups possess approximate equality of power, so that the eventual compromise reflects equal concessions by all the parties. Even the commonly used definition of collective bargaining of joint job regulation, seems to suggest equality between the parties. Dobson (1982) added that Critics of pluralism have argued that power is very rarely distributed equally, and since in the long run the employer can move his production and investment elsewhere, power is predominantly concentrated in the hands of the employer. For the very same reasons other researchers such as Gunnigle (1992) pointed out to the rise of Neo-pluralism. Gunnigle (1992) stated that Neo-pluralism presented a second type of HRM which involves moves towards greater consensualism and commitment in unionized companies. It is characterized by what might be termed a dualist approach, involving the use of HRM techniques such as direct communications with employees and performance related pay systems alongside established collective bargaining procedures. Pluralism then seem to think that organisation conflicts does exist and that employers and employees interests may be different, however, having accepted this they also accepted that these conflicts are resolvable and that trade unions and the process of collective bargaining are more than capable of attaining a resolution. This assumes that power is equally distributed between employers, employees and unions. Hence, collective bargaining works efficiently. However, researchers also doubt this assumption. Dobson (1982) disputed this unrealistic balance of power and stated A more realistic view of collective bargaining, which takes account of the varying power balances between employers and workers, would see collective bargaining straddling the continuum between unilateral worker regulation on the one hand and unilateral employer regulation on the other. Such an approach would bring into question the pluralist assumption that collective bargaining is necessarily good per se, for at the extremes of the continuum the substantive content of a collective agreement may be identical to that of a unilateral decision. Dobson as such dismisse d the application of collective bargaining as equal to unilateral decision within the imbalance of power that exists in reality. Ackers (1994) agrees with Dobsons view and stated Today, the narrow, institutional version of pluralism is unsustainable. Any view of industrial relations as simply collective bargaining would confine it to a minority activity in a declining sector of the economy. The third perspective on employment relationship is that of Marxism. Hyman (1975) is considered as the authority on Marxism in relation to industrial relations, albeit that he was criticized for being too theoretical in his approach. Wood (1976) referred to Davis criticising the work of Hyman as so abstract and general as to be almost worthless, in either theoretical or practical terms. Still, Hyman explain that worker grievances could only be expressed through collective bargaining and industrial actions. Barbash (2005) indicated that the Marxist model assumes the existence of class conflicts and it is built on the assumption of coalition formation. Marxism stipulates that coalition formation is based on classes that form from out of groups that are in the same authority position in the organisation. Marxism also assumes that classes are able to regulate conflicts and can bring change through negotiations. Marxists acknowledge unions but see the faults in them when in the interest o f workers they seek economic improvement rather than embarking on a revolutionary change and they accuse some unions and their members are subject to false consciousness and that they need to work towards their Leninist destiny. Marxists believes that capitalism creates and endorses monopolies and that capitalism has a powerful luring to the workers when they acquire some powers. Therefore the Marxism approach is to make a goal of overthrowing capitalism. It supports the notion that industrial relations are made by those that are involve in the production and gives the first importance to workers and their affair. It holds true that workers for capitalism are considered a burden on profit making. Marxists also held the view that workers contracts are imposed upon them and they do not enter to it freely and that makes them weak as individual and their strength is therefore lies in their coalition. Marxism sees conflict of interest between capital and workers and employment relations are formed through this conflict. Marxism also uphold the view that trade unions presents optimal solution for such conflicts and ironically Marxists views that institutions of joint regulation would enhance rather than limit managements position as they presume the continuation of capitalism rather than challenge it. From the above a conclusion can be drawn regarding the conviction of management that they have the right to unilateral decision making over human resource issues and that this right is legitimate and rational. It is obvious to many that the trade unions power has been in the last two decades in a decline state. Also, the power of collective bargaining has been in decline, especially after the rise of capitalism in Eastern Europe. The pluralistic approach was seen to be restrictive to the flair and individualistic behaviour of entrepreneurial organisations. Pluralism, whilst acknowledging the conflicts in employers and employees interests, it upholds the idea that survival of the organisation is the derived force to keep it going. Pluralists see trade unions are as presenting legitimate challenges to managerial rule and that it leads to a satisfactory outcome. In fact, each one of the two perspective unitarism and pluralism has its critics. For example, in unitarism there is no obviou s reason as why managers have the only say, and whether this is sensible. It can be argued against unitarism that it gives organisation values to managers and not to groups. If it is a fact of life that conflicts exist in organisations, unitarism does not seem to appreciate this. The same also could be said about pluralism, where it is based on assuming a balance of power that seldom exists in organisations. It also assumes that all conflicts are resolvable and that all those involved have no hidden agendas apart from the common good. It also assumes the full trust in each party; therefore it is unreal and impractical. In regard to Marxism, it was found, in my view, as a mere attack on capitalism and rejection of all of its principles based on naive attempt to show its drawbacks. Marxism hence, relay on giving power to unionists leaders and support the use of extreme measures to resolve conflicts. The concept of job regulations seems to be taken by many researchers as the centre for employment relations and that this relation is formed by both internal and external means. As such this concept may encapsulate all three perspectives in one as it contain unilateral, bilateral and collective as well as state efforts in forming the employment relation. In regard to the subject in question which discusses the unilateral decisions by managements over human resource issues and whether it is legitimate or not. I am of the opinion that it is unrealistic to think that management would allow such decisions to be made collectively. Even if on the face of it, they pretend that it is so. I found myself entirely agree with Lewis (1989) who stated The industrial relations debate about the reasons why management promote employee participation in decision making has run for many years. Much of the literature emphasises the theory that participation in the U.K. is more imagined than real. It gives employees the illusion of a say in organisational decision making whereas the reality is that management use the illusion as a mechanism for control of employees. In fact, this illusion is carried out everywhere and seems ingrained in any organisation. REFERENCES Ackers, P. (1994) Back to Basics? Industrial Relations and the Enterprise Culture. Employee Relations, 16(8), 32 47. Atkinson, C. And Curtis, S. (2004) The impact of Employment Regulation on The Employment Relationship in SMEs. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 11(4), 486 494. Black, J. and Ackers, P. (1998)The Japanisation of British Industry? A Case Study of Quality Circles in the Carpet Industry. Employee Relations, 10(6), 9-16. Barbash, K. (2005) Theories and Concepts in Comparative Industrial Relations. Blackwell. Brown, S. and Eisenhardt, K. (1998) Competing on The Edge. Harvard Business School Pr; ISBN: 0875847544. Chigara, B. (1995) Article 2 of Convention No.87: Precepts And Their Application A Global Assessment. Managerial Law, 37(6), 1-20. Cressey, P. and McInnes, J. (1985) The Recession and Industrial Relations. ESRC conference, University of Warwick, March 1985. Dobson, J. (1982) What is Good Industrial Relations? Employee Relations, 4(2), 5-10. Flanders, A. (1965) Industrial relations: what is wrong with the system? London: Faber. Gunnigle, P. (1992) Human Resource Management in Ireland. Employee Relations, 14(5), 5-22. 1 Hyman, R. (1975) Industrial Relations, a Marxist Introduction. Macmillan, 220. 2- Keenoy, T., Anthony, P. (1992) HRM: Metaphor, Meaning and Morality, in Blyton, P., Turnbull, P. (Eds), Reassessing Human Resource Management, London: Sage. 3- Lewis, P. (1989) Employee Participation in a Japanese-Owned British Electronics Factory: Reality or Symbolism? Employee Relations, 11(1), 3-9. 4- Oram, S. (1984) Industrial Relations and Ideology-An Alternative Approach. Employee Relations, 6(2), 22 26. 5- Rodriguez, D. And Rios, R. (2007) Latent premises of labor contracts: paternalism and productivity: Two cases from the banking industry in Chile. International Journal of Manpower, 28(5), 354 368. 6- Silva, S. (1998) Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations and Achieving Management Objectives. International Labour Organisation, ACT/EMP Publications. Available from: http://www.ilo.org. [Accessed: 24th October 2009]. 7- Wilkinson, A., Allen, P., and Snape, E. (1991) TQM and the Management of Labour. International Journal of Manpower, 12(6), 35-42. 8- Wood , S. (1976) The Radicalisation of Industrial Relations Theor. Personnel Review, 5(3), 52 57.

How Physical Activity Can Improve on Overall Health Essay -- essays re

How Physical Activity can Improve Overall Health and Personal Development Benefits Of Physical Activity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight management. Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular physical activity can help protect you from the following health problems. Heart Disease and Stroke   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity. Optimizing each of these factors can provide additional benefits of decreasing the risk for Peripheral Vascular Disease. High Blood Pressure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regular physical activity can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Physical activity reduces body fat, which is associated with high blood pressure. Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By reducing body fat, physical activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes. Obesity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases. Back Pain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain. Osteoporosis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Running and aerobic exercise have been shown to postpone the development of disability in older adults. Stress and anxiety management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exercise may serve as an effective tranquilizer. Studies in adults indicate that 30 min of aerobic exercise reduces muscle tension by as much as does a dose of 400 mg o... ...low off steam’).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ the stimulus-seeking theory (the excitement and thrills resulting from physical activity satisfy the increased need for stimulation).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ the boredom theory (sport provides an alternative to occupy a time void, and by participating in physical activities, the child is too tired and too occupied to have energy left for delinquent behaviour). Character development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Athletic competition does not appear to promote character development; instead, there are some studies that suggest that individuals with athletic experience have poorer attitudes toward fair play. Socially desirable behaviours such as friendliness, generosity and cooperation are inconsistent with physical activities that emphasize winning. However, physical activity may have the potential for personal growth in qualities including persistence, deeper self-reliance, commitment and motivation, and may increase resourcefulness. This is probably truer for noncompetitive physical activities than team competition. http://www.pulsus.com/Paeds/07_05/niem_ed.htm http://diabetes.about.com/cs/exercise/l/blNIHweightexer.htm

Muslims and Science

THEME OF ESSAY Please read the short book  Ã¢â‚¬ËœMuslims and Science'  by Pervaiz Hoodhbhoy. Provide your views on the central argument of this book. Building on your knowledge from Bronowski and Sagan, what were the vital characteristics that allowed Western civilization to outpace Muslim civilization in the development of science in the modern period? Muslims and Science By Zara Abbas(11020043) Perspective Ever since the advent of Islam in 7th Century, the Muslim civilization rapidly rose to the forefront of human achievement.Remarkable progress was made not only in the fields of sciences and philosophy – i. e. mathematics, astrology, astronomy, optics, cartography, medicine, anthropology, logic and literature – but they also became the dominant military and economic power of the world by the 13th Century. These accomplishments were made possible by a number of underlying factors prevailing at that time in Muslim history.The significant ones being the territorial and commercial expansion of Muslim influence to a vast area where a treasure trove of Greek, Persian and Roman works in science, medicine and philosophy was made available to their intellectuals to build upon; Patronage and encouragement was given to Muslim scholars by the ruling elite of that time, several universities were built in the Muslim lands and a spirit of freedom for inquisitive research across the religious divide was created and encouraged.But then, owing to a raging and endless conflict between the forces of logic and reason and those of rigid religious fundamentalism, Muslim Science lost its appeal and eventually disappeared into near oblivion. Resultantly, the culture of patronage of those seeking knowledge and the pursuit of excellence in the fields of sciences and the arts also died. The Muslim World today, comprising 57 countries and 1. 57 billion people – which is roughly one fifth of the world population – has made no significant contribution to s cience or offered anything substantial towards technology[1] during the last 500 years.It remains in a state of intellectual stagnation while its inept and corrupt leaders rule without any vision or foresight. Budgetary allocations for sciences and general education in most Islamic countries are low resulting in their dependence on the West for survival in vital areas of human activity. Their collective wealth of human capital and vast preserve of natural resources are being wasted on non-development expenditures. The continuing cycle of regressive policy formulation has perpetuated poverty, conflict and instability in most Muslim countries.This deliberate neglect has not only created frustration and despondency amongst the Muslim youth but has also provided space to the orthodox religious forces to breed a deep rooted hatred for the ‘Christian West’ being a convenient scapegoat. In the context of Pakistan and its regional geo-political environment we find ourselves tra pped in a serious internal conflict, socio-economic insecurity, political instability and institutional collapse which have retarded the pace of societal progress. This bleak scenario provides enough motivation to dejected members of the society to join extremist elements for their self actualization.When the sad decline of Muslims began after almost 5 centuries of world domination, the West started overtaking them in every field of human enterprise ranging from means of warfare, industry, economics, education, governance and culture. This ascendency of European nations is attributed to the collapse of feudal economy, relegation of the Church from socio-political dominance to mere religious preaching, emergence of capitalistic economy, development of a secular and rational approach towards scientific and social education[2] and lastly the productive cum commercial usefulness of science and technology for the human race.Unfortunately, the gap between both civilizations in the domain of scientific research and technological advancement has steadily widened during the last 400 years. It is therefore imperative upon the Islamic world to take drastic but pragmatic measures to stem the tide; otherwise we are headed towards an impending disaster. This is precisely the ‘Central Argument’ of Dr. Parvez Hoodbhoy’s Book ‘Muslims and Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality†.Although a nuclear physicist by profession, Dr Hoodbhoy has shown remarkable insight into a subject of academic specialization and contemporary importance and has produced a timely and dispassionate analysis of the causes of decline of the Muslim world in the fields of sciences after remaining in the forefront for centuries. His persuasive and lucid style of argument, which at times seems rather offensive for typical Pakistani (i. e.Muslim) sensibilities, takes the reader through the entire spectrum of factors affecting the Muslim loss of wo rld leadership and retreat from modernity. Simultaneously, he also highlights the special characteristics of the Western nations that propelled them towards human excellence and accomplishment not only in sciences but also in societal activity. Finally, he also suggests some functional and sensible measures to progressively take the Muslims onto the path of modernity and scientific enterprise in harmony with our Islamic ethos. AimThe aim of this essay is to enunciate my own reflections on the decline of Muslim society after leading the world for centuries as against the ascendency of Western powers through their superior human actualization with a view to proposing a realistic way forward for the Muslims in light of the notions expressed by Hoodbhoy, Bronowski and Sagan. What Ails The Muslim World Over the past five centuries people in Islamic societies have tried to come to terms with the reality of their relegation to being the world’s ‘followers’ after remaini ng its ‘leading light’ for an equally long period in the medieval ages.The crucial but relevant question of, ‘What went wrong? ’ agitates the minds of Muslim intellectuals and youth alike. But beyond seeking scapegoats the question remains unanswered. There seems to be no common agreement and honest acknowledgement of our own failings that led to our sad but steady decay, particularly so in the arena of scientific development. However, armed with my study of the subject ‘Science and Civilization’ I shall briefly put forward an objective view of the malaise afflicting the Muslims. 1. Historical Causes of Muslim Decline a.Orthodoxy versus Rationality. The long drawn clash (801 – 1406 AD) between the supporters of Pre destination/Revelation and other Orthodox/Conservative scholars of Sharia, Theology and Islamic jurisprudence (represented by Al Ghazali, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Al Ashari, Ibn e Taymia, Al Maalik) and the Qadarites/Mutazlites (i. e . the proponents of Free Will, Ethics and Reason represented by Al Kindi, Al Razi, Ibn e Sina, Ibn e Rushd and Ibn e Khaldun)[3] eventually led to the victory of the forces of ossified religiosity and swept rational thought away from Islamic intellectualism.Thus the hitherto patronage, respect and support extended to the scholars by the nobility of the times were also withdrawn under pressure from the conservatives. Sadly, the separation between the fundamentalists and secular/rational Muslims became complete and exists till the present times. Thereafter, no one could dare combine reason with revelation in Islam. The edifice of Islamic science and intellectual glory was reduced to ruin and could not be rebuilt. b. Non Scientific Attitude.As a logical corollary of the aforementioned rigidity of thought amongst the Muslim Orthodoxy, the attitudinal notions required for the nurture and development of sciences did not evolve in the Muslim world after the defeat of rationality. The arriv al of dogma and rigidity in Muslim intellectual thought led them to the rejection of ‘prediction’, ‘imagination’, ‘curiosity or the spirit of inquiry’ and ‘the will or urge to control one’s physical environment to human advantage’- essential ingredients of scientific knowledge – resulting in the death of creative activity.Likewise, Muslims of the ‘post golden age’ inherited a general lack of spirit and interest in ‘theoretical’ learning of various sciences owing to their insignificant material reward or utility. They would rather opt for acquisition of practical knowledge for ‘utilitarian’ ends instead of developing a general atmosphere of learning where ‘abstract thought’ and ‘spiritual values could be nurtured. [4] This general apathy towards academic learning steadily became a societal attitude amongst the Muslim generations which exists even today. c. Musli m Educational System.The traditional concept and orientation of education in Muslim societies aims at harmonizing all knowledge with Islamic thought whereby the student remains wedded to his/her Islamic ethos. This develops an attitude of ‘acquiring revealed knowledge’ being a Divine command rather than ‘discovering’ it through inquisitive and participative means. The traditional mode of education followed over centuries in the Muslim world led them to nurture the values of ‘rote learning’, ‘historical and conceptual continuity’,[5] ‘self righteousness’ and ‘rigidity’ in their psyche.Their consequent inability to respond and adjust to a constantly changing world denied them the chance to progress and achieve scientific excellence. d. Capitalism versus Islamic Law. The scientific and industrial revolution in Europe transformed a hitherto feudal society into a modern capitalistic culture. This was achieved t hrough the creation of a bourgeois class capable of investments, innovations and structural changes to coordinate the new means of production and technical progress with the new complex economic challenges.This automatically led to the development of a comprehensive legal system for regulation and dispute resolution of the new socio economic realities. [6] As against this the Islamic jurisprudence, being derived from Quranic injunctions and Prophetic traditions, has a fixed set of rules and defining principles within which justice is to be provided and these laws cannot not be altered or modified to suit changing situations. Therefore, capitalist economy could not take root and develop in its classical sense in Muslim societies. . Economic Causes. When the colonization of Muslim lands in began in the 18th Century, Muslim civilization was urban based with the city dwellers depending on the continuous and assured supply of means of subsistence from the rural peasantry. Such supplies w ould continue even during conditions of famine or strife with state assistance. Therefore, Muslim economies of that time remained immune from Europe’s revolutionary advancement.Likewise, Muslim urban centers never developed municipal or corporate institutions meant for stimulation of economic growth through industry and trade. [7] As a result the Muslim economic order of that era could not compete with Europe’s phenomenal economic growth. f. Means of Warfare. The steady European advancement in the means of warfare (concepts and weaponry) along with the progress made in industry and technology after the 15th Century was also an important factor in causing European victories on the battlefield.By comparison the Muslims could not generate comparable military muscle/prowess. This incompatibility increased substantially by the 18th Century resulting in the occupation of Muslim territories in North Africa, Spain, Balkans, Russia, India and Iran culminating into the colonizat ion of almost the entire Muslim world by the 19th Century. [8] g. Non Existence of a Power Structure. The power structure of a society determines its dominant attitudes towards scientific enquiry and acquisition of knowledge.In the absence of a central authority wielding politico-religious and military power as against the Church in medieval Europe, the Islamic world did not possess the means of exercising control over its territories/subjects and resolving disputes. This inherent weakness laid bare the possibility of insurrection by powerful religious factions/sects, seizing control of distant lands by usurpers or mobilization of the majority sect against minority viewpoint on liberal religious groups. 9] This was a serious organizational weakness that eventually proved detrimental to the political, economic and intellectual ascendency of the Islamic society. 2. Present State of Muslim Science/Education a. Scientific Progress. A recent study of the World Bank indicates that the qua lity of scientific as well as general education in the Muslim World is rapidly falling behind the rest of the World and needs urgent attention if it is to cope with the demands of the future.While some Islamic countries – like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Iran and Nigeria – have drastically increased their respective resource allocations to boost general education and the Sciences, their traditional attitudes towards the education of women, non separation of religious thought from the secular nature of scientific education and discouraging a scientific culture based upon innovation, quantification and empirical verification remain uncompromising to this date. b. Science in the Productive Sector.Despite a universal recognition of the importance of industrial sector for a nation’s economic growth, value added production of contemporary Muslim economies is woefully low. Barring Malaysia, the nature of economy of key Muslim countries remains basical ly agro and mineral extraction. [10] Therefore their accumulated economic strength/capacity is comparatively lower than other developing economies. This indicates that the ‘science to production’ ratio is negligible with little indications of improvement. c. Scientific Output.The overall scientific output of Muslim countries, as indicated by the number of science research papers published together with the citations to them, indicates that we stand alarmingly low in comparison with others like India, Brazil, China and USA. Likewise, we find that 46 Muslim countries contributed 1. 17 % of the world’s science literature as against 1. 66% and 1. 48% respectively from India and Spain alone. Interestingly, 20 Arab countries contributed 0. 55% in comparison to 0. 89 % by Israel. Moreover, the scientific worth or quality of a fairly large number of these papers was not only below par but some were even plagiarized.A study by academics at the International Islamic Univer sity Malaysia showed that OIC countries have 8. 5 scientists, engineers, and technicians per 1000 population, compared with a world average of 40. 7, and 139. 3 for countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. [11] It is also a known fact that the number of Muslim Nobel Laureates is still in single digit in comparison to hundreds from Israel alone. This state of affairs does not augur well for the future of Muslim science. d. Scientific Enterprises.Over the last decade or so Muslim Governments have been steadily increasing their S & T budgets with a view to inducing greater scientific activity. The existing average spending of 57 Islamic countries on R & D is 0. 3% of their GNP which remains far below the global average of 2. 4%. [12] Nonetheless, the there is a perceptible trend of higher spending in major Muslim countries. But bigger budgets alone would not arrest the deteriorating standards unless the capacity to spend these monies is also built simult aneously on developing a critical mass of scientists, engineers and technicians besides improving their quality and professionalism.Recent surveys also indicate that spending on higher education has increased significantly resulting in a sharp rise in the number of institutions, students and infrastructural improvements. But these centers of learning still lack the qualitative edge that could make them rank amongst the foremost 500 in the world which is not the case at the moment. e. Educational Paradox – Pakistan’s Context. Ever since Pakistan’s independence no government has ever given education any status in the list of its national priorities.The public sector expenditure on this vital sector has remained abysmally low (i. e. ranging between 2. 16% to 2. 42 % of GDP from 2003-08 but was reduced to a paltry 2% in 2010 budget)[13] which compares poorly with other South Asian countries. This has left Pakistan’s literacy rates as the lowest in the region (i. e. 57% – which is 69% males and 45% females). [14] The poor quality of the learning environment is evident from the fact that a large number of schools lack basic infrastructure — 37. per cent of the schools up to the elementary level don’t have boundary walls, 33. 9 per cent lack drinking water facility, 37 per cent don’t have latrines and 60 per cent are without electricity. [15] Owing to the criminal neglect of various successive governments in formulating coherent and sustainable education policies for the people by investing in this vital sector, we have not only ended up losing precious generations to the vicissitudes of time but have also denied them the opportunity to improve their lot through acquisition and development of skills.Apart from this, the general apathy and indifference shown towards education by our rulers has led to the creation of a stratified system of educational prejudice. In that the ‘rich and the elite’ go to the private ‘English medium’ schools while the ‘commoner class’ attends the government run ‘Urdu medium’ schools. This puts the common citizen at an unfair disadvantage against the well to do child when both aspire and compete for admission into professional institutions. Recommendations In the words from Dr. Hoodbhoy borrowed from one of his recent papers, ‘Progress will require behavioral changes.If Muslim societies are to develop technology instead of just using it, the ruthlessly competitive global marketplace will insist on not only high skill levels but also intense social work habits. Science can prosper among Muslims once again, but only with a willingness to accept certain basic philosophical and attitudinal changes—i. e. shrug off the dead hand of tradition, reject fatalism and absolute belief in authority, accept the legitimacy of temporal laws, value intellectual rigor and scientific honesty, and respect cultural and pe rsonal freedoms.The struggle to usher in science will have to go side-by-side with a much wider campaign to elbow out rigid orthodoxy and bring in modern thought, arts, philosophy, democracy, and pluralism’. Within this forthright observation lies an abstract framework of our future plan of action based on common sense and principles of logic and reason. However, we would need to tread this path with farsighted prudence and devise our strategic thinking in harmony with the obtaining socio political realities of the Islamic world.Such an approach warrants a judicious and systematic execution but profound application so that the reform process permeates into the Muslim soul without agitating its impassioned sensibilities. The new model of our education philosophy should recognize and affirm that science and religion are complementary and not contradictory to each other. Therefore, the revised concept of scientific education should clearly state that both disciplines are separat e domains which do not overlap; and that there can never be a conflict between the two as long as their protagonists do not stoke public passions for self aggrandizement.The other areas where reform is proposed are listed below: †¢ Remodel the entire concept/ philosophy of general education at the primary /secondary levels with a view to developing the traits of inquisitiveness, empirical and deductive thought process and the ability to challenge/question precepts and assumptions. †¢ Basic education up to Matriculation (or equivalent standard) should be made compulsory for all citizens (both genders) in all Muslim countries. †¢ Budgetary allocation for education be brought at par with laid down UNESCO standards. Revitalize the tertiary and post graduate education system by improving the infrastructure and facilities, provision of high quality teaching staff and improving the quality/worth of scientific research. †¢ Current standards of vocational training for ski ll development of technicians should be refined, upgraded and rejuvenated to match the ongoing technological advancement. †¢ The syllabi of Deeni Madaris (religious schools) should be suitably revamped and harmonized with the current trends in modern education. †¢ The existing disparity between the standards of education/syllabi of Public and private schools be minimized at priority.BIBLIOGRAPHY †¢ Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books , 1991) †¢ Bernard Lewis , â€Å"What Went Wrong? † (Perennial Harper Collins 2002) †¢ Jacob Bronowski, â€Å"The Ascent of Man† (1973) †¢ Carl Sagan, â€Å"Cosmos† (1980) †¢ Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Science and the Islamic World – The Quest for Rapprochement† , â€Å"Physics Today† August 2007 pg 49 < http://ptonline. aip. org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_8/49_1. sh tml? bypassSSO=1 > †¢ â€Å"Muslim World Education – Falling Behind†, ‘Khilafah. Com’ , 24 Feb 2008 < http://www. khilafah. com/index. hp/the-khilafah/education/2019-muslim-world-education-falling-behind > †¢ Dr. Ahmad shafaat, â€Å"a review of Pervez Hoodbhoy, Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and Battle for Rationality† November 2002 < http://www. islamicperspectives. com/ReviewPervezHoodbhoy. htm > †¢ Khawar Ghumman, â€Å"Only two percent of GDP Spent on Education†, Dawn. Com, (5 Jun 2010) , < http://www. dawn. com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-only-2pc-of-gdp-spent-on-education-560-sk-09 > ———————– [1] â€Å"Muslim World Education – Falling Behind†, ‘Khilafah. Com’ , 24 Feb 2008 < http://www. khilafah. om/index. php/the-khilafah/education/2019-muslim-world-education-fallin g-behind > [2] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991) pg 2 &161. [3]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991),pg 115 – 141. [4]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991) pg 145 – 149. [5] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991), pg 149 – 154. 6] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991), pg 154 – 156. [7] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books ,1991), pg 157 †“ 160. [8] Bernard Lewis , â€Å"What Went Wrong? † (Perennial Harper Collins 2002), pg 18 – 34. [9]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books , 1991), pg 161. [10]Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Muslims & Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality† (Vanguard Books , 1991), pg 34 – 37. 11] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy(2007), â€Å"Science and the Islamic World – The Quest for Rapprochement† ,Physics today’ August 2007 pg 49 < http://ptonline. aip. org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_8/49_1. shtml? bypassSSO=1 > [12] Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, â€Å"Science and the Islamic World – The Quest for Rapprochement† ,Physics Today’ August 2007 pg 49 < http://ptonline. aip. org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_8/49_1. shtml? bypassSSO=1 > [13] Government of Pakistan – Ministries of Finance and Education –

How to Write a Formal Business Letter in English

How to Write a Formal Business Letter in English A formal business letter requires not only strong grammar and vocabulary, but also appropriate tone, format, and sequence. Learning how to write a professional letter in English can be difficult for non-native speakers learning how to write in business English. In this article, we will show you what to include and avoid when writing a formal letter. Finding The Correct Tone in English Formality is a tricky thing in English since it isn’t built into the grammar like in Spanish, French, or Japanese. Instead, it is built into our tone of voice (when speaking) and in the vocabulary we use. You can see some good examples of different levels of formality here.(The first example demonstrates the proper level of formality for a business letter.) Here is a quick tip.In general, a good rule to remember is that formal writing is a bit longer. For example: INFORMAL: Thanks! FORMAL: I appreciate †¦ **Remember! This is a general rule. It is not always true. What to avoid in a formal english business letter Here are some things you should avoid in a formal letter: Emojis – as much as I love these because they â€Å"humanize† writing, they don’t belong in anything formal. Exclamation points – These make you sound like a teenage cheerleader. Acronyms like LOL or ICYMI – these are often inappropriate (in the case of LOL) or better spelled out (in the case of ICYMI). They are also easily misunderstood (I knew someone who though LOL meant â€Å"lots of love† instead of â€Å"laughing out loud.† It seems like a small mistake, but it resulted in some hurt feelings when she sent LOL to someone who had just lost their grandfather. Idioms (a full list of English idioms can be found here) – It’s always better to write what you need to say plainly and directly. Idioms are also cultural and easily misunderstood or misused. Anything that sounds too friendly or intimate. Example: Nice chatting with you yesterday! Instead, write, â€Å"It was good to talk with you yesterday.† Sentence fragments – Example: Looking forward to your reply.† (More info here.) These are used often in speech and are usually ok in informal writing, but they don’t work in formal writing because the subject is of the sentence is missing. (I am looking forward to your reply.† Instead, keep your focus on: Meeting your audience’s needs and expectations. Remember, the receiver of your letter might not be your only audience. Other people, particular those above your intended receiver, may also see your letter. Direct, simple language. Strong, appropriate grammar. Know your grammar weaknesses and proofread carefully. If you have trouble with this, use Grammarly. Format Use block formatting. Every item is left aligned, with no indented paragraphs. There is one line of space between each item/paragraph. You can see block formatting here. Sequence Sender’s Address – The first item should be the sender’s address without the sender’s name. Date – Make sure to use the date format common to your audience and always spell out the month. More info on global date formats here. Receiver’s Address – Here you need to include the receiver’s name, title, and company, as well as the address. Salutation – Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Last name: (Ex. Dear Ms. Jones:) Body text – This is where you include the bulk of your content. Make sure to start with the main point of your communication in the first paragraph, then include more details in the second paragraph, and close with an action eliciting conclusion in the final paragraph. Closing – Sincerely or Best regards followed by a comma is appropriate for most formal situations. (Ex. Best regards,) Four lines of space to sign your name Your First and Last Name

Future of Money essays

Future of Money essays Money was originally any physical substance that was desired by others, such as gold, silver, or even cattle. Today when someone mentions money you think of bills or coins, but in reality you should be thinking e-money or electronic money, the future of all commerce. With the digital age approaching perhaps bills and coins will become obsolete. If and when we do change over, e-money will make a significant impact on society. Through the many advancements in technology and the giant strides the internet has taken, we are now able to buy and sell goods over a computer network known as the world wide web. The more we learn about the internet and its capabilities, the easier it will get. The internet will be a much more convienent way of shopping, with everything at your disposal, there will be no more worries about getting a parking spot at your local mall when you can just park your self right in front of the computer. And in a few easy steps the item you are looking for will be ready for delivery. And through the use of a credit card or smart chip you will be able to purchase what you need. Increasingly, they include digital products such as news, audio and video, database, software and all types of knowledge based products. It appears that electronic commerce is similar to catalog shopping or home shopping on cable TV. The internet isnt the only way to go though. You will still be able to purchase prod ucts right out of the store site through use of your smart chip. Digital signatures will make e-money possible in stores. Your purchase will be sent directly to your bank where it is confirmed. Right now the internet, in most cases, is just another way to advertise your product to the world, while in only a few short years the internet will be dealing with main stream commerce. The internet wont make things any easier on the companies though. As demand goes up, supply will have to go up as well and many companies wo...

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Ten top spelling tips Ten top spelling tips English can be a confusing language. Swapping one word for another that sounds exactly the same (a homophone) can alter the meaning completely. Picking the right one gives your business writing credibility. Here are some commonly confused words clarified, to help you make the right choice every time. 1. Practice and Practise Practice with a c is the noun so it can mean a rehearsal, a run-through or an office belonging to certain professionals. For example, a doctors practice, a lawyers practice or the dreaded dentists practice. Practise with an s is the verb (in UK English) and means to do or to carry out. So you could say, Tracey practised singing Madonnas Like a Virgin on several occasions. But it didnt help her get into the Pop Idol final or, Plan B, the convent. Note that US English uses practice for both noun and verb. 2. Desert and Dessert A desert is a wasteland or a wilderness that quite often features sand and a few camels. A dessert is a big fat pudding! Think ss for sugary sweet. 3. Your and Youre Use your when talking about your pen, your file, your desk. Use youre when you mean you are. For example, Youre going to work today. Because your boss will give you the heave-ho if you take another sick day. 4. There, Theyre and Their Arranging a night out at a swanky bar with your friends? You can say, Great, Ill see you there! Theyre sure to wear their finest cocktail attire. 5. Affect and Effect A person can be affected by an incident whereas an effect is the result of an incident. For example, Jim was deeply affected by his wife running off with the Australian travel rep. The effects of this were: he had a funny turn whenever Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was on TV, and he decided to holiday in Skegness, not Sydney, in future. 6. Horde and Hoard Horde can be used to describe a crowd. For example, hordes of people attended the rugby match. Whereas a hoard is a stash of treasure. 7. Stationary and Stationery Confused about when to use stationery or stationary? When you are writing about paper products or similar, think e for exercise book and use stationery. Or you could think of a stationary car, which rhymes with ar. 8. Canvass and Canvas A slimy politician will canvass votes. But canvas is a type of material favoured by artists – or boy scouts pitching their tents. 9. Bare and Bear When the sun comes out, Britons strip off and bare all in their swimming costumes! But can you bear the sight of all that exposed flesh? 10. Compliment and Complement To compliment someone is to make an encouraging remark. Complementing them, however, may be more welcome, as it means to support or help.

Budget Variance Report for Hospital Department Assignment

Budget Variance Report for Hospital Department - Assignment Example The researcher of this assignment discusses the best practices, that are needed when setting and managing health hospital budgets. These basically, include but not limited to using comparative benchmarks, setting up to date, high performance department budgets, establishing a cultural perspective of accountability, managing expenses such as salaries and supplies amicably, uphold monitoring variances and having corrective action plan and employing a balanced scorecard. Like many health systems departments usually trail to accomplish its operation targets with this case at hand of variation of higher salaries and much more than supplies noted. For that month, ability to meet budgeted operating margin targets was not possible. As a result, supplies had subdued expected average monthly operating margin to support the hospital in running its department. To deduce that, the researcher of this assignment is to look at factors that resulted to the variance. During that time, the department s pent 80% more on items not budgeted for that month signified a 3.6% average budget variance. However, a critical look showed that 40% of the 80% dollar value totaled necessary expanses contributed to unexpected volume increase after the budget originally drawn. The researcher states that budget variance report needed to be created from general ledger system, revenue and expenses. Other factors considered in this assignment are actual results, budget variance, percent variance and along with budget.

Recession in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recession in UK - Essay Example Bankruptcy and unemployment on the other hand rises (Office for National Statistics, 2010). The general belief in the cause of inflation is that recession comes after there is an extensive drop in spending. In combating the problem of inflation, governments usually adopts expansionary macroeconomic policies. These involve increasing the amount of money in circulation, decreasing taxation and increasing government spending. In looking at the case of the UK Economy, it is a good example of the whole process of the period before recession and the macroeconomic conditions prevailing then, the start of recession and the conditions then, the whole recession period and the effect of the government actions on macroeconomic parameters and finally how the economy managed to come out of the recession. The recession in UK economy began after it had experienced two quarters of negative growth in the period between June and December of the year 2008. This led to the falling of the GDP by 1.5 percent during the three last months of the year after the previous quarter had dropped by 0.6%. This is the biggest decline in GDP between two quarters ever recorded after the year 1980. This second quarter experienced the biggest fall in GDP within the same period or quarter. This recession lasted for a period of 18 months and it is the longest recession in the UK economy ever. The economy was characterized by an increased public borrowing of up to approximately 178 bn, and the GDP went down by 6%. Credit Crunch is one of the factors that have been experienced in the UK economy during the recession period. This is an unexpected shortage of money for giving out as loans. As expected this leads to a fall in the amount of loans available. This can be caused by a sudden increase in interest rates, drying up of funds in the capital markets and a control of money directly by a government (Finance Blog, 2010). In the case of the UK recession, the credit crunch was as a result of a sharp increase in subprime mortgages which originated in America but the result was felt in the rest of the world. In the UK, not many bad mortgages where given out like in the US, as it was better controlled than in the US. This however led to a serious problem for Northern Rock which had a high percentage of loans which where risky. It was not able to raise enough funds when the crisis came by in the capital market. It thus resulted to asking the Bank of England to be given emergency funds. Because of this, the customers did not have faith with the bank any more and they thus started withdrawing their funds from the bank. The credit crunch has resulted in an increase in the price for mortgages in UK where mortgages have become expensive (UK Economy Ltd). Another factor experienced due to the recession is falling in prices for houses. This is as a result of the high cost of mortgages which has led to a fall in demand for houses. As a result, the price of houses has been forced to come down and this is a show that many are met with a negative equity. When the prices for houses are low, it means that the banks are not able to get back the initial loan. This has affected the firms dealing with such business like Bradford & Bingley which had specialized in buying and letting which is affected by falling house prices. There is a collapse in confidence in the entire sector of finance. This result in loss of confidence on

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Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's On The Soul - Essay Example Eventually a prisoner is released and the allegory details his progression out of the cave and into higher states of knowledge. It’s abundantly clear that the prisoners shackled in the cave represent humans at beginning stages of cognitive knowledge. Plato urges the reader to consider the prisoners’ predicament in terms of knowledge, ‘Now consider what would happen if their release from the chains and the healing of their unwisdom should come about in this way.’ As the prisoner is released from the shackles and realizes that the fire and statues have caused the shadows, he has then metaphorically passed from the imagining stage of reason to the belief stage, as evidenced in N. Jordan’s chart. However the prisoner is still unaware of the world outside the cave and as he exits the cave he gradually becomes privy to a higher stage of cognitive development, â€Å"At first it would be easiest to make out shadows, then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves. After that, it would be easier to watch the heavenly bodies and the sky itself † As the prisoner exits the cave, man is correspondingly shown to have entered the thinking stage of cognitive development, where mathematical concepts are implemented through reason to construct and understand the world. The prisoner then enter the final stage of cognitive development where they witness the actual objects that witness the cave from the outside, the actual objects that cause the reflections in the water, and ultimately the sun itself, â€Å"And now he would begin to draw the conclusion that it is the sun that produces the seasons and the course of the year and controls everything in the visible world.† This final stage is the Form of the Good, this seems to correspond to Plato’s concept of the idealized forms and Socrates concept that the unexamined life is not worth living, to conclude that the

Decriminalization or Legalization of Marijuana in Canada Essay

Decriminalization or Legalization of Marijuana in Canada - Essay Example When used in moderation marijuana is undeniably less detrimental compared to alcohol and tobacco (Joffe and Yancy 636). The detriment allied with other drugs to a user stems from its worldwide handiness, usage and acceptability in most countries. Therefore, regulating the consumption of a drug by decreasing its obtainability and use can minimize the effect associated with its abuse. There are various health effects associated with abusing drugs. According to research, most doctors agree that marijuana is less addictive than tobacco and alcohol. Therefore, the government should consider legalizing marijuana by get rid of the authorized ban connected with cannabis (Caulkins, Hawken, Kilmer and Kleiman 56). Efforts geared towards legalizing marijuana should not only center on adults but also pay attention on its outcome to the youth. The legalization of marijuana will absolutely result to advertisements which could reassure teenagers to use the drug. Therefore, when considering authorization of marijuana, regulatory measures should be established to prevent promotion of the drug to adolescents. Decriminalization of marijuana in Canada might encourage the youth into abusing the drug since the consequences associated with its possession will be decreased (Joffe and Yancy 636). Canada’s legal framework is in line with the society’s values. Statistics confirm that a greater portion of youth use marijuana as compared to adults in Canada. Furthermore, approximately 600,000 Canadian citizens use marijuana (24% of this number are youths aged 12-17 years). Approximately 30,000 arrests are made yearly translating to $500 million in expenditure used by the government in enforcing drug laws. Leaders such as Stephen Harper who is the Canadian Prime Minister has been involved continuously in pushing reforms to intensify marijuana’s prescription since its criminalization is expensive (Raaflaub 334). The Canadian economy can be significantly

The relationship between unequal democracy and uneasy alliances Essay

The relationship between unequal democracy and uneasy alliances - Essay Example Scholars argue that politicians respond to the needs of all voters because of their desire to win elections. Paul contradicts this view by expounding on the economic gap that politicians create among Americans based on racial and political affiliation. He further explains that American politicians spend a great deal of resources and time on the majority who are white voters, at the expense of the minority black voters. The theory intimates that the two-party system in United States is responsible for the current state of affairs. Frymer argues that the establishment of the current party system distances the American minorities’ concerns from political agendas (Frymer 26). The system continues to limit opportunities for black Americans politically. Several American presidents facilitate this political isolation by distancing themselves from the needs of the African Americans. In addition, the Republican Party, which dominates most of the white populace, concentrates on the need s of the white voters. Frymer compares the black voters’ position in the American politics with that of minority social groups such as lesbians, gays and Christian right. According to Frymer, uneasy alliances are powerful challenges on how Americans view the relationship between democracy, black voters and political parties. The theory compares the impact of various political parties on the livelihoods of the black voters. It reveals that the Democratic Party establishes a close relationship with the African-American voters while the Republican Party relates well with the white voters.

Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's Essay

Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's On The Soul - Essay Example Eventually a prisoner is released and the allegory details his progression out of the cave and into higher states of knowledge. It’s abundantly clear that the prisoners shackled in the cave represent humans at beginning stages of cognitive knowledge. Plato urges the reader to consider the prisoners’ predicament in terms of knowledge, ‘Now consider what would happen if their release from the chains and the healing of their unwisdom should come about in this way.’ As the prisoner is released from the shackles and realizes that the fire and statues have caused the shadows, he has then metaphorically passed from the imagining stage of reason to the belief stage, as evidenced in N. Jordan’s chart. However the prisoner is still unaware of the world outside the cave and as he exits the cave he gradually becomes privy to a higher stage of cognitive development, â€Å"At first it would be easiest to make out shadows, then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves. After that, it would be easier to watch the heavenly bodies and the sky itself † As the prisoner exits the cave, man is correspondingly shown to have entered the thinking stage of cognitive development, where mathematical concepts are implemented through reason to construct and understand the world. The prisoner then enter the final stage of cognitive development where they witness the actual objects that witness the cave from the outside, the actual objects that cause the reflections in the water, and ultimately the sun itself, â€Å"And now he would begin to draw the conclusion that it is the sun that produces the seasons and the course of the year and controls everything in the visible world.† This final stage is the Form of the Good, this seems to correspond to Plato’s concept of the idealized forms and Socrates concept that the unexamined life is not worth living, to conclude that the

The relationship between unequal democracy and uneasy alliances Essay

The relationship between unequal democracy and uneasy alliances - Essay Example Scholars argue that politicians respond to the needs of all voters because of their desire to win elections. Paul contradicts this view by expounding on the economic gap that politicians create among Americans based on racial and political affiliation. He further explains that American politicians spend a great deal of resources and time on the majority who are white voters, at the expense of the minority black voters. The theory intimates that the two-party system in United States is responsible for the current state of affairs. Frymer argues that the establishment of the current party system distances the American minorities’ concerns from political agendas (Frymer 26). The system continues to limit opportunities for black Americans politically. Several American presidents facilitate this political isolation by distancing themselves from the needs of the African Americans. In addition, the Republican Party, which dominates most of the white populace, concentrates on the need s of the white voters. Frymer compares the black voters’ position in the American politics with that of minority social groups such as lesbians, gays and Christian right. According to Frymer, uneasy alliances are powerful challenges on how Americans view the relationship between democracy, black voters and political parties. The theory compares the impact of various political parties on the livelihoods of the black voters. It reveals that the Democratic Party establishes a close relationship with the African-American voters while the Republican Party relates well with the white voters.

The Russian & History Essay Example for Free

The Russian History Essay In 1918 and 1824, the Russian took over this Region of Kyrgyzstan. They included it in its union of member nations which was called U. S. S. R. The people of Kyrgyzstan instigated several revolts and demonstrations against the union. But the Russians were very brutal and stronger which caused many Kyrgyzstan people to free to the Parmir Mountains or to Afghanistan. In August 1991 the Kyrgyzstan regained there independence. Many organizations, groups and others who had freed the country were recalled to re-gather and reestablish into a solid group that included a backlash against the Russian. In 2000 February two rounds of parliamentary elections were held in Kyrgyzstan. The organization for Security and Cooperation engency (OSCE) was the international elections over seer. After the elections, this organization reported that elections failed to comply with commitments to free and fair elections and hence invalid. But the public remained calm over this matter, they never demonstrated or protested. (www. advantour. com/kyrgyzstan/history. htm) In 2005 February 25 another election was organized. The same organization which held responsibility over overseeing the election process in the previous election of 2000 was the same election overseer for that election. After the election president Akayev was announced the winner and sworn in. But the election observers reported that elections had some improvements over the 2000 election. The added that indelible ink was used, Transparent ballot boxes and general good access by election observers to the voting centers, but the concluded the election didn’t comply with the commitments of free and fair elections Sporadic protest against peeved manipulated and fraud during the elections of February 27, 2005, erupted into widespread calls for the government to resign, which started into widespread calls march 24, 15,000 pro-opposition demonstrators in Bishkek called for resignation of the President and his regime. Protestors seized the main government building, and Akayev hurriedly fled to resign and denouncing the events as a coup, he subsequently resigned his office on April 4. El Salvador (examples of ‘jihad and MacWorld’) In 1972 an election was organized, the two main political parties were the PCN and the UNO. The PCN was the party in power and had chosen Colonel Arturo Molina as its candidate. The candidate for the UNO (United National Opposition) was Napoleon Duarte. The campaigns in this election process were violent and dangerous, incidents of harassment, kidnapping, and assault against their activists where sighted. Finally after the casting of the votes, it was found out the Duarte from the opposition side had worn the elections. The ruling party recalled for a re-count which it claimed the winner. And Molina of the Ruling party was sworn in as the president. The blatancy of the fraud employed to maintain the PCN in power outraged and disillusioned many Salvadorans, including members of the armed forces. One faction of the officer corps, a new military youth wing, attempted to talk direct action to the official; exploitation of a system that had until that point shown some promise of evolving in a genuinely democracy direction. This group of young army officers, led by Colonel Benjamin Mejia, launched a coup (www. workmall. com/wfb2001/el_salvador/el_salvador_history_index. html) on March 25 1972. Their immediate goal was the establishment of a revolutionary Junta. â€Å"It seemed clear however that the officers favored the installation of Duarte as president. Kyrgyzstan (international global forces’ role in its power struggle) From 1900 Kyrgyzstan experienced about two direct/indirect influences in its power struggle. The first one was its integration into the U. S. S. R, Union of member nations which had negatives and positives towards its power struggles. The ruthless suppression of 1916 rebellions in central Asia, Kyrgyzstan inclusive triggered by the Russians imposition of them, caused many Kyrgyz flee to chain, Afghanistan and in the Pamir Mountains. All its national resources and other produce was collected and sent to Russia, where the cake was divided into and the Kyrgyzstan could be sent back the peanuts. However on the positive side of its integration into the union of the U. S. S. R, it got considerable cultural, educational, social development and economic improvements. This changes and developments where brought about by the U. S. S. R broadness and dives try (www. workmall. com/wfb2001/kyrgyzstan/kyrgyzstan_history_index. html) The second international/global force to influence its power struggle indirectly was the U. S. It is speculated that U. S directly or indirectly influenced the disintegration of the U. S. S. R union. And helped many their struggle towards their impendence. It also offered aid in the field of democratic politics, human rights economic aid and other. (www. advantour. com/kyrgyzstan/history. htm) However if there were no international forces in this country’s struggle toward achieving power. There would have been positive and negatives effects. After the World War II, the cold war began; it meant that you had to support the U. S or the U. S. S. R. Those who believe in communism like China, Cuba, North Korea and many others were on the U. S. S. R side. And those who support capitalism like Britain, Australia, Spain, France and many others had to be on the U. S side. These countries benefited fir the support of these systems. They got grants, aid and markets for their produce in return for their support from these big two giants. El Salvador (international/global forces in its power struggle) During the 12 – year civil war, human rights violations by both the government security forces and left-wing guerillas were rampant. The accords established a Truth commission under United Nations auspices to investigate the most serious cases. The commission reported its finding in 1993. It recommends that those identified as human rights violators be removed from all government and military posts, as well as recommending the judicial reforms. Thereafter, the legislation Assembly grants amnesty for political crimes committed during wars Among those freed as a result were the El Salvador Armed forces (ESAF) officers convicted in the November 1989 Jesuit murders and the FMLN ex- combatants held for the 1991 murders of two U. S service men. The peace accords also established the AD Hoc commission to evaluate the human rights record of the ESAF officers (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_El_ Salvador) The second direct involvement was by the U. S The carter administration had lost considerably leverage in El Salvador when the Romero government renounced United States aid in 1977. The United States there for welcomed the October 1979 coup and backed it up with its approval. When the economic aid package that by 1980 had become the largest western hemisphere recipients. A small amount of military aid also was provided. The United States advisers contributed to the third junta’s agrians reform program, particularly in phase III, of the reform, so called land to the Tiller decree of April 28 1980, granting title to small holders. (http://www. mongabay. com/reference/country_studies/el-salvador/HISTORY. html) However the United States had two motives why it involved its self in the El Salvador politics. First was to prevent the communism expansion threat through out the Central America. And to promote human rights this country. If there were no external forces in the politics of this nation perhaps the situation would have been worse. (www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/47/index) In El Salvador, there was violence through out the 1970s and 1980s, and thousands upon thousands died. In Kyrgyzstan, there was only very limited violence in 2005. With perhaps a dozen people dead as a result. Why was El Salvador so violent and why was Kyrgyzstan relatively peaceful? El Salvador These countries in the Central American Region were a high target in the cold war period. The U. S feared the expansion of communism could terminate its union states so it worked had to stop it rather if possible to eliminate it completely. Some countries were already converted like Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile and others. And the U. S. S. R put so much effort in these countries because they near to the United States. The Reagan administration initially appeared to stress the need to shore up El Salvador as a barrier against communism expansion in Central America. The United States Department of state issued a special report on February 23, 1981 entitled communism expansion interference in El Salvador which emphasized Nicaraguan, Cub and soviet support for the FMLN. The report was widely criticized in American media and the United States congress. Nevertheless, the administration succeeded in increasing substantially the United States military and economic aid to El Salvador appropriation. (http://www. mongabay. com/reference/country_studies/el-salvador/HISTORY. html) The second reason as to why there has been so much violence in El Salvador is the land issue. El Salvador is a small country, with a rapid growing population. Land in this country is not divided equally as much of the land was being divided by the rich and the high govern officials and little remain to the majority. Being the fact that most of the El Salvadorans people are farmers they don’t have a enough land for cultivation. So this has caused an influence in their politics. Whoever wants political power uses this land issue to win the attention of the majority landless in this country. (www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/47/index) In 1969 this land distribution wrangles went beyond their boundary to its most immediate neighbor Honduras. The El Salvador people crossed the boundary illegally into the Hondurans and encroached on their land. The Hondurans is a big country with a low population and most of the land is not development. President Oswald Lopez Arellan (1963-1971) influenced the law reform to evict the El Salvadorans back to their country. After their expulsion The government of El Salvador responded with a military offense to the Hondurans and a war between the two countries started. The people of El Salvador are power greedy. They didn’t have political willingness to take power democratically or by any peaceful means. When it means to rig elections they can do it, and the one who loses is not ready to give up and resort to military offences. They were used to coup way of taking over power. (www. politicalgraveyard. com/geo/ZZ/EL. html) Taking power and coup in this region had become the order of the day. In Cuba the regime which was in power used a barrier of a gun. In Nicaragua it was the same, Chile, Haiti and others. The only way of changing government in this region was not any other means but through military means. Kyrgyzstan (why has it been peaceful over the past years) There are many factors which have contributed to relative peace in this country over the past years. Kyrgyzstan’s union in the U. S. S. R meant the people of this country had little or non at political influence other than the union. Whenever the communist party choose some one for a position, it was final no question over that. Some how the people of this country got used to stay calm. The Kyrgyz Stan people had been deprived off their freedom of political choice. They never had before, any kind of greed for political power compared to the people of El Salvador. This speculated on their back ground before the 1900 and when the Russian included in to the U. S. S. R where Stalin had an iron hand to all who seemed like they wanted to oppose him This nation is a big country in relation to its population. It means the people of this country have more than enough land to cultivate and rear their animals without any interference. This gave employments to the youth who would have easily convinced in to acts of violence. (www. worldstatesmen. org/Kyrgyzstan. htm) The economy of this nation is big. Kyrgyzstan’s gross domestic product was in 2003 $1. 9 billion, in 2002 it was $1. 6 billion and in 2001 it was $1. 5 billion which contributes $536 for each Kyrgyz monthly. Kyrgyzstan have abundant hydropower, significant deposits of gold, rare metals, locally exploited coal, oil and natural gas. Agriculture produce includes tobacco, cotton, wheat vegetable (potatoes, sugar beets, beans) , fruits apple apricots, peaches grapes , berries etc. Its exports include small machinery transformers light industry and many others. Http://www. state. gov/r/pdi/bgn/5755.htm) Reference list Information about Kyrgyz Stan history, politics and economy (www. advantour. com/kyrgyzstan/history. htm) (Http://www. state. gov/r/pdi/bgn/5755. htm) (www. worldstatesmen. org/Kyrgyzstan. htm) (www. workmall. com/wfb2001/kyrgyzstan/kyrgyzstan_history_index. html) Information about El Salvador political history, economy (www. workmall. com/wfb2001/el_salvador/el_salvador_history_index. html) (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_El_ Salvador) (www. politicalgraveyard. com/geo/ZZ/EL. html) (www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/47/index) (http://www. mongabay. com/reference/country_studies/el-salvador/HISTORY. html)

Obesity In New Zealand

Obesity In New Zealand There are many social issues facing New Zealanders today, couple these with low economics and low employment and these factors start turning these issues into health problems such as obesity. This essay will outline a social issue of obesity. It will then give a brief explanation of sociological theories, upon doing so the essay will then relate the social issue back to the three sociology theories. Lastly this essay will explore how obesity is affecting MÄ ori. Obesity in New Zealand has become a major health and social issue facing people of all ages. Recent statistics on this issue have highlighted just how much of a problem obesity has become.in the years 2008/09 27.8% of all adults (aged 15+) are obese thats 1 in 4 and childhood obesity is no better with 1 in 12 children (aged 2 15) being obese thats 8.3% (Ministry of health, 2011). This breaks down to males being 27.7% and females being 28.7%, compare these to 1997 where the statistics were vastly different. Only 17% of males were obese and 20.6% females were obese (Ministry of health, 2011). Childrens statistics are similar but there is a definite trend for children as only some in the total population are affected. All factors have been addressed while these statistics have been complied such as food intake, food types and psychical activities. The health issues that have steamed from social issue include type 2 diabetes, and heart disease among others in adults, However in children the problems are far more serious . Obese children face a lifetime of health problems such as high blood pressure and asthma. For obese children there is a greater risk of bullying, body dissatisfaction as well as psychological problems (Ministry of health, 2011). There has been research to suggest that obesity in children may lead to strokes, common cancers, reproductive problems and musculoskeletal problems (Ministry of health, 2011). Obese children often lead to obese adults; this is now not just a health problem but a social issue as the repercussions that stem from this are far reaching. Our children will have to face this head on as it will be down to their generation who ultimately have to deal with this issue. Conflict theory, structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism are all theories used in sociology. They provide perspectives on how we see the world, something to grab a hold of so to understand the information we receive. Each of these theories provides a unique way of looking at situations for example a conflict theorist would say that all relationships are centred on power and someone holding more power than the other (Brent, Thompson, Vale, 2000) . A conflict theorist believes that social economics are determined by the wealthy and therefore they hold the power over the majority of the people (Brent, Thompson, Vale, 2000). With this happening it clearly breaks society into two groups rich and poor, the boss and the workers or as Karl Marx put it the bourgeoisie and the proletariats ( M.E. Sharpe, 2005), this division between the masses proves to be beneficial for the richer of society (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). When dealing with social problems the conflict theory c an be broken into two areas Non-Marxist conflict theory and Marxist conflict theory. Marxists focus on conflicts in our society that develop from differences in financial status (Ellison, 1987). Non-Marxists focus on conflicts in our society that arise from differing and oppositional ethics amongst different groups (Ellison, 1987). A structural functionalist has a different view on the world as they believe that our society is a group of interrelated individuals that coexist in a manner that creates symmetry for all (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). With this belief comes the realisation that corporations and families are equal in society, families reproduce, nurture and educate children who in turn provide workers with the skills and knowledge base for the corporations to continue (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). Structural functionalism highlights how a society works together and how one part of society influences another part of society (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). Symbolic interactionism is largely based on work by George H Mead and Max Webber. Symbolic interactionism looks at the whole picture while analysing the micro level, as theorist who follows this perspective believe that by analysing the macro level the social problem could be broken down to see what level has been affected (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). This perspective is occupied with the inner workings of a small group to see how human behaviour is influenced while interacting within the small group vs. a larger group (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). This perspective also advocates that a persons self is shaped and influenced by interaction with others in a social situation (Mooney, Knox, Schacht, 2000). Looking at obesity from a structural functionalist point of view you would have to say that not one person is to blame as it is a collective problem, that a collective has to come to terms with. With this understanding it then becomes hard to correct the problem as if one part of society is influencing to the wrong degree then that will impact on another part of society and then a domino effect is created (Nestle, 2006). Marketing advertisements in modern media that depict high fat and high in sugar foods utilising graphical images that portray healthy people, make the average consumer believe that eating this style of foods will have no effect on them (Witkowski, 2007). This is just one example of the major corporations influencing society to buy items which is propelling the obesity problem. This is one part of society influencing another part of society. A conflict theorist would look at this social issue and would simply ask who is benefiting from this. Companies who promote unhealthy eating like fast food establishments who make unhealthy food readily available at a low cost point are the only ones who make a gain (Beck, 2007). By making appetizing food which tastes good with no nutritional value in bulk the fast food companies are able to keep costs down and in doing so they hold power over the consumer as they are able to purchase a cheap filling meal at no great cost to them (Young Nestle, 2007). There is research that links the proliferation of fast food outlets to the growing challenge of obesity this factor linked with low exercise rates due to motorized transport and jobs that no longer require manual labour has led to a sequence of events in our society where obesity is one of the outcomes (Freund Martin, 2008) . This has become the typical power struggle in our todays society. A symbolic interaction theorist would look at how people are being influenced by those they surround themselves with, how a person/people receives and interprets the information being beamed through all media outlets and peers a like (Kumanyika, 2008). By bringing the person down to the macro level a theorist would look to see how these influences are being processed, how media influences peoples buying patterns and challenges our ability to see right from wrong and good from bad. The use of modern media practice gives visuals of healthy people consuming high fat unhealthy food (Nestle, 2006). The image contradicts the act and therefore legitimises this in their mind, consequently making it ok to eat unhealthy. This is how obesity has become a social issue.