My favorite quotation of St. Augustine

â€Å"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. † ? Augustine of Hippo. This was my favourite quotation of St. Augustine, through my high school years we are taught about his life, journeys and teachings. I have live a Augustinian life, being a follower of Christ he is the one behind all of my success and failures. I may not be one of the best students from my batch but at least once I have proven that I give my best. Yes, I have proven myself and before that happens I almost failed, lost hope and even give up but courage to prove myself become my persuasion for not giving up to achieve all the success in education and in life. A teacher told me about inventing or improving a scientific investigatory project, which me and my group mates once studied and improve. While doing this we struggle searching for parts and materials we need to complete our product. It’s almost two weeks before the deadline but there is still a part of our project missing. We almost lost our hope submitting our project but yet my classmate broke her calculator and we’ve found the exact material that we need to complete this project. After inserting the material needed, finally it worked. Then, we have a week to finish the paper and ask some people to react about our said project. Some questioned it and some thought that it was amazing and good because we can lessen the use of electricity and benefit the solar heat from the sun. On the day of the submission we have to face our teacher and defend our product made, who would thought that we’ve got the highest grade among the class and have the chance to compete in the congress? We never did, it was one of the successful moments for me in my secondary level. In the science congress, we tried our best to win, impress the judges and encourage the audience to see our product and vote for it. Our competitors also has cool, different and creative inventions or innovations. Though we never succeeded on to win the science congress, I still felt happiness and contented just by submitting our project and getting those grades. This is one achievement, I think I had not because I’ve got a high grade, but because I have work on it hard and make everything in it creative and different. I want to achieve more, and I think by entering the University this institution will help me gain more achievement and train me more to become creative. I could tell also that it is not just pure creativity that we need in order to finish one project, it could also be team work. Life could be a tough road to travel through but if we don’t face the tough road we can never extend our talent and creativity. Our day to day experience is a daily lesson we must understand. We may give up but we can never achieve success if we easily loose hope.

Importance of IT measurements for an organization Essay

The performance of a business is a strategic issue which depends greatly on IT contribution. IT is crucial for any business to grow as it enables efficient and effective communication between the employees and with the customers. Similarly, in collaboration with internet, IT provides means of networking, marketing and communication. It provides storage capacity for the company’s data, data protection, data processing, transmission and retrieval of data as required (Alexandrou, 2009). Furthermore, it saves space which would have been used for storage of many paper works. IT has many advantages to a business but it can also have disadvantages. It is therefore important for businesses to evaluate it before adopting it within its structure. IT offers different features and since different businesses have different needs it is therefore important for a business to lay down its objectives before adopting it. In most of the big organizations IT has been adopted entirely in most of their operations while the small ones use it in performing a number of operations. Adopting IT for the entire business operations requires much financial investment and analysis of the technology. According to Myers (2004), few organizations have put in place measures that ensure their corporate strategies and IT are aligned. In other words, few organizations have put in place rigorous systems for measuring the value brought about by IT to their business. In some organizations tools for the management and measurement of IT spending are present and these include IT steering committee, activity based costing, annual budgets, tightly controlled systems of purchasing, benchmarking among others (Myers, 2004). However, these tools do not measure its impacts on the business. Measurement of IT in an organization is vitally important but there are difficulties which hamper the evaluation processes. In most organizations the IT managers lack full understanding of the business and are therefore not included in the decisions made by the senior management personnel. The senior management personnel lack the knowledge of conducting IT measurement processes thus many organization do not measure their IT effectively. To add to that most of the IT managers lack the fully understanding of the measurement of IT processes and will therefore not conduct them (Williams, n. d. ). In Curley’s (n. d. ) view, for IT to deliver business value, its measurement should be done in terms of revenue growth, profitability and customer satisfaction. The performance of the IT system in business is normally evaluated by checking how the business operations are improved. A good system should be able to improve the operations of the business. The performance of an IT system should be directly proportional to its contribution to customer satisfaction. With improvements in the business operations, more customers will become satisfied with services provided by the business. Moreover, the measurement of IT performance is a complement to the measurement of IT contribution to customer satisfaction. The performance of IT is evaluated by the operations of the business while its contribution is evaluated by the increase in the number of customers and thus business growth. The measurement of IT in an organization is vital as it is useful in justifying the existing or the proposed system, comparing different systems, providing tools for system management and in providing a learning experience (Bjork, 2000). When evaluating an IT system in a business several things are usually considered; effectiveness, efficiency and performance benefits. It is important for organizations to develop a framework for evaluating the potential costs and benefits of new IT systems, and the performance of these systems after being implemented. Benefits of measuring IT By measuring and evaluating the IT system, its efficiency, effectiveness and performance benefits can be fully determined and this will be helpful in making decisions concerning the adoption of a new IT system. To add to that, the organization will gain an understanding of the existing IT and will therefore have the capability to determine whether it is beneficial to the current needs of the business or not. With IT measurements, the organization will be saved from wastage of monetary resources in purchasing low quality systems. An organization might purchase IT systems which are not useful in meeting the objectives of the organization thereby leading to wastage of funds which would have been used for other important needs. Consequently, the business will be able to purchase a system which will be of much benefit to the organization. With an efficient IT system the business planning times will be greatly reduced, the cost of marketing will be greatly reduced and more inquiries will be handled within a short time. Similarly, there will be a reduction in the communication cost and paperwork. Furthermore, an effective IT system will minimize business risks, increase the flexibility and competitiveness of the business, increase sales and will provide a sustainable increase in the market share. Furthermore, the performance benefits from the IT system include improvements in strategic intelligence for new markets, provision of capacity and space for business growth, overcoming obsolescence, provision of more relevant and reliable data, among others (Bjork, 2004). The measurements will be helpful in evaluating the weaknesses in the system and in providing guidelines on the ways of improving the system for the better. In other words, they will provide an opportunity to evaluate the loopholes in the technology. As time goes the needs of an organization changes or increases and thus improvements in technology are required. The goals of most organizations is to grow and become competitive in business and as it grows its IT should also grow with it otherwise it will become a hindrance in achieving its goals. The measurement of IT is therefore essential as it provides an opportunity for further advancements in this technology. In conclusion, IT measurements provide many benefits to an organization and are therefore essential. However, in many organizations, the success of IT in a business is measured in terms of the IT parameters which include capacity, processing speed and up time. This therefore shows that many businesses do not measure IT with regard to customer satisfaction or profitability. Customers are one of the most important assets of a business and should be included in IT measurements to ensure a sustainable business growth. Similarly, organizations should invest more funds in IT measurements. In measuring the impacts of IT in organizations knowledge and understanding is a necessity and thus funds are required. Measurement of IT is not an easy task and cannot be done by anyone; IT professionals are threfore needed and should have much experience in IT measurements. Since in many organizations the IT professionals have little experience in IT measurements, IT experts from outside will be helpful in ensuring IT measurements are conducted in an efficient and effective manner.

Training skill Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Training skill - Assignment Example On the contrary as much as the leader is perceived as the person who is well informed there is always room to learn (Bowell, Pamela & Brian, 20). The second role of a trainer requires an individual to portray confidence in what is presented to the trainees. The most significant trait is always believing in one self and the individuals in training. It follows through that communication plays a vital role is to ensure there is a clear path followed towards achieving the goals that have been set. Proper instructions lead to proper execution of tasks (Bowell et al, 22). The two roles am prepared to participate in relate to each other in such a way that communication skills is imperative. These roles can apply in a job situation, family and the community in general. Both roles require an individual to possess the ability to give instructions that do not always receive negative critic from those who receive it, by giving them a chance to participate in decision making. Standing firm by the words uttered is imperative to these roles because, they determine whether an individual will have the ability to command a given segment of individuals or not. Furthermore, a situation is controlled by an individual’s ability to master it (Bowell et al,

Martin Luther the Hero of the Reformation 1483 to 1546 Essay - 1

Martin Luther the Hero of the Reformation 1483 to 1546 - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Martin Luther’s parents were so devoted to teaching him the ways and the fear of God from his childhood. In the year 1517, during the day of All Saints, and he was then a theology professor at the University of Wittenberg, he made a posting of 95 theses on the door of the church. His major concern in the theses was the disposal of indulgences in the afterlife as depicted by the papal grants and the inclusion of purgatory releases. The present research has identified that Martin Luther first wrote the theses in Latin but translated the whole work into German. This work of the theses prompted a summoning by the church for an explanation to the authorities. The paper tells that Martin Luther would later get involved in more controversy and in the year 1520, he made writings about papacy's corruption, the supremacy of faith as compared to the good works and the acknowledgment of only two out of seven sacraments' validity. Due to this, in 1521 he was mad e to appear before the then emperor Charles the 5TH. The conclusion from this study states that Martin Luther, despite all the summoning and his open criticism of the church, he was not to recant these writings. The result was his banning under the Worms Edict. According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that it was his numerous disagreements with the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrines that sparked many events and within a few years marred the unity of German religion.

Critically explore the legal and etihical context of delivering Essay

Critically explore the legal and etihical context of delivering healthcare to patients who do not speak English and issues around informed consent- look at the - Essay Example condition is with the care that can be provided and will thus have the option to freely consent to, or refuse treatment on the basis of complete information. The language barrier can be a significant detrimental factor for patients because it can decrease access to and adequacy of health care due to the inability to communicate symptoms effectively, especially when they are brought into the emergency department and the use of language interpreters can significantly reduce the obstacles that are created through the inability of provider-patient to communicate effectively (Woloshin et al 1995:724-28). A study conducted by Hampers et al (1999) in the United States specifically examined the barriers cast by language and the inability of patients and their families to speak English when receiving health care in the emergency department, in order to determine whether there was any difference in diagnostic testing and length of stay. As a result, the practitioners were required to assess health care and make clinical diagnoses without the facility of a full or complete history due to the language barrier between health providers and patients. M oreover, this study showed that such patients were also less likely to be insured when they arrived for emergency services and the hampering of diagnostic and testing resulted in higher costs per patient and longer lengths of stay in the emergency departments. Similarly, a research report was prepared by Shah and Priestley (2001) which examined the experiences of black and minority disabled patients in Leeds hospitals. This report highlighted some of the specific concerns of Asian and black disabled patients and the obstructions to their health care that resulted from the lack of sensitivity of health care providers to language, religious and cultural issues. This report also showed that most minority patients who were older did not know English and the function of interpretation when they arrived at the hospital was carried out

The Microsofts Company Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Microsofts Company Culture - Essay Example Business is a monopoly of strategies to start with. In a world advancing with globalization and changing with progressing innovation, constant evaluation and re-designing of policies is a necessity for business survival. Organizational behavior, strategies, decisions, environment and workforce determine the organizational success and its promotion towards progress and advancement. It is thus a necessity to look into the policies of successful companies, to render, adhere and change what’s not working to what’s the best. One such company which has achieved to do this is an American public multinational corporation- The Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Corporation has efficiently articulated its policies and strategies to remain sustainable in their top position, for almost a decade. With offices in more than 60 countries, Microsoft earns more than US$16.5 billion in operating income with approximately 71,170 employees (Microsoft Corporation Annual Report 2006).Since Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation, the public is also an asset to it. Microsoft’s Windows operating system is home to over 95% of the world computers (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008). Microsoft has a global reach in terms of software, operating systems, internet portals etc., all being used by over millions of not only individuals, but by millions of organization and businesses hub. Some of the most widely used and innovative Microsoft products are Windows, Office applications and Microsoft Windows. Microsoft has also also has stepped inside the cable television market with MSNBC as well as MSN Internet Portal. Â  

The ministry of Spiritual Direction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The ministry of Spiritual Direction - Essay Example to pay attention to their own religious experiences and to respond accordingly to what God communicates to them in their own personal experiences. In my own experiences, I have realized that good spiritual direction should be based on religious experience. Before I was helped by my spiritual director to listen to the voice of God through my own experiences, I was a practising member of the apostolic church, but as a matter of fact, I did not have a live and a vibrant relationship with my God. This is because, although, I was a practising Christian and I used to attend the church regularly to pray, I however, felt aloof and alienated from God. I had expressed this problem to my previous spiritual directors, but my spiritual directors kept on lecturing me on how I should abandon sin, be more prayerful, and align my life to the will of God. I had tried in vain to adhere to the advice of my spiritual directors. Later, I choose another spiritual director who started directing me to engage in silent and contemplative prayers as a way of listening to God as He communicated to me. My new spiritual director also advised me to take time each day at least 15 minutes per day, to reflect on my personal experiences and to focus on the religious dimensions of those experiences, i.e. to pay attention to how God was communicating to me through those daily experiences. Through this new method of spiritual direction, I was able to discern, in a very clear manner, how God was constantly communicating with me. Through the silent prayers and reflections, I was also able to respond to God as He communicated with me, and to express my feelings, my hopes, my fears, my frustrations, and my gratitude to him. Ultimately, my prayer life improved substantially and my relationship with God became stronger and stronger. This experience, therefore, made me to believe that the best form of spiritual direction should be based on

Body image in different cultures Research Paper

Body image in different cultures - Research Paper Example Research within the understanding of body in different parts of the world has suggested that people like to showcase if they have any cuts that could make headlines for the people who are near and dear to them. In other words, the social circles hold a great deal of value for them because the body debates can go on and on and that too for a number of different reasons. The cultural angle is important to comprehend because some cultures are against the dictum of representing body in such a way that it gets exposed (Cash, 2002). There are others however that have no restriction whatsoever and opine that the body elements and shapes should be depicted as much as possible. What is important within such debates is that what people think of the related equations. If they are open to showcasing who they are and how they believe in their body types and shapes, then this is something that goes perfectly and in line with the discussion at hand. However, if they think this is not what they woul d like to demonstrate about their own selves, then so be it. Body image is seen as a very differential aspect within some countries because it means so much more than just body representation. ... Body image is one of the main concerns within Australia. It has been researched that the 11-24 year olds find it hard to adjust to body image requirements and want to be on top of their game. This includes both the males and the females as this is indeed one of the major concerns that surround their entirety. Within Venezuela, the debate is on the women’s body image that is signified through boobs. The size of the boob is one concern that has come to the fore as far as the women within Venezuela are related. However, America has maintained an unhealthy lust for body image as has been represented through media and different cross-sections of the society. The thin models denote how the modern American female would like herself to be. This has meant that she would almost do anything to look that way. There is complex of magnanimity if she feels she is out of proportion. It is a fact that there is not a single woman in this world who feels indifferent about her body. The same hold s true for males as well. They also want to look at their best as has been represented in different avenues of the media in this day and age. What is interesting enough to note here is the fact that both men and women have found themselves stuck in a rat race with the passage of time. They have understood that to move ahead they would have to be someone that they are not. In essence, the element of aspiration takes the front seat within the related settings, and this is a very unsettling act in entirety. Some elements within the body image discussions center on the premise of religion as well (Fisher, 1986). The Muslim religion does not allow their women to liberally

Creational Design Patterns in Detailed Design and Design Logic Essay

Creational Design Patterns in Detailed Design and Design Logic Patterns - Essay Example The benefit from this is that it allows creation of new derived types without requiring any changes to code that use base class. Factory method is a popular creational design pattern in object-oriented programming and it helps to put into practice the concept of factories. The design pattern may be specifically used to deal with problem of object creation without specifying exact number of object classes that would be created. This method is used when object creation and reuse becomes impossible without duplication of code (Otero, pp.188-189). It is a popular object creation software design pattern that aims to find solution to telescopic constructor anti pattern. This phenomenon of anti-pattern occurs when increase of constructor object parameter leads to list of exponential constructors. Thus, instead of using frequent constructors the builder pattern uses another builder object that takes initialization parameter sequentially returns resultant output object at once. It is a creational design pattern in the field of software development that is popularly used when object type is determined from prototype instance cloned for producing new objects. Abstract classes are required to implement this pattern that uses pure virtual clone method (Otero, pp.201-203). In software engineering, this design pattern restricts classes to be instantiated to objects. The pattern is very useful when one object needs to coordinate actions across system. The pattern generalizes systems that operates more efficiently with single object and restricts instantiation up to limited number of objects. It organizes business logic by particular routines handling single request from presentation layer and is the most common way of writing applications for beginners. Language semantics can be used to identify and express tasks and common routines may be broken into

The Ravenmaster’s Secret Essay Example for Free

The Ravenmaster’s Secret Essay The Ravenmaster’s Secret is one of Woodruff’s interesting books about friendship.   As what we commonly say, true friends are known during times of troubles.   This book is but just one of the many books that showcases the story of friendship in a time of war.   The Ravenmaster’s Secret is a story about love and hate relationship and a friendship bridged over war.   In this story, the author narrated the life of a young boy named Forrest Harper who lived and grew up in the middle of the Tower of London sometime in the year 1735. In this time of trouble and as a young boy, he passed the test of friendship and courage.   Forrest has a pet raven named Tuck and at a young age, he already shows genuine care for ravens especially those who are caged.   Although Forrest lived with his family, he was lonely; and that loneliness was taken away by a friend named Rat, a local boy with whom Forrest would imagine things and scenes, and telling their fantasies.   They would sketch their stories and their fantasies and drew pictures of horses and dragons.   After which, another friend though initially presented as an enemy came.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this tower, he met whom, the author referred to as his enemy, a young girl, Scottish and a prisoner named Maddy.   Forrest guards the tower along with his father to watch the prisoners.   Maddy is a daughter of a rebel and so he is an enemy. She was the prisoner and the young boy was his jailer.   At age eleven, both of them experienced an adventure together as they discover the tower known as a place of horrifying terror.   However, as the story progressed, they turn out to be very god friends and together they overcame terror, a horrifying challenge that could have cost their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One day, a bad news arrived stating that Maddy is to be executed.   Intending to help their friend, Forrest and Rat, now named Ned devised a plan on how to free her.   Risking their lives and their loved ones as well, they pursued the plan and freed Maddy. As a young boy, this is already a huge test for Forrest who is caught between his feelings for Maddy and his desire to free him; and his allegiance to his country with whom he and his family serve. However, believing that helping Maddy is the right thing to do; he faced the challenges and the possible consequences of his actions. The story continued as the three friends fulfill their dreams together in friendship wherein Forrest became the Ravenmaster at the tower like his father.   This is the secret world of the Ravenmaster.   Ã‚  The story ended showing how the children achieved their goals realizing their fantasies (Shafer, n.d.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book is a very nice fictional story that cultivates creativity and has strong appeal to the imagination.   Like the characters in the book, readers are also confined to their secret, fictitious world.   I special liked the book because it is a story about friendship and how friendship can survive the test of troubles especially in the eyes of the young characters.   It is amazing how the author used the characters of Maddy, Forrest and Ned (Rat) to emphasize the fictitious part of the story. Normally children are very imaginative and fascinating fantasies that somehow have been emphasized in the story but vividly narrating a realistic lesson to the readers-friendship.   This is what the author, Elvira Woodruff achieved because although his work is basically fictitious, she never tried to romanticize the setting of the story which gave it a realistic appeal especially with the fact that the Tower of London is an important historical venue. Reference Shafer, S.   (n.d.).   That’s Cheeky!   Retrieved January 28, 2008, from http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=2955

Needs and Expectations of Healthcare Stakeholders Case

Needs and Expectations of Healthcare Stakeholders Case You are asked to critically investigate and validate the needs and expectations of healthcare stakeholders in relation to the above ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd organisation’s policy on equality and diversity. Prepare a summary of your investigate on the needs and expectations of Concordia Healthcare Ltd which relate to: Internal organizational needs External needs Fairness and justice The impact of prejudice and discrimination on individuals and groups Answer Organizational Needs and Expectations The consideration of organizational needs and expectations has a positive effect on outcome of health care delivery programmes or systems. Equality is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights or opportunities. Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual difference. Policy is a course or principle of action adopted by an organization or individual. It is set of principles or rules that provides a definite direction for an organization. An equality policy is a written statement showing that your organization actively opposes discrimination .It demonstrates your commitment to making organization a fully accessible that welcomes and respects diversity. Developing an inclusive equality policy is one of the key factor in creating a sustainable organization that reflects the rich diversity of society and ensures equality of opportunity for everyone involved.[1] Internal needs and expectations If there is anything any that is steadfast and is unchanging, it is change itself and the organization that does not accept change that is the cause of failure or domain. There are events or situations that occur that affect the organization in two ways, in positive or negative way. The internal needs are easier to control, it usually are management changes, employee morale, culture changes and financial changes. The clients want the deals with them on the basis of their skills and experience instead of race and cast. They want the organization to focus on their physical disability. The clients want respect for their cultures, values, beliefs and preference and they need a friendly and comfortable environment. And we can say like that there few main expectations of every individual from an organization that should be met to make the working environment good and comfortable. These expectations are respect for their values, preference and expressed needs. Coordination and integration. The clients of an organization needs full information and communication. External Needs External environmental factors or needs are the events that take place outside the of the organization and are harder to predict and control. These needs can b more dangerous for an organization if are not met by the organization. These needs include the changes to the economy, threats from the competitions, political factors, government regulations or the industry itself. External needs also include the customers and contractors because without them they can not work and earn anything. Technology and resources are also the external needs requires for the proper functioning of an organization.[2] Fairness and Justice A lack of organizational justice can lead to negative outcomes, such as lower performance, lower satisfaction and higher absenteeism. To prevent the organization from the negative outcomes, the organization should promote equality and diversity policy that applies to service provision and not just employment. The organization to make a commitment to tackle discrimination. It should provide equal opportunities and access to all stake holders and support equality act 2010. The organization should use the policy to train the staff and integrate the policy into their activities. Organizational needs to explain hoe the policy will be put into practice and how it will be communicated to all staff and service users. The policy should be linked to the complaints and disciplinary procedures. The impact of prejudice and discrimination on individuals and groups Prejudice is a preconceived opinion not based on research or experience. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment or different categories of people or things especially on grounds of race, age or sex. There is endless number off groups affected by prejudice and discrimination around the word and these are lower class, different cultures, women, different religions, elderly, and immigrants. Homosexuals, different races, teenagers, mentally or physically challenged. Examples of prejudice and discrimination are as teens are often discriminated against because people assume that they are rebellious and unless when teens are often very helpful and compassionate. Second is women who are often judged because of their past struggles to obtain acknowledgement by society as person. Immigrants are sometimes not allowed into a country or not given work because they are simply too different and people cannot accept change ,not realizing that they are fully capable of accomplishing tasks just as easily as someone of a similar race to themselves Effects on the individual are Acceptance- They believe what is being said about them. They feel that they have an inferior status in society. Accommodation- They don’t like or believe what is being said about them, but try and make the best of the situation. Voluntary segregation- Groups may live or work in separate areas in order to feel more comfortable and to succeed. Organized Protest- A person may join organizations to help fight against discrimination and get involved with marches, protest, and media exposure. Aggression- A person may take action against a prejudice individual’s property. Examples of aggression are crime and terrorism. Effects on the Discriminators are this person feels hate and resentment in their life. They don’t enjoy life or people as much as they could have. They focus only on one aspect of some individuals. They tend to lose friends (People don’t like to associate with the discriminator In conclusion, prejudice and discrimination is a serious issue that affects many people including the individual, the discriminators and society. The citizens should pay more attention to the solutions to prejudice and discrimination then may be society feel more comfortable Task 2 Consider what ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd organisation’s policy currently proposes as methods to address, review and monitor equality and diversity issues in the organisation. You are asked to propose improvements to address gaps or shortfalls in their systems and processes. Consider where improvements could be made in terms of plans, team meetings, roles and responsibilities, timescales, audit, policy reform and allocation of resources. Answer ABC Concordia healthcare LTD Equality and diversity guidance and policy 2012 Investigation Results The internal organization needs the following changes to be included in the organization for making the environment comfortable for the clients and promote the work. The organization needs to take steps to identify the need of each and every client in the organization. Needs to devise the policies and procedures and to put in place customers service, should provide appropriate facilities and services and draw up a plan. Moreover, take appropriate actions wherever is needed, Monitor and record equal and provide opportunities on the basis of their experience instead of age, gender, ethnicity and disability. Solutions and preventions of prejudice and discrimination are; know the facts of the problem or situation. Be aware of your attitude and behaviour towards other clients. The words should be carefully selected before saying anything to the employees in an organization. The focus should on the positive and others should be supported. Get to know the people from the other groups. Hold monthly meetings with the staff. Recommendations; the organization should review the needs and finalize policies –strategic planning activity. It should formulate procedures for every policy covering all corners of its concern; communicate the approved policies and procedures to all. The organization should conduct regular meetings as follow ups on feedback and incident report.[3] References www.equalityhumanright.com www.managementhelp.org/orgcom/ [1] [2] [3]

James S. Hirsch’s Book, Hurricane :: Essays Papers

James S. Hirsch’s Book, Hurricane In James S. Hirsch’s book about Rubin "Hurricane" Cater, Hurricane, the author describes how Carter was wrongfully imprisoned and how he managed to become free. Hirsch tells about the nearly impossible battle for Carter and his friend John Artis for freedom and justice. Both, Carter and Artis, were convicted of a triple homicide, and both were innocent. The book raises the importance of, and questions, the writ of habeas corpus. Carter used a writ of habeas corpus to get a federal trial. Many question the legality of Carter going into federal jurisdiction, when his case should have been heard before the Supreme Court of New Jersey. It was a gamble, but the federal judge gave fair justice to Carter and Artis. The State of New Jersey appealed the case all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which upheld the District Court’s ruling. Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a boxer who hailed from Paterson, New Jersey. His story begins in the summer of 1966, during the Civil Rights Movement. Carter was at the Lafayette Bar and Grill on June 17th, but he was denied service by the bartender, James Oliver, due to his race. Carter left the bar after being denied service. Around 2:30 A.M., two armed black men came into the Lafayette Bar and opened fire. Oliver and one customer were killed instantly. Two other patrons, Hazel Tanis and William Marins, were seriously wounded. Patty Valentine, a tenant who lived above the bar, looked out her window just after the shooting. She saw two black men leave in a white car. Nearby Alfred Bello and Arthur Bradley were breaking into a factory. Bello was the lookout, and his exact location - inside or outside the bar - would be a point of concentration for the next twenty years. The police arrived at the bar within minutes. They took statements from Marins, Valenine, and Bello. Not one of them said they had seen Rubin Carter, one of Paterson’s most well-known citizens, at the scene. A police bulletin radioed officers to be on the lookout for a white car with two black men inside. Four minutes after the shooting, but before the police bulletin, a Paterson police officer was chasing a speeding white car which was leaving town.

Archetypal Characters and Symbols in The Phantom of the Opera Essay

Archetypal Characters and Symbols in The Phantom of the Opera      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of The Phantom of the Opera appeals to many types of personalities and people of all ages because of its archetypal characters and patterns.   Carl Jung theorized that we are born with innate tendencies to perceive things a certain way:   "a kind of readiness to reproduce over and over again the same or similar mythical ideas . . ."1.   These repeated ideas are archetypes.   The basic legend of The Phantom takes place in 19th century Paris, and is that of a young and talented, but untrained singer named Christine.   Erik, the Phantom, is a disfigured genius of many fields, including music, architecture, magic, and science.   His fatal flaw stems from his strong dislike and mistrust of the rest of the human race, which has been very unkind to him throughout his life.   He encounters Christine in the Paris Opera House, becomes infatuated with her, and initially claims to be her otherworldly musical tutor.   Conflict occurs when Christi ne is torn between Erik's dark and passionate world, and her innocent love for the well-bred Raoul.   These fundamentals of the story of The Phantom are kept in tact among the versions, while changes are made to target the adaptation to a certain audience.   Another common attraction is to the personality of Erik, a character often repeated in literature.   Erik's relationship with Christine also encompasses many archetypal patterns, and the love triangle among Christine, Erik and Raoul is a recurring human behaviour2.   In addition, there are several object-oriented archetypes throughout the story.   Repetition of patterns and characters in The Phantom of the Opera creates a universal appeal for the tale.       The bas... ...anges to target the legend to different types of people, but the archetypes always remain.       1 Carl Jung, Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, 7 2 Anthony Pena, Unus Mundus:   Archetypes and Dreams 3 Kate McMullan, The Phantom of the Opera, 5 4 Amazon.com sales rank as of May 2000 5 Charlotte Vale Allen, Night Magic, 203 6 Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera, 334 7 Charles Horton Cooley, Human Nature and the Social Order, 155 8 Charles Darwin, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals 9 Joseph Henderson, "Ancient Myths and Modern Man," Man and His Symbols, Carl Jung, ed., 152 10 Anthony Pena, Unus Mundus: Archetypes and Dreams 11 Angela Mattos, The Labyrinth 12 InDreaMensions, Archetypes Glossary 13 Ibid 14 Ibid 15 John L. Flynn, Phantoms of the Opera:   The Man Behind the Mask   

David Cronenberg :: essays research papers

David Cronenberg People can interpret different things in different ways. Some people look at the Eiffel Tower and say that it is a work of genius. Others may look at it as if it were the ugliest thing in Europe. Two opposing views creates controversy. People look at the work of the well known director, David Cronenberg, the same way. In my essay, I will not take a side, but I will clearly and concisely outline and detail both sides of his work. David Cronenberg was born May 15, 1943 in Toronto Ontario. His childhood was rather disturbing, with abusive parents, and living a very sheltered life in the suburbs of Toronto for most of his life. He went to the University of Toronto, where he studied film and producing and direction. David’s first big screen success came to him in 1969 when his simple and tasteful film "Stereo" got shot down at the box office. David was somewhat discouraged by this and in 1970 would shock the world with his first film of the horror or shock film industry that broke all the limits. "Crimes of the Future" was a large success at the box office and at he 1970 Cannes Film Festival. Little did the public know, David Cronenberg was not finished there. The ideas he had stored in his uncanny mind of his were peculiar, odd and extraordinary. With his continuing success artistically, the public began to find his work vulgar and disturbing. In 1983, David Cronenberg produced and directed the highly sucessful "The Fly." From that film on his work was very controversial. The artists found his work deep, and meaningful, while the ordinary person though it to be the work of a madman. He had 5 more films to direct. "Dead Ringers" , "Naked Lunch", "Madame Butterfly", "Crash" and "ExistenZ." As his films progressed they got either more artistic and meaningful or more sickening. Naked Lunch was once again cheered at the 1991 Cannes Festival, but less than he previous successes. His work is often stylish and experimental. With plots concerning the aftermath of some disastrous biological mishap. The Fly and The Dead Zone prove this point. These two movies in the 1980s have given David his cult status. David Cronenberg’s 1993 entitled, Madame Butterfly enraged critics even more but the artists found his work compelling. It was at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival that the bomb was dropped.

Household Behavior and Demand Essay

Household behavior is one of the any basic concepts in economics which has an effect on market trends. Household demand, for instance, can be seen as related to consumer choices in terms of which products are mostly bought in the market and which products need more supplies in terms of item production and its corresponding allocation. One of the many essential features of household demand is its corresponding effect on what is being provided in the market and, more importantly, the quantities or stock that is being allocated in the market. It seems quite obvious that the quantities of certain products in the market—for instance, in a certain area or a certain supermarket—are patterned according to the existing demand and the foreseen demands a some point in the future, say within a frame of a few weeks time. Household behavior, for its effects on market trends to be realized and understood, must be taken from a general and collective standpoint since a single specific household behavior cannot entirely be taken into account as the precise and sole measure in determining the overall household behavior true for all o most instances with regard to market trends. For example, it has been observed that Chinese people rely largely on the prices of products in determining which ones are the best buys. Paul French notes that â€Å"for pragmatic Chinese shoppers, price remains the bottom-line† which translates to the idea that â€Å"win on price and you win† (French, 2007). Hence, in the context of Chinese households, producers of certain goods should greatly consider the fact that Chinese households will most likely prefer goods which are relatively lower in price as compared to other products in the market in order stay atop the competition. To be able to gain control of the price index of a certain product in the market means to be able to win the market competition if the Chinese household behavior is the primary basis to be used. The perception appears simple enough: household behavior determines household demand which, in consequence, affects a large portion of certain market trends. Thus, to analyze a specific market trend for a specific product entails the analysis and understanding of certain trends in household demand caused by household behavior. An existing household demand, say, for breakfast cereals can be looked upon the collective household behavior in terms of cereal consumption for the past six months for the locality of Chicago, for example. Given a relatively high consumption rate for breakfast cereals with the price not exceeding $4 per box among families, companies producing breakfast cereals may have the corresponding decision to pattern their product according to the existing demand. Although it may not essentially be the case that companies will sacrifice prices of their products in order to meet the demand for the value of the products, being able to adjust product prices in accordance to the existing market prices will most likely lead to favorable results on the part of the companies since market demand is met. Quite on the contrary, there are still other related factors which hinder the feat of lowering prices according to the budget and income of households which determine their capacity to buy and consume certain products. More recently, several instant-noodle corporations in China have difficulties in lowering the prices of their products due to escalating prices in wheat and other farm commodities (Zhu, 2007). With prices in instant-noodles—a popular product among individuals with meager budget—soaring, even the household demand or low-cost instant-noodles may hardly deter companies from lowering the prices of their goods just to meet the existing demand in the market. On the part of households, proper allocation of income can be one remedy in order to curb unnecessary spending so as to be able to allocate budget on goods which the households deem as a dire part of their income-spending. In this case, household behavior and demand appears to be patterned according to the existing market trends which is the opposite or reverse case of what has been provided earlier. Hence, it is also possible to have a household behavior or consumer choice that is based on existing market trends apart from the possibility that market trends may also be based on existing consumer choice and household behavior. Allocating income to maximize utility is one household behavior that determines consumer choice in the long run. For instance, there is the observation that â€Å"household expenditure patterns are affected by the share of household income accruing to women† (Hopkins, Levin, & Haddad, 1994). Given this perception, the choices of consumers over a vast array of products competing in the market is not only affected by external elements determined by companies but also by internal elements sprouting from household consumption patterns of certain goods in relation to the household’s budget allocation. In terms of income and substitution effects, the changes in the prices of certain goods are proposed to alter the demands for such goods. Changes in relative prices as well as changes in the purchasing power of the money income can greatly alter the existing demands for, say, a breakfast cereal. Even if the prices for breakfast cereals remain the same for a given period, alterations in the income will result to an equal change in the budget constraint (Hamermesh, 1977). On the other hand, if the price of breakfast cereals changes, the budget constraint will change accordingly. One concrete way in further understanding the situation is that in order to maximize the utility with the decreased budget constraint, the household will tend to have shifts in their patterns of consumption. For instance, with the budget constraint arising from the decrease in the money’s purchasing power, households will tend to maximize the utility of money by increasing the segregation of purchases of goods based on low-cost preference. An example to this is when households purchase goods with relatively lower prices given a budget of $20 which results to more purchases of various goods while on the other hand households purchasing goods with relatively higher prices will result to lesser maximization of the utility or lesser goods purchased with the $20 budget. Hence, wage rates also share a crucial part in determining household behavior and demand as well as consumer choice. It has been seen that the rates of wages of certain groups of people have corresponding implications on the purchasing power of households. To arrive at the observation that the wage of a household is decreased corresponds to the observation that the purchasing capacity of the same household proportionally, if not significantly, decreases. A higher wage, then, will translate to a higher capacity to purchase goods in the market. In the larger scheme, a group of households with a high rate of wage will most likely have higher purchasing capacity thereby inducing the household behavior of increased spending assuming the household has lesser tendencies to save their income. In effect, a certain market demand will be conjured in such a way that a certain good, for instance, will experience an increase in demand which calls for a corresponding increase in goods being supplied. Thus, it can be noted that the overall rate in household demand will relatively increase given the increase in wages. On the other hand, interest rates may greatly alter or shift the persisting demand from households towards a certain good. For instance, a higher interest rates for purchased loans by households will certainly result to a higher real cost of purchase in the fulfillment of all payments made for the loan. It is quite apparent that an increase of 2% in interest rates from 4% to 6% will most certainly have a corresponding effect on the actual cost of the good purchased. For the most part, higher interest rates translate to higher cost of purchases, decreased household spending given a fixed rate of wages, and a lesser spending on other goods which result to a corresponding decrease in the demand for those other goods. The price of leisure also has a significant role in comprehending the patterns in household demand and consumer choices. For instance, higher prices in the cost of airplane travels would entail that the consumer will opt for the airline provider with the least cost. A decline in the preference for airlines with comparatively higher airline prices will most likely be felt assuming that a given set of consumers have fixed income. Budget constraints in an environment of increasing prices in leisure enable one to view the household demand for existing leisure. Indeed, it has been observed that several market trends can be viewed and analyzed using the perceptions on household behavior and demand for certain goods and products. The interrelationships existing between the market trend and the household behavior is clear although at some point several exceptions would have to be made. Essential to this understanding is the view that there may or may not be actual budget constraints and that prices of commodities may actually shift even without the presence of the shift such as a decline or incline in the demand from households. Nevertheless, there are many cases in which household behavior has its implications on the existing market trends. References French, P. (2007). When the Best Buy Is No Buy. The Wall Street Journal(August 7). Hamermesh, D. S. (1977). A Note on Income and Substitution Effects in Search Unemployment. The Economic Journal, 87(346), 312. Hopkins, J. , Levin, C. , & Haddad, L. (1994). Women’s Income and Household Expenditure Patterns: Gender or Flow? Evidence from Niger. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 76(5), 1219. Zhu, E. (2007). China’s Battle Against Inflation Puts Noodle Makers in Hot Water. The Wall Street Journal(August 29), B11.

Shariah Issues in Islamic Banking : Bay Al-Inah, Tawarruq and Wa’d

Abstract The rising of the Islamic banking and finance industry is a direct response to the growing awareness amongst Muslim regarding the need of alternative financial products and services that is complied with the teaching of Islam. To be specifically, the demand is based on the avoidance of the element of Riba which is widely and fundamentally practiced in the conventional banking industry. The attempt by the Islamic banking and finance industry had so far been successful and it could be witnessed by the launching of wide range of Shariah compliant financial products and transaction.However, none of us can guarantee that the Shariah compliant products approved are fault-free absolutely. Among the practices of the industry, the practice of Bay al-Inah or the practice of sale and buy-back, Tawarruq which quite commonly used in Malaysia, have been criticized strongly especially the voices from the Middle East. The other issue that will be discussed briefly in this project paper is t he applicability of Wa’d , the unilateral promise. Key terms of the research 1 Bay al-Inah 2 Tawarruq 3 Wa’d 4 Al Ijarah al Muntahiya Bittamleek 5 Statutory DeclarationObjectives of the research: Identify the issues of the Bay al-Inah , Tawarruq and Wa’d encountered by the Islamic banking industry and proposal of an alternative solution to it. Table of content GENERAL INTRODUCTION SHARIAH ISSUE ONE: Bay al-Inah †¢The Concept †¢Current Practise of the Industry †¢Legitimacy of the Bay al-Inah †¢Alternative Solution SHARIAH ISSUE TWO: Tawarruq †¢The Concept †¢Current Practise of the Industry †¢Legitimacy of the Tawarruq †¢Alternative Solution SHARIAH ISSUE THREE: Wa’d †¢The Concept †¢Legitimacy of Wa’d †¢Solution CONCLUSION REFERENCES GENERAL INTRODUCTIONThe rising of the Islamic banking and finance industry is a direct response to the growing awareness amongst Muslim regarding the need of alterna tive financial products and services that is complied with the teaching of Islam. To be specifically, the demand is based on the avoidance of the element of Riba which is widely and fundamentally practiced in the conventional banking industry. The attempt by the Islamic banking and finance industry had so far been successful and it could be witnessed by the launching of wide range of Shariah compliant financial products and transaction.However, none of us can guarantee that the Shariah compliant products approved are fault-free absolutely. Among the practices of the industry, the practice of Bay al-Inah or the practice of sale and buy-back, Tawarruq which quite commonly used in Malaysia, have been criticized strongly especially the voices from the Middle East. The other issue that will be discussed briefly in this project paper is the applicability of Wa’d , the unilateral promise. SHARIAH ISSUE ONE: Bay al-Inah THE CONCEPTLinguistically, the term â€Å"Inah† carries t he meaning of salaf, or contracting a loan. It is used in this meaning to refer to purchasing on credit. It could also be a derivative of the term â€Å"ayn†, which also means present assets, that is cash. Thus, it denotes a situation whereby one purchases an asset for its subsequent sale on cash that is needed by him. Bay al-Inah is generally defined as an arrangement whereby a seller sells to the buyer some object for cash deferred payment; then, simultaneously, the seller mmediately buys back the same object for a lesser amount than the deferred price in cash. Thus, the transaction amounts to a loan whereby the difference between the two prices represents the interest . Modus Operandi: The above diagram shows the modus operandi of the Bay al-Inah that has been practiced by the Islamic banks in Malaysia so far. In this transaction, the bank sells its asset to the customer who is in need of liquidity on credit. The price under the sale includes the bank’s profit margi n charged on the customer.Subsequently, the bank buys back the asset from the customer for cash payment. Eventually, the customer gets the cash payment, and pay the bank the deferred price over a tenure by periodic instalments which constitutes the same effect and result of a loan . CURRENT PRACTICE IN THE INDUSTRY In Malaysia, the practice of Inah may take 2 names, depending on the original owner of the asset. If the asset to be used belongs to the customer, the contract is known as Bay Bithaman Ajil (BBA). If the asset belongs to the bank, then the contract will be named as Bay al-Inah. ven though the legal documents may differ from one financing to the another, but the common documentation will consist of Property Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Property Sale Agreement (PSA). Besides, the Master Facility Agreement will also be prepared to encapsulate and detail out all necessary ingredients of the facility granted. These documents reveals that though the two sale contracts are execu ted separately without making one of them conditional to the other, the master facility Agreement has clearly indicated the intention of the parties in entering into these two consecutive sale contracts.LEGITIMACY OF BAY AL-INAH The main proponents of Bay al-Inah is the Shafii school. The Shafii jurists have illustrate their permissibility in a situation whereby a person sells a commodity on cash or credit terms and hands over possession, and the parties separate with mutual pleasure about the contract, it is permissible for him to purchase it from the previous buyer for an amount equal to, higher, or lower than the former price, of the same currency as before or different, paying cash or oncredit, after receiving payment for the previous sale or before it.On this basis, according to the authoritative position upheld by the Shafii scholars, the two independent contracts, jointly referres to as â€Å"Inah† are held valid, but reprehensible. This principle even applied when one of the two parties is known for the practice of Inah, as according to the principle upheld by the Shafii school, the intention of the parties, even when it happens to be unacceptable, does not result in the invalidity of the contract, unless such intention is given expression in the contractual text.As a result, it will be the case whereby even the situation indicates the parties’ intention to carry out a second sale, this will not necessitate the invalidity of the contract. In a simple word, the Shafii school considered the intention of the parties only taken into account when the invalid intention is explicitly written in the contract . In the other side, the Maliki and Hanbali schools opined that the contract of Bay al-Inah is not valid.The Maliki jurists have categorized the process in question under buyu’ al-ajal, which concerns on the discussion of various form of two sale contract being taking place in sequence involving combination of different prices and peri ods. They have described 9 possible variations, the permissibility of two of which have been subjects of different opinions, while there is unanimity pertaining to the rest. It was said that when one sells a commodity on a deferred payment and thereafter purchases it again, the price in the second transaction could be deferred for a period equal to the first, shorter than the first, or longer.In each of these situations, the price of the second transaction could be equal to that of the first, lower than, or higher. The types where jurists have differed are: -where the price of the second transaction is lower than that of the first, and is on a cash basis; and -where the price of the second transaction is higher than that of the first and is deferred for a longer period. Imam Maliki and other jurists regard these formats invalid.They considered the second transaction along with the first, and regard the grounds viable enough to suspect that the purpose is to exchange an amount of mon ey with a higher amount that is deferred, which substantially constitutes the prohibited Riba. Hence, the transaction acts as a medium for attaining what is prohibited and it is invalid inherently. The Hanbali school agreed that the Bay al-Inah is not valid as the difference of the selling price of a commodity with profit margin and the lesser buying price transaction serve as an avenue leading to Riba.One could seek to legalise the sale of one thousand against one thousand five hundred by involving an asset in this manner. But, it was also mentioned that if the price of the second transaction is equal to that or higher than the first transaction, then it is permissible since no margin equal to the nature of Riba is involved. The above ruling applies where the commodity had not diminished in any manner after its sale. If it had diminished, it could be purchased at any price, as any decrease in the price could be against the loss of value in the asset, and not for the purpose of Riba .If the purchase is against another asset, or the first sale was against an asset and the commodity is then repurchased for cash, it is permissible due to the fact that Riba is not applicable between money and commodities. If the first sale is on cash, and the second sale takes place through another currency, it is permissible. Basically, the determination of validity in contract is based on the parties’ motive and validity in sale under consideration, the motive of the parties is illegal will put the sale invalid aas it constitutes a legal device to obtain a loan with interest which should be averted.Imam Hanifah from the Hanafi school opined that if the two prices are such that Riba could be applicable such as gold and silver, and are identical in type, for example: gold, it is not allowed to repurchase the sold commodity except at a price equal to the first, without any increase or decrease in price. If the price of the first sale was such that Riba is not applicable, such as commodities, he may repurchase the sold commodity for a price higher than the initial price or lower.If the two prices belong to different types where Riba is applicable such as gold and silver, disparity between them although analogically permissible, but is unlawful based on Istishsan. The majority objection to Bay al-Inah were supported by a number of Hadith attributed to the Prophet and his companions. One of the example was the Hadith that the Prophet warned those who practiced Bay al-Inah with calamity (bala’) or disparagement (dhill). Another example was a report on a Bay al-Inah transaction that had been brought to the knowledge of Aishah r. a. hich read: â€Å"Aliyah binti Ayfa said: I entered Aishah’s place with Umm Walad of Zaid bin Arqam and his wife. Then, Umm Walad of Zaid bin Arqam said: I had sold a slave to Zaid bin Arqam for 800 dirhams on deferred payment. Then I bought him back from Zaid for 600 dirhams cash. Aishah replied: Very bad is what yo u sold and bought. Convey to Zaid that he had nullified his struggle with the Prophet, unless he repented. † ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION Al Ijarah al Muntahiya Bittamleek Under this structure, the bank appoints customer to be its agent to make purchases from the seller.The customer then takes the purchased asset on lease from the bank, for rental payments. At the end of the lease period, the asset will be transferred to the customer via a sale (normally the price of the last rental payment) or as a gift. SHARIAH ISSUE TWO: Tawarruq THE CONCEPT Tawarruq has been generally used to refer to an arrangement whereby a person who was in need of cash bought some goods for deferred payment. Then he sold the goods to another party other than the original seller for payment of cash with a lower price . Tawarruq is considered an alteration based on the Bay al-Inah.The distinction between the Bay al-Inah and Tawarruq is that the person who requires liquidity purchases an asset from a seller on cr edit, thereafter sells it on cash basis at a price lower than the purchase price to the seller in the case of Bay al-Inah. However, Tawarruq involves a third party whereby the one who requires liquidity purchase an asset from someone on credit, and thereafter sells it, usually for a lower price, to a person other than the original seller. So, the structure does not give a direct indication of Hilah solely to undercover the Riba.Modus Operandi: CURRENT PRACTICE IN THE INDUSTRY The concept of Tawarruq contract is popular among the contemporary Islamic financial system. In fact, the short term financing which various adaptions of Murabaha was used as the standard mode by the majority of Islamic banks in the industry is in deed structurally designed based on this Tawarruq principle. However, there are some variation on the simple structure of Tawarruq due to the reason the Islamic banks encounter objections from the classical scholars with the similar stand and analogy as the way they e nounced the Bay al-Inah. One of the most popular variation is the Tawarruq Masrafiy. In this mode of Tawarruq Masrafiy, the Islamic bank is acting as a mere intermediary and does not possess the asset that could be readily brought into the Tawarruq financing process and therefore is in need of liaising with a trader/ broker, usually an external party, for the purpose of facilitating the Tawarruq contract. Similarly, the disposal of such asset by the customer of the facility needs to be further simplified by the mediation of an agent.Hence, this Tawarruq Masrafiy could be more complex in its structure . Modus Operandi: LEGITIMACY OF TAWARRUQ Most of the scholars make their conclusion on the validity of Tawarruq based on the same authorities and analogy of the validity of the Bay al-Inah. The scholars who have upheld the permissibility of Tawarruq have fundamentally relied on the general connotation of the verse permitting sale while prohibiting usury. Tawarruq as a type of sale, is i ncluded within this context of permissibility due to the absence of any Quranic verse or Hadith that rules it unlawful.The proponents somemore cited the Hadith reported by the Companion Abu Said al-Khudri which narrates that a man from the region of Khaybar who had been contracted the upkeep of a plantation came to the Prophet with some dates of good quality. When the Prophet asked him whether all dates of Khaybar were of similar quality, the man replied in the negative and added that they used to obtain a measure of better dates against two measures of ordinary dates, and two measures against three measures.The Prophet forbade him from doing so and directed him to sell the low quality dates against silver coins, and then purchase better dates against silver . This Hadith indicates the permissibility of using the described method for avoiding involvement in Riba overtly or covertly; the medium of a sale is employed, which fulfils all conditions and prerequisites of sales, free of fa ctors that result in its invalidity. The intention of procuring dates of better quality as the end result of the transaction has not been considered to invalidate the material structure.Hence, this shows that the legality og the sale transaction where different purposes are intended when the medium utilized is acceptable and free of Riba explicitly and implicitly. As a conclusion for the proponents, it is permissible to attain liquidity through a medium of sale such as the case of Tawarruq when there is a need for doing so. On the other hand, the denouncers of the Tawarruq have mainly concentrated on the aspect of intention.They argues that the intention here is to procure money, which could tentamount to the sale of money against a different amount of money, while the asset serves only as a medium, the acquisition of which is not primarily intended. Therefore the structure strongly connotes the p[ossibility of a legal stratagem adopted for this purpose. thus a major reason for the disapproval of tawarruq is that it appears to be a Hilah adopted for attainment of what could otherwise be Riba. It is money against money, with a piece of silk cloth pushed in between. † as the stand of Ibn Abbas when he was asked on the question regarding the permissibility issue. One of the frequent cited authorities by these denouncers is the Hadith which reported that The Prophet has said: A time is certainly coming to mankind when people will bite each other and a rich man will hold fast what he has in his possession though he has not commanded for that.Allah the Almighty said: (and do not forget liberty between yourselves), and then those who are forced to contract sales while the Prophet forbade forced contracts, one which involves some uncertainty and sales of fruits before they are ripe. In a simple word, the end result of the whole transaction is their main concern in determining the legality of a particular structure of transaction. Hence, the Tawarruq is deemed no thing but equally to the practice of Riba as the purpose of Tawarruq is to obtain instant cash for a higher consideration later.In the OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy in its 15th Meeting, it was decided that the Tawarruq is allowed. However, in its later meeting, ehich is the 17th Meeeting, the OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy clarified its stand on Tawarruq by stating that the Tawarruq Masrafiy that largely adopted by the Islamic financial institutions is disallowed. The reasoning behind the disapproval is that the Tawarruq Masrafiy practiced by the Islamic banks is in the form of organized Tawarruq or pre-planned Tawarruq rather than ad hoc Tawarruq which cuasing it almost synthetic and fictitious as Bay al-Inah in essence.ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION Since the problem of Tawarruq shares the similar features of the Bay al-Inah, the alternative solution could be the same as discussed in the former part. Hence the Al Ijarah al Muntahiya Bittamleek could be the substitution for both Bay al-Inah and Tawarru q as a solution for avoiding the Riba element concerned. SHARIAH ISSUE THREE: Wa’d THE CONCEPT The 3-letter root WA-A-D (wa’d), corresponding to the verb Wa’ada, indicates a promise but can also be used for a threat.The technical definition of Wa’d (promise) is based upon the linguistic definition, affirming the positive meaning and excluding the negative meaning (threat). A promise has to be for something Ma’ruf (recognized as good by the Shariah and sound intellect). If a promise is to do something evil or wrong, then it is not obligatory to fulfill it and the time in which a promise is to be fulfilled is the future, not the time at which the promise is made. The problem incurred in application of Wa’d is that some banks claim that their unilateral promise (Wa’d) is not binding.However if the customer breaks his/ her unilateral promise, then the bank charges the customer for the loss incurred as a result of not fulfilling his unilat eral promise . LEGITIMACY OF WA’D The resolution 1409H of the Islamic Fiqh Academy has decided that a unilateral promise (Wa’d) which is issued unilaterally by either orderer or the client, is by religion binding upon the promisor except where otherwise justified. It is also judicially binding if it is made contingent upon a reason and if the unilateral promise (Wa’d) entails a cost for the unilateral promise (Wa’d).Insuch cases, the consequences of the binding character of the unilateral promise (Wa’d) are determined by either the fulfillment of the unilateral promise (Wa’d) or by reparation for losses actually incurred as a result of the non-fulfillment of the unilateral promise (Wa’d) without justification. According to the resolution of the Islamic Fiqh Academy that prohibits the Wa’d to be binding on both parties but allowed it to be so on one of them, it is rather too arbitrarily and hardly acceptable. It should be the ot her way round whereby one should treat the Wa’d either binding on both parties or optional for both parties.Making it binding upon one to the exclusion of the other, is illogical and denotes a misinterpretation of jurisprudential principles. In a summary, it is admissible for Wa’d as an alternative to a invalid contract to be binding because Wa’d is analogous to a contract as well. Any suggestion for making it binding upon both or either parties explicitly or impliedly with any other Hilah is not founded on any legitimate basis. SOLUTION The Wa’d is at its best to be excluded in the practice of the Islamic banking legal documentation system due to the uncertainty and arbitrariness.However, the characteristic of the Wa’d might be implemented through a contemporary form of statutory declaration in declaring certain sub-condition for the contract between the bank and customer instead of the main terms and conditions of the contract. For example, if th e real estate was brought on the purpose for self-staying purpose instead of profit generation, then the statutory declaration may be made in declaring this. This might not be the main issue in the construction of the bank’s facility agreement which must be included within the terms but can be proclaimed in the way of declaration.For the consideration and/or performance that is much important which will affect both parties essentially, of course must be included in the facility documents entered by the parties and there is no point to make it in a rather uncertainty form of Wa’d. CONCLUSION The Al Ghazali once said that the very objective of the Shariah is to promote the welfare of the people and whatever ensures the safeguarding of people’s faith, life, intellect, posterity and wealth serves the public interest and is desirable.In the issue of Wa’d, it is certainly not the best form of contracting to the Islamic banking industry that put much demand on c ertainty, hence it would be rather fully utilize the bilateral contract on main consideration/performance or only using the statutory declaration on the least important issue such as the example given since the ambiguity part of the Wa’d is not serving the public interest for all. From the point of Shariah, the Bay al-Inah and Tawarruq is not really serving the welfare of people and it has similar oppressive character of Riba.The banks are still getting the pre-determined rate of return and the application of Bay al-Inah or in other name BBA and Tawarruq is mostly cosmetic. If the Islamic banks label their hamburger as a MECCA burger, as long as it still has the same ingredients as a McDonald’s burger, is it really any different in substance? It is also the case between the Bay al-Inah, Tawarruq with inherent Riba element and the conventional interest-based loan.References: A: Book Dr. Muhammad Saleem (2005), Islamic Banking- Observation and Arguments on Riba (interest or usury), Islamic Banking Practices, Venture Capital and Enlightenment, published by Xlibris Corporation, p26. Professor Rafic Yunus Al-Masri (2002), The Binding Unilateral Promise (Wa’d) in Islamic Banking Operations: Is it Permissible for a Unilateral Promise (Wa’d) to be Binding as an Alternative to a Proscribed Contract? , J.KAU: Islamic Econ, Vol 15: pg29-33 Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin, The Concept of Promise and Bilateral Promise in Financial Contracts: A Fiqhi Perspective, The International Shariah Research Academy (ISRA), pg 3-30 Muhammad Abd al Ghaffar, al Tatbiqat al Masrafiyyah li al Tawarruq, pg 16 SH1003: Shariah Rules in Financial Transactions of CIFP Module 2012, published by the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), pg 97- 129Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar and Dr. Engku Rabiah Adawiah Engku Ali (2008), Essential Readings In Islamic Finance, CERT Publications Sdn Bhd: pg 133-165 http://www. isra. my/media-centre/downloads/finish/7-islamic-b anking/273-the-concept-of-promise-and-bilateral-promise-in-financial-contracts-a-fiqhi-perspective-english/0. html retrieved 17/11/2012 20. 00pm http://dahabshilbank. com/cms. php? id=ijarah_en& retrieved 16/11/2012 16. 00pm

Macy’s Private Label Case Study Essay

There are several private labels and several independent brand labels within Macy’s often amongst each other as a clever marketing technique. However what will attract customers to Macy’s is not the high priced brands but rather their private label brands that often closely mock the established brand style but for a much cheaper price point. People shopping at Macy’s are seeking a deal; otherwise they could shop at Nordstrom’s for a pair of 150-dollar jeans so people often come for the private labels. Macy’s private labels are very clever because of their strategic placing which leads me to say that the private labels are more lucrative to the company than the major brands are. Starting with major brand DKNY which Macy’s sells their mission statement is, â€Å"The mission of the Donna Karan Company, as a design driven company, is to represent the international pulse of New York in the design, marketing and delivery of a complete lifestyle system to a global customer†. DKNY is all about marketing to the New York style consumer who keeps up with East Coast styles and also runs on the more expensive side with a dress averaging around 200 dollars and jeans around 150 dollars. Although the brand is very trendy and made with quality materials one would expect at that price, it simply isn’t really the Macy’s target market. Macy’s consumer expects to shop for deals on the cheaper end as opposed to going to a competitor on the pricey side such as Nordstrom or Bloomingdales. However Macy’s is very strategic in the placing of this brand because it’s generally right next to their private label INC and that proves smart because someone who loves a 300-dollar dress from DKNY can walk over a few feet to INC and find one very similar for much, much less. INC is also urban inspired young contemporary clothing however at a much cheaper price point than the clothing at DKNY. The average price for a dress from the INC department at Macy’s costs from 70-100 dollars. Macy’s is very strategic in merchandising and generally will place INC directly next to brands such as DKNY so that when someone falls in love with that 300 dollar cocktail dress they can ask an associate for something similar and walk a few feet over to the INC department and get the same look for about 200 dollars less. This is smart because Macy’s typical consumer is on the lower end of the financial spectrum and they know people want expensive looks for less money. They use the name brands as bait and lure shoppers in to ultimately buy something from a similar private label, which consumers love because they feel like they are getting a great deal. The INC marketing strategy is very clever and brings in more money than their brand name labels. Overall, INC has the better marketing strategy between the two labels because although people value quality they will take a great deal even if it means sacrificing a bit of quality. The clothing is just as trendy and it’s what ultimately brings in Macy’s target market consumers because they are generally shopping for a great deal. This strategy of using brand names as bait has been the central reason for their success because their goal of maintaining reasonable price points for their customers is prevalent through their private label brands. It’s similar to if you are at the grocery store and want a box of Lucky Charms for 4 dollars then next to it is the same cereal but the store’s private label brand such as Kirkland for only 2 dollars. It’ll taste just a little bit different but not enough to tell the difference off the bat. INC clearly isn’t the same quality of material as a 300-dollar DKNY dress; however at a glance no one can really tell if it’s DKNY or INC it just looks good and this is what matters to consumers at the end of the day. Macy’s should implement more private label brands because these are what make the sales for them. INC wins over DKNY because someone shopping at Macy’s is statistically proven due to finances to be more likely to buy a less expensive private label brand than the pricey brand name item.

Research Paper and Argument Topics

1 The University Writing Center â€Å"Because writers need readers† Research Paper and Argument Topics Race and Ethnicity Gender and Sexuality Multiculturalism and Diversity Advertising and Marketing Economic Issues Environmental Issues Media Issues Consumerism and Convenience Culture TV and Film Sports and Entertainment Race and Ethnicity †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should racial profiling be a legitimate law enforcement policy in some areas? Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued?Should the primary method of public school funding (property taxes in individual school districts) be amended to create more fairness in schools? If a university offers â€Å"African-American Studies† or â€Å"Black Studies† as courses, should it also offer â€Å"European-American Studies† or â€Å"White Studies†? How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stere otypes? Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative perspectives on historical events? What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals? Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans?Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses? If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected? Should government organizations have staff that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society? Criminal Justice Religion The Political Process Education National/International Policies UCF Issues Civil Liberties Counter-Culture Issues Youth Issues Local Area Issues Gender and Sexuality †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What should be done to eliminate salary disparities between men and women?What should be done to create equity in executive positio ns for women in particular corporations and industries? Should women be allowed in military combat? To what extent? Is healthcare for women underfunded? In what ways? Should insurance companies that cover the cost of Viagra prescriptions also be required to cover birth control and regular examinations for women? Are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for primetime television? In what ways does gender play a role in student success and teacher attention in the classroom? Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and made part of the Constitution? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 ttp://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 2 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks? Should prostitution be legalized? Under what conditions? How does pornography differ from prostitution? Is it contradictory that one should be legal while the other is not? Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Florida? Should homosexual couples in Florida be legally allowed to adopt? Multiculturalism and Diversity †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should English be made the official language of the United States?Should ESL students be taught content courses in their native language? Should high school history classes and social studies curricula be changed to reflect diversity and multicultural perspectives? Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective? Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays? Should the United States have a more stringent or more relaxed immigration policy? Advertising and Marketing †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How do certain kinds of advertising perpetuate gender, racial, or religious stereotypes?How do certain kinds of advertising make claims of patriotic values? How do mass marketing and manufacturing affect originality and creativity in the arts and other fields? Does the American consumerist society conflict with democratic values? In what ways? How does advertising treat convenience as necessity? Are certain kinds of advertising unethical? Should product placement in television, film, and other media be controlled? Should product advertising and selling be permitted in public schools? Should communities retain the naming rights to baseball parks and football stadiums, or should businesses be allowed to purchase these rights?Does the modeling industry bear any responsibility to provide healthy, realistic physical role models for young women? Is the use of sexual imagery in ad campaigns unethical? Should tobacco and liquor advertising be allowed on television? Should all billboard advertising of alcohol be banned? Should tobacco and alcohol companies be allowed to use ad campaigns that could be considered child-friendly? Why are alcohol companies now allowed to advertise on television under certain conditions (after primetime, with responsible drinking messages in some ads, etc. )? Economic Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the local sales tax be increased/decreased?Should â€Å"sin taxes† on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the increasing costs of medical care? Should Florida increase the use of toll roads to pay for local road improvements? Do local power and utility companies operate as monopolies? Should purchases made over the Internet be taxable? Should the government provide financial assistance to people whose retirement funds were invested in the stock of companies that may have used unethical accounting practices (i. e. , Enron, Arthur Andersen, etc. )? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. eduW:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 3 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Argue for or against the earning potential vs. risk of investing in a certain kind of stock. Argue for or against a controversial trade tariff or tax. Many stock analysts describe the nature of today's stock market as completely different from the stock market of twenty or thirty years ago. Argue for or against this assertion. Does America have a responsibility to assist its industries financially and politically if other countries' industries receive similar assistance from their own governments?Argue for or against Federal Reserve strategies that attempt to keep inflation low. Large corporations such as Walmart and Barnes & Noble have been criticized for driving mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism when considering the nature of supply and demand? A few years ago, the U. S. Mint issued a new form of dollar coin. Argue for or against the continued use of this new currency. Should the United Kingdom join other E. U. countries in converting its currency to Euros?Environmental Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should national environmental policy focus on developing more oil resources or developing renewable energy sources? Should our national energy policy focus on building more nuclear power plants? How does overseas oil dependency influence our economy and/or international policies? Should genetically engineered food be labeled differently? How do city zoning laws and ordinances affect development and conservation? Which civic policies should be changed to encourage conservation rather than new land development? Should recycling be mandatory? How should recycling efforts be funded?Should fines for littering and dumping be stronger? Should fines and penalties for corporate pollution be more punitive? Should the fuel efficiency of SUVs a nd pick-up trucks be raised? Should the government offer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid or alternative energy vehicles? Should the designations of endangered and threatened species be changed? Should loss of economic/industrial benefits be considered when land is preserved for endangered species? Should more civilian oversight be created to monitor government and military pollution? Should environmental studies become a mandatory part of science curricula in public schools?Should third-world countries be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced nations? Argue for or against new environmental regulation concerning a specific industry (e. g. , clear-cutting for raising cattle vs. tropical rain forest protection). Argue for a specific regulation that will make a certain business or industry more environmentally safe. Media Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ How does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is broadcast? What ethica l considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media news channel?How and why do certain media outlets contribute to sensationalism in news reporting? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 4 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information? How does specific media bias affect how news is interpreted and delivered? How has the conglomeration of media companies influenced radio and TV content? Do cable companies represent a monopoly?Should more customer options be available with cable television? Should cable services be offered on an a la carte system (for example, paying $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen by the consumer)? Should a stricter rating system be im posed upon television programming? Should tabloid television be scheduled only for late night time slots? Should parental locks be optional or mandatory on televisions? Consider media influence on national political campaigns fifty or a hundred years ago in comparison with such influence today. Should new regulations be imposed to make current campaign coverage more equitable?Should music-sharing programs that facilitate piracy on the Internet be outlawed? Should websites that allow the free download of bootlegged movies be shut down? Do production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of sound or video clips from their media? Consumerism and Convenience Culture †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the official work week be shortened/extended? How is shopping an American cultural value? Which American or cultural values does the mall represent? How does the concept of consumer credit influence our econom y?How does American consumer culture deal with the concept of death? How are the values, expectations, and rituals of specific holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day influenced by consumer culture? What role does product packaging play in consumerism? What role does the national debt play in consumers’ spending awareness? Consider the issue of disposable products and packaging and their impact on the marketplace as well as the environment. Argue for or against new regulation. TV and Film †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should televised sexual and violent content be censored by the government?Are mandatory ratings a form of censorship? Is there a gender-based double standard regarding nudity, sex, and ratings on television? Which values do â€Å"reality television† shows appeal to? How have they changed television viewing? What does the trend towards voyeuristic TV programs reveal about modern Americ an culture? To what extent has television as a source of entertainment changed American neighborhoods and leisure activities? Which values/philosophies/worldviews are expressed by a certain television program? What impact has 24-hour news coverage had on our TV watching habits?How has it changed our view of information? How does MTV contribute to celebrity and image-selling? How has the television as an invention changed American household and family life? Why are the TV and film industries considered so hard to break into? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 5 †¢ †¢ †¢ Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?In the past, the Screenwriters Guild of America has pushed for the credit â€Å"A Film By [director's name]† to be banned. Why would the SGA want this, and is this a justified request? Do scriptwriters have a right to be allowed on the set of a movie they wrote, or is this a privilege to be allowed at the discretion of the director? Sports and Entertainment †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How has the increase in ticket prices and athlete salaries negatively affected professional sports? Should professional tennis players only be able to use personalized/custom-made rackets?In World Cup soccer matches that end in ties, should penalty kicks be discarded for some other method of determining a winner? Should professional sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB establish a promotion/relegation system that rewards strong teams from lesser leagues with promotion, while relegating poor teams to a lower division? What changes, if any, should be made to NBA rules to preserve the integrity of the sport? Do celebrity athletes bear any responsibility for being role models for children? Should the instant replay remain in effect in the NFL? Should it be extended to other sports as well?Should teams with potentially offensive logos and nicknames (like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins) change their names to be more racially sensitive? To what level should collegiate sports be funded? What is their relationship to academics? Should college athletes be paid to play? Does Title IX actually promote gender equality in college sports? Should GPA standards for college athletes be raised or more rigidly enforced? How have professional sporting events been negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?Should certain kinds of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in different sports? Should creatine be banned from Major League Baseball? Should women be allowed to play in professional sports leagues that have no female league equi valent (NFL, NHL)? How have the four major professional American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) affected the rise of other sports such as soccer and lacrosse? How have ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years? Should communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?Criminal Justice †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the criminal sentencing process be reevaluated or changed because of racially unfair sentences? Which changes should be implemented to prevent prison rape? How has the proliferation of privately funded prisons changed the criminal justice system in America? Should certain non-violent crimes be punishable by fines rather than jail time? Are state-mandated â€Å"three-strikes† policies unfair? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit Ra cksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults? If so, should there be a lower age limit to this policy? Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair? What kinds of rights should criminals have? Which conditions of incarceration are fair? Are certain kinds of capital punishment cruel and unusual? Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities? Should capital punishment be suspended because of the chance of executing an innocent person? Should prison be punitive or rehabilitative in nature?Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissible in court, should controversial closed cases be re-opened? If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under certain circumstances? Should some kind of reparation be made to the fami lies of the wrongfully accused? Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made? Presuming that capital punishment is allowable, what types of crimes should this apply to? Only murder? Treason? Is society's obligation to simply remove a criminal from society, to actually punish the criminal for crime, or a combination of both?Considering this, what is the purpose of the death penalty in America today? Should the legal requirements for obtaining a search warrant be changed? If an officer finds something that s/he was not looking for (e. g. , narcotics in an automobile that was being searched for firearms), why should or shouldn't the officer have the right to take the accused into custody? Consider the issue of â€Å"reasonable suspicion† in your discussion. Why are lawyers stereotyped as sharks? Is this a fair representation, and if not, why is it so prevalent? Many consider today's justice system to be too slow.What improvements could be made to e xpedite the system without sacrificing due process? Some states have harsher penalties than others for drunk driving. Consider the policies of a particular state and argue for a change in the penalties. Define â€Å"terrorist. † Under what circumstances, if any, is â€Å"terrorism† acceptable? Should terrorists be tried in a military or civil court? When tried in our court system, should the citizens of other countries have the same rights as citizens of the United States? Argue for or against an amendment to the statute of limitations for a particular crime. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Religion †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What, if anything, should constitute acceptable â€Å"prayer† or moments of silence in public schools? Should religious schools be required to teach health/sexual education from a non-religious perspective? Should religious phrases be removed from American money? Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the needy? Should evolution be the official curricular focus of public schools regarding human origin? Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy (food, shelter, etc. )?Should the Orlando-based Holy Land theme park be given tax exempt status because it is run by a faith-based organization? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 7 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion tax-exempt status because it fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion – that of congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place? How has the role of the Catholic Church been affected by the recent accusations of sexual abuse by pri ests?Argue for a specific change in church policy regarding these crimes. Are public school winter holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy. On campus, faith-based organizations can receive funds as part of a club. Does this follow the separation of church and state? Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays? The Political Process †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the Electoral College be discarded in favor of a simple popular vote in presidential elections?Do alternative political parties in America receive fair treatment during elections? Should third party candidates be allowed to participate in national debates? How do the media help or hinder third parties? Should they receive equal and free airtime on major networks? Should the campaign f inancing system be reformed? Should presidential candidates be barred from spending their own money for their campaigns? What is the relationship between personal campaign finance and free speech? Should terms of senators and congressmen be further limited?Should a national form of health care be created, or should health care remain a private industry? Examine the historical reversal of the value systems of Republicans and Democrats. Should a particular Congressional District be reallocated? Argue for a policy change that would make the American democratic process more efficient. Are checks and balances a crucial element in American government? Does this process work as it was originally intended? Has the executive branch of the American government gained too much power in the last fifty years? Cite specific examples in your argument.How has/will new technologies like the Internet change the political process? How can the voting process in national elections be made less confusing? Education †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Is standardized state or national testing (such as the FCAT or SAT) helping or hurting American schools? Is the current system of public school funding (primarily through property taxes) unfair? Does it contribute to inequality in the public school system? Should tracking be used in determining courses for public school children? Should magnet and charter schools be encouraged or discouraged?Should the system of busing students to school be amended? Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal? Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools? How does the separation of church and state apply to this issue? Consider the needs of a teacher's salary vs. the realities of the funding schools now have. Argue for a change in education budget allocation. Do teachers in classrooms of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as educators? Should they be expected to? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. ah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 8 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does this further punish lower-performing schools? Consider the benefits and drawbacks of a home-school education vs. a public school education. Conservatives, liberals, and radicals all have different ideas about the purposes of a public education.Research several perspectives and argue for or against a particular viewpoint. How necessary are the arts in the public school system? Argue for or against a change in funding for a particular district. National/International Policy †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ In which situations, hyp othetical or actual, is U. S. military intervention in other countries justifiable? In which situations is it not? Does the threat of terrorism warrant the suspension or curtailment of civil liberties? What policy should the American government have towards international political crises? To the Middle East?To Israel? To Tibet? What should our policy be towards trade with China? Should the United States support the expansion of NATO to include the Baltic states? Should mandatory military service be required for all men and women in America? What are the ethics involved when considering the separation of powers and allowing a Presidential Line Veto? Is shuttle diplomacy a better alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world? Consider the CIA's pre-September 11th policy of non-assassination and its post-September 11th policy of pro-assassination. Argue for or against this new stance.Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks by att acking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism? Not considering the United States, what is the most powerful nation on the planet? Explain the criteria used in making this judgment. Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing student visas? UCF Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What is the best solution to the parking issues on the UCF campus? Should the GEP (General Education Program) be changed? What courses should be added or dropped?Should the composition program at UCF be changed? How? Should the course be worth a different number of credits? Is the concept of UCF as a â€Å"metropolitan university† a good idea for the future of the school? Should Greek Park expansion take place, even if it means developing environmentally delicate areas? Is corporate funding of university research a good idea? Should public universities have the right to sell the names of campus buildings to corporations? Argue for or against the UCF football program joining the MAC. Should UCF fund the men's basketball team more heavily?Should UCF devise a different scheduling method for classes held in modules and portable trailers? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 9 †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the â€Å"tradition† of not stepping on the Pegasus symbol in the Student Union be reevaluated? Argue for or against more university funding for student services such as the Student Academic Resource Center and the University Writing Center. What purpose does the campus newspaper serve, and how well does it achieve its purpose?Civil Liberties †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should people between the ages of 18 and 20 be allowed to drink adult beverages that contain a lowered alcohol content? Should legal hemp produ ction be reassessed by the Florida legislature? Under which conditions (if any) should medical marijuana use be legal? Under what rationale have some states gone against federal regulations and fought to allow medical marijuana use? Do terrorist attacks justify any suspension of civil liberties in the name of national safety? Should prison sentences for non-violent â€Å"victimless† crimes be commuted to community service or alternative methods of punishment?Is there such a thing as a â€Å"victimless crime†? What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? Argue for or against a specific passenger check policy. What rights do people lose when on public school property? Is the suspension of these rights valid? Proponents of a lowered drinking age sometimes note the disparity between the draft age (18) and the legal-drinking age (21). Argue for or against the validity of this comparison. Counter-Culture Issues †¢ â₠¬ ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental permission to get tattoos and piercings?Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse? Should rave clubs have limits on their operating hours? Why have recent raves been shut down in the Orlando area? Was this action justified? Do owners of raves have a right to operate a business that can be potentially harmful to youth? Youth Issues †¢ Should the minimum age for attaining a driver's license be increased? Should this be a national standard? †¢ Should the mandatory age for quitting school be raised or lowered, or is the current age of sixteen justified? †¢ Should computer skills be a fundamental part of education curricula?Local Area Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What kind of public transportation system would be best for Orlando? Would light or high speed rail best serve the interests of Orlando residents? Should local zoning restrictions be changed to encourage community development? How do current zoning restrictions limit or control growth? Should police patrol the University Drive area more stringently? Should regular speed traps be a part of this patrol? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 0 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How does traffic light timing influence traffic in the UCF area? Should traffic light patterns be recalibrated to help reduce congestion? Should Alafaya Trail be expanded to four lanes from McCollough Road through Oviedo? Should off-campus UCF housing be restricted because of conflicts with local neighborhoods? Are the policies of local apartment complexes fair? How should they be changed? Should new development in the Orlando area face more stringent environmental considerations? Should carpool restriction s be placed on certain Orlando highways for certain times of the day?Should Orlando campaign for a professional baseball team? A professional football team? Would having a professional basketball team contribute to the prestige of the city? How does tourism in Central Florida affect local communities? Should legalized gambling in the form of casinos be considered as an economic boost to this area? Should dancers be allowed to perform nude in local establishments? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14