My Ambition to Become a Aeronautical Engineer

Aimless life is no lesser than a sin . Many people have no definite aim in life. They are like travellers going ahead without any destination. Someone has truly said that â€Å"Changes do not happen when circumstances improve it happens when we decide to change to ourselves . ’’Such people who lead an aimless life do not believe in hard work but, always depend on destiny. It is true that God has written our destiny but it is we who have to achieve it through hardwork.It is you, if you do not work efficiently you won’t achieve the best results of it. A person who has his goals set will never astray. He won’t be mislead by other temptations. He’ll be the master of his luck. He does not believe in destiny. He loves his work and he’ll be efficient towards it, and his energies won’t go waste. His health does not fail him. But, for people who have aimless lives won’t change his mood to change his track. If you have an ambition, you c an pursue it all your life and you are never tired.It drives you on and on quite tirelessly. It is necessary to decide in life that what you aspire to become. An engineer, a doctor, lawyer, scientist, philosopher or anything different from it. The whole world is open before a young man and he should make up his mind about his career/profession as soon as possible. Most of the people work to achieve money and fame, but why do people forget that they need to serve their country first. They need to pay their motherland.People should love their work. For them work should be their life. It is true that in this present world money is necessary but too much will pave a wrong path for you. That is why, I strongly desire to become an I. A. S. officer [Indian Administrative Service]. I want to thank my motherland first to give me such a beautiful land to live. I want to serve her upon my best. I know that an I. A. S. officer does not receive that amount of money to have luxurious lives.But I envisage that someone has truly said that â€Å"If your whole day has been good, then you are on the wrong path†. This means that if you have all the luxuries of life you will lose your simplicity and I being an officer want people to inspire from what I become. â€Å"Hate the sin, but not the sinner†. Do not ignore people who don’t be efficient towards their work, hate their habit. Atlast, I would only say that put up aims in your life at an early age, you’ll never astray and seek your aims with wonders and happiness of life.

Unit 006 “Roles Responsibilities and Relationships in Lifelong Learning

George Bowskill PAGE 1 15/02/2011 â€Å"Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships as a Tutor in Lifelong Learning† (2:1) The Different types of Boundaries between the Teaching Role and Other Professional roles. The purpose of boundaries are to protect the personal rights of both yourself and the student, they define the acceptable ground rules taking in to account currant legislation.Professional boundaries are important because they define the limits and responsibilities of the people that you interact with in the workplace. When workplace boundaries are clearly defined, the company will work more efficiently because old redundant work assignments are removed and task performance is accountable. When everyone in an company is made aware who is responsible for what? , a healthier workplace environment is created.It then becomes very difficult for someone to blame others for their failed or inadequate performance and good job performance can clearly be identified. the setup of boundaries and priorities go hand in hand because together they help manage interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Together they go a long way toward establishing a productive work environment based on trust. Competent and knowledgeable managers understand these principles and continually model them for their staff.Boundaries within teaching are not easily defined; it can mean different things to different people. Teachers are responsible for recognizing in themselves whether they are â€Å"at risk† of crossing boundaries whether this be legal, moral or ethical boundaries, becoming too personally involved with students, giving one student undue attention, writing or exchanging notes, letters or emails are all forms of boundary abuse The most extreme form of boundary violation is that of sexual abuse..Sexual abuse represents the ultimate breach of the trust in a teacher, the teacher must be able to recognize and rectify this behaviour, before the boundary is over stepp ed. Time restraints are also boundaries, and should be taken into account, we need to ensure what we teach can be done within the time given. The curriculum and the organizational objectives are boundaries to the way and what we teach, the curriculum is specifically what we are asked to teach, hence we have a structure relating to the information we need to ass on to the learners,. We could possibly have organizational objectives also, these are the objectives of the governing body, this could be Government, Exam body, or Professional body, although these should be in line with the curriculum the could possibly add additional boundaries to the way we teach (2:2) Points of Referral to meet the needs of LearnersAs a teacher we have a responsibility to our students to give aid and assistance not only in the academic sense but also with personal and work issues, and in most cases this should be done by referring the student to a professional with a greater and more specific knowledge in these area, these can be both internal and external points of referral, for instance, if the student is homeless or about to become homeless, an accommodation officer would be the direction to point the student, if it is for health reasons we should direct the student to a health professional, ether on campus or at a local surgery.Other points of referral could for example be the students union, a councillor or a careers advisor, a drug and alcohol addiction service, or the citizens’ advice bureau, in other words any internal or external professional that can help the student with any issue they may encounter, we must always remember these people are experts in their given fields, as a teacher we are not. Identify the professional first then note your responsibility, to your student the professional and yourself. (2:3) Responsibilities with regards to other Professionals Page 2 As a teacher we have a responsibility to other professionals and professional bodies.We should res pect their professionalism and maintain constant dialog with other professionals, we should document and record all aspects of our teaching, and make these available to other professionals for various reasons, such as audits and evaluations, other professionals could be Directors, senior management, even internal or external advisors, and exam board personnel, If in doubt it is always advisable to ask assistance from another professional, their experience and knowledge can be far greater than your own. 3:1) Responsibilities for maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment As a teacher it is our responsibility to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for all the students in our care, this is done by utilizing the training cycle Firstly we identify the needs of the student, what they need to learn, and how we intend to teach them.A clean, safe and secure room to learn in, with the room layout adequate for the purpose, Welfare facilities, wash rooms toilets a pla ce to eat and drink, the room to maintain a comfortable temperature with good lighting and ventilation, we need also to set down ground rules to safe guard the physical and emotional welfare of the students and oneself. to enable them to feel secure during the learning experience, and to encourage diversity and equality within the learning environment.We then prepare for teaching, ensuring we have the adequate resources available for the lesson . including a structured time table. Lessons should be S. M. A. R. T. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound. We then deliver the lesson, or lecture, using suitable diverse systems of delivery, such as Visual aids, written work role play group sessions, ensuring that all students feel involved in the learning experience. and no one feels alienated, my the teacher or their fellow students.The more a student feels involved in a class the better the learning result will be. To quantify the lesson we assess it, by various mea ns, Student feedback, student progression and achievement, at this point we need to evaluate, did the facility lens its self to the needs of the students, where there any deficiencies in the facility’s in your teaching methods, where the students comfortable, did they feel safe , DO I NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES.We should not be afraid to challenge behaviours if we don’t what would be the point of having boundaries as a teacher it is our responsibility to enforce the Page 3 boundaries that we have laid down, encouraging and maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment. 3:2) Ways of Promoting Appropriate Behaviour and Respect for Others Establishing Ground rules and boundaries, encourage the students to have an input in to what the ground rules and boundaries within the class should be, how they wish to be treated, and how you need to be treated, giving mutual respect between teacher and student and student and student, and establish disciplinary action for breac hes of the rules, encourage mutual support within the class both academic and emotional, and encourage he student to help produce a ground rule charter and sign it,. In this way you are allowing them to take ownership of the rules B. F Skinners 1974 (About Behaviourism) is a particularly relevant theory this contends that negative and positive reinforcement will help to direct behaviour, a positive reinforcement will strengthen any behaviour that produces it, . i. e. The carrot and donkey scenario. Where as a negative reinforcement, will initiate the response that the protagonist will want to remove, i. e. f he is removed from the class for a breach of discipline he will not want this to happen again thus removing the negative reinforcement By challenging inappropriate or negative behaviour we are enforcing the boundaries that we have set in essence we are saying these are the rules and they will not be ignored, it also lets anyone who is prepared to breach the boundaries that we as teachers will not allow this to happen, it also conveys the message to compliant students, that we will enforce the boundaries to support, a safe, respectful and supportive learning environment, free from bullying, anti social behaviour, disruptive influences.An environment where all can learn.. Practical Teaching Linda Wilson https://www. professionalboundaries. com/ www. gtcs. org. uk/standards/copac. aspx

How to Play Soccer

Period 4 03/03/10 Playing Soccer Soccer, or Football as many people may call it, is one of the most popular sports around the world today. Most people that play this wonderful and thrilling sport have many techniques in doing so. Every person has a unique style of playing. There are also different tactics and dribbling methods involved when playing soccer. Here are some ways of playing soccer and becoming better at it while practicing hard and developing new soccer skills.Warming up before starting a soccer match is the key because by doing so, you avoid getting your muscles hurt. This step should always be included when playing any sport not just soccer in order to play better and obtain better results. Doing drills is one way to warm –up. There are a variety of soccer drills available to start warming up before actually playing. One really good drill to warm –up is to place cones in a straight line and separate them about one foot apart. Then have a couple of balls at the first cone and start running around each cone with a ball on your feet.When you are done with one round, leave the ball at the end of the route and start the next round with a new ball. Another great warm –up exercise is to run about two laps in order to get your muscles and joints hot and ready. A series of small exercises are needed to start playing smoothly such as, jumping jacks, sit –ups, running in place, and push-ups. These are all great warm-up exercises before playing a soccer game. The next step in playing soccer is to actually play against your opponent.The objective of a soccer game is to score as many goals as possible on your opponent’s goal. The forwards need to score as many goals as possible and the defense needs to block any chances of a goal coming to their goal. The goalie is very important too because she/he is the one that keeps the other team from scoring, by blocking all the possibilities with their hands, feet, or even their body. T he midfielders are the ones who get the ball back to their teammates and run back and forth the whole match. They are also mportant in a game because they distribute the ball throughout the soccer field and make the game flow better. Cool down is the last step of playing soccer. You should walk with your hands over your head. This helps because your lungs become smaller when you run and by doing this exercise you expand your lungs again. While doing this you can also drink water or any electrolyte drink with vitamins. This helps you by getting all of your energy boosted back to your body. Eating healthy snacks after a game is also very important because when you exercise your body looses vitamins and nutrients.Fruits, vegetables, and granola bars are a great way to get all of those lost nutrients and revitalize your body system. Relaxing is the last step you should do to reduce stress after playing soccer. Also when you get home you should take a hot shower to reduce fatigue and soo the your muscles. By doing all of these steps you can become a really good soccer player and even the next Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi who are the two best soccer players in the world today! These are all the reasons I have to tell you that soccer is one of the best sports in the world today.

Treatment of a patient with dog-bite wounds Research Paper

Treatment of a patient with dog-bite wounds - Research Paper Example Upon seeing the patent, the first indication was to treat her with flucloxacillin. However, flucloxacillin. However, I just realized that most dog and cat bites contain Pasteurella multocida which is ten times more likely to cause infections after an animal bite and in many cases this is resistant to flucloxacillin (Morgan & Palmer, 2007). Hence, flucolcaxicillin is to be used with other medication and this was going to cause more complications for the patient.Hence, there was the need to select a more specialized medication. There was the need for a medication that will help the patient to deal with any growing threat of infection that could result from the dog bite. This is because allied complications like tetanus and other possibilities were effectively eliminated. In this case, the patient is a 30-year-old lady. In this situation, the patient is to be viewed as an adult and a female. And hence, her condition and situation were to be considered in-depth. As a matured patient, she was expected to be capable of signing her contracts and also dealing with various complications. However, further details like her work commitments and family commitments were necessary to arrive at the right and most appropriate approach and method of dealing with the situation. With the information available, it was apparent that she qualified for adult medication and other social considerations like going home and going to work among other things were to be considered.

Describe image using basic elements of form and then depict its Essay

Describe image using basic elements of form and then depict its meaning - Essay Example In visual arts, the elements of form depict a basis for analysis plus expression to expose the culture or practice of people. The image â€Å"plant a victory garden† is a masterpiece exemplifying meaning and culture through the basic elements of form. Image description There are three people in the image, a male in bright blue dungarees, an orange shirt with black curvy strips, brown shoes and a grey cap with black strip. The woman in the image wears a dark brown skirt with black vertical strips running from top to bottom of the skirt. The woman has brown footwear and a yellow blouse with black curved strips1. The child is in light blue shirt, blue dungarees, and a light brown cap. The basket consists of fruits, vegetables and other farm outputs. There are a variety of fruits and vegetables, for example, the fruits in the basket are red, and vegetables are green2. Some foodstuffs in the basket are white and green in color and others red and brown. The basket is brown and has b lack vertical strips running down from the top. Near the basket, there is a blue label bearing the words â€Å"our food is fighting† written in white3. The top of the picture bears the words â€Å"plant a victory garden† which are in red, and the bottom bears the words â€Å" a garden will make your rations go further† in red4. ... The bright colors depict space in the piece of art. Negative space means that a dark or black color is present. The white, color depicts positive space in the image. In the art, the image contains negative space where the cap consists of a black strip and a positive space in the region surrounding the image5. The principles of the organization include shape plus proportion, balance, path, negative space and others. These aspects form a pattern that creates desired qualities of an art piece. Artists modify these aspects in order to give different meanings of their designs. The image consists of objects arranged in a systematic manner6. The image has both positive and negative space. It appears in the centre thus arranged as the artist intended. The image consists of curvy lines, vertical and horizontal lines. There are few diagonal lines. The lines in the image are in varying lengths and widths. They are in different colors. The vertical and curved lines are in black color7. The image is two 2D in shape and 3D in form. The 3D form is evident because the image is viewable from all sides. The two dimensional nature of the image attributes to the parameters of height and width8. The 3D view is due to presence of depth, width and height hence enhancing view from both sides. Meaning of the image The blue color in the image portrays chastity, loyalty, faith, infinity or modesty. The green color depicts abundance, hope plus love. Another aspect of color is intensity, which shows the brilliance or dullness of an image or photograph. The Dull colors exemplify serious moods while bright colors express strong vigor depicted by emotions. The dark colors portray ambiguity due to lack of light. By applying Korsmeyer perspective,

The application of balanced scorecard in the performance evaluation of Essay

The application of balanced scorecard in the performance evaluation of higher education - Essay Example In the case of non-proï ¬ t organizations, the BSC lays huge emphasis on customer satisfaction and therefore a priority is given in all matters regarding to customer services. in organizations where a financial crisis is a daily affair, their BSC prioritized financial perspective. Focusing on different prioritization perspective of BSC, organizations have an opportunity to allocate resources appropriately with minimal wastage or fraud. The study case has also provided a platform for non-profit organizations to measure how they perform. In this, performance measure indicators (PMIs)are applied as indicators of efficiency. Again, different definition of PMIs can be adopted to fit the objectives of the business. In case of institutions of higher learning, â€Å"student/staff ratio† and â€Å"Ph.D ratio† PMIs are appropriate. For manufacturing concern, â€Å"customer satisfaction† is applicable while â€Å"service delivery† PMIs works with non-proï ¬ t org anization. Though implementation of the BSC has not been effected in Taiwan and other developing countries, America and Europe are already reaping its benefits. BSC is yet to gain momentum and relevant in third world countries. However, this study has clearly demonstrated that BSC can be instrumental in delivering positive changes in strategic and performance management in higher learning institutions. Furthermore, the study has recommended that senior management and supervisors must fully support the implementation of system managing tools, otherwise they are destined to failure. In conclusion, institutions should me motivated by their vision and mission so that they are run like any other business where efficiency is highly

Corporate social responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Corporate social responsibility - Essay Example to emerging social priorities such as the need for eradication of pollution and conservation of fuel in order to ensure higher standards of living and sustainable development in the immediate society (Carroll and Shabana, pp 86). The integration of CSR policy and disclosure of CSR activities contribute to brand loyalty and good reputation in the industry (Du, Bhattacharya and Sen. p 240). This paper will analyze the Rolls-Royce Group’s level of disclosure of CSR activities in its financial statements. The paper will also analyze Rolls-Royce Group disclosure of its economic responsibility, legal responsibility, ethical and philanthropic responsibility of the company in and make a comparison of the CSR approach with that of other companies. Rolls-Royce Group provides its customers with the most technologically advanced power systems in marine, energy, civil and defense aerospace markets. According to management oral comments, the company is constantly looking for new methods of minimising the environmental impact of its business activities and transforming utilization of energy. Rolls-Royce business model aims at attaining long-term growth, profitability and sustainability. The company has diversified in numerous markets such as Asia and has maintained zero debt. From 2007 to 2011, the company has maintained a growth in revenues thus this can be attributed to customer loyalty and aggressive efforts in cutting down operating costs. Rolls-Royce Group plc revenues grew at a higher rate when compared with the GE Aviation which is the leading competitor in the industry. For instance, in 2008, Rolls-Royce revenues increased at the rate of 22.2 percent compared with a rate of 5.8 percent for GE Aviation. Although GE Aviation experienced a decline a 14.1 percent decline in revenues due adverse impact of the financial and economic crisis in 2009, Rolls-Royce managed to increase its revenues by 14.1 percent. Rolls-Royce is committed to ensuring manufacturing efficiency

How Intersectional Identities Must Shape an Asian American Agenda for Assignment

How Intersectional Identities Must Shape an Asian American Agenda for Social Change - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that a census of our own presents a masterpiece that resulted from a 2010 Queers Southeast Asian survey. This sample had 364 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Asian Americans from the entire United States. Intersectionality connects to the diversity of Asian American people through the difficulties in communication. Often when in public places, the Asian American people fear to talk because they will be oppressed due to their inadequate knowledge of the native English language. Therefore, to emphasize on discrimination based on the diversity of the Asian American culture, many people from this race miss various educational scholarships based on their racial backgrounds. The educational experience of many Asian Americans is biased. To drive the social agenda of the Asian American community of affirmative action, equity must be allowed to prevail in the selection processes of students set to join universities. The excessive acceptance by the educational establishments on the previous cases of racial discrimination threaten the authorities to face stern legal actions form the social change activists. In fact, intersectionality in the education system is prime in the classroom balance experience in multiple learning institutions of the United States. Furthermore, affirmative action requires the equal enrollment of the minority into the prestigious educational systems, to eliminate the educational segregation attached to racial diversity. The immigration experiences of the Asian Americans present a partisan treatment of the immigrants based on their racial background. The continuous efforts by the elected members of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) indicate the difficult requirements that the authorities have put in place to discourage the inhabitation of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Such provisions as the military enlistment and the requirement of good moral conduct cast the Asian American community in the bad picture as they require many strict eligibility criteria to be permanent legal residents of the United States.

Enzymes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Enzymes - Essay Example The amino acid chain carries a unique shape which is tailor made to help the chemical reaction necessary for the amino acid to perform a specific action. Enzymes can therefore be considered to be catalysts for specific actions or reactions such as in the case of food digestion. These enzyme reactions are chemical processes that happen quite fast an are actually unnoticeable. In human beings, Digestive Enzymes are highly important in the process of breaking down digested food and its transformation into energy proteins. An enzyme is basically a part of the human DNA chain. The DNA of a person serves as the instruction manual of the biological system in the production of protein cells, which, for the basis of this research, we will call enzymes. Therefore, the Human Gene, which is a part of the DNA serves as the template of the human body in forming an enzyme. These enzymes are stored within cells which are molded and shaped for easy chemical recognition and reaction. This chemical pro cess will be discussed further within this paper. Scientists have been studying the importance of enzymes to the human anatomy for well over a century. The earliest enzyme studies date all the way back to 1835 when Swedish biochemist Jon Jakob Berzelius first recognized and named the actions he observed within the enzymes as catalytic. But it was not until 1926 when Cornell University's James B. Sumner was able to extract an enzyme in its purest form from a jack bean which he was able to successfully isolate and crystallize. He won the Noble Peace Prize in 1947 for this remarkable accomplishment. However, he shared this honor with two other people, John H. Northtrop and Wendell M. Stanley of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. They developed a precipitation technique which was used to crystallize several enzymes (Introduction to Enzymes, 2). Enzymes all come into existence because of proteins. These particular proteins have high molecular weight compounds ranging from 10 ,000 - 2,000,000 and are composed of amino acids linked by peptide bonds (Introduction to Enzymes, 2). Enzymes cannot be taken for granted in the daily function of the human body. It is the most vital chemical component of our system because our heart, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, basically all our major and minor organs are dependent upon enzymes in order to keep our body in running condition. Without these enzymes, our body will not be able to prevent degenerative diseases, we will are at a rapid pace, and our energy will not be able to sustain our daily physical functions. Think of the enzymes as the monetary currency of our body. When we eat, we put a deposit into our enzyme bank where it is broken down by digestive enzymes and completely digested in order to insure the absorption of nutrients which our body can draw upon whenever our energy level runs low. If our body is deprived of enzymes, it will cease to function and will eventually die out. One must bear in mind however that since enzymes comprise different chemical needs of the human system, these chemical reactions that are necessary in order to sustain human life only occur when necessary. In actuality, the enzymes inside the cell direct which particular chemical will be triggered and created in order to sustain the energy level of a person. In order to reach this equilibrium state at the fastest possible time, enzymes lower the activation energy needed for a chemical reaction. This biochemical reaction numbers about 4,000 but the enzyme that serves as the catalyst is not consumed by the reactions which is why there is no alteration in the equilibrium and metabolic pathway of these reactions. These metabolic pathways are created by several enzymes working

The worlds wife Essay Example for Free

The worlds wife Essay To what extent are Mrs Sisyphus and Mrs Rip Van Winkle characters of the Worlds Wife? The Worlds Wife an array of relentless and unapologetically feminist poems consisting of a large number of personas, who are witheringly contemptuous of the men they have ended up with, generally inadequate, self-obsessed and immature. Each poem carrying an implicit message of feminine virtues governed by the somewhat scorn of women. Mrs Sisyphus and Mrs Rip Van Winkle playing host to many of the ironically degrading characters that have been given to their counter opposites. Mrs Sisyphus serves as a resounding echo to many of the female characters that find themselves within Duffys feminist collection. Thats him pushing the stone up the hill the jerk. It is this blunt yet explicit statement made by Mrs Sisyphus that sets out the pace for the rest of the poem, conveying immediately the attitude she has towards her husband and the dork like actions he undertakes. Furthermore, the fact that Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity, serves as a poignant reminder of him being a symbol for pointless activity. As a result, Mrs Sisyphus expresses this pointlessness and reminds us that what use is a perk, when you havent got the time to open a cork. Yet more importantly, conveys to the reader a woman who seems to long for the companionship of her husband but is just another wife deemed to endlessly disparage his obsessive behaviour. On the other hand, Mrs Rip Van Winkle is in deep contrast to the attitude that Mrs Sisyphus possesses. As we learn that Rip Van Winkles sleep in Duffys hand becomes his wifes liberation while he slept I found some hobbies for myself. When one thinks of sleep, we associate it with inactivity. However, in the case of Mrs Winkle the silence and stillness that her husband undergoes awakens the opportunity for her to cease life and all its wonders Painting, seeing the sights. No longer condemned to the submissive behaviour of her domineering husband. The Leaning Tower, The Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, taking in each sight with a new lease on life, being able to breath freely and see the sights shed always dreamed about no longer within the clutches of a man. Mrs Sisyphus highlights to the reader, the implications a wife must face when having a berk for a husband. She mentions of wanting to go for so much as a walk in the park, yet as it seems that when a man becomes wildly obsessed keen as a hawk, lean as a shark, the importance of a woman diminishes as the size of the stone he pushes is nearer the size of a kirk. Therefore, signifying to the reader one of the many characteristics that females have within the Worlds Wife resenting their husbands. Furthermore, the poem seems partly a language game jerk, kirk, perk, cork, the rhymes and the half rhymes, give a sense of repetition that imitates Sisyphuss punishment, yet in actual fact it is not him who seems to be punished, for his folly actions have left Mrs Sisyphus to be the actual victim plagued by his punishment. This simple yet effective rhyming scheme reinforces the idea that Mrs Sisyphus sees her husband to be nothing more then an individual to be gawked at; some type of circus freak. Through her idiomatic tone one is able to draw out the characteristics of a woman who sees no sense in rolling a stone that feckin no sooner up than its rolling back down. This movement of the stone going up yet gravely set to an incessant downward spiral is a reflection of Mrs Sisyphus relationship with her husband. Similarly even though Mrs Winkle initially faces the prospect of having an elated life without her husband, sees her dreams shattered when her husband awakes sitting up in bed rattling viagra. Duffy conveys, the position of Mrs Winkle within their relationship, she seems nothing more then object for sex and pleasure for her husband. Bound by the ever conventionalist view of women being nothing more then the property of men. Not only deeply patronising, but in all places and at all times, suggesting only men are of importance, and their wifes are mere appendages. After all she had taken up food and given up exercise it did me good a reversal of what one would associate as being good or in the eyes of her husband being seen as an attractive woman. The fact that her self worth is associated by her physical attributes highlights Duffys anger at how male emblems seem to place women in a position where only objectification is possible. Even more so, Duffy hints that in order for a female to find true happiness she must remove the realms that bind her, but what was best, hands-down beat the rest was saying a none-too-fond- farewell to sex. We as the reader are made to feel the excitement and happiness that Mrs Rip Van Winkle is going through yet as soon as it arrives, her dream comes to a close at the eventual awakening of her husband. Thus, a sense of pathos is created and one can only pity the situation she finds herself in.

The Salafi Movement In Global Context Theology Religion Essay

The Salafi Movement In Global Context Theology Religion Essay Salafism (al-Salafiyyah) is a contemporary Islamic global movement, which is concerned with a search for the pure teachings of Islam as prescribed in the Quran and the Prophet Muhammads tradition (sunnah) by rejecting any external influences and human involvement in the interpretation of religious texts. The proponents of Salafism define themselves to be the inheritors of the pre-modern Ahl al-Hadits (people of the Prophet tradition). In their view, this school of thought was the only group that remained faithful to the pure teachings of Islam as prescribed in the Quran and the Sunnah so that it was considered the saved sect. They base their claim on a hadith (the Prophet Muhammad sayings) that the Prophet Muhammad was reported to have said that there would always be a group of his people who remained committed to the truth, whom the Salafis identify as the Ahl al-Hadith (Duderija, 2011). By claiming to be the inheritors of the Ahl al-Hadith and followers of its footsteps, the propon ents of contemporary Salafi movement attempt to assert that they have privilege and take pride to be the guardians of the pure Islam in modern period. The proponents of contemporary Salafism identify themselves, and are proud to be, as salafi (plural: salafiyyin), the followers of al-salaf al-shalih(the righteous ancestors). For them, the term salaf refers to the first three Muslim generations in the early Islam, who were considered as the best Islamic generations as they were directly guided by the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. This self-ascription is based on their belief that their understanding and practicing Islam is in complete accordance with the footsteps and methodology of the salaf (manhaj al-salaf). Abdullah ibn Baz, one of the main Salafi authorities, said that Salafi ideology is derived from the Quran, Sunnah and Consensus (ijma`) which govern the method of acquiring din [religion] and understanding the Quran and Sunnah according to the principles agreed upon by the righteous predecessors (salaf) (Cited in Duderija, 2011:54). Due to this strong emphasis on the Salaf as the only model of understanding and practic ing Islam, Salafism can be said as a movement of return to the forefather (Marshallsay, 2004). Major Authorities of the Contemporary Salafi Movement Within contemporary Salafi movement, the most influential proponents are the Middle Eastern Muslim scholars with Saudi nationality or Saudi-educated, university educated, many gained PhDs in Islamic sciences from Saudi universities. These include Nashir al-Din al-Albani (d.1999), Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz (d. 1999), Muhammad ibn Shalih al-Uthaymin (d. 2001), Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadii (d. 2001), Rabi ibn Hadi al-Madkhali (b. 1931), Yahya al-Hajuri, and Shalih al-Fawzan. The dominance of Saudi Arabian or Saudi-educated religious scholars (ulama) asserts the centrality of Saudi Arabia as the birth of modern Salafism. As the main representative of the Salafi movement, these ulama become major references that Salafi leaders and ordinary followers in the Muslim world turn to for guidance and advice in their lives. Outside the Middle East, leading personalities of Salafism in Western countries such as Jamal Zarabozo and Bilal Philips (Duderija, 2011) mostly become the mouthpiece of these Middle East authorities, translating their Salafi messages for the Western Salafi followers. The same is true for the leaders of the Salafi movement in Indonesia. Most of them went to Saudi and Yemen universities or Islamic religious learning institutions (mahad) to study Islamic knowledge. These include Abu Nida, Ahmad Faiz, Yusuf Baisa, Jafar Umar Thalib, Ayip Syafrudin, Luqman Baabduh and Muhammad Umar Sewed (Hasan, 2007; 2009). Compared to their locally trained Salafi proponents, these Middle East graduates commonly enjoy more authority and recognition from their followers due to their highly-esteemed learning in Mecca or Medinah, two holy cities of Islam. Yet, all of these Salafi exponents make the Saudi and Yemeni Salafi authorities as major, and to some extent, the only references in learning and preachi ng Salafi ideas among Indonesian Muslims. The Middle East Salafi authorities write treatises on Salafi ideas exclusively in Arabic. But, this is not a major barrier for Salafi followers from non-Arabic speaking countries to understand the messages of these Salafi ulama. The Salafi followers and sympathizers have attempted to translate the works of these Salafi ulama into local languages. For this purpose, in Western countries, they have established publishing houses, including Tarbiyyah Publications in Toronto, Invitation to Islam and Al-Khilafat Publications in London, and Salafi Publications and Maktabah Darussalam in Birmingham. Mobilizing the information and communication technologies, they have created websites such as www.salafipublications.com, www.tarbiyyahbookstore.com, http://sunna.com, www.salaf.com, and www.fatwa-online.com. Individual Salafi authorities websites have been also established by the Salafi supporters, such as www.binbaz.com (on the works of Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz), www.rabee.net (on the works of Rabi i bn Hadi al-Madkhali), and www.ibnothaimeen.com (on the works of Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymin) (Duderija, 2011). The Puzzle of the Origin and Meaning of Salafism For decades, there has been conviction among Western and Western-educated scholars that history of Salafism is a history of Islamic modernism; that Salafi ideas are regarded as similar to those of Islamic modernist movement; and the Salafis are representatives of Muslim modernist. It is believed that Salafism dates back to the 19th Islamic modernism, which was associated with Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897), Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905), and Rashid Ridha (d. 1935), whose principles and ideas include rejection of taqlid (blind following), promotion of ijtihad (independent interpretation), and support of progress and rationality in its responses to the decline of the Muslim world. As Lauziere (2010) identifies, this conception can be seen in the standard academic works of Islamic thought such as Brills Encyclopedia of Islam, Malcolm Kerrs Islamic Reform (1966), M. A. Zaki Badawis The Reformers of Egypt (1978), and Daniel Browns Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought (1996). Some recent studies by scholars of contemporary Islam, such as Ali Hassan Zaidi (2006) and Dumber and Tayob (2011), also connect Salafi orientations with Muslim reformists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, this conception is problematic in some respects. First, there is no convincing evidence to the claim of the connection among Salafism, al-Afghani, and Abduh. According to Lauziere (2010), there are no primary sources including al-Urwat al-Wuthqa, a flagship journal of al-Afghani and Abduh, that substantially prove the claim that al-Afghani and Abduh coined the term Salafism and used it to identify themselves and their reform movement in the 19th century. It is true that Abduh mentioned the term al-Salafiyyin (the Salafis) in Al-Manar (Al-Manar 5, 1902 cited in Lauziere 2010) to designate Sunni Muslims who were against Ashariyyah, a 10th century school of speculative Islamic theology,  [1]  in terms of theological issues based on their strict adherence to the creed of the forefathers (Lauziere, 2010). But, Abduh clearly did not claim to be a Salafi nor identified his followers as Salafis. He simply referred al-Salafiyyin in the context of theological debates as Sunni Musl ims who differed from Asharites based on their strict adherence to aqidat al-salaf (the creed of the forefather) (Lauziere, 2010). Moreover, Rasyid Ridha, one of Muhammad Abduhs main disciples, recognized the fundamental differences between Salafism and Islamic modernist school, which his mentor promoted. According to Ridha, following the Salafi creed did not necessarily make one committed to Islamic modernist school. During his time, Ridha identified Salafism as Wahhabism to which he called al-Wahhabiyyah al-Salafiyyah. Later, in 1928 he and some of his disciples declared their passage to becoming Salafis not only with respect to Islamic theology but also in fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence (Lauziere, 2010). Second, the unconfirmed claim of ideological connection between contemporary Salafism and the early 20th century Islamic modernism can be seen in the issue of how each defines the term Salaf. While the two movements shared the idea of the importance of the pious ancestors, they differ in the issue of to what extent the Salaf is defined and how it should be modelled. The proponents of Islamic modernism conceived that the term Salaf includes virtually the Muslim scholars of all schools of thought in the medieval period whose success and achievements should be contextually propagated and imitated within modern Muslim contexts. The early 20th century Salafism understood the Salaf as Muslim scholars in religious science as well as in secular science of the golden age of Islam in the medieval period that should be contextually followed. In contrast, the proponents of contemporary Salafism restrict the Salaf to the first three generations in the early Islam, namely the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (al-shahabat), those after them (al-tabiin) and the next generation after them (atba`u al-tabiin). They also include religious scholars (ulama`) in the first and second centuries of Islam who were considered to adhere to the way of these first three Muslim generations, particularly Ahmad bin Hanbal and the followers of his textual school. These Salaf generations and Salafi ulama` were considered rightly guided forefathers and, hence, role models to whom Muslims are obliged to follow their ways in any circumstances. In addition, when the proponents of contemporary Salafism speak about the Salaf, they use it in its narrow religious sense. Practically, they exclude, show suspicion and hostility towards social, cultural and scientific heritage of the Muslim forefathers. In their view, the perfect method of modelling the S alaf in the contemporary Muslim societies is preserving and imitating their footsteps without contextualizing them in the present contexts. Third, the issue of the unconfirmed ideological connection between Salafism and the late 19th century Islamic modernism can be discerned in differences between them with respect to methodology and objectives. In response to the decline of the Islamic world, the Islamic modernism of al-Aghani and Abduh was committed to islah (reform) in Muslim society through promotion of itidal (moderation and balance) by which Muslims were expected to conduct conciliation between Islam and Western civilization. It encouraged the appreciation and adoption of social, political and scientific achievements of Western civilization and at the same rooted firmly in Islamic principles and civilization. In other words, al-Afghani and Abduhs Islamic modernism was a moderate approach to Islam and Western civilization in that it was able to balance between revelation and reason, and between strict Islamic conservatism and blind following of the West (Lauziere, 2010). Contemporary Salafism, in contrast, aims to revive the golden age of Islam by adhering strictly to the ways of the first three Muslim generations in the early Islam understood and practiced Islam to protect its purity from forbidden religious innovation. From this perspective, the making of the Salaf as a perfect model requires strict applying the Salaf method in social and cultural vacuum, without contextualizing their ideas and practices within present contexts of the Muslim world. Subsequently, this movement regards revealed texts as the only primary sources so that its proponents tend to be anti-rationalistic approach to revelation. The proponents of contemporary Salafism are also suspicious of anything not textually written in the scripture, taught or done by the Prophet Muhammad, his companions and religious scholars adhered to their ways. Conservatism, or even ultra conservatism, is highly represented in contemporary Salafi movement. As a result, there is no adequate evidence to claim ideological connection between the late 19th and early 20th centurys Islamic modernism and the contemporary Salafi movement. There is no support that Al-Afghani and Abduh proclaimed they were Salafis or exponents of the Salafi movement or their ideas were in accordance with contemporary Salafism. The modernist conception of Salafism substantially differs from the contemporary Salafisms understanding of the same term. Within contemporary Salafi movement, salafism is conceived first and foremost as label by Sunni purist-literalist-traditionalists to designate their particular approach to Islam. Conceptual History of Salafism Undoubtedly, the uncertainty of the origin and meaning of Salafism within modern scholarship has caused the substance of Salafism remain puzzling. Fortunately, a recent study by Henri Lauziere (2010) is helpful in solving this puzzle and gaining relative certainty in the issues of the origin and meaning of Salafism. He argues that the puzzle of the meaning and origins of Salafism is attributable to the faulty scholarship and the fact that there is little scholarly attention to the examination of the history of knowledge production of Salafism (Lauziere, 2010:369). The First Use of the Term Salafism Historically speaking, Salafism as a religious orientation is not purely a modern phenomenon. Rather, it rooted in the Islamic scholarship in pre-modern history of Islam. The early use of the term Salafism (Salafiyyah) as an approach to religious texts is found in a number of religious scholars works in the medieval period. For example, Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1238) writes in his al-Fatawa al-Kubra: As for the Salafiyya it is as [Hamd ibn Muhammad] al-Khattabi and Abu Bakr al-Khatib [al-Bagdadi] and other have stated: The way of the Salaf is to interpret literally the Quran verses and hadiths that relate to the Divine attributes (ijra ayat al-sifat wa ahadits al-sifat ala zahiriha), and without indicating modality and without attributing to Him anthropomorphic qualities. So that one is not to state that the meaning of hand is power or that of hearing is knowledge (Cited in Haykel, 2009:38). However, as Haykel (2009) and Dumbe Tayob (2011) suggest, the historical precedent of the Salafi orientations even dates back earlier to the 9th century theological and juridical debates between the Ahl al-Ray (people of opinion), which was associated with the Mutazilah,  [2]  and Ahl al-Hadith (people of the Prophet Muhammads tradition), which was related to Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855), the inspirer of the Hanbali school of law (Hanbaliyyah).  [3]  Particularly, the early use of the term Salaf and its derivatives in this period can be traced back to the Ahl al Hadits. It is reported that Ibn Hanbal said: It has been transmitted from more than one of our ancestors (salafina) that they said the Quran is the speech of God and is uncreated, and this is what I endorse. I do not engage in speculative theology and I hold that there is nothing to be said other than what is in Gods Book (Quran), the traditions of His messenger or those of his companions and their followers- may God have mercy on them. It is not praiseworthy to engage in theological discussion in matters not contained therein (Cited in Haykel, 2009:38). These statements not only refer to the early use of the terms Salaf and Salafism within Islamic scholarship, but also points out the way of thinking that the early Salafis advocated in regard to theological issues such as the nature of the Quran as Gods messages revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. With respect to the approach to the interpretation of religious texts, the Ahl al-Ra`y represented Muslims scholars who sought explanations from personal opinions and borrowings from other cultures and intellectual traditions, while the Ahl al-Hadits sufficed themselves with literal meanings of the texts and tradition of the Prophet and his companions believed as pure and original sources of Islam. Another corresponding term, madhhab al-salaf (the school of forefathers), is found in the literature of Muslim scholars of medieval period. As Lauziere (2010:372) suggests, written sources also indicate that medieval Muslims scholars used this term primarily in the theological debates within early schools of theology in Islam. The notion of madhhab al-salaf was used to designate those who hold a theological purity in a time when early Muslims were not faced yet with speculative theology (ilm al-kalam) resulted from the encounter of Islam and other world civilizations. The proponents of madhhab al-salaf showed hostility towards Islamic speculative theology (ilm al-kalam) which was influenced by Greek inspiration and rationalism such ilm al-mantiq (syllogistic logic) and falsafah (philosophy). Contrary to Islamic theologians (mutakalimin) such as Mutazilis and Asharites, the people of the madhhab al-salaf distanced themselves from intellectualizing the divine issues, such as al asma` w al sifat (the divine names and attributes). However, the word Salafi or Salafism was not commonly used by medieval purist Muslims to refer to themselves and their approach to Islam. Instead, the common epithets used to refer to the purists at the period were not derived from the word salaf, but rather from the terms associated with the Prophet Muhammads tradition, such as Ahl al-Sunnah (people of the prophetic tradition), Ahl al-Hadist (people of prophetic sayings and sayings) or al-Atsari (the follower of the prophetic report) (Lauziere, 2010:373). The Origin of the Confusion of Salafism: Louis Massignon and the Salafyah Review A recent study by Lauziere (2010) revealed the origin of the confusion between Salafism and Islamic modernism in scholarly literature. He argues that puzzle of Salafism lies in the fact Massignon and scholars who quoted him were not aware of the complex development of the Salafi epithets within Muslim scholars in the Middle East. They simply relied on al-Majallah al-Salafiyyah, a monthly reformist journal published by Salafiyya Bookstore in Egypt -whose key role in Salafi discourses will be examined in the following section- that reached overseas including Paris. Being established in 1917, the journal was edited by Abd al-Fattah Qatlan and rendered by him into English as Salafyah Review. The journal was purported to serve as a marketing vehicle for reaching a wider readership of the Salafiyyah Bookstore. More importantly, the journal was created in the period in which the reform spirit overwhelmed the Salafiyyah Bookstore before the coming of the Saudi-Wahhabi influence on the type o f literature it published. So, in line with the reform spirit, the journal aimed to spread the achievements of the pious ancestors (al-salaf) in a wide range of scientific, cultural and intellectual fields. In line with this spirit, the content of the journal encompassed various themes such as literature, linguistics, and astronomy in addition to religious topics (Lauziere, 2010:379). It was through this journal that the term Salafism caught the attention of Western scholars (Lauziere, 2010). Louis Massignon, a well-known French orientalist and the major contributor to the leading journal Revue du monde musulman, subscribed to Arabic journals including al-Majallah al-Salafiyyah. When the first issue of the journal reached his journal office, Massignon provided explanation of the Majallah al-Salafiyyah to the readers of his journal. He said that the Salafiyyah was an intellectual movement that emerged in early 19th century India at the time of Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi (d. 1931) [and] Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1890), the founder of the Ahl-i Hadith movement, had later rehashed its ideas (Cited in Lauziere, 2010:380). Then, he added that from there, [the Salafiyyah] was spread by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Syaikh Abduh and established itself in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo and even in the Maghrib and Java (Revue du monde musulman 34, 1916-18 in Lauziere, 2010:380). But, later M assignon abolished the connection of the Salafiyyah with the 19th century Indian movement and focused more on its link with al-Afghani and Abduh. Then, he associated Salafiyyah with a relatively transnational Islamic modernism in the 19th century, whose proponents were committed to reform in Islam and Muslim societies (Lauziere, 2010). However, Massignons claim of Salafism is problematic as it raised questions with respect to conceptual and historical foundations of Salafism he based on. It is not clear how he came to this claim though it is known that he studied Islam in Baghdad and made contacts with some reform-oriented Muslim scholars like Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi. Due to this, it can be said that Massignon misinterpreted the term Salafiyyah and inadequately made Salafism and Islamic modernism of al-Afghani and Abduh synonymous (Lauziere, 2010). Nevertheless, as Lauziere (2010:381) shows, some leading scholars welcomed Massignons definition of Salafism and even took its validity for granted despite its factual limitations. The famous The New World of Islam, published in 1921, repeated this misinterpretation when made reference to Salafiyyah. In 1922, the leading journal The Moslem World published by Hartford Seminary did the same when it translated an article of Massignon from the Revue du monde musulman. This is further misinterpreted by Henri Laoust, a scholar who spread Massignons ideas in French, when in his seminal article in 1932 defined Salafism based on Massignons conception. Even influential scholar Sir Hamilton Gibb took Massignons claim of Salafism for granted in his famous Modern Trends in Islam. Hence, it is through this intellectual transmission that the term Salafism with the sense of Islamic modernist movement was created within Western scholarly literature on Islam. The Evolution of Salafism If there is no connection with al-Afghani and Abduhs Islamic modernism of the late 19th century, who first used the Salafi label as understood today? And how was it defined? As Lauziere (2010) argues, to remedy this puzzle requires considering the origin and development of the term Salafism from the perspective of conceptual history. According to Lauziere (2010, the growing popularity of Salafi epithets as well as overlap between Salafism and Islamic modernism can be attributed to a key role played by the Salafiyah Bookstore (al-Maktabat al-Salafiyyah). It was established in 1909 in Cairo by Muhib al-Din al-Khatib (1886-1969), a Syrian activist, well-known figure in the Egyptian publishing business, and pupil of Salafis-cum-modernists ulama`, Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (d. 1914) and Tahir al-Jazairi (d. 1920). Al-Khatibs involvement in cultural and political affairs opened the opportunity to establish the bookstore aimed at spreading his interests in Islamic scholarship and reformist ideas under the label Salafiyyah (Salafism). The name Salafiyyah for the bookstore was inspired by al-Khatibs mentor, Tahir al-Jazairi, who had inclinations to the madhhab al-salaf (school of the forefathers) with respect to Islamic theology. But, it seemed that al-Khatib misinterpreted the term Salafiyyah or understood it in a broader sense than al-Jazairi meant (Lauziere, 2010). This is reflected in the way he and his partner, Abdul Fattah Qatlan (d. 1931), operated the Salafiyyah Bookstore, particularly in terms of the type of literature they published. Being motivated by desires to encourage educated Arab readers to rediscover the glory of their religious, social and cultural heritage for the advancement of their society, al-Khatib and Qatlan were not confined themselves in printing and selling books on the Salafi theology. Rather, they published works on progressive nature of Islams golden age as well as a wide range of issues not connected to religious reform. They used the Salafi epithets to refer virtually to any Islamic intellectual heritage in medieval period, not in a narrow sense of a particular school of theology. In addition to treatises on religion, the Salafiyyah Bookstore published works on Arabic literat ure, Arabic grammar, and work of medieval Muslim philosophers such al-Farabi (d.950) and Ibn Sina (d.1037). In short, the literature that the Salafiyyah Bookstore published and sold in the 1910s was in accordance with the spirit and concerns of Islamic modernism (Lauziere, 2010:378). The selection and publication of this type of literature suggest that al-Khatib and Qatlan attempted to revive the works of the great Muslim scholars and underline the Muslimss contribution to modernity in the West of modern age. Under the label Salafism, they sought to emphasize the compatibility between revelation and modernity as shown by the works of great and pious forefathers (Salaf) in the past by which Muslims in the modern age should model for the revival and advancement of the Islamic world. In turn, all this resulted in turning Salafiyyah into a common and popular term among producers and consumers of Arabic literature in the Middle East and other Muslim regions (Lauziere, 2010:382). More importantly, an impression built up that the Salafiyyah Bookstore intertwined the term Salafism with Islamic modernism projected to the revival of Arabs and Muslims in the modern period. The label Salafism it used was then considered as to represent the success and greatness of the Islami c past. The bookstore expanded the scope of the term Salafism beyond its initial theological meanings and gradually created the association between Salafism and the project of Islamic modernism (Lauziere, 2010:377). The later development of the Salafiyyah Bookstore, however, determined the association of Islamic modernism and Salafism and brought about decisive changes in the nature and development of Salafism after the establishment of the Saudi Kingdom in the early 1920s. The bookstore experienced a shift with respect to choices of works for publication. This began with the change in the choice of works for publication. In the early 1920s, al-Khatib and Qatlan began to print works that appeared contradictive to the progressive and rationalist ideas of the Islamic reform movement though they kept promoting Islamic modernism. For example, the Salafiyyah Bookstore published works of those who strongly opposed the secular and controversial works of Ali Abd al-Raziq and Taha Husayn. It also published anti-rationalist treatises by Hanbali and his school followers ordered by Saudis. This shift in the choice of publications was more clearly discernable in the establishment of the Saudi branch of the S alafiyyah Bookstore in Mecca in the late 1920 initiated by Qatlan in partnership with a Hijazi Muhammad Salih Nasif (d.1971). In 1928, to suit the local needs, this Saudi branch began to publish works on Ahmad ibn Hanbal and his supporters as well pro-Wahhabi books such a theological treatise by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292-1350), which was printed with the request and fund from Ibn Saud (d. 1932), the first monarch of Saudi Arabia (Lauziere, 2010:383). This shift within the Salafiyya Bookstores choice of publications, according to Lauziere (2010), should be seen in the context of political change in the Muslim world in the mid 1920s. The fall of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of Islamic caliphate in the early 1920s brought about political and cultural turbulence within the Muslim world. At the same time, however, the rise of the Saudi Kingdom in Hejaz offered Muslim ummah (global Muslim community) a great hope of social and political renaissance in the Muslim world. Therefore, many Muslims intellectuals and religious scholars, including Rasyid Ridha, supported the young Saudi state and turned toward religious conservatism, particularly Wahhabism,  [4]  founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792), and endorsed as an official school of Islam and promoted by the state. Al-Khatib showed the same response to these circumstances. He opted to support the young Saudi state and showed respect to the Wahhabism and its propone nts. These religio-political stances influenced the activities of his Salafiyyah Bookstore. This was reflected in the change of choices of editing and publishing when it began to publish the Wahhabi treatises and pro-Saudi works. Although Lauziere missed to capture the complexity of social and political transformation in the Muslim world in the first quarter of twentieth century, his argument was sufficient to overcome to the puzzle of Salafism by making sense of the evolution of Salafism. By publishing pro-Wahhabi works to cater the religious and political needs of the Saudi elite and proponents of Wahhabism, the Salafiyyah Bookstore brought its commercial label Salafism closer to Wahhabism. Though the Cairo Salafiyyah Bookstore still published modernist themes, the popularization and commodification of the Salafi epithets by the Saudi branch of the Salafiyyah Bookstore had brought the Wahhabi religious orientation to the fore. The unfounded intellectual association between Salafism (Salafiyyah) and al-Afghani and Abduhs Islamic reform as well as the absence of the monopoly over Salafism as a marketing brand that al-Khatib and Qatlan might have opened opportunity to the proponents of the Wahhabi-oriented pur ist movement kept using Salafiyyah as the label of their publications ignoring any modernist agenda as initiated by the original Salafi Bookstore in Cairo (Lauziere, 2010). It can be added that given that they shared the strong reference to the pious forefather (al-salaf al-shalih) with respect to theological issues with the Salafiyyah Bookstore, at least in its early years of operation, the proponents of Wahhabism had no difficulties in taking the advantage of using Salafism as their label of spreading the purist ideas of Ibn al-Wahhab. Through these religious-political processes, consequently, the Salafi epithets experienced re-definition and counter-definitions. More importantly, this gradually created the impression that the term Salafism and Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia were synonymous. The opening of the Saudi-connected Salafiyyah bookstores outside Saudi Arabia, such as in Syria and Pakistan, enforced this impression (Lauziere, 2010). Undoubtedly, this evolution of Salafism explains the state of the contemporary development of the Salafi movement with Saudi Arabia as its major supporter. Due to the fact that it is a contemporary phenomenon that assigns the epistemological value to traditions, Adis Duderija (2007:2011) labels the proponents of this contemporary Salafism as Neo-Traditional Salafis. In its later development, in the 1960s Wahhabi-inspired Salafism encountered with religious-political ideas brought by the Islamic activists who fled from their ruling governments repression and persecution found Saudi Arabia safe haven. This has to do with the Saudi Arabias policy under King Faisal (d. 1975) to support Islamic solidarity in its attempts to oppose Egypts pan-Arabism promoted by President Jamal Abdel Nasser (d. 1970), which was regarded as a threat to the existence of the kingdom (Lacroix, 2010). Among these refugees were the members of al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (the Muslim Brotherhood), a religious-political movement that first emerged in Egypt in 1928 and then spread to the Muslim world. The political aspects of the ideology of al-Ikhwan al Muslimun encountered with the puritanical ideas of Wahhabism (Wahhabiyyah) brought about an intellectual hybrid identified as al-Sahwa al-Islamiyya (th

Comparison of Democracy Models

Comparison of Democracy Models Write an essay that compares and contrasts the different versions of democracy discussed in class (and in Hudson)—protective, developmental, pluralistic, and participatory? Which best describes American politics today? Which is most preferable? Why? According to William E. Hudson, there are four major models that emerge from modern conceptions of democracy: Protective, Developmental, Pluralistic, and Participatory Democracy. The Protective model advocates democratic institutions because they can provide protection for individual liberties and control of property in a society where people are self-interested and acquisitive. This model will give way to a utilitarian society where there is the greatest good for the greatest number. The Developmental model believes democratic politics is best for allowing all people with â€Å"civic virtue† to overcome their selfishness, unlike the Protective model, and promote the well-being of all of society. While the citizens are passive in the Protective model, the Developmental model encourage â€Å"good citizen† to actively participation in politics to better themselves and their government. However, social scientists view the Developmental model as a democratic ideal that is much different from reality. The average citizen are observed to be apathetic and uninformed about politics while only the political elites participate in government. This give rise to the Pluralist model which, like the Protective, sees human nature as inherently selfish and would defer the day-to-day governance to the elites. Pluralists give the leaders of interest groups the role of representing the average citizens in policymaking. Because both models assume that political leaders, the elites, should make most of the decisions, they are labeled the elitist models of democracy. In response to the Pluralist view, the Participatory model suggests that political apathy is the result of the lack of opportunities for significant participation rather than a natural inclination. People are apathetic because social and political institutions encourage apathy in an authoritarian manner. Much like the Developmental model in many respects, it sees people as capable of civic virtue and encourages active participation in political affairs. The two models differ from each other on their view on economic inequality. The Developmental model does not view this as a barrier, whereas the Participatory focus on the importance of economic equality as a requirement for meaningful political democracy. American politics today would be best described as a Pluralistic democracy. It has the lowest voter turnout of any democracy. People are clearly apathetic and focused on their private concerns to care about the day-to-day governance. For the most part, politics is the matter of political elites like interest groups each representing its members by lobbying for laws and reform bill. However, this has led to a society ruled by a few elites with the majority of the nation’s wealth and have significant leverage in political matters. A more preferable model to strive for is the Participatory model. Much of the apathy in American politics is due to the notion that the people feel powerless. People feel that their contribution and participate in government will not amount to much. The citizens have no direct say in government with the exception of representative of the House. Every member of the executive and judicial branch as well as the Senate are not directly elected by the people. The complicated system of separation of power and checks and balances were purposefully designed by the Framers to slow the governing process for the sake of preventing tyranny. Consequently, whether the people participated or not, a policy will still take a tremendous amount of time to go through as the political parties in each governmental branch fight over partisanship rather than the merit of the policy. As explained by proponents of the model, there is also a lack of opportunities for participation especially when people are mo re and more caught up in their career. The Election Day is arbitrarily put on a Tuesday when, with the exception of a few states, many people have to go to work. What does the game â€Å"star power† tell us about power? How did the Framers of the Constitution incorporate such ideas into the Constitution? The Star Power game demonstrate the notion of absolute power corrupts absolutely. The game starts out with a very social atmosphere as the players trade chips with each other. However, when the ability to govern the other groups, and dictate the rules, is given to the â€Å"upper-class† Square group, the atmosphere changed. Inevitably, the Square members, the elites, begin to create oppressive rules that are favorable to them to remain in power and are restricting to the other two groups. Although the other group can suggest rules, the Square have no obligation to adopt any of it unless it is favorable to them. This create a different class system for the participants: those in power and those who are powerless. It is important to note that if any other participant in the lower- and middle-class groups, the Circle and the Triangle, that would be promoted to Square will succumb to the same temptation of infinite power. Who is Steve Rocco? How did he get elected to school board? What—if anything—does his election say is broken in our political system, and what can be done to fix it? Steve Rocco is an American who was formerly an elected board member of the Orange Unified School District in Orange in 2004. Strangely enough, despite being elected, nobody seems to know anything about Rocco then. Even the board members and news reporters could not get through to him during his candidacy. He also did not campaign or have a candidate statement, and he was supposedly a teacher according to the candidacy form. However, he managed to win the election against an opponent who actively campaigned. He did not make any public appearance during this period and some people speculated that he would not show up to the board meetings. Rocco did, in fact, show up to meetings with inappropriate speeches and inappropriate behaviors which enraged other members present. A petition to recall him failed to gather enough signatures and he remained on the board. This event raises several key issues with the political system. First of which is the people’s lack of care and involvement in the political system. The fact that Steve Rocco did not campaign or make any public appearance during the candidacy should have raised an alarm. This may be an isolated incident of failure in the system but the root cause is present even in major elections. Most people are already so removed from politics that voter turnout has been on a decline. Those who does cast a ballot in an election often do so based on familiarity of names or other attribute. In the case of presidential election, the large majority vote based on partisanship. That is to say a person who is affiliated to the Democratic Party will most likely vote for a Democratic candidate. Further on the topic of voting, smaller elections, like the one that got Steve Rocco elected, are often placed towards end of the very lengthy ballot. Voters suffer from ballot fatigue and will only complete the first part of a ballot. Those who actually do reach the end will often do it with less care assuming they even have a slight notion of what they are voting for. As a case in point, many people said they thought it was more appropriate to vote for Steve Rocco because he claimed to be a teacher as oppose to his opponent who is a park ranger. Most people would immediately blame the people who voted for Rocco as ignorant among other accusation. The common people are apathetic about participating in the political system except those who have a very large stake in the matter. Although they are not entirely wrong, there are other factors to consider. One issue raised by this event was the failure of watchdog journalism, or any other watchdog organization for that matter. As aforementioned, no one knew a thing about Steve Rocco when he was elected. This is not limited to the common folk of Orange County but also the journalists and reporters. In this case, no matter how involved one may be in the election, there is simply not enough information available to make an informed decision on the matter. Another issue is how Steve Rocco managed to become a candidate in the first place. Clearly, the requirements for candidacy is not sufficient because it only required the name and occupation of the candidate. What is more worrying is the fact that Steve Rocco falsely claimed he is a teacher and shows that the people organizing the election never bothered to do a background check on the candidates. There are no quick and easy fix for the political system. To start, the people and organizations involved like the media should have the duty to seek and provide all the relevant information for the people. How can people be expected to make informed decisions when there are no information to seek? How does the separation of powers, according to Hudson, undermine democracy? Do you think there are too many â€Å"checks† in our system of government? Too few? What types of constitutional reforms does he suggest? According to Hudson, the founders’ preoccupation with safeguarding liberty caused them to create a system that undermined two other key democratic values. To prevent majority tyranny, they created a structure that lacks responsiveness to political majorities. This is done by putting democratic passions through excessive checks and balances of the separated branches of government. Second, the separation of powers divided responsibility and made it impossible to hold elected officials accountable for their actions. Accountability is crucial to representative democracy especially when the representatives make laws that are not in their constituents’ best interests. This cannot be done when separation of power obscures who is responsible for governmental conduct and inhibit responsiveness to public interests. What are the pros and cons of having major policy decisions made by majority rule? Do you think the decisions such as whether to build or build an airport at Toro, go to war in Iraq, or define marriage (Proposition 8) should be made by majority rule? What do Greenberg and Page feel about the capacity of average people to govern themselves? Do you agree or disagree? Majority rule is one of the key concepts that people associate with the word â€Å"democracy† in the United States. The Framers’ concern and fear of majority tyranny was one of the reason for the system separation of powers. They saw the common people as uninformed and lack the knowledge to make the right decision for everyone. The system does not distinguish the tyrannical majorities from those that are not. It simply creates a series of roadblocks which allows the interests of the minority to prevent change that a democratic majority support. A democratic majority rule can be good in distributing the decision-making power to many people who have a stake in the outcome. Essentially, it gives way to change that are beneficial to the largest number of people based on their democratic vote. As people see that they each have the equal power to change their own life and those of others, they will naturally become more attentive to politics and spur discussions that will bet ter society. Under an autocratic system, the opinion of the majority does not matter as their supreme leader makes all the important decisions and seek only obedience. In a democracy that inhibit majority rule, it is no different. Instead of a single supreme leader, it could be a sufficiently large interest groups funded by wealthy individuals and creates an executive minority rule. Interest groups today like the NRA or AARP are extremely influential in making public policy and are among the biggest lobbies in Washington. Under majority rule, everyone can become part of the decision-making process which deter tyrannical rule of the few elites. This is especially true in America as top 20 percent control 80 percent of the wealth, and will continue to stretch their lead by funding political candidates who are willing to represent their interest. For a time leading up to the Iraq War, most people were hesitant to use military force and continued to oppose the war when it began. Nevertheless, majority rule is not safe from abuse as feared by the Founding Fathers and the Framers of the Constitution. After all, one of the weakness of majority rule is that it does not require a consensus to make a decision. After the September 11th attack, the public was very emotional and supported the war in Afghanistan. Minority racial groups became targets of hostility as a result as well. The issue arise as to whether people should be allowed to make important decisions when they are so easily manipulated by emotion. Moreover, a majority rule does not guarantee the protection against influences from elites. The period known as the Red Scare led to mass hysteria of anti-communist sentiment as a result of Senator McCarthy’s speeches. Although there have been instances of majority tyranny, they are few and far between. Regardless, Greenberg and Page still feels that the average people do not have the capacity to govern themselves. They see that the citizens do not care about politics, are uninformed on most matters, and unstable in their views. As a result, the citizens are not ready for self-governance and should not be allowed to determine what government does. Greenberg and Page also note that, under alternative system from majority rule, the rights of the minorities are also not guaranteed. Opinion What aspects of the Constitution inhibit majority rule? Why did the Framer’s incorporate these constraints into the Constitution? In the Constitution, the Framers designed a framework for a government of separated powers and checks and balances. The government has its executive, legislative, and judicial powers divided into separate branches, each with a unique set of powers and a role in the affairs of the others. This is to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This system has many potential for conflict between the branches of government. It was intentionally designed this way by the Framers to slow the governing process and inhibit majority rule. Many of them also believed that the people should not rule directly but through multiple layers of elected representatives serving as barriers to majority rule which they thought would lead to bad outcomes. The citizens of the United States have no direct say in government with the exception of electing members of Congress. The first and most obvious inhibitor on majority rule is the process to elect a president. Every member of the executive and judicial branch are not directly elected by the people. This include the President of the United States who is elected by the Electoral College, not the people. Even if candidates tie in number of votes or fail to receive the majority from the Electoral College the decision will go to the House of Representative. This was seen in the election of John Quincy Adams and George W. Bush where neither win the popular vote but were elected president by the House and the Electoral College, respectively. Another aspect of the Constitution that inhibit majority rule is the Amendment process which requires a supermajority vote: two thirds from both houses of Congress and three fourths of the state legislatures. It cannot be done by a simple popular majority vote nor does it require a popular vote. This inhibit majority rule because in the case of the Senate and the state legislature, each state is equally represented. This is particularly disproportionate as only a few states like California and Texas already constitute nearly a quarter of the population but only get 5% representation. The supermajority vote is also present in the checks and balances system. Unlike the prior examples, majority rule of the people and the government can be inhibited by the checks and balances system. Assume that public outcry has managed to influence both houses of Congress to pass a new law. The President have the power to veto the bill, which can be overridden by a two thirds vote in each house and signing it into law. At this point, the Supreme Court can deem the law unconstitutional and overturn the new law, or the president can issue a signing statements saying he cannot carry out the law. The Framers create a constitution by which the people only rule indirectly and deliberation serves as barriers to majority opinion. The framework of government established by the Framers was designed to inhibit majority rule. Of the three branches of government, they only made a part of one of them, the House of Representative, subject to election from direct vote of the people. It was not until the 17th Amendment that Senators were subjected to election by direct vote. On the topic of Amendments, suffrage was not granted to blacks, women, Native Americans, or 18-year-old until much later. One reason why it took so long was because the Framers created an amending process that was exceedingly complicated. They designed a system in which political elites are insulated from majority opinion to deliberate on their own.

Legalization of Marijuana Essay -- Illegal Drugs Narcotics essays rese

Marijuana   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana is a big topic these days. Many people want to make sure that marijuana stays illegal. Yet they do not know all the facts about marijuana. They just think that marijuana is bad. I believe that marijuana should be made legal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, marijuana refers to the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, which contain the narcotic chemical THC at various potencies. It is smoked or eaten to produce the feeling of being "high". Marijuana has been used for thousands of years for medical, social, relaxation, and religious reasons. Several of our presidents are believed to have smoked it. Those presidents include Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and many others. John F. Kennedy smoked it to relieve his back pain. Also, many of America's great leaders were hemp farmers. This includes good ol' George Washington. Archeologists believe that cannabis was possibly the first plant farmed by humans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people think that marijuana is addictive, but this is false. Marijuana is less habit forming than either sugar or chocolate. When users take marijuana, it doesn't lead to violence-related crimes. Most users commit crime because they want to get marijuana, but this problem can be easily solved if the government would legalize marijuana again. When you take marijuana, it doesn't make you violent, in fact it leads to non-violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has never been a case that a person died from smoking marijuana. THC is one of the few chemic...

La Malinche Essay -- essays research papers

"La Malinche." Slave, interpreter, secretary, mistress, mother of the first "Mexican." her very name still stirs up controversy. Many Mexicans continue to revile the woman called Doà ±a Marina by the Spaniards and La Malinche by the Aztecs, labeling her a traitor and harlot for her role as the alter-ego of Cortes as he conquered Mexico. They ignore that she saved thousands of Indian lives by enabling Cortes to negotiate rather than slaughter. Her ability to communicate also enabled the Spaniards to introduce Christianity and attempt to end human sacrifice and cannibalism. Herself a convert, baptized Marina, she was an eloquent advocate for her new faith. As for the charges against her, they are in my opinion baseless. So let us visit this remarkable woman and examine the facts. All historians agree that she was the daughter of a noble Aztec family. Upon the death of her father, a chief, her mother remarried and gave birth to a son. Deciding that he rather than Marina, should rule, she turned her young daughter over to some passing traders and thereafter pro- claimed her dead. Eventually, the girl wound up as a slave of the Cacique (the military chief) of Tabasco. By the time Cortes arrived, she had learned the Mayan dialects used in the Yucatan while still understanding Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs and most Non-Mayan Indians. "La Malinche" did not choose to join Cortes. She was offered to him as a slave by the Cacique of Tabasco, along with 19 other young women. She had no voice in the matter. Up till then, Cortes had relied on a Spanish priest, Jeronimo de Aguilar, as his interpreter. Shipwrecked off Cozumel, Aguilar spoke the Mayan language as well as Spanish. But when the expedition left the Mayan-speaking area, Cortes discovered that he could not communicate with the Indians. That night he was advised that one of the women given to him in Tabasco spoke "Mexican." Doà ±a Marina now enters Mexican history. It was she who served as the interpreter at the first meetings between Cortes and the representatives of Moctezuma. At that time Marina spoke no Spanish. She translated what the Aztecs said into the Mayan dialect understood by de Aguilar and he relayed it to Cortes in Spanish. The process was then reversed, Spanish to Mayan and Mayan to Nahuatl. Bernal Diaz, author of "The Conquest of New Spain" authe... ...e was full of corpses. The dry land and stockades were piled high with the dead. We also found Mexicans lying in their own excrement, too sick to move." After the Conquest, Cortes, with a wife in Spain, arranged to have Marina married to a Castilian knight, Don Juan Xamarillo. Soon thereafter she disappeared from history. But she had borne Cortes a son, Don Mahin Cortes. While many other Indian women were impregnated by Spaniards, we have no record of their fate. Hence, if modern-day Mexicans are a blend of Spanish and Indian blood, Doà ±a Marina's son was the first "Mexican" whose career we can follow. He rose to high government position and was a "Comendador" of the Order of St. Jago. In 1548, accused of conspiring against the Viceroy, he was tortured and executed. In more recent times, the term "Malinchista" has been used by some to describe those who dislike Mexicans. But Doà ±a Marina deserves better. A fearless, loyal and determined woman, she was a heroine who helped save Mexico from its brutal, blood-thirsty rulers--and in doing so she played a major role in fashioning what is today one of the most dynamic societies in all of Latin America.

Rick Hansen in Grania Litwin’s Perpetual Motion

Defeating fear in our minds is the biggest challenge. In Perpetual Motion, written by Crania Litton, Rick Hansen defeats the biggest challenge in both his body and his heart, and teaches people to find and achieve their life goals. His courage, perseverance and generosity mark him as one of the most venerable role model in human history. With a firm ambition and consistent strive, Hansen conquers a hardship which almost destructed his heart before. His courage and confidence brings positive influences to those who suffer from predicament and illuminates people to overcome difficulty bravely.When trapped in endless pain and despair, he did not give up himself; instead, he chose to â€Å"focus on something [he] could do, set goals. â€Å"(paragraph 1 7) Trampling down affliction by turning to improve himself is a great victory. This action inspires people to face challenge and surmount it by themselves. Hansen encourages people by both using his impressive experience and giving power ful words. He proves to the world that he is never defeated by physical disability: â€Å"He pushed his chair 40,000 kilometers around the globe, wrought 34 countries, up mountain ranges, through freezing blizzards and along the Great Wall. (paragraph 2) Also, he tells people to be brave in stepping towards their ambition and never think about failure because ‘the only thing that stops people reaching for their dream is fear of failure. â€Å"(paragraph 23) His success not only rehabilitates himself but also emanates hope to people who hesitate to take their first step towards their goal. Never stopping going forward, Hansen does not satisfy in making only himself successful. He aims to help more people who ever encounter same problems.Hansen founded Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation, whose â€Å"consciousness-raising efforts helped raise funding of $158 million. â€Å"(paragraph 9) His role model is as significant as the money he has granted to better â€Å"specialize d treatment centers, new imaging technology, exceptional neural and spinal surgeons. â€Å"(paragraph 8) Hansen persists to change the world with his endeavor and inspire people to live a better life. Even though in wheelchair, Rick Hansen still lives a much more fantastic life than most people. Never being defeated by fear and pursuing ambition no

Corporate Strategy Analysis Essay

The four basic alternatives when using corporate strategy in the planning function of management are concentration, vertical integration, concentric diversification, and, conglomerate diversification. After viewing the Destination CEO videos regarding Coco-Cola, Southwest Airlines, VF Corporation, and, Xerox, I can easily identify the strategy used by each CEO. Coca-Cola CEO Neville Isdell retired from Coca-Cola in 2001 after serving 35 years with the company. When Mr. Isedell left Coca-Cola sales began to drop, there was high turnover, and low morale threatened the company’s future. Mr. Isdell recognized the need for a new strategy and change, after seeing what other competitors were doing. He seen that Pepsi had diversified their options and Coca-Cola needed to do the same. I believe vertical integration strategy was used here. Coca-Cola bought the product vitamin water, in order to dive into the non-carbonated beverage sector market and expand within the industry. Coca Cola is trying to control the global market through aggressive strategy and branding campaigns, with its carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly has managed to keep the company afloat as one of the most profitable airlines in the country. Mr. Kelly always travels at the back of the aircraft, talking to customers and taking notes of their expectations and complaints. I believe that Mr. Kelly used the concentration strategy to focus only on the airline industry to sustain the company’s profitability. In order to maintain profits, CEO Gary Kelly’s strategy was to keep cost low, fly the same 737 aircrafts so that parts and maintenance stay easy, and treat all customers like kings and queens including employees. Business week (2014) However, Southwest Airlines must expand in the future to remain a profitable company. VF Corporation is the largest apparel maker in the world. They are the biggest seller of jeans, such as  wrangler and, lee brands. VF CEO Mackey McDonalds focus on planning and preparation for the unexpected and customer connection. Mr. McDonalds biggest challenges was the restructuring of the company in 2001, cutting 13,000 jobs, and moving manufacturing jobs overseas to countries as China and India due to cheap labor. The company model was the taste for branding the lifestyle behind the brand; they believe that investing in strong consumer recognition is better than high-fashion brands. VF Corporation continues to expand their brands with the recent acquisition of the Eagle Creek travel bag Company, and Majestic Athletic Company, which sells baseball gear. I think that the CEO used vertical integration strategy to expand their line of products and, distribution channels. Anne Mulcathy became the first female CEO of Xerox. On the verge on bankruptcy due to weak sales, Xerox CEO decided to cut one billion in cost, cut numerous jobs, and shut down the desk-jet printer division. The company vision was to keep the corporate culture intact while pouring money into new technology, such as digital printing and imaging systems. CEO Anne Mulcathy decided it was time for a complete transformation away from expensive consumer printer functions that nobody wanted, to high-end digital color printer and copier. In order for this new strategy to work, Xerox bought Global imaging systems for one and a half billion dollars. The gamble paid off with increase profits and sales. In conclusion, all organizations require different corporate strategies based on their current situation. Corporate strategies are important in order to sustain profits or to establish a change in direction when the organization fails to reach intended goals. In today’s competitive global markets, organization must consider diversification and expansion into unrelated markets. References Bateman, T.S & Scott, AS. (2011), Management: Leading & collaborating in a competitive world (9th ed.); Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Business week (2014). Destination CEO video, Southwest Airlines [Video file].Retrieved from http://mhlearningsolutions.com/cs/cs.php Business week (2014). Destination CEO video, VF Corporation [Video file]. Retrieved from http://mhlearningsolutions.com/cs/cs.php Business week (2014). Destination CEO video, Coco Cola [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://mhlearningsolutions.com/cs/cs.php Business week (2014). Destination CEO video, Xerox [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://mhlearningsolutions.com/cs/cs.php

American Tool Works Essay

This course focuses on improving the performance of the firm and its supply chain through coordination among multiple sites, functions, and economic actors (customers and suppliers). Students will know how to design and implement strategies for structure and management, both cross-functionally, with the firm, and across an industry value chain among interacting firms. These strategies include restructuring supply chain facility networks, coordinating information and materials flow, managing supplier relations, and managing customer order fulfillment processes. The theme of the course is that strategies that enhance integration throughout the supply chain can lead to improved performance (in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, quality, customer satisfaction, cost, flexibility, etc. ), providing firms with a source of competitive advantage. TEXTBOOK: D. Simchi-Levi, P. Kaminsky, and E. Simchi-Levi, Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies, and Case Studies, 3rd ed. , McGraw Hill/Irwin, New York, 2008, ISBN 978-0-07-298239-8. READINGS:Additional articles and cases will be made available through WebCT and http://cb. hbsp. harvard. edu/cb/access/5023124 SOFTWARE:The Beer Game simulation software is available on the web and will be used for real-time ordering, planning, forecasting decisions in the supply chain. The Risk Pool Game is available on the CD that comes with the text. The Global Supply Chain Management Simulation is available through harvardbusinessonline. com and allows students to manage product design, procurement, and production for four simulated years. Excel will be used for inventory management, supply contracts, and for optimal resource allocation and distribution network configuration. PREREQUISITES: Second year standing COURSE OBJECTIVES: 1. Recognize salient challenges and opportunities for managing supply chains. 2. Become familiar with supply chain strategies that have been adopted by leading companies. 3. Learn to use several analytical tools to assess tradeoffs and support decision making. METHOD: This course stress those models, concepts, and solutions methods that can be applied to the design, control, operation, and management of supply chain systems. The course includes lectures, case discussions, presentations, and hands-on, practical exercises and games to provide both a sound base of learning and an opportunity to test and develop skill. Students should do all of the assigned readings and cases before coming to class, and prepare for, and contribute to, class discussions. Excel is used to support the quantitatively intensive topics. STUDENT TEAMS: Teams will consist of about five students who will work together as the presenting and questioning teams for cases and articles as described below. The teams may allocate the work as desired, as long as all team members agree with the allocation. The team should let a member know if they are not performing at an appropriate level, and should contact the instructor if problems persist. Each team member will provide the instructor with an evaluation of their team members’ performance at the end of the term by allocating 100 total points (no self-allocation) between the other members. This information will be used to adjust team work grades. CASE PRESENTATIONS: Each student team will have the opportunity of serving as the â€Å"presenting team† for two of the cases and the â€Å"questioning team† for one of the cases that we will discuss in class. The â€Å"presenting team† will provide the background and content of the case, an analysis of what the company did correctly or incorrectly, and suggestions about what the company should do in the future. They should also address any questions given as part of the case write-up or indicated by the instructor. The â€Å"questioning team† will be responsible for questioning the presenting team, offering alternative solutions, and for leading the rest of the class in a discussion of the case. The questioning team will submit a written list of questions prior to the presentation. The members of the class will be asked to assess the performance of both teams. The instructor will incorporate the class evaluations into the presentation grades.

“Ithaca” by C.P. Cavafy Essay

Everyone is given the opportunity to take the odyssey that is â€Å"life, however it is important to make the journey as memorable as one possibly can. The poem â€Å"Ithaca† by C.P. Cavafy suggests that what is most important in life is the experience that is incorporated with the journey, not necessarily just reaching the ultimate goal. It is the quest, not the destination which matters most. This message is conveyed through the poem through the use of allusion, myth and symbolism. The poem, â€Å"Ithaca†, is based loosely around the great epic the Odyssey by ancient Greek poet Homer. In the Odyssey the character Odysseus trying to make his way home to his kingdom, Ithaca. The character faces many vicious creatures and other challenges he must endure in order to make it to the final goal. This is alluded to in the poem, by making reference to one of the characters starting out on â€Å"[his] journey to Ithaca† (line 1). C.P. Cavafy also refers to mythological creatures such as â€Å"the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon† (line 5), as well as â€Å"the Lestrygonians† (line 6) posing as obstacles during the journey, just as they did in the Odyssey. The allusion to the myth of the Odyssey is appropriate for the meaning the poet is trying to convey. References to the Odyssey evoke thoughts of going on a journey, which may include obstacles, new experiences and the opportunity to gain a wealth of knowledge. This is central to what the poem â€Å"Ithaca† is suggesting about the journey of life. The journey of life is all about the experiences that one encounters, the knowledge that is gained, and the deeper appreciation for the journey, not just for attaining the goal. The poem is somewhat faithful to the myth of the Odyssey. C.P. Cavafy does not distort the myth in any way, but rather leaves out many of the events that occurred in the Odyssey that perhaps were not relevant to the central theme being portrayed. The general idea of the journey to Ithaca is kept intact throughout the poem. The central theme of the poem â€Å"Ithaca† is based on the meaning of life, and the journey that one takes through life. The importance of â€Å"[praying] that the road is long† (line 10) is stressed continually throughout the poem. The poet emphasizes the idea that one should not â€Å"hurry the voyage at all† (line 23). Experience and wisdom are gained throughout time and the aging process.  It is also learned through the poem that it is important to take time for things that one finds enjoyable. Such things as â€Å"mother-of-pearl and corals† (line 16) represent those things which make us joyful. It is suggested that one is supposed to enjoy and obtain these niceties while they last. The journey of life is something that a person only gets to encounter once, so experiencing things which bring joy to a person are important. In the poem the speaker advises those embarking on the journey to â€Å"visit hosts of Egyptian cities† (line 19) to â€Å"learn from those who have knowledge† (line 20). Learning from those who are wise and intelligent can prove beneficial for carrying on with the journey. C.P. Cavafy also mentions that the elements that make a person rich in life, are the experiences and â€Å"the great wisdom [he/she has] gained† (line 23) along the way. If a person finds himself at the end of the journey, and sees nothing of value around him, â€Å"Ithaca has not defrauded [him]† (line 31) for Ithaca is not the final destination but the passage one takes and the wisdom one obtains. If a person can recognize that the journey, and what the journey brings, is more important than the final destination or goal, then that person has understood the true meaning of life and â€Å"what Ithaca means†. As humans we are all given the chance to embark on a wonderful journey through life. Some choose to focus on the final goal and choose to dedicate their lives for the end destination. The poem â€Å"Ithaca† by C.P. Cavafy suggests that one should not focus ones entire life on the end goal but instead enjoy the journey, and take as much as one possibly can from it. The author uses Ithaca as a metaphor for life in the poem. It can be understood from this poem that Ithaca represents the journey of life; the beginning, the end and everything in between.