Republic of South Africa Essay

South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in the world.[19][20][21] Extensive fossil remains at the Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Makapansgat caves suggest that various australopithecines existed in South Africa from about three million years ago.[22] These were succeeded by various species of Homo, including Homo habilis, Homo erectus and modern humans, Homo sapiens. Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the Limpopo River by the fourth or fifth century CE. (see Bantu expansion). They displaced, conquered and absorbed the original Khoisan speakers. The Bantu slowly moved south. The earliest ironworks in modern-day KwaZulu-Natal Province are believed to date from around 1050. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier Khoisan people. The Xhosa reached the Great Fish River, in today’s Eastern Cape Province. As they migrated, these larger Iron Age populations displaced or assimilated earlier peoples, who often had hunter-gatherer societies.[citation needed] Republic of South Africa (1961–present) In 1487, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to reach the southernmost point of Africa. Initially named the Cape of Storms, The King of Portugal, John II, renamed it the Cabo da Boa Esperanà §a or Cape of Good Hope, as it led to the riches of India. Dias’ great feat of navigation was later immortalised in Camà µes’ epic Portuguese poem, The Lusiads (1572). In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch transported slaves from Indonesia, Madagascar, and India as labour for the colonists in Cape Town. As they expanded east, the Dutch settlers met the south-westerly expanding Xhosa people in the region of the Fish River. A series of wars, called the Cape Frontier Wars, ensued, mainly caused by conflicting land and livestock interests. Great Britain took over the Cape of Good Hope area in 1795, ostensibly to stop it from falling under Revolutionary French control. Given its standing interests in Australia and India, Great Britain wanted to use Cape Town as an interim port for its merchants’ long voyages. The British returned Cape Town to the Dutch in 1803, but soon afterwards the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy. The British annexed the Cape Colony in 1806. The British continued the frontier wars against the Xhosa, pushing the eastern frontier eastward through a line of forts established along the Fish River. They consolidated the territory by encouraging British settlement. Due to pressure of abolitionist societies in Britain, the British parliament first stopped its global slave trade with the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807, then abolished slavery in all its colonies with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. Boers in combat (1881)In the first two decades of the 19th century, the Zulu people grew in power and expanded their territory under their leader, Shaka.[23] Shaka’s depredations led indirectly to the Mfecane (â€Å"Crushing†) that devastated the inland plateau in the early 1820s.[24] An offshoot of the Zulu, the Matabele, created an even larger empire under their king Mzilikazi, including large parts of the highveld. During the 1830s, approximately 12,000 Boers (later known as Voortrekkers), departed from the Cape Colony, where they had been subjected to British control. They migrated to the future Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal regions. The Boers founded the Boer Republics: the South African Republic (now Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West provinces) and the Orange Free State (Free State). The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1884 in the interior encouraged economic growth and immigration. This intensified the European-South African subjugation of the indigenous people. The struggle to control these important economic resources was a factor between Europeans and the indigenous population, and also between the Boers and the British.[25] The Boer Republics successfully resisted British encroachments during the First Boer War (1880–1881) using guerrilla warfare tactics, which were well suited to local conditions. However, the British returned with greater numbers, more experience, and more suitable tactics in the Second Boer War (1899–1902), which was won by the British. 20th century After four years of negotiating, the Union of South Africa was created from the Cape and Natal colonies, as well as the republics of Orange Free State and Transvaal, on 31 May 1910, exactly eight years after the end of the Second Boer War. The newly created Union of South Africa was a dominion of Great Britain. The Natives’ Land Act of 1913 severely restricted the ownership of land by ‘blacks’; at that stage they had control of a mere 7% of the country. The amount of land reserved for indigenous peoples was later marginally increased.[26] In 1931 the union was effectively granted independence from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster. In 1934, the South African Party and National Party merged to form the United Party, seeking reconciliation between Afrikaners and English-speaking â€Å"Whites†. In 1939 the party split over the entry of the Union into World War II as an ally of the United Kingdom, a move which the National Party followers strongly opposed. â€Å"For use by white persons† – sign from the apartheid eraIn 1948, the National Party was elected to power. It intensified the implementation of racial segregation begun under Dutch and British colonial rule, and subsequent South African governments since the Union was formed. The Nationalist Government systematised existing segregationist laws, classifying all peoples into three races, developing rights and limitations for each, such as pass laws and residential restrictions. The white minority controlled the vastly larger black majority. The system of segregation became known collectively as apartheid. While the White minority enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, often comparable to First World western nations, the Black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. On 31 May 1961, following a whites-only referendum, the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II ceased to be head of state, and the last Governor-General became State President. Apartheid became increasingly controversial, leading to widespread international sanctions, divestment and growing unrest and oppression within South Africa. A long period of harsh suppression by the government, and at times violent resistance, strikes, marches, protests, and sabotage by bombing and other means, by various anti-apartheid movements, most notably the African National Congress (ANC), followed. In the late 1970s, South Africa began a programme of nuclear weapons development. In the following decade, it produced six deliverable nuclear weapons. The Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith, signed by Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Schwarz in 1974, enshrined the principles of peaceful transition of power and equality for all, the first of such agreements by acknowledged black and white political leaders in South Africa, which would ultimately end with the negotiations between F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela in 1993. In 1990 the National Party government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination when it lifted the ban on the African National Congress and other political organisations. It released Nelson Mandela from prison after twenty-seven years’ incarceration on a sabotage sentence. A negotiation process known as the Convention for a Democratic South Africa was started. The government repealed apartheid legislation. South Africa destroyed its nuclear arsenal and acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. South Africa held its first multi-racial elections in 1994, which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. It has been in power ever since. In post-apartheid South Africa, unemployment has been extremely high. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of blacks worsened between 1994 and 2003.[27] Poverty among whites, previously rare, increased.[28] While some have attributed this partly to the legacy of the apartheid system, increasingly many attribute it to the failure of the current government’s policies. In addition, the current government has struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. Since the ANC-led government took power, the United Nations Human Development Index of South Africa has fallen, while it was steadily rising until the mid-1990s.[29] Some of this could possibly be attributed to the AIDS pandemic and the failure of the government to take steps to address it.[30] Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: [xoˈliÉ ¬aÉ ¬a manˈdeË la];), born 18 July 1918, [1] served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first South-African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress’s armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other crimes committed while he led the movement against apartheid. In accordance with his conviction’s sentence, Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela supported reconciliation and negotiation, and helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, many have frequently praised Mandela, including former opponents. In South Africa he is often known as Madiba, an honorary title adopted by elders of Mandela’s clan. The title has come to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela. Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, most notably the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela’s birthday, 18 July, is to be known as ‘Mandela Day’ to mark his contribution to world freedom.[2] Apartheid (Afrikaans pronunciation: [É Ã‹Ë†pÉ rtÉ ¦Ã‰â„¢it], separateness) was a system of legal racial segregation enforced by the National Party government in South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority black inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and minority rule by whites was maintained. Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times, but apartheid as an official policy was introduced following the general election of 1948. New legislation classified inhabitants into racial groups (â€Å"black†, â€Å"white†, â€Å"coloured†, and â€Å"Yellow†), and residential areas were segregated by means of forced removals. From 1958, Blacks were deprived of their citizenship, legally becoming citizens of one of ten tribally based self-governing homelands called bantustans, four of which became nominally independent states. The government segregated education, medical care, and other public services, and provided black people with services inferior to those of whites. Apartheid sparked significant internal resistance and violence as well as a long trade embargo against South Africa.[1] A series of popular uprisings and protests were met with the banning of opposition and imprisoning of anti-apartheid leaders. As unrest spread and became more violent, state organizations responded with increasing repression and state-sponsored violence. Reforms to apartheid in the 1980s failed to quell the mounting opposition, and in 1990 President Frederik Willem de Klerk began negotiations to end apartheid, culminating in multi-racial democratic elections in 1994, which were won by the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela. The vestiges of apartheid still shape South African politics and society.[2] After decades in a Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) is released in 1990 and works immediately to bring about the end of apartheid and the initiation of full democratic elections where the black majority population can vote. Mandela wins the race for President of South Africa and takes office in 1994. His immediate challenge is â€Å"balancing black aspirations with white fears.† The country’s still-present racial tensions are shown, in part, through Mandela’s security team, which is composed both of new black and old white officials. The black and white groups are immediately hostile to one another despite sharing the same job and goal. While Mandela attempts to tackle the country’s largest problems – including crime and unemployment – he attends a game of the Springboks, the country’s rugby union team. Non-whites in the stadium cheer against their home squad, as the Springboks (their history, players and even their colours) represent prejudice and apartheid in their mind. Knowing that South Africa is set to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup in one year’s time, Mandela convinces the South African rugby board to keep the Springbok team, name and colours the same. He then meets with the Springboks’ captain Franà §ois Pienaar (Matt Damon). Though Mandela never verbalizes his true meaning during their meeting, Pienaar understands the message below the surface: if the Springboks can gain the support of non-white South Africans and succeed in the upcoming World Cup, the country will be unified and inspired. Mandela also shares with Pienaar that a poem, Invictus, had been inspiring to him during his time in prison, helping him to â€Å"stand when all he wanted to do was lie down†. Pienaar and his teammates train, but the players (all but one are white) voice disapproval that they are to be envoys to the poor and public – fearing exhaustion from overwork. Mandela, too, hears disapproval from friends and family. Many more, both white and non-white citizens and politicians, began to express doubts on using sport to unite a nation torn apart by some 50 years of racial tensions. For many non-white, especially the radicals, the Springboks symbolised white supremacy and they did not want to support their national team. As the tournament approaches, Mandela collapses from exhaustion and the Springboks’ only non-white player, Chester Williams, is sidelined with a pulled hamstring. Things begin to change, however, as the players went around interacting with the locals. During the opening games, support for the Springboks begins to grow amongst the non-white population. By the second game Williams is fit once again. Citizens of all races turn out in numbers to show their unanimous support for the Springboks. At the suggestion of several security guards, Mandela decides to sport a Springbok jersey with Pienaar’s number 6 on it to show his support and his name is chanted repeatedly by the home crowd during his entrance, a contrast to a previous rugby match scene, in which Mandela is booed by some of the whites in the crowd. As momentum builds, even the security team members become at ease with each other and the black members who disliked rugby eventually began to enthusiastically support their national team alongside their white colleagues. The Springboks, possessing a sub-par record, were not expected to go very far and are expected to lose in the quarterfinals. They surpass all expectations and make the final, only to face the New Zealand rugby team – called the All Blacks – the most successful rugby team in the world, the favourites to win the World Cup and historically the Springboks’ greatest rivals. Roared on by a large home crowd of both whites and non-white, Pienaar motivates his team to overcome their doubts and push their bodies to the limits. After ending in a tie, the game goes into extra time, where the Springboks win on a long drop kick from fly-half Joel Stransky (Scott Eastwood) and a score of 15-12. Mandela and Pienaar meet on the field together to celebrate the improbable victory amidst a crowd of some 62,000 fans—of all races. Once there, Mandela thanks Pienaar for his service to the nation, but Pienaar insists the President that he deserves the real thanks. In one particular scene, some white police officers celebrate by hoisting a young black boy, who had been lingering near their vehicle to listen to the radio broadcast of the game, onto their shoulders.

Excessive Happiness with Patch Adams Essay

â€Å"Patch Adams† is one brilliant movie that touches the hearts of those who watch it and also has this very strong force that attracts the viewer’s attention to continue indulging into every scene, to listen in every line spoken by each actor, for in each line hides a deeper meaning. Lastly, this movie truly affects the lives of the people watching, young and old alike. Patch Adams is truthfully a very heartwarming story that makes one person think and focus on one’s own purpose and plan in life. It thought me to enjoy every moment of my life and to keep on pursuing what my heart truly desires. As Arthur Mendelson said, â€Å"If you focus on the problem, you can’t see the solution. Never focus on the problem! See what no one else sees. See what everyone chooses not to see†¦ out of fear, conformity or laziness. See the whole world anew each day!† This movie is also packed with humor, sorrow, love, but most of all hope. It is a one of a kind story that lifts the spirit of all who are depressed, of those who feel as if they’re all alone in life, and those people who are battling with sickness. It teaches us that death is a natural phenomenon which we can’t avoid and escape from, and at the same time it instill in our minds that as long as we live, we should make the most out of our lives, fix all the misunderstandings, communicate to the person we haven’t talked for a long time, and above all, continue serving the people and God. I could not say anything negative against the movie because in the first place, it has excellently portrayed the beauty of life. Also, the story imparted a lesson that what matters most is the happiness and feeling of fulfillment in ourselves as we take care of the others and not just the payment that comes for the service offered. When we do service wholeheartedly, we touch lives, we change perception, and we are able to be appreciated by the people whose lives we were able to transform. To end this reaction paper, all I can say is that God works amazingly and that each one of us has a purpose in life. The realization of this purpose depends on the person if he will accept this unreservedly and will commit to it ready to face all the hurdles that will block his way. We must never be afraid to take risks and when we do things, when we make a decision, we must always offer it to God that He may guide us along the right path. When we do this, we are assured of not only extreme happiness, but also ETERNAL AND EVERLASTING SERENITY with God.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee Course Essay

Company Information Company Name – Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee Website – http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com Founded in- 1981 Background/History/Company Timeline 1981- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was established with a small coffee shop. 1993- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, started publicly traded on NASDAQ national stock market. 2006- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., Acquire KEURIG Coffee Company and started manufacturing single cup coffee. 2010- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Acquired Diedrich coffee and also bought Van Houtte coffee services company. 2011- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. sold Fresh Filter US coffee services potion of Van Houtte business to Aramark. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. manages its operations through SCBU (Specialty coffee business), KBU (KEURIG business unit), CBU (Canadian business unit) operation units. SCBU makes and sell coffee, hot coco, tea and several other beverages. KBU focus on single cup brewing system which includes coffee, tea hot chocolates. CBU take cares of Canadian market. They sell coffee and tea with other beverages. Mission and Values of GMCR. â€Å"PURPOSE: We create the ultimate beverage experience in every life we touch from source to cup – transforming the way the world understands business. Our MISSION: A Keurig ® brewer on every counter and a beverage for every occasion. Our VALUES: We partner for mutual success. Our boundary  less approach to collaboration creates benefits for all.† (www.keuriggreenmountain.com) SWOT ANALYSIS Strength 1 Strong product portfolio and leader in the market. 2 Loyal customers. 3 All products contribute strong revenue growth. Gives a strong competitive advantage. 4 Corporate image built on strong sustainability initiatives. 5 Good financial strength. Weakness 1 Dependency on china for single cup brewer is a big draw back. 2 Dependency on some retailers companies which are the big potion of revenue. 3 Cost of the products is very high reference to single use at home. 4 Patents of all the sub companies are not so easy to maintain. Opportunities 1 Have several opportunities in the field of different drinks. 2 Have further opportunities to expand to different part of world. 3. Strategic agreements to bolster revenues. Threats 1 Completion in the segments of Coffee is very high. 2 More acquisition there is more challenges to maintain brand value. 3 Demand of high quality coffee is very high. Shortage of coffee beans will be a task. Analysis VIA Porter’s Five Forces Model Porter’s five force model is a good analysis tool for examine the competitive environment. Competitive environment is describes in terms of 5 forces. The threat of new entrants- Customers has new choices day to day. To fulfill the requirement Green Mountain Coffee Roasters needs to be very competitive. They need to find out new products. There are several low cost products in the market which is attracting local public. This can be a threat and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters needs to find out a way to reduce the cost and maintain the quality. Single-cup brewing will have more competition. Some of the companies have good financial resources and good marketing than Keurig. Some of the competitors are Flavia Beverage Systems they are the manufacturer of Mars, Senso brewing system etc. The bargaining power of buyers- Loyal customer is very important for a successful business. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters provides the customers the best they want and the way they want. So buyers are ready to pay the cost. There is less bargaining because of loyal customers. O customers. They may look at some alternate products. But still number of choices is fewer Buyers find very difficult to switch the company as they will not find what they need. So they try to stick with one. This is a competitive advantage to them. Competitors cannot provide what fresh direct can provide. Low dependency on distributors is an added advantage with Fresh Direct. This will reduce the bargaining power of buyers. Due to variety of range products buyers has less choice and this is good and positive for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters The bargaining power of suppliers- The biggest problem is with Keurig, supplies are fully depended on outside supplier. They have only one supplier from China. They can rule GMCR and can affect deliveries and quality. This can over all affect the company performance and business. The threat of substitute product and services- Company has an advantage in their field. There is very less strong competition. They are the leader in the coffee segments. There are several companies who have lowered process cost and cost of the product. They may give strong competition to them. The intensity of rivalry among competitors in an industry- Other manufacturer started giving good offers with comparison to Keurig was offering. Market started to become overpower. This created confusion between customers. They don’t know what product is best.  They were victim of competition. Strategy Used GMCR has strategically taken a good move to expand its business in broader way. The first strategy they used was acquisition of other coffee brand. They acquired Tully’s coffee brand and later they also acquired Timothy’s Coffee. GMCR focused on individual customer in home and offices. They have launched different products which can be used in offices and home. By doing this they have expanded there market share very broadly. â€Å"There were approximately 2.6 million coffee brewers in offices nationwide serviced by a network of approximately 1,700 distributors. Of those offices, GMCR estimated that 12 percent had single-cup brewers, and about half of those were Keurig brewers.8 While Keurig brewers were estimated to be in 30 percent of offices in New England, national penetration in the office channel was only about 6 percent.† (Dess C301) GMCR has covered hotel industry in broader way. They have several hotels in North America which use GMCR products. This was one of the best strategies which worked for expansion of their product range. Issues and Challenges Facing this Company Following issues and Challenges are being faced by GMCR. a) Manufacturer and trade risk- GMCR products are manufacturer in China. They are under risk of delivery and cost. Fully depended on those companies. Any production delay will direct affect the profitability of GMCR. b) Foreign exchange rates may affect the end product cost. c) Government policies and relationship with both country may affect the business. d) Product recall and product liability is a potential danger. Any quality compromise by manufacturer will directly impact GMCR. e) Loosing competitive advantage of GMCR because the products are manufactured in China and possibility of losing technology secrets. f) Risk of Integrated Acquisitions- Lot of risk is there to manage acquisitions, because of company culture and business. g) Risk of fluctuating commodity cost- Fluctuation in commodity will affect the price of Coffee. This can impact  the price of products. h) Risk of coffee availability- there are some very high quality coffee beans (Arabica coffee beans), unavailability of this beans may affect the business of GMCR. Course of action recommended a) Should be very careful while doing acquisitions. Need to look the country culture, company culture and past background. b) Need to develop an alternative of China for manufacturing the products. It can be India. Dependency with china should not be there. c) Need to add different products and expand their list of product based on customers’ requirements. d) Keep closer look on competitors and there technology. e) Keep on improving the products by doing research and development. f) Cover every segment of people with something new for them. Opinion â€Å"As a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages, Keurig Green Mountain (Keurig) is recognized for its award-winning beverages, innovative Keurig ® brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. The Company has inspired consumer passion for its products by revolutionizing beverage preparation at home and in the workplace.† My opinion GMCR is one of the strongest companies. They have strong financial and strong management. They have a strong strategy which can kill all there competitors. They know how to manage Acquisitions. They have very strong backup with strong companies. They have very loyal customers and keep on adding day by day. They are in offices, house, hotels, restaurants and everybody’s heart. They need to work on their strengths and work in new products to surprise there loyal customers. (March 2014) References 1) Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. Launches 2013 Sustainability Report with New 2020 Targets. March 2014. http://investor.keuriggreenmountain.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=832189 2) Dess. Strategic Management text and cases, 6th Edition. McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2012. VitalBook file. 3) http://www.keuriggreenmountain.com/en/OurCompany/OurValues.aspx

Stress and work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stress and work - Essay Example Work is necessary to earn income to support man’s basic needs and to give one of the privileges for leisure. The objective of this essay is to discuss the results obtained from three assessments required to be completed in relation to conflict resolution, healthy behaviors, and barriers to behaving healthfully. The assessment for health behaviors covers six sections: safety; alcohol, tobacco and drugs; sexual behavior; eating habits; exercise and fitness; and stress control. Concurrently, a stress management technique focusing on diverse kinds of meditation is suggested to be practiced during the course of the exercise. A discussion of the expectations prior and after engaging in the activity would likewise be presented. The kinds of meditation one can select from are as follows: nadam, mantra, koans, pranayama, napanasati. Conflicts arise when the interests of people do not coincide. A number of approaches have been developed to resolve conflicts between individuals and groups. They range from avoidance strategies to third-party mediation and intergroup training. Conflicts cannot actually be eliminated. However, its scope and intensity can be controlled. The assessment on conflict resolution revealed that I basically resolve conflicts through compromise. I got a score of 26. I agree with the results in terms of engaging in mutual exchange of concessions to arrive at a decision which is amenable to conflicting parties. I would not like to impose terms which would be detrimental to the other party – as I would likewise not like to be at the disadvantaged end. I perceive this method of conflict resolution the fairest as the solution is acceptable to both sides. The scores to the following assessments are itemized as follows: 1. Safety – 90; 2. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs – 99; 3. Sexual behavior – 90; 4. Eating habits – 75; 5. Exercise and fitness – 69; and 6. Stress Control – 85. Therefore, I garnered excellent

Pizza express employ many foreiner staff. how can such staff best be Essay

Pizza express employ many foreiner staff. how can such staff best be motivated to deliver a high quality customer service AIM IS; To identify the factor that i - Essay Example Many industries pay immigrant labor lower rates and offer fewer benefits or opportunities for advancement. (Morgenstern 2005) Most entry level employees will not move up in the organization for lack of interest or lack of ability. However, these employees can still be motivated to give the best service possible to customers if the organization speaks directly to their wants and needs. In order to do this, the organization must learn about these employees and communicate openly with them on a continuous basis. By doing this, the wants and needs of these employees can be identified and considered. Using open communication with employees, the organization can learn to understand their wants and needs and be able to motivate them to produce better work and give better customer service by providing for some or all of those employee needs, thereby establishing a reciprocal relationship with employees that will make them want the company to do well. Pizza Express employs a large percentage of immigrant workers in entry level positions. These workers are becoming, according to Jacob Monty, founding partner of Houston-based immigration and employment law firm Monty Partners LLP and legal counsel for the Texas Restaurant Association, essential for most chain restaurants, and motivation and retention are really big problems. (Leahy 2006) This literature review will look at the problem and proposed solutions. The first literature that I considered was that of Pizza Express itself. In looking at the Pizza Express website, one cannot help but notice the distinct absence of minority ethnic groups. Italian is prominent, as might be expected, considering that Pizza is considered to be an Italian import to the UK. However, no other ethnic groups are mentioned or pictured anywhere. There is also a very vague mission statement which talks about providing the best food and service to their customers. The company supports some charities and

Fashion Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Fashion Leadership - Essay Example Keeping in view the importance of image of politicians, celebrities and political figures, fashion leadership is a viable methodology to increase their influence because, if people dress like politicians, it subliminally means that people will vote for them. On the other hand, lifestyle replication in public is considered as an effective measure in selecting the most famous personalities in the world. This premise can be supported with Mrs. Obama’s large-scale impact on the stock prices of the firms, which are providing her with various attires for her public appearances because, her public appearances are causing the share price of her clothes suppliers to rise substantially in following weeks and therefore she is providing these firms with elite class of endorsement. The main point to notice is Mrs. Obama’s use of attires which are unique, distinct and not in the reach of the wider population due to its higher value in monetary terms. This gives her a distinct positio n and shows her ability to lead by the power of distinction and prominence as no other can compete her. Another angle of analysis can relate this observation with historic presumption of power in few hands because; capitalism is based on the concept of wealth accumulation within the highest ranks of the society (Marx, Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844. Karl Marx Estranged Labour, 1844). Therefore, the phenomenon of fashion influence is commonly associated with the elite societal class due to new fashion’s high cost in early days.

Frederick Douglas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Frederick Douglas - Essay Example Largely, he did this through public speaking engagements and his writing. The first thing he published was the autobiographical Narrative of the Life of an American Slave in 1845. After which, he served as publisher of a newspaper, The North Star, before publishing his second novel, My Bondage and My Freedom, a decade later. While those works (which will be discussed later) were about his life, he later became a political activist in his pursuit to help people less advantaged than he. Surrounding the time that "Reconstruction" and "Appeal" were written, there was a lot of political activity, including the aforementioned Abolitionist Movement, which lasted from sometime in the 1830s, until about 1870. This movement should not be confused with the abolitionist movement started by feminists who wanted to end prostitution (arguing that prostitution was also a form of slavery). Instead, the Abolitionist Movement was fundamental in founding the Anti-Slave Society, which aimed at declaring that those enslaved should immediately become free. The Abolitionist Movement saw the end of slavery, but participants didn't consider its job complete. Once black people were free, they advocated for better education for them, so that men especially would get better jobs. If they could work, they'd be better able to support their families. The movement insisted on healthcare for freed slaves. It also offered assistance in helping family member locate other family members from whom they'd been separated during slavery. When the Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed African-American male suffrage, the Movement proper was over. In 1865, Congress had established the Freedman's Bureau. It helped with the tasks of education, healthcare, and jobs, and even the reunification of families. The Freedman's Bureau was especially helpful to refugees of the American Civil War. African-American women took up causes that affected black women at the time, and later, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed to aid all colored persons. All of this helped make Douglass the writer he became. When he wrote "Reconstruction," the Civil War had ended and the country was in a reconstructive state. The "Reconstruction" argument was that although the war had ended, there were still changes to be made. He wrote, "All that is necessary to be done is to make the government consistent with itself, and render the rights of the States compatible with the sacred rights of human nature" (para. 3). He was insisting that the government take a stand within each state, and remain consistent in supporting the rights of all people. He asked that citizens of the United States be able to move, interchangeably, throughout the states and have the same rights in each one. He finished his essay with the opinion that he was not the only person, nor were there only black people, who wanted equality for everyone. He wrote, "This great measure is sought as earnestly by loyal white men as by loyal blacks, and is needed alike by both. Let sound pol itical prescience but take the place of an unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done" (para. 10). In "An Appeal to Congress for Impartial Suffrage," Douglass' message was just as political, just as strong. His main focus was on the right to vote for African Americans. He asked Congress how they could have

Microfinance Is The Panacea For Gender Empowerment Essay

Microfinance Is The Panacea For Gender Empowerment - Essay Example However, donors and advocates of microfinance constantly over-exaggerate the power of microfinance and related assistance while at the same time disregarding critical and deeply embedded concerns that can be regarded as apparent to the intertwining setback of poverty and empowerment of women. The present wave of euphoria over microfinance overlooks the salient question: since a majority of women has been inducted into microenterprises, why is women’s empowerment still elusive? It is apparent that microfinance is hardly a panacea for gender empowerment; besides, microfinance has failed to triumph over overbearing patriarchal structures that propel subordination of women at either households and/or society level. The paper examines the assertion â€Å"microfinance is the panacea for gender empowerment†, the associated problems/concerns, and available proof and appreciates that micro lending plays a critical function in revolutionizing women’s economic empowerment; however, microfinance possesses the possibility of adversely affecting the general health of gender empowerment endeavours, especially if it exclusively spotlights the financial aspect of women’s empowerment. The paper discovers that there has been an exaggeration regarding the gender empowerment impact of microfinance. In practice, however, microfinance is only a step in the long road of empowering poor rural women and not a panacea for gender empowerment. ... Remarkably, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/60/210), recognizing the significance of microfinance in attaining the MDGs, outlining the significance of microfinance in attaining the MDGs, especially concerning goals 1 (reducing poverty) and goal 3 (revolving around gender parity and women’s empowerment). The accomplishment of some microlenders working with the poor, especially in Asia has put microlending high on the agenda of numerous development agencies. Numerous microfinance initiatives have been undertaken right from South America, to Asian and Africa, undoubtedly registering contrasting results (Onyuma and Shem 2005, p.199). Over the last two decades, microfinance initiatives have primarily been directed at poor women populations with the argument taking root on the question regarding whether microlending is, in essence, a decisive element to gender empowerment. This contest can be regarded as bordering west/south divide, and envelops theoretical analysis of studies touching on empowerment, especially on the link between microlending/microenterprise and gender empowerment that has constantly shaped microfinance discourse (Khandker 2005, p.263). The sociocultural landscape in target groups plays a critical function in shaping the results that can be derived from microenterprise projects and their relation to gender empowerment, rebutting one of the overriding hypotheses detailing that gender empowerment entails a routine result of micro lending (Mayoux 2002, p.77). In one phase of the continuum, proponents advance that microfinance bear constructive influences on aspects such as equality between genders, gender empowerment, and overall domestic/household wellbeing. In line with this thought, microfinance is considered as the

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

International Business Strategy - Essay Example Audi has been recording impressive growth in revenues and profitability due to its aggressive international expansion strategy that aims at attaining a global market leadership luxury vehicle market (Majaro, 2012, p 56). For instance, Audi recorded 4,440 million Euros in profits which were an increase of almost 69 percent of the previous year performance (Majaro, 2012, p 110). The paper will assess the international business strategy of Audi over the past five years and highlight the past failures and successes of the company. The paper will conduct as PESTLE analysis of the international markets of operation and identify how Audi has succeeded in effectively marketing its products in the international market. The paper will also assess the resource capability and competitive strengths of Audi in its international business strategy. International business strategy for the last five years Audi has followed a long-term expansion plan in to emerging markets for the last five years. The marketing strategies entail development of new markets and expansion of the existing European markets. Audi has relied on superior manufacturing technology in order to increase its market presence in emerging markets such as China and India (Majaro, 2012,p 45). Audi has also standardized its products across all the markets. Audi has invested heavily in development of Eastern Europe markets such as Russia and Latin America markets such Brazil and Mexico that will offer additional revenues and reduce the business risks in the European market. The rapid economic development in the emerging markets offers vital business opportunities for Audi especially Chinese and Indian markets that have witnessed high growth in industrialisation and high direct foreign investments. Global manufacturing and exportation Lock (2003) asserts that Audi deals with luxury-oriented car brands and has maintained sophisticated manufacturing technology in its international business strategy (p 90). Audi constan tly depend high quality cars that are fuel-conserving in order to offer the customers advanced and modern driving experience that resonates with the target market expectations (Peng, 2009, p 110). For Audi’s IngoLstadt plant produces the A3, A4 and Q5 vehicle models that attract a huge demand in China market. The German manufacturing plant that is based at Neckarsulm manufacturers more advanced cars such as the A7, A8, RS6 and R8 models that are innovative and have high performance-levels. In addition, Audi relies on the Gyor plant that is located in Hungary to manufacture the Audi’s engines for the small car line such as Audi TT and Audi TT roadster. Audi has also expanded its manufacturing centers to China and has established a manufacturing center at Changchun that mainly produced the car models that are desired by the local market such as A6L and Q5 vehicles. Surprisingly, Audi expanded further in the European market through establishing new plants in Spain where t he Q3 model is manufactured and sold to the adjacent European countries such as Slovensko. Audi has easy access to manufacturing technology and can convert the raw metal materials in to blank parts through the Audi production systems that improve the quality of the processing process (Loch, 2003, p 223). Audi has also used exportation to enter the international markets such as African countries and Middle East countries.

Myths and narratives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Myths and narratives - Essay Example It goes on to explain the intricacies of the friendship between the two people, where they are a rock to each other in good times, especially when they are both enjoying and experiencing success. However, there comes time when one of them, labeled as a law breaker, makes a mistake and breaks the law, which threatens the friendship as the law-abiding friend tries to stay away from helping his friend. When the time of trial comes for the law breaker, he is sentenced to death, and because of his love for his law-abiding friend he frames him so that they are sentenced together and die together. This forms the basis of The Water Ghost narrative, which holds on to the ones it loves so that it is not left lonely in the next world. The story bears a common moral of not abandoning friends in time of needs as their love for those who abandon them could force them to take drastic measures against them leading to regrettable consequences. A critical look into the story shows that this is a rathe r uncommon occurrence as the law-breaking friend should leave the law-abiding one as he did nothing wrong. Instead, he frames him for wrongs that he did leading altogether to a paradoxical teaching and moral of friendship. However, listeners of the myth should pay attention to the intricacies of friendship and how friendships can ruin lives, even though with well-intended actions. A good highlight of this one is the way that the law-breaker frames the law abiding friend into serving a similar sentence with him despite being innocent. On the other hand, the same story shows the demerits of not meeting the expectations of friends when they are in difficult situations in spite of their actions. As such, the law abiding friend distances himself from the law breaker so that he is not implicated, but then again he gets framed to serve a similar sentence for breaking their beautiful friendship. The effectiveness of the events depicted in this story are applicable in many scenarios, especia lly when communicating a moral or social convention towards handling friendships in tight situations. As a result, the lesson acts as a guide to ward off bad friends and create awareness of different types of friendships as well as how much some friends are capable of ensuring the safety of their friends. It, however, fails in one aspect, which is that of helping with decision making towards friendships as it only portrays the positive and negative meaning of friendship likely to lead to not having any friends. At the same time the story also justifies irrational behavior in friendships. Narratives serve a crucial part in the delivery of information, where they are easily remembered by the audience, thus, bringing the concept closer to the audience (Calavera, 2008). In addition, narratives and storytelling such as the one above allow to pass concepts in fun ways and the ones that can easily be related to by the audience because stories are great ways of passing time and delivering c ommunication to the intended parties. Communication of a lesson in the form of a story is apparently different based on the evidence from studies which shows a higher level of captivation and arousal of interest as compared to the boredom brought about by following the rigid rules. These rules form a framework for resistance, while storytelling breaks away from the monotonous instruction of what should be done and that which should not. So,

The Muslim Arts Essay Example for Free

The Muslim Arts Essay Introduction Assalam-al-aluikum, through out this booklet Im going to describe about how Islam, one of todays leading religions, started off. I am also going to show you some of the worlds most beautiful calligraphy, most well decorated mosques and the most famous historic Islamic landmarks. I will also be explaining a few basic principles and the meanings of some of the holy words in the Quran. The Holy Prophet The prophet Muhammad was born in 571CE. He was born into one of the most rich and powerful Quraish tribes. He never saw his father and his mother died when he was six years old. He then lived with his grandfather, until he was eight years old. When he died he moved to live with his Uncle Abu Talib, who cared and protected him. Muhammad soon began to look after his uncles sheep and helped in expanding his uncles profits and trade. He became respected by many merchants, by doing many things e.g. He had an honest trade and never over charged any man and if anybody overpaid him he would travel all the way back to the man no matter where he is or how far away, to give him back his money, sheep etc. This is one of the many stories about him, the prophet sold some camels to man. After the man had left, the prophet remembered that one of the camels had 1 lame leg so at once Muhammad galloped after the man so he could give the man back the price of the camel, (it took the prophet 1-week to catch that man up). Such acts like this had been unheard of and soon a Rich widow in Mecca called Khadija who was known for her independance and nobleness heard about Muhammads honesty asked him to work for her in her large business. Muhammad accepted the offer and did trading trips for her by going to Syria with another slave called Maisarah. Maisarah spoke about Muhammad to her master very highly. Khadija completely won over by Muhammads honesty and manners asked him to marry her. Muhammad after talking to his close relatives agreed. Khadija was forty years old at the time and Muhammad was only twenty-five. As time wore on Muhammad became less and less involved with the business and spent more time thinking about all the problems of the world and in helping the poor people of Mecca. Muhammad used money as a means to free slaves. He had 7 children, 4 daughters 3 sons, all his sons died in infancy. Muhammad often went to mount Hira, where he spent a very long time thinking about different matters. One day after staying in the mountain for a very long time (610A.D) the angel Jibril appeared to him and brought the first message of Allah, that there is only 1 God and Muhammad is his prophet. The appearance of the angel was a strange thing that had never happened to him before, so he ran home and first told Khadija. Islam was a message to save mankind from suffering and illness. It was to teach kindness and to lead men to live good and clean lives and to test who can withstand all the worlds evil temptations. It also teaches you self-discipline, because youre the only one who can stop yourself from doing bad things. Famous Historic Landmarks In Islam there are many very magnificent old architural Mosques and buildings. Most of them have some of the most exquisite patterns and symbolic calligraphy along the inside and outside of the walls. Most of them were built where they are because something special happened there as you can see in the following. The Dome of The Rock The Dome of the Rock was built in Jerusalem and it is called the most beautiful building in Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock is the holiest Muslim shrine in the city. I have been inside it once and Muslims believe that gold-domed building was built over the rock from which Muhammad rose to heaven. Jews also believe it is the place Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal, designed as a tomb for the wife of a 17th-century Mughal emperor, was constructed by about 20,000 workers from 1631 to 1648 in Agra, a city in northern India. The massive domed structure was constructed using Islamic style, using white marble and inlaid gems. At each corner is a minaret (prayer tower), and passages from the Quran, the Muslim holy book, cover the outside walls. The bodies of the emperor and his wife remain in a room below the building. Mecca The al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, holds the holiest shrine of Islam, the Kaaba. As the birthplace of Islams founder, the prophet Muhammad, Mecca is considered a holy city. It is a pilgrimage point for Muslims worldwide, who are expected to visit the city at least once if they are able to do so. The Kaaba Pilgrimage to the Kaaba Muslims consider the Kaaba a small sanctuary near the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca to be the most sacred place on earth. Muslim legend teaches that the ancient religious patriarchs Abraham and Ishmael built the shrine using foundations first laid by Adam. Muslims all over the world face towards the Kaaba while praying, and every able Muslim is expected to make a pilgrimage to the Kaaba at least once in his or her lifetime. This picture shows pilgrimage ceremonies, which consist of several days of rituals and festivals during the Islamic month of pilgrimages, Dhu al-Hijja. ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY ART Delicate glassware decorated in enamels was produced over many centuries in the Islamic world. This early 14th-century mosque lamp is covered with three inscriptions from the Koran delineated in Kufic script. When the lamp was lit, the flame within accentuated the elegant calligraphy. Miniature painting, in the form of illustrations to secular texts, was one of the few art forms in which the Islamic faith permitted the depiction of living things. This miniature by Aqa Mirak, a court painter to Tahmasp (1524-1576) illustrates a story; a fight seems to have occurred, and the loser is on his back. In the background a gardener works industriously. Mosaic Decoration Because the representation of living things were forbidden in Islamic religion, abstract patterns, usually depicted in mosaic, were used, and these reached great heights of refinement in Islamic architectural decoration. This intricate geometric scheme, used in conjunction with quotations from the Koran in the elegant Kufic script, decorates the interior of a madrasah in Eà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½fahà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½n, Iran. Central Dome, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul The central dome of Hagia Sophia is decorated with intricate geometric patterns created by means of small pieces of gilded glass and marble of different colours. Roundels enclosing gold calligraphic script fill the pendentives. Such abstract patterns, used with quotations from the Koran executed in the elegant Kufic script, are typical of Islamic decorative schemes. ISLAMIC PAINTINGS Laila and Majnun at School Bizhad, one of the great Persian miniature painters, gave new impetus to the Oriental tradition of miniature painting.Laila and Majnun at School (1494) shows his skilful use of pattern and colour, and his graceful, calligraphic line. The flat, layered perspective shows the influence of Chinese landscapes. The juxtaposition of scenes taking place indoors and outdoors is particularly notable. Persian Manuscript A range of texts, from the Koran to scientific and literary works, and books of tales and fables, were illuminated in Islamic Persia. This page, from a Persian manuscript dating from the 13th century, consists of text and an accompanying illustration showing a group of men on horseback. Bibliography 1. Encarta Encyclopaedia 2002 2. Encyclopaedia Britannica 2001 3. Heroes of Islam Prophet Muhammed 4. Focus on Islam 5. www.islamicart.com 6. Skills in Religious Studies 2

Game console industry Essay Example for Free

Game console industry Essay Provide an overview of the company. Include any information you think is pertinent to this company (5 points) Nintendo is a company that creates video games and game consoles. Nintendo is the creator of the Game Boy, Super Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube and of course the Wii. Nintendo is only one of the few companies that create gaming systems, and is in constant competition with Sony (PlayStation) and Microsoft (Xbox). Nintendo’s revenues in 2009 were $19,308. 1 million, with a net income of ,930. 8 million. 1. What are the defining business and economic characteristics of the video game console industry? What is the industry like? (10 points) Sales of video game consoles, software, and accessories reached a record high of $23. 1 billion in 2008. Despite the increasing intensity of competition, the video gaming industry as a whole had continued to grow through the end of 2008 in the face of the downturn in the general world economy. 2. What is competition like in the video game console industry? Do a five-forces analysis to support your answer. Complete the following as part of your answer. Make sure to explain the reasons for your answers. (10 points) a. The bargaining power and leverage of buyers is a low competitive force b. The bargaining power and leverage of suppliers is a low competitive force. c. Competition from substitutes is a high competitive force. d. Threat of entry is a low competitive force. e. Rivalry among competing video game console producers is a high competitive force. Overall assessment: 3. What forces are driving changes in the video game console industry? Are these driving forces acting to make the industry more or less competitively intense? Are the driving forces acting to make the industry more or less profitable in future years? (10 points) 4. What is Nintendo’s strategy? Which of the five generic strategies discussed is Nintendo using? What are some of the recent offensive and/or defensive strategies that Nintendo has employed? Have these tactics been successful? (10 points) 5. How well is Nintendo’s strategy working in terms of the financial performance it is delivering? Should shareholders be pleased? Why or why not? What 2-3 weaknesses do you see in Nintendo’s financial performance? (15 points) |Performance Ratio |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Revenue Growth |16. 61% |73% |89. 79% |-1. 11% |n/a | |Gross Profit Margin |. 43 |. 42 |. 41 |. 42 |. 42 | |Operating Profit Margin |. 30 |. 29 |. 23 |. 18 |. 22 | |Return on Assets |25% |24% |18% |14% |13% | |Return on Equity |. 13 |. 14 |. 18 |. 24 |. 25 | 6. What does a SWOT analysis reveal about the attractiveness of Nintendo’s overall situation? Is the company’s competitive position as solid as top management seems to believe? Does the company have a competitive advantage? If so, what is the basis for this competitive advantage and is the advantage sustainable? (10 points) Nintendo’s Resource Strengths and Competitive Capabilities Nintendo’s Internal Resource Weaknesses and Competitive Liabilities Nintendo’s External Opportunities Nintendo’s External Threats 7. What does a competitive strength assessment reveal about whether Nintendo has a competitive edge? Complete the chart as part of your answer. You are to determine the success factors you deem most important. (20 points) |Key Success Factors |Importance Weight | Nintendo | Sony | Microsoft | | | |Rating Score |Rating Score |Rating Score8. What recommendations would you make to Nintendo to improve its competitiveness in the video game console industry and to maintain its favorable positioning vis-a-vis Microsoft and Sony? (10 points).

The Importance Of Sexual Intimacy In Marriage

The Importance Of Sexual Intimacy In Marriage From the very beginning martial union and physical union were intertwined together. Genesis 2:24 (King James Version) states Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Marriage is a one flesh relationship. Sex is not peripheral to marriage but is delicately woven into its very fabric (Weiner-Davis, 2008). Sexual intimacy in marriage is Gods gift to mankind. Gods gift of sexual intimacy in marriage serves four purposes: consummation of marriage, procreation, love, and pleasure (Hollinger, 2009). Human imperfection is the result of sin entering the world. Different sex drives and unresolved marital conflicts are human imperfections that cause dissatisfaction and diminished sexual intimacy in a marriage that can trigger emotional disconnect, infidelity, or divorce. In order for a couple to revive sexual intimacy in their marriage they have to be willing to understand their differences and forgive past mistakes. God , the creator of sexual intimacy chose to relate to mankind through sexual intimacy in a marriage. The four purposes of Gods gift of sexual intimacy in marriage are: consummation of marriage, procreation, love, and pleasure. The first purpose of sexual intimacy is for the consummation of marriage. Consummation of marriage happens when a married couple has sexual intercourse for the first time. The biblical term to know means that a couple becomes literally one flesh at the moment of intercourse (Janssen, 2001). At that moment, something dynamic transpires between the two when they become one flesh their relationship is now different, set apart and made distinct (Hollinger). The second purpose of sexual intimacy is procreation. In Genesis 1:28 God reveals his plan for procreation when he blessed Adam and Eve and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it (KJV). Sexual intercourse is the means by which human life on earth continues and the means by which every human life begins (Hollinger). Procreation was Gods plan for mankind to populate the earth. The third purpose of sexual intimacy is love. Covenantal love is found in a marriage. Covenantal love is forever and accepts the responsibility to bear children from sexual intercourse (Hollinger). Love is so exquisitely defined in I Corinthians chapter 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (New International Version). Sexual intimacy in a marriage is sacred and creates a love bond between husband and wife that is not easily broken. The fourth purpose of sexual intimacy is pleasure. C.S. Lewis rightfully connects legitimate pleasure with God when he penned the following words: God gives good gifts to human beings for their enjoyment. In our fallen state we often turn these good gifts in to gods, demanding more of them than they can yield and replacing God, the ultimate good with created goodsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The very fact that the psalmist can speak of eternal pleasures at Gods right hand shows that he is a God of pleasure (Lewis, 2001). God created sexual intimacy that was pure and undefiled for marital pleasure but sin when it was conceived defiled sexual intimacy and took it outside the confines of marriage. As long as sexual intimacy is kept in the confines of marriage it can be pleasurable and still remain pure and undefiled. According to sex therapists, Rosenau and Sytsma it has been our clinical experience that couples who desire deep connections and fantastic sexual intimacy, must learn to laugh and play in a way the Creator designed as part of the experience of intimacy (Rosenau, 2004). God created sexual intimacy for marital pleasure and he intended for husbands and wives to enjoy each other sexually. Sexual intimacy is vital in a marriage and that is how God created marriage. Unfortunately, with the fall of man came human imperfection. Human imperfection causes flaws in all of Gods creation and marriage is not exempt from this demise. Human imperfection in a marriage manifests itself through various venues that results in dissatisfaction and a decline of sexual intimacy in a marriage. One venue is differences in sex drives and another venue is unresolved marital conflicts. Differences in sex drives can have a negative effect on sexual intimacy in a marriage. In a lot of marriages one spouse will have a high sex drive and the other spouse will have a low sex drive. The spouse with the lower sex drive controls the sexual relationship. They dictate the frequency of sex, the time for sex, and the type of sexual activities and techniques that will be used during sex. The spouse with the higher sex drive begins to feel powerless, rejected, hurt, lonely and unloved. As a result sexual intimacy diminishes and dissatisfaction manifests itself in the marriage (Weiner-Davis, 2008). Unresolved marital conflicts can also cause dissatisfaction and diminished sexual intimacy in a marriage. Conflicts over finances, parenting issues, a controlling spouse, infidelity, individual preferences, unintended emotional injury, flaws and weaknesses are typical marital conflicts. Conflicts when they arise need to be confronted and a compromise reached. Ephesians 4:26 admonishes man let not the sun go down upon your wrath (KJV). Couples should make it a priority in their marriage to resolve conflicts. Unresolved conflicts in a marriage begin to build barriers between the husband and the wife. If unresolved martial conflicts persist in a marriage, the marriage is headed for failure. Differences in sex drive and unresolved marital conflicts have the ability to spawn emotional disconnect, infidelity, or divorce in a marriage. Emotional disconnect occurs when a couple is no longer emotionally intimate with each other. Emotional disconnect is caused by feelings of resentment and rejection. Infidelity is when one spouse is physically or mentally unfaithful to the other spouse. Lust and pornography are types of mental infidelity that usually precede physical infidelity. Divorce is inevitable if emotional disconnect and infidelity are not resolved in the marriage. Sins curse to marriage is divorce. God hates divorce and he did not intend for marriage to end in divorce but he understands that sometimes divorce is the only viable option (Christian Marriage Today, 2012). Rekindling the spark of sexual intimacy in a marriage requires learning to understand each others differences and the ability to forgive past mistakes. There has to be an understanding that God made every individual different and the willingness to accept those differences. Past mistakes that still linger in the marriage need to be relinquished and forgiven (Christian Marriage Today). Marriages are not perfect and sometimes outside intervention such as prayer, counseling and marriage seminars are necessary. Counseling and marriage seminars can strengthen or reconnect marital relationships. Most importantly, seeking God for guidance and understanding through prayer will help build, maintain, or renew intimacy in a marriage (Weiner-Davis). God created man in his own image and he desired to be close to man. God chose sexual intimacy in marriage as a way relate to man. Sex is his self-disclosing picture window into the Almighty ­Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ­Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ­Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ­Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ­Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ­-His grand metaphor to teach the value he places on intimate relationships. God is love and sexuality gives us ways to understand this (Rosenau). Sin mars, distorts or even erases evidence of our creator in sex acts. Often sex bears no resemblance to Gods image as was his original design and intent. Sexual intimacy gives man insights into Gods character and the way he interacts with man (Rosenau). Research on the topic of the importance of sexual intimacy in marriage revealed the importance that God places on sexual intimacy. If God believes that sexual intimacy in a marriage is important then man should make sexual intimacy in marriage a priority. If man would make it a priority there would be less divorce in the world. God desires his children to live happy and fulfilled lives. It is his good pleasure for couples to experience sexual intimacy. Sexual intimacy does not create marriage, but sexual intimacy cannot be divorced from marriage. God, the creator of marriage would have it no other way (Weiner-Davis).

African Creation Stories :: African Culture Creation Tales Essays

African Creation Stories There are many similarities among most African creation stories. Likewise certain differences are also noticeable. For example, I chose four creation stories to make the comparisons between them. The first one is "An African Cosmogony." Here, Bumba is the creator. He created nine living creatures, after vomiting the sun and the moon, from which all other animals emerged. The second one, "An African story of the Creation of Man", is a story among the Shilluks of the White Nile which basically explains the different complexions among the various races on Earth. They believed Juok molded all men of earth while he wandered the earth creating the rest of the world. White men were created from white sand which Juok found in the land of the white. Red or brown men were created out of the mud of the Nile in Egypt. Black men were created from black earth found in the land of the Shilluck. According to this creation story, man was given all necessary parts to function. Each part had a reason f or being. For example, Juok gave man arms in order for man to work. The third one, "God and the Five women" states the myth of the origin of earth, fire, water and woman, from the Thompson Indians of North Pacific Coast. This creation story states that Earth was created by Old One or Chief. He came down from the upper world in a cloud and created five Perfectly formed young women. To each of them he asked what they wished to be. The first one wished to be "bad". The second one wanted to be "good". The third one wanted to become Earth. The fourth one wanted to become Fire. And the fifth one became water. Finally, the fourth story, "Creation by Thought" states that man was created out of a thinking process by which he first created the Earth and then created man in resemblance of himself. The Earthcreator designed man out of clay. He gave man mind and thought, tongue, soul, and the ability to talk. All of these features came about out of a thought process. In all these stories there is a chief creator. One god, or creator, is in charge of populating the Earth and making men. Two of these stories have similar concepts in relation to the creation of men. Men being created out of clay is similar in the "Creation by Thought" story and "An African Story of the Creation of Man".

Gay and Lesbian Same Sex Marriage is a Civil Right :: Gay and Lesbian Marriage Must Be Legal

Interracial marriage is a topic that has been out of the national limelight for quite some time because most people in the United States have grown to accept it. When the Supreme Court ruled for the right for couples to marry interracially in 1967, they called the laws preventing interracial marriage nothing more than an attempt "to maintain white supremacy" (Stoddard 413). The conclusion of the United States Supreme court was that because laws against interracial marriage served no purpose other than discrimination, they should be eliminated. The modern gay rights movement has sparked a similar controversy among lawmakers; The question of whether or not same sex marriages should be legal in the United States. In the aforementioned case, the Supreme Court ruled that marriage is "one of the basic civil rights of man...[and is] essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness" (Stoddard 413). Despite this decision that has been standing for more than thirty years that clearly states that marriage is a basic civil right, there has been widespread controversy about same sex marriage. The opposition to this basic right has been met by opposition with weak arguments such as: Citing Judeo/Christian legend saying that homosexuality is wrong; saying that since same sex couples could not reproduce, they should not be allowed to marry; the term "same sex marriage" is a contradiction in terms because the word "marriage" implies the union of a man and a woman. Amongst others, these are the fleeting arguments against same sex marriag e. These are attempts of people who are trying to maintain a heterosexual supremacy, the very same ideal of "white supremacy" that the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional in 1967. Like the laws against interracial marriage once did, the laws that exist today against same sex marriage serve no purpose other than that of discrimination. These unjust laws should be abolished. The source of much of the discrimination against same sex marriage is rooted in religious beliefs. It is almost impossible to hear a conservative politician talking about the subject of same sex marriage without a reference to The Bible. The infamous reference that has so many jumping at the throat of homosexual marriage is in the book of Leviticus, and it reads: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: .

Alice :: essays papers

Alice Do you know Alice? The character in Go Ask Alice is a fifteen years old girl who became addicted to drugs and unfortunately dies because of it. She is from a high middle class family. Her father is college professor and her mother stays home and takes care of the kids. The girl thinks she is stupid and cannot measure up with her parent’s expectations, she is not happy with herself. The way that she looks or thinks and feels She is not confident. The girl in this book suffers from low self-esteem. The girl in Go Ask Alice is very confused. In a way she knows what is right and what is wrong for her, but on the other hand, she feels that she is mixed up. When she, without her knowledge, became addicted, she was suffering from low self-esteem that is why she felt so good about using drugs She became addicted when her friends gave her some LSD laced Coca Cola at a party. She describes it as â€Å"beautiful†. Many times she decided to give it up but unfortunately there were always something like friends, family and her low self-esteem that brought her back to the drugs. There are many reasons why the girl in this story takes drugs. First of all, and most important one, is her low self-esteem. She uses drugs because by using it, she forgets who she is and what weaknesses she has. Second, her parents especially her mother is nagging constantly at her. She can’t accept her for who she is, and she always compares her with her siblings. The father is more caring but he is always busy and doesn’t have enough time to spend with her. Her siblings aren’t friendly; at least that is what she thinks. Another reason is that she tries to fit in, so when one of the girls, the one who she was wishing to be friends with invites her to the party, she jumps on the invitation and that is where she used drugs for the first time The friend was from a rich family, and during the school years didn’t pay attention to the girl in this story, but now she wants to go to that university where the girls father works, so by inviting the girl in Go Ask Alice she tries to make connection Unfortunately, today lots of kids in their early age become addicted to the drugs.

Minimum wage versus Earned Income Tax Credit

Minimal pay versus Earned Income Tax CreditAbstractionMinimal pay can be defined as the smallest hourly pay rate that a staff member paid as authorized by federal jurisprudence. The pay rate was ab initio verified by corporate bargaining by authorities regulations and ordinance, saying the lowest rate at which workers may be employed. A legal minimal pay rate is one permitted by authorities for all staff members in a society, with little figure of freedoms. In other words, lower limit pay is the least dollar sum that company must pay to non-exempt staff members per hr, as permitted by local, province or federal jurisprudence. Most of the companies pay to the workers by hourly rate or in some other manner like on committee footing. However, in any instance, the sum of dollar that qualified staff members earn, divided by the entire hours that they worked, must be tantamount to the current minimal pay rate. Earned income revenue enhancement recognition is a revenue enhancement recognition for employees gaining low incomes. Even employees whose incomes are so low to hold paid revenue enhancements can acquire earned income revenue enhancement recognition. The thought is to diminish the income revenue enhancement that for certain low-income tax-payers would otherwise be indebted. It is a refundable sum of recognition ; hence if the revenue enhancement that is outstanding is less than the sum of the recognition, the difference is paid to the taxpayer as a refund. To run into the standards for the earned income revenue enhancement recognition, a taxpayer must work and gain less than the authorities ‘s bound for registering position and household fortunes, convene a set of peculiar state of affairss, and register the needed IRS programs.Minimal pay versus Earned Income Tax CreditMinimal pay can be defined as the smallest hourly, day-to-day or monthly pay that employers may legitimately pay to employees or staff members. Systematically, it is the lowest pay at which employees may sell off their labor. Even though minimal pay regulations are in consequence in a great many governments, there are unsimilarities of sentiment about the net incomes, benefits and disadvantages of a minimal pay. The follower of the minimal pay say that is enhances or increases the populating criterion of employees and this will certainly cut down the per centum of poorness. Whereas, rivals say that if it is more than plenty to be effectual, it increases the ratio of unemployment, specifically among employees with really low productiveness because of rawness or disability, in that manner to aching lesser skilled workers to the benefit of better skilled workers. Minimal rewards were ab initio planned as a manner to form the detonation of perspiration stores in fabrication industries. The perspiration stores provide services to big population of adult females and immature workers, reimbursing them what were judged to be unsatisfactory rewards. Nowadays, lower limit pay Torahs cover up employees in most low-paid countries of employment. Even though, the aims of the minimal pay are loosely admitted as proper, there is great disagreement as to whether the minimal pay is much effective in accomplishing its aims. From the clip of their debut, lower limit pay Torahs have been highly controversial politically, and have received less aid and support from economic experts as compared to the general populace ( Neumark, & A ; Wascher, 2008 ) . Earned income is a scientific and practical term defined by the United States revenue enhancement codification. The below mentioned are the chief beginnings for the earned income: – rewards, wages, tips, committees from outside beginnings and other nonexempt employee compensation – net incomes from self-employment – sum income received as a statutory employee – less population of disablement payments – non-taxable battle wages which an associate of the United States armed services opts to include entirely for the motivation of earned income revenue enhancement recognition computation. Earned income revenue enhancement recognition shortly known as EITC or EIC, is a refundable revenue enhancement recognition, it is agencies tested, and planned to back up low-income employees of staff members and equilibrate the load of United States paysheet revenue enhancements. In other words, it is a refundable federal income revenue enhancement recognition for little to sensible income working individuals and households. Initially, Congress granted the revenue enhancement recognition statute law in 1975 in portion to counterbalance the burden and load of societal security revenue enhancements and to offer an inducement to work. When earned income revenue enhancement recognition goes beyond the sum of outstanding revenue enhancements, the effects in a revenue enhancement refund to those who claim and measure up for the recognition. To run into the standards for earned income revenue enhancement recognition, you must hold earned income from employment, self-employment or any other resource and acquire together specific regulations and ordinances. Additionally, you must either run into the excess regulations for staff employees or workers without a measure uping kid or have a child that convenes all the Qualifying Child Rules for you ( Meyer, & A ; Holtz-Eakin, 2002 ) . As, we have discussed about the basic debut of both footings, now, we can make up one's mind which does more for households holding low incomes? Raising the minimal rewards or bettering the earned-income revenue enhancement recognition, a hard currency fillip to be paid to workers gaining low-incomes. – By raising the minimal pay to 47.25, approximately 18 % of the 12 million members of staff who were paid between the current minimal pay and $ 7.24 an hr rate were in households that had hard currency income under the federal poorness in 2004. All of the employees come under that pay scope, instead than they received the sum of $ 7.25 per hr, they would hold gotten about $ 11 billion in excess rewards in the same twelvemonth. About 15 % of those excess and extra rewards ( $ 1.6 billion ) would hold been received by employees in hapless households. – Making better the earned income revenue enhancement recognition ( EITC ) : It all depends on how accurately Congress altered the jurisprudence, surely, by increasing revenue enhancement credits for childless workers and by besides increasing the credits for households with three or more childs, would hold cost up to $ 2.4 billion in 2004, with employees in households under the poorness line having $ 1.4 billion of the same. The basic thought of both constructs is, households who received fewer sums would hold received a maximal revenue enhancement recognition, and those persons who earned more sums would hold received a smaller sum of revenue enhancement recognition. Families whose revenue enhancement recognition crosses the sum of revenue enhancement owed in world receive a cheque from the authorities for the difference. The earned income revenue enhancement recognition is fundamentally the same as a negative income revenue enhancement, excepting that the eligibility for the plan is restricted to the persons who work. Similar to the statement, both the negative income revenue enhancement and the minimal pay, the earned income revenue enhancement recognition topographic points extra income into the custodies of employees who worked at low rewards. However, unlike the lower limit pay, the earned income revenue enhancement recognition makes no inducement for employers to put off low-wage staff members ( F rank, & A ; Bernanke, 2007 ) .DecisionAs we have clearly discussed about both subjects, lower limit pay and earned income revenue enhancement recognition. We believe that the minimal pay is merely the 2nd best option to the earned income revenue enhancement recognition and other displacement to the worker belongs to the hapless household. I believe that the traditional analysis of the lower limit pay has a reasonable sum and an person would truly hold a penchant to see more transportation payments to people, who are working and less attempts to carry through the same aim through regulative decree.MentionsFrank, Robert H. , & A ; Bernanke, Ben S. ( 2007 ) .Principles of economic sciences. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Limited. Neumark, David, & A ; Wascher, William L. ( 2008 ) .Minimum rewards. Massachusetts, USA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Meyer, Bruce D. , & A ; Holtz-Eakin, Douglas. ( 2002 ) .Making work wage: the earned income revenue enhancement recognition and its impact on America ‘s households. New York, USA: Russell Sage Foundation Publications.

Punishment vs Rehabilitation

The expectations that our society has for the criminal justice system is to punish and rehabilitate individuals who commit crime. Punishment and rehabilitation are also two of the four acknowledged objectives of the criminal justice system, with deterrence and incapacitation being the others. In the United States, punishment has always been the primary goal to achieve when dealing with individuals who commit acts of crime. Many theorists throughout history have argued which is more effective, punishment or rehabilitation. Deterrence is one of the primary goals in the criminal justice system and it is described as special or specific deterrence and general deterrence. The purpose of special/specific deterrence is to instill fear in the offender so that they will not commit future crime. General deterrence is based on punishing offenders to instill fear in society, otherwise known as teaching society a lesson and showing the consequences of committing a crime. Punishment has always been imposed based on the idea that it will deter individuals from committing crime or repeating criminal acts. Incapacitation has been the most common form of punishment; however research demonstrates that recidivism amongst convicted felons following release from prison is as high and that most prison inmates had arrest records and convictions prior to their current offense. Punishment through incarceration is a temporary fix to crime while the offender is confined. The maximum sentence of life in prison and the death penalty has even been debated on whether they are actually deterrence to crime. There are so many underlying factors within the criminal justice system that may contribute to why punishment has not been as effective as anticipated such as the appeal process in death penalty cases and the length of time that an offender can sit on death row. Rehabilitation is the most valuable ideological justification for imprisonment, for it alone promotes the notion that offenders can be saved and not simply punished. Retributive theory, on the other hand, sees punishment as an end in itself. This has no place in any enlightened society. The rehabilitative ideal does not ignore society and the victim. In fact it is because retribution places such great value on the prisoner’s rights that it tries so hard to change the offender and prevent his reoffending. By seeking to reduce reoffending and to reduce crime, it seeks constructively to promote the safety of the public, and to protect individuals from the victimization of crime Others argue that rehabilitation is a more permanent fix in deterring crime. Rehabilitation through community supervision can have a more lasting effect on individuals and deter them from committing future crime if they learn how to adapt in society by gaining academic or trade skills. These programs can help offenders find employment and secure an important role in the community and give them a sense of being. Therapy is another form of rehabilitation needed to help deter individuals from committing future crime. Some examples of therapy include drug therapy to those offenders addicted to drugs and psychological counseling to those offenders who grew up in an abusive household. Rehabilitation is based on creating a change in the criminal's attitude or resources so that crime is neither a desired nor a necessary activity. When an individual is sentenced to probation, it gives them the opportunity to remain self-supporting within the community and not using the taxpayer or states money to house them in a correctional facility. Prisons should be places where confinement is not easy. Parole should be a period of intense supervision as well as rehabilitative programming, i. e. , educational and vocational training, and counseling. The more defined approach for each phase of the sentence increases the effectiveness of each and also increases the likelihood of successful post prison rehabilitative efforts. By separating punishment from rehabilitation, the effectiveness of rehabilitation is enhanced since punishment is contradictory to rehabilitative activities. In addition, a two-stage sentence system would include a more uniform sentencing structure and would reduce the issue of chance which is inherent in the present parole-granting process. With the expected functions of a prison limited to punishment and incapacitation, sentences for incarcerating felons can then be addressed within terms of deterrence values. Both punishment and rehabilitation are needed if the problem of crime is to be effectively addressed. However, it is not necessary that the prison provide both of these functions simultaneously. A more logical approach involves a two-stage sentence. The prison would provide the incarceration stage and punishment of criminals. After the punitive portion of the sentence, the offender would serve a post-prison sentence of intense supervision which would provide the offender with therapeutic and remedial programs. This separation of the punitive and rehabilitative obligations would allow each segment of a sentence to be more effective, would make shorter punitive sentences more palatable to the public, and, simultaneously, would maximize the use of available cell space and resources. . Victim Impact In many cases, victim rights tend to be overshadowed by the rights of the accused. The courts are obligated to give a defendant their Constitutional rights including the right to a speedy trial, the right to counsel, the right to confront witnesses, and due process under the law. Up until recently, victim's rights were never recognized as an important role in the criminal justice system. In the past, ignored throughout trial proceedings and sometimes even forced to stay out of the courtroom as the proceedings went on. These issues have caused many victims to feel neglected and even re-victimized by the courts. On October 30th, 2004, The Crime Victims' Rights Act was signed into law by President Bush to guarantee rights to victims of federal crime. These rights include, to be reasonably protected from the accused offender and to receive reasonable and timely notice of any public proceeding involving the crime or of any public proceeding (De Luca 1991). The majority of society, including victims of crime prefers swift punishment to rehabilitation through community supervision. Public opinion supports the increased use of prisons to give criminals just desserts. When a victim or the victims' family feels that their offender does not receive the appropriate sentence, it causes emotional stress and also financial strain when restitution is not implemented. Community supervision can also benefit victims in certain ways. When an offender is sentenced to intense supervision through probation, they have the ability to pay restitution through employment. Offender Impact Punishment through incarceration has many effects on convicted criminals. Incarceration has many effects on the offender psychological well-being. When an offender is separated from their family, it causes severe depression. Supporters of rehabilitation versus punishment argue that sentencing offenders to incarceration hurt the family structure by contributing to single parenting. They also argue that punishment causes social disorientation, alienation, and also increases the risk of recidivism. When an offender is released from incarceration, they face social isolation, stigmatism, economic and employment challenges. Rehabilitation through community supervision eliminates many of these issues, such as the economic & employment factor. Probation allows offenders to remain with their families, continue working or find employment under close supervision. Social Impact upon Society The social impact of punishment and rehabilitation varies from the increasing costs of correctional facilities to the disruption of families to the fear of criminals released into community. Society's view plays a major role in the criminal justice system. Society's belief's in the â€Å"just desserts† theory has played a role in the courts. The push for mandatory sentencing has even entered political campaigns in response to the public. Getting tough on crime† was the basis behind different mandatory sentencing practices. The increase of correctional facilities is also related to society's impact on punishment versus rehabilitation. Fiscal Impact The fiscal impact that punishment has on our country is phenomenal. It has been reported that it costs an average of $30,000 per year to house, feed, clothe, and supervise a prisoner. This figure does not include the costs of construction and other factors. Many rehabilitation programs have been introduced to not only help deter crime, but also to reduce the rising cost of punishment. Privatization of corrections has been also looked at as an effort to reduce the costs of punishment. Many states have also instituted alternatives to incarceration such as â€Å"boot camps† or â€Å"shock camps†. These programs are proven to be less costly than incarceration. The cost of shock incarceration in New York State has been estimated to be $10,000 less per year per prisoner than the cost of traditional incarceration. The use of intensive parole programs has been estimated to save taxpayers an estimated ten to thirteen thousand dollars per year compared to the cost of incarceration (De Luca 1991). Conclusion Punishment and rehabilitation are a major part of the criminal justice system and will be effective in controlling crime if there is a way to incorporate the two factors to work together. Punishing and following up with rehabilitation through community supervision can be the source of helping deter crime. Punishment and community supervision should be based on the type of crime. If the appropriate sentence is issued upon an offender, it can help deter them from future criminal activity. Punishment vs Rehabilitation The expectations that our society has for the criminal justice system is to punish and rehabilitate individuals who commit crime. Punishment and rehabilitation are also two of the four acknowledged objectives of the criminal justice system, with deterrence and incapacitation being the others. In the United States, punishment has always been the primary goal to achieve when dealing with individuals who commit acts of crime. Many theorists throughout history have argued which is more effective, punishment or rehabilitation. Deterrence is one of the primary goals in the criminal justice system and it is described as special or specific deterrence and general deterrence. The purpose of special/specific deterrence is to instill fear in the offender so that they will not commit future crime. General deterrence is based on punishing offenders to instill fear in society, otherwise known as teaching society a lesson and showing the consequences of committing a crime. Punishment has always been imposed based on the idea that it will deter individuals from committing crime or repeating criminal acts. Incapacitation has been the most common form of punishment; however research demonstrates that recidivism amongst convicted felons following release from prison is as high and that most prison inmates had arrest records and convictions prior to their current offense. Punishment through incarceration is a temporary fix to crime while the offender is confined. The maximum sentence of life in prison and the death penalty has even been debated on whether they are actually deterrence to crime. There are so many underlying factors within the criminal justice system that may contribute to why punishment has not been as effective as anticipated such as the appeal process in death penalty cases and the length of time that an offender can sit on death row. Rehabilitation is the most valuable ideological justification for imprisonment, for it alone promotes the notion that offenders can be saved and not simply punished. Retributive theory, on the other hand, sees punishment as an end in itself. This has no place in any enlightened society. The rehabilitative ideal does not ignore society and the victim. In fact it is because retribution places such great value on the prisoner’s rights that it tries so hard to change the offender and prevent his reoffending. By seeking to reduce reoffending and to reduce crime, it seeks constructively to promote the safety of the public, and to protect individuals from the victimization of crime Others argue that rehabilitation is a more permanent fix in deterring crime. Rehabilitation through community supervision can have a more lasting effect on individuals and deter them from committing future crime if they learn how to adapt in society by gaining academic or trade skills. These programs can help offenders find employment and secure an important role in the community and give them a sense of being. Therapy is another form of rehabilitation needed to help deter individuals from committing future crime. Some examples of therapy include drug therapy to those offenders addicted to drugs and psychological counseling to those offenders who grew up in an abusive household. Rehabilitation is based on creating a change in the criminal's attitude or resources so that crime is neither a desired nor a necessary activity. When an individual is sentenced to probation, it gives them the opportunity to remain self-supporting within the community and not using the taxpayer or states money to house them in a correctional facility. Prisons should be places where confinement is not easy. Parole should be a period of intense supervision as well as rehabilitative programming, i. e. , educational and vocational training, and counseling. The more defined approach for each phase of the sentence increases the effectiveness of each and also increases the likelihood of successful post prison rehabilitative efforts. By separating punishment from rehabilitation, the effectiveness of rehabilitation is enhanced since punishment is contradictory to rehabilitative activities. In addition, a two-stage sentence system would include a more uniform sentencing structure and would reduce the issue of chance which is inherent in the present parole-granting process. With the expected functions of a prison limited to punishment and incapacitation, sentences for incarcerating felons can then be addressed within terms of deterrence values. Both punishment and rehabilitation are needed if the problem of crime is to be effectively addressed. However, it is not necessary that the prison provide both of these functions simultaneously. A more logical approach involves a two-stage sentence. The prison would provide the incarceration stage and punishment of criminals. After the punitive portion of the sentence, the offender would serve a post-prison sentence of intense supervision which would provide the offender with therapeutic and remedial programs. This separation of the punitive and rehabilitative obligations would allow each segment of a sentence to be more effective, would make shorter punitive sentences more palatable to the public, and, simultaneously, would maximize the use of available cell space and resources. . Victim Impact In many cases, victim rights tend to be overshadowed by the rights of the accused. The courts are obligated to give a defendant their Constitutional rights including the right to a speedy trial, the right to counsel, the right to confront witnesses, and due process under the law. Up until recently, victim's rights were never recognized as an important role in the criminal justice system. In the past, ignored throughout trial proceedings and sometimes even forced to stay out of the courtroom as the proceedings went on. These issues have caused many victims to feel neglected and even re-victimized by the courts. On October 30th, 2004, The Crime Victims' Rights Act was signed into law by President Bush to guarantee rights to victims of federal crime. These rights include, to be reasonably protected from the accused offender and to receive reasonable and timely notice of any public proceeding involving the crime or of any public proceeding (De Luca 1991). The majority of society, including victims of crime prefers swift punishment to rehabilitation through community supervision. Public opinion supports the increased use of prisons to give criminals just desserts. When a victim or the victims' family feels that their offender does not receive the appropriate sentence, it causes emotional stress and also financial strain when restitution is not implemented. Community supervision can also benefit victims in certain ways. When an offender is sentenced to intense supervision through probation, they have the ability to pay restitution through employment. Offender Impact Punishment through incarceration has many effects on convicted criminals. Incarceration has many effects on the offender psychological well-being. When an offender is separated from their family, it causes severe depression. Supporters of rehabilitation versus punishment argue that sentencing offenders to incarceration hurt the family structure by contributing to single parenting. They also argue that punishment causes social disorientation, alienation, and also increases the risk of recidivism. When an offender is released from incarceration, they face social isolation, stigmatism, economic and employment challenges. Rehabilitation through community supervision eliminates many of these issues, such as the economic & employment factor. Probation allows offenders to remain with their families, continue working or find employment under close supervision. Social Impact upon Society The social impact of punishment and rehabilitation varies from the increasing costs of correctional facilities to the disruption of families to the fear of criminals released into community. Society's view plays a major role in the criminal justice system. Society's belief's in the â€Å"just desserts† theory has played a role in the courts. The push for mandatory sentencing has even entered political campaigns in response to the public. Getting tough on crime† was the basis behind different mandatory sentencing practices. The increase of correctional facilities is also related to society's impact on punishment versus rehabilitation. Fiscal Impact The fiscal impact that punishment has on our country is phenomenal. It has been reported that it costs an average of $30,000 per year to house, feed, clothe, and supervise a prisoner. This figure does not include the costs of construction and other factors. Many rehabilitation programs have been introduced to not only help deter crime, but also to reduce the rising cost of punishment. Privatization of corrections has been also looked at as an effort to reduce the costs of punishment. Many states have also instituted alternatives to incarceration such as â€Å"boot camps† or â€Å"shock camps†. These programs are proven to be less costly than incarceration. The cost of shock incarceration in New York State has been estimated to be $10,000 less per year per prisoner than the cost of traditional incarceration. The use of intensive parole programs has been estimated to save taxpayers an estimated ten to thirteen thousand dollars per year compared to the cost of incarceration (De Luca 1991). Conclusion Punishment and rehabilitation are a major part of the criminal justice system and will be effective in controlling crime if there is a way to incorporate the two factors to work together. Punishing and following up with rehabilitation through community supervision can be the source of helping deter crime. Punishment and community supervision should be based on the type of crime. If the appropriate sentence is issued upon an offender, it can help deter them from future criminal activity.