Fundamentals of rhythm Essay

What is dance? Dance is a type of art that generally involves movement of the body, often rhythmic and to music. It is performed in many cultures as a form of emotional expression, social interaction, or exercise, in a spiritual or performance setting, and is sometimes used to express ideas or tell a story. Dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal communication between humans or other animals, as in bee dances and behavior patterns such as mating dances. Definitions of what constitutes dance can depend on social and cultural norms and aesthetic, artistic and moral sensibilities. Definitions may range from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Martial arts kata are often compared to dances, and sports such as gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are generally thought to incorporate dance. What is rhythm? Rhythm from Greek —rhythmos, â€Å"any regular recurring motion, symmetry† generally means a â€Å"movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions. This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time can apply to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or frequency of anything from microseconds to millions of years. In the performance arts rhythm is the timing of events on a human scale; of musical sounds and silences, of the steps of a dance, or the meter of spoken language and poetry. Rhythm may also refer to visual presentation, as â€Å"timed movement through space and a common language of pattern unites rhythm with geometry. In recent years, rhythm and meter have become an important area of research among music scholars. Recent work in these areas includes books by Maury Yeston, Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, Jonathan Kramer, Christopher Hasty, Godfried Toussaint, William Rothstein, and Joel Lester. What is dancing? Dancing is the music played with the body. Dancing is done for pleasure of the dancer. Dancing can be defined as: a series of movements that match the speed and rhythm of a piece of music. Dancing is also a particular sequence of steps and movements constituting a particular form of movements. Visual effects of dancing are secondary. Movement to the beat expressed in sounds has the  magical effect on us: we come to the euphoria, trance. Dancing in a group we experience the powerful drive to unity. Unity of free people united in free formations. No wonder dancing for millennia was main spiritual or entertaining activity for all religious, social, political, and even military activities. Dancing is a means of expressing one’s emotions through movement disciplined by rhythm. It is an art of moving rhythmically and expressively to an accompaniment. The term â€Å"Dancing† came from an old German word â€Å"danson† which means â€Å"to stretch†.

Mankind Is No Island

Mankind is No Island Focus: The collection of Still Images Sound Not a lot of dialogue Montage of images – together they make an image The words shown are from signs, street signs and shop signs etc. What makes this film visual What is specifically visual about it What makes the video shape my perspective of the situation What is the purpose of the video being made? – To be more aware of the homeless Ideas: There is a lack of giving to the homeless The homeless are taken for granted The homeless are ignored by society It is filmed in the city because it demonstrates advertising and also emphasizes consumerism. Used to contradict or to challenge what they are to present in the cities. The homeless are destitute and deprived from the necessities of life. Techniuqes Soft dramatic piano music is used The music sets the tone. It also makes the audience depressed and feel guilty. Camera angles are placed in the same level as the homeless. This is used to place the audience in the homeless peoples situation and position. By doing this, the audience feels the hardships, the sadness and the uselessness as the homeless have also felt. Repetition of the images of the homeless being ignored Rhetorical Questions are also used to make the audience feel depressed and reflect on their guilt. RQ's are also used to make audience reflect Repetitions of RQ's Religious images Repetition of â€Å"NO† Close up of the Homeless Face – Shows their facial expressions. Also indicates their sadness and their depression. Shows their rugged appearance. Take away the homeless identity and places the audience to look at them face to face as humans. Demonstrates how old they look. Also supports that being homeless ages you. The homeless have literally been forced to live a life of desperation. The homeless have no choices. The fact that two of the largest cities are used symbolises and supports the idea that homeless people are not found in a particular place, but are recognised everywhere. Repetition of â€Å"your† emphasizes that the homeless and the successful are no different. They may be different in social class but they are still the same in species. The images are also negative and focus the negative sides of the city. The sentences are also in a first person register RQ's is used to challenge and contradict on what we love The Heart Balloon –

Human Genome Project Essay

One of the most challenging questions that have been left unanswered to this date is that regarding human evolution and geography. From the sociological point of view, it has long been known that specific populations can be differentiated from each other based on their religious backgrounds. On the other hand, forensic science employs language in grouping human population. In the field of human genetics, there is currently credible information that facilitates the understanding of how the entire human population evolved through time. The recent completion of the Human Genome Project resulted in the generation of the actual deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence of a human cell, with the hope that every disease could be associated to a particular gene in the sequence. Alongside this discovery, other genetic features have been uncovered in the DNA sequence, including small nucleotide polymorphisms which serve as signatures to specific biological phenomenon. In Olson’s chapter entitled â€Å"God’s people: A genetic history of the Jews,† the evolution of this population was described in terms of selection, environmental factors, adaptation and migration (Olson 107). The chapter supported this description with reports generated from haplotype reconstruction and tracing of Aaron’s Y chromosome. Through DNA sequencing analyses, it is now possible to reconstruct the origins and migrations of specific populations based on the presence or absence of genetic markers in the human genome sequence. The most interesting part of the chapter is that genetic changes in the Samaritan population can be correlated to their historical account, including the time when these individuals were under persecution by the Roman government. This historical event resulted in a significant decrease in their population size. In response to the change in population size, the Samaritans underwent what is genetically termed inbreeding, which is simply the action of consanguinity. Despite common notions that consanguinity results in serious health risks, this population survived through thousands of years. One major observation among the Samaritans is that these individuals physically appear similar and this is mainly due to inbreeding. Interestingly, the expected medical diseases that are commonly brought about by intermarriages did not develop in the next generations and this may be due to the selection against these defective genotypes. Another process that could be associated with this scenario is the bottleneck effect, which selectively retains the beneficial genes to the next generation. Today, it has been estimated that approximately 13 million Jews are living in the Middle East. The contemporary Jews are technically grouped into Ashkenazi or non-Ashkenazi, based on their ancestry through regions around Europe. These individuals are a good population to follow in terms of genetic history, since this population carries a natural history of migration and evolution through time. The non-Ashkenazi Jews are considered as the highly migratory subpopulation, resulting in a diverse culture. On the other hand, the Ashkenazi Jews generally remained in the same region, thus preserving their genetic makeup. This geographical history thus resulted in the identification of specific genetic mutations and diseases that are inherently observed among members of this population. The chapter also attempted to describe the effect of founding mutations, which are initial mutations that have occurred early in time during the migratory and settling era of the population. The subsequent generations of this population resulted in the presence of the same diseases and mutations, the most possible explanation for this is that these formerly de novo mutations have been fixed in the genome sequence of the offspring. It should be understood that genetic mutations occur in germ cells, as well as in somatic cells, and these have the propensity to be passed on to the next generation through the genetic laws of independent assortment and segregation. The analysis of sequences derived from mitochondrial DNA have also revealed that the founder mutations reported among the Jews were transmitted through a matrilineal route (Behar 2062). Using mitochondrial DNA tracking, genetic analysis can generate estimations of the time of fixation of a specific genetic mutation in this population. The continuous geographical changes of the members of this population further exert its impact on the genetic fixation and phenotypic frequencies of these mutations, resulting in the current genetic conditions of this group. The genetic pool of the Jews thus reflects a microenvironment wherein genetic changes, alongside environmental effects and migration could be correlated with each other. There is still great debate with regards to the genetic history of the Jews. As Olson has indeed mentioned in his writing, all human beings are similar in the genetics aspect and being a Jew is simply based on how an individual feels about himself. This maybe true, yet in time there will still be more information that will be gathered from genetic assays on different populations around the world. The current information that has been established is that there are three founding mutations that have been identified in the Jews and each mutation reflects the origin or migratory pattern of each subgroup. However, the exact direction or genetic drift of each migratory pattern still needs to be further investigated. There is a need for a comprehensive genotyping of more individuals of each human population in order to fully understand the historical, as well as geographical account of human evolution and speciation. Each existing population must have been derived from an original group of individuals that existed in time. 2. The article entitled, â€Å"Jewish legacy inscribed on genes† authored by Karen Kaplan describes the account of Gregory Cochran regarding the genes of Jewish individuals (Kaplan 3). One of his claims is that Ashkenazi Jews are more prone to serious medical disorders due to the common mutations that afflict this specific population. One of the highly publicized medical disorders that commonly occur among Ashkenazi Jews is Tay-Sachs disease, a neurological childhood condition that leaves an individual disabled and complications result in difficulty of these individual’s to lead normal lives. Another common genetic disorder affecting Jews is Canavan disease, which involves the deterioration of the brain tissues, resulting in both morbidity and mortality in young Ashkenazi Jewish children. Niemann-Pick disease is another serious medical condition that is often reported among this specific human population and this disease is associated with the significant accumulation of fats in the particular organs such as the brain. Unfortunately, these aforementioned medical disorders result in mortality of an Ashkenazi Jew at a very young age. Another medical disorder that occurs frequently among Ashkenazi Jews is torsion dystonia, which is a movement disorder that involves changes in the tissue consistency of the brain. The accumulation of plaques in the brain results in the involuntary jerking and twisting of parts or even the entire body of the afflicted individual. Cochran claims that these common medical disorders affect Ashkenazi Jews in particular through a specific genetic makeup that still has yet to be uncovered. It is also of interest to know that these common disorders are of neurological origin, which means that the central nervous system of an individual is affected. Thus, these disorders can either affect the brain, the spinal cord, or any of the smaller neural cells that are connected or associated with the nervous system. In order for the public to better understand his claim, Cochran even compared this association to that of sickle cell anemia, which is a severe blood disorder that is commonly observed among African Americans. This genetic blood disorder results in the difficulty to transport oxygen to the rest of the parts of the body, as the red blood cells are distorted in shape, from the normal ovoid shape to that similar to a sickle. Comprehensive scientific research has established that a specific mutation is responsible for the generation of a sickle cell-shaped red blood cell, which in turn is commonly present in individuals of African American descent. Another claim of Gregory Cochran is that despite such serious medical disorders that commonly affect Ashkenazi Jews, a positive observation is also significantly present in this human population. Cochran claimed that Ashkenazi Jews are highly intelligent, as shown by intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of children of this ethnicity. He thus proposed that the predisposition of Ashkenazi Jews to mutations in gene associated with brain conditions also results in a high level of intelligence. Kaplan’s article further supports Cochran’s claim of intelligence and gene mutations with the historical accounts of how Jews lives through the centuries. The activities mainly involved migration, trading and other forms of business, all of which were highly successful. Kaplan supported Cochran’s claim by saying that these business transactions can only survive if the individuals involved were highly intelligent and since most of the activities were led by Ashkenazi Jews, then it is also likely that the intelligence â€Å"phenomenon† may have existed early on. Unfortunately, the claims of Cochran still need to be tested on a large population of Ashkenazi Jews before this can be proven and accepted. As Kaplan accounts in her Los Angeles Times article, the report of Cochran was an outright reject in the first journal that he and his collaborator, Harpending, submitted to. However, another journal that supports theories without substantial experimental evidence, Journal of Biosocial Science, published their claim. The claim of high intelligence among Ashkenazi Jews needs to undergo comprehensive investigation first before it can be fully accepted in the field of science. Similar to the genetic establishment of the neurological diseases that commonly affect Ashkenazi Jews, this claim was further strengthened after several years of scientific research in genetic laboratories. Patients positively diagnosed with the neurological disease were checked with regards to other clinical features. In addition, their DNA was extracted and the specific genes responsible for generating the disease were sequenced. In case a DNA mutation was identified in the genes, these were compared to other patients’ DNA sequences. Any other common features among thousands of patients were correlated and compared, thus resulting in what has now been established as a predisposition of the disease in this human population. It is thus important that the same meticulous type of investigation be conducted with regards to intelligence. However, the search for the answer to this claim may be more difficult because intelligence has been established to be influence by several factors. Scientists and psychologists have earlier established that the multi-factorial origin of intelligence makes any effort in tracing the source of intelligence to be ultimately difficult. Intelligence can not simply be generated through the genes because environmental factors can also affect an individual’s condition, including his mental state. There are a number of twin studies that have been conducted for several decades that employ the procedure of separating each of the twins are bringing each individual up in a different environment. Since the genetic makeup of twins is entirely the same, then any claims on intelligence genes can be validated in such experimental conditions. Unfortunately, twin studies have proven that a child who was brought up in an environment filled with violence and anger tend to be poorly developed in intelligence. On the other hand, the twin sibling who was raised in an environment that was filled with love and support grew up into a very intelligent and mature individual. It is thus difficult to prove Cochran’s claim that Ashkenazi Jews are far more intelligent than other human populations, because there are so many factors to consider before one can claim that a specific entity influences that state of thinking. Another issue that would emanate from such claim is that other cultures and ethnicities would perceive such proposal as a form of discrimination or indifference to other human populations. Claiming or even proving that a certain human population is highly intelligent does not help in the global cooperation between countries. In addition, the establishment of this claim will not save lives, just like the other efforts that employ genetic technologies in screening for specific mutations that would tie a particular phenotype to a particular genetic sequence. Proving the high levels of intelligence among Ashkenazi Jews will only spark anger and outrage from other cultures. It is thus good that Cochran feels that there is no need to prove his claim through the use of experimental evidence. It would also be safe and for the best of the rest of the world to leave Cochran along with his claim and let other people speculate on his unsupported claim. The application of genetic analysis on human population has been regarded as a novel and revolutionary addition to the methods in studying human evolution and speciation. The information that can be generated by this technology can be very sensitive and effective, yet there is still a need to employ human intervention and compassion with regards to which specific questions need to be addressed. Genetic analysis in connection to medical disorders can be very helpful in diagnostics and treatment, as well as for saving lives, but genetic screening other social factors such as intelligence will only spark bias among individuals around the world. Works Cited Behar, D. M., Metspalu, E. , Kivisild, T. , Rosset, S. , Tzur, S. , Hadid, Y. , Yudkovsky, G. , Rosengarten, D. , Pereira, L. , Amorim, A. , Kutuev, I. , Gurwitz, D. , Bonne-Tamir, B. , Villems, R. and Skorecki, K. â€Å"Counting the Founders: The Matrilineal Genetic Ancestry of the Jewish Diaspora. † PLoS ONE 3 (2008): 2062-2087. Kaplan, K. â€Å"Jewish Legacy Inscribed on Genes? † Los Angeles Times 18 April 2009. Olson, S. Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins. San Francisco: Harcourt Publishers, 2003.

Marketing is a philosophy that puts the customer at the centre no Essay

Marketing is a philosophy that puts the customer at the centre no customer, no sales - Essay Example It highlights three important aspects that marketing accomplishes. First, it recognizes the purpose of business organizations to design products which satisfy customer requirements. Marketing does not just involve offering any goods and services but business organizations should strive to offer those which offer customer value. Second, it stresses the aim of business organizations to generate profit from its operations. Thus, the definition of CIM involves assessing the marketing strategy which will be mutually beneficial for customers and companies. Business organizations as this definition implies are profit maximizing entities. Lastly, this definition highlight that marketing is not just about providing the current needs by â€Å"anticipating† the future requirements of the markets. In summary, the CIM’s definition of marketing balances the satisfaction of customer and profit maximizing goal of business organizations. This definition creates an image for marketing as something which merely reflects the needs of customers and marketers are tasked merely to identify and respond to these various needs. It recognizes that marketers have a great part in shaping customer’s needs by offering innovative solutions to their problems. Nonetheless, it is still the customers that determine which among the various products they are bombarded with represent their real need through their demand backed by purchasing power. It is irrefutable that business organizations are now operating on what Kotler (2002) termed as a hypercompetitive environment. This arena is characterized by more intense rivalry between players and higher buyer leverage. Thus, it becomes a great challenge for companies to create and deliver product offerings which will satisfy the need of individuals as well as establish efficient strategies in order to capture

The Philosophy that truth makes you free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Philosophy that truth makes you free - Essay Example I live by this philosophy. I believe that it is every important for your every action to have a strong ethical and moral reasoning. You are always first answerable to yourself and then to others. If you are not ethically and morally correct, it is very difficult to be in peace with yourself. The above philosophy is not always easy to follow. There are many instances where an easy thing to do under a circumstance might not be morally or ethically correct. Also the easier way out might also have immediate consequences that can be beneficial. But in a long run, you end up in trouble or at loss. Hence, I strictly believe in doing the right thing rather than the easier one. Doing the right thing is not very easy. As easier way out has immediate benefits, doing the right thing might have negative consequences immediately. Hence, it is very tempting to take the easier way out. If not, you might end up hurting your closed ones and cause trouble to yourself. But over time the dots will connec t and the right thing to do always turns out to be beneficial. I always try to do what is morally and ethically right. Also the above main philosophy branches out into smaller philosophies which I follow. I never judge anybody. I believe that an enemy or an opposition is just someone with a different view point.

Physical Challenge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physical Challenge - Essay Example The purpose of the empirical study is to analyze the data and to know and explore more. It also helps to get to know how the movement of data is from one dimension to another either when answering or when asking questions (Leslie 56) Lonergan is the founder of the cognition theory which helps us to understand three things. What am I doing when I am knowing, which is the cognitional and psychological question. The other one is why is doing that knowing, which is an epistemological question. And the last one which is what I know when I am knowing, which is a metaphysical question. Those are the three that make the cognitional theory. They are all dependent and none is independent on itself. Epistemology depends on cognitional theory and metaphysics depends on epistemology. Lonergan comes up with the procedure that deals with the empirical variation and names it generalized empirical method. The generalized empirical method deals with the human awareness. It deals with the formation of the mind and how it is able to think based on understanding, questioning and formulating and the making of judgment. The general empirical deals with the consciousness of the data and the empirical method goes for the data that is th e data of the sense. The data that we are toking about in the human sense is different from the data that is found in the natural sciences. Epistemology asks for the answer to the question. The generalized empirical method helps to come up with the lonergan’s philosophy of knowing (Leslie 164). Francis Beacon from England tried to review how the human mind at its normal state is overcome by ignorance and self-deception. He discovers that the mind should not be left to be at its natural mode. He tries to reason empirically. When it comes to science most of the people are advised to always ask questions on what they think. The scientists are advised to think and take the

Online Auction Fraud Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online Auction Fraud - Research Paper Example After the invention of the computer, various networks were made to ensure the computers were able to communicate with each other. As time progressed, developments were achieved in the application of the internet in business transactions but the systems in place were not in a capacity to handle all the needs. This provided loopholes for the commission of internet crimes by criminals, as they would hide the identity while undertaking their attacks thus leaving limited evidence of themselves. In mid-1990’s, the internet frauds had increased to alarming rates and researches on the causes of the rapid growth and how it could be curbed were conducted. During the period towards the end of the twentieth century, the â€Å"dot.com† era, which was manifested by increased use of internet by organizations and people, resulted in increase of internet fraud. Due to the continuous technological advancement, the internet frauds have been on the increase with the current number of fraud s being around three times those conducted in mid-1990. There are two types of internet fraud namely offline and online. In offline fraud, the criminal usually steal personal data mostly financial and use it to make transactions. In the online fraud, criminals pose as esteemed institution and thus receive personal data, which they illegally use to make transaction. Some of the commonly used internet fraud include international modem dialer, investment schemes, fake legal schemes, market manipulation; work at home schemes, pharming, phishing, auction, and online shopping. This paper seeks to give an in-depth analysis of auction internet fraud. Online Auction Fraud Due to the continuous technological development, the internet has provided a platform in which direct interaction of the buyer and the seller is not necessary for a transaction to be effectively completed. Criminal have used advantage of this where they misrepresent a product advertised for sale through the internet auction site, fail to deliver the item, or deliver an item but not as specified by the customer after receiving all the money as stipulated in their agreement with the customers. This is usually defined as online auction fraud. To avoid one being a victim of such activities, it is often advisable to undertake a business transaction with companies or individuals one is well conversant with, clearly understand the contract terms, read the privacy policy and use the most secure means of remitting personal information (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 2006). Methods of victimization Since the internet auction process involves bidding by the interested parties, some people use this opportunity to victimize their target customers. Some of the most commonly used victimization methods include: Non-delivery- this usually occurs when one puts an item for bid whereas no such item exists. Therefore, despite the customer satisfying all the conditions set, he will never get the item (Anon, 2009.). During the transaction, the sellers get the financial details of the customer and thus may use them to exploit him/her further. Misrepresentation- this is mainly executed by altering the actual details of an item in order to win a customer. In most cases, the images are used since they can easily be manipulated. Triangulation- this is somehow technical and involves a person buying something from an online seller using stolen details.  

Christianity and European Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christianity and European Civilization - Essay Example The focus of the essay "Christianity and European civilization" is on Christianity as a Political Power. Thrive for Christianity was further observed during the Germanic kings who spread the religion through Western Europe. These kings were converted into Christianity by missionaries during the Roman Empire but they practiced more of Arianism rather than Roman Catholicism. During the 6th century, many kings from Germany were found to convert into Christianity along with their warriors and subjects. The emphatic power exercised by the bishops caught the attention of the Germanic kings who granted the bishops the power to administer the predominant Romans. They established monasteries and enlarged the span of followers of Christianity among the people of Western Europe. The Germanic kings who identified monasteries as the best tool for clutching the political supremacy over the Christians in Europe set up several such centers with the help of local nobles. Their trial was to influence the people with the injection of spiritual power with an objective of sentimentally capturing their political feelings with the religious approach. Apart from the prominent partner United Kingdom, Ireland was another aim of the politically motivated spirituality of the bishops employed by the Germanic kingdom. The Irish accepted the proposal with a new lookout for spreading the religion across the continent by deploying missionaries to spread Christianity. However, as McManners (181) states, western Christendom failed to incorporate its non-catholic citizens.

Business strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business strategy - Assignment Example Evaluation of different tactics for Leeds University Growth in the business is a complex and multifarious aspect but is a highly desired phenomenon for the organizations unanimously. Business growth stands synonymous to business outcome, which signifies the achievement of business goals, increasing the number of employees, enhancing the value of the business related to the stakeholders and enhancing the profit or the sales of the business. New ventures or strategies consist of processes that are related to the capabilities and resources of the organization (Kariv 477). The University of Leeds is ranked as the second largest university of United Kingdom (UK). This university is a significant player in the higher education of UK and has built its reputation on the basis of quality, volume and breadth of research and education along with its diverse portfolio of research excellence. The university has implemented various strategies in order to integrate education, scholarship and world- class research in order to secure a position among the top 50 universities in the world. Through these steps, they aim to create an impact on the global society. Along with achieving academic excellence, the organization also aims to form an efficient, effective and sustainable organization that would promote a healthy workplace, standardised processes and sustainable environment. Financial stability and appraisal of the university staff is also given equal importance in their strategy (University of Leeds â€Å"Strategy Map.†). Therefore, it can be seen that for attaining the world class position, the university has not only framed strategies related to their business, but has also employed resources that will be responsible for delivering the results. Thus, the strategy will lead to substantial growth. 2. Grounds based on which suitable future strategy are chosen for Leeds University To decide on a strategy, the managers devote considerable amount of energy and thought proc esses on considering and reconsidering the future and the present scenario of the organization. Creating a strategy is highly dependent on the scenario analysis and assessment of the business opportunities. Strategy scope plays an important role in this context. The University of Leeds is operating in a rapidly changing business environment where it requires addressing the scope which presents them with an opportunity. The scopes that the university requires to address are product or service scope, customers scope, geographic scope and the stakeholder scope (Fahey and Randall 23-28). Firstly, for University of Leeds to position itself among the top 50 universities, the product and services that they offer plays a significant role. The product and services that is education should be as such, that it develops outstanding scholars and graduates. Hence, the primary focus should be on methods to enhance the product to make it better. Secondly, in case of the customer scope that is the s tudents, the university should deliver their education in such ways that high quality students are developed who in turn will impact the global society. Thirdly, geographic scope is an important parameter for the success of the university. In order to create an impact on the global front, internationalization of the university is very important. This requires expansion of its geographic limits. Lastly, maximization of stakeholder’s value and meeting their expectations are significant for sustainability of the organizati

Ethical Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Integrity - Essay Example There are people who have been subjected to situations of life and death but they ended up not betraying their ethical and moral convictions. Such are the people who have what is termed as ethical integrity. Having said this, this paper aims to prove the fact hat there is no excuse or/and reason for going against or betraying morals, ethics, convictions or ethical integrity. Ethical and moral standards hold this world together in peace. Imagine if there were no standards of demeanor; then people would behave anyway anyhow. There will be chaos everywhere. But now thanks to the ethical and moral standards, as yardsticks to measure and rate behavior and conduct, peace and order is possible. Imagine a world where everyone subscribed to highest possible ethical integrity; it would be basically a paradise where there is no hypocrisy and problems are honestly and objectively handled without reservation. Indeed there will only be the truth and this truth will set the mortals free. Truthfulness and honesty are the core pillars that describe integrity and without these in every thought, word and deed, then there is no integrity at all except for hypocrisy. At some points, integrity has been described as doing the right things more especially when no one is watching you and that is exactly what it is (Carter, 1996). Integrity is defined as the strict devotion to the ethical principles. It may as well be termed as the unassailability of moral character or simply as honesty. Honesty is equal to integrity only when there is consistency and this kind of honesty is reminiscent in every level of being: thoughts, words and deeds. The synonyms of integrity are words like probity, goodness, decency, virtue, honor, godliness etc. The opposite of integrity is simply dishonesty, deceit, corruption, hypocrisy and fraudulence among others. All these are used to enable a deeper understanding and appreciation of the concept of integrity and more especially ethical integrity. More often than not, integrity and ethics are tied. When one talks about integrity, ethics is implied and vice versa. Ethics, according to the American Heritage Dictionary (2000), is construed to refer to the set of principles that govern behavior or simply the regulations or principles that govern the demeanor of a person or the membership of a profession such as law or medicine. This explains why we have things like medical ethics, law ethics etc. The code of conduct that guides people in their professions is often referred to as professional ethics. Such ethics are often based on carefully considered principles of truthfulness, accuracy and respect for human rights and dignity. Morality also guides the enactment of these ethics. Ethics as already mentioned is everywhere. Think of any profession or situation, ethics will still apply. We have ethics in medicine, in church, in school, in law, in business etc. Ethics is everywhere. The fact that these ethics do exist doesn't necessari ly mean that they are all the time adhered to. They are most of the time contravened more than they can be adhered to and this is what differentiates people in every profession or situation. There are those who will adhere and those who will dare not to. Such people or their behaviors which do not agree

Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Story - Essay Example In many occasions, the issue of plagiarism is not raised in the legal field, normally because repeatedly there is no room for inventiveness when drafting legal documents. This specific case began with a sad case that involved a family and their child. The family filed a case against British Columbia Women Hospital and Health Care Center and they won an enormous judgment. However, when the health care center went through the ruling of Judge Joel Groves, they found out that he had picked a large portion of his judgment from the complainant’s filings. The hospital went forward to file an appeal, stating that the plagiarism found in his ruling was a sign that the judge did not handle the case correctly and that he was prejudiced against the hospital. The case went to the Canadian Supreme Court and a ruling was made in 2013 (News, 2013). News, C. (2013, May 24). CBC News-British Columbia. Top court reinstates $4M award in plagiarizing-judge suit, 1. Retrieved from

Management Information System Essay Example for Free

Management Information System Essay Organizations and Information Systems * Information technology and organizations influence one another * Complex relationship influenced by organization’s structure, business processes, politics, culture, environment, and management decisions The Two-Way Relationship between Organizations and Information Technology This complex two-way relationship is mediated by many factors, not the least of which are the decisions made—or not made—by managers. Other factors mediating the relationship include the organizational culture, structure, politics, business processes, and environment. What is an organization? * Technical definition: * Stable, formal social structure that takes resources from environment and processes to produce outputs. * A formal legal entity with internal rules and procedures, as well as a social structure * Behavioral definition: * A collection of rights, privileges, obligations, and responsibilities that is delicately balanced over a period of time through conflict and conflict resolution The Technical Microeconomic Definition of the Organization In the microeconomic definition of organizations, capital and labor (the primary production factors provided by the environment) are transformed by the firm through the production process into products and services (outputs to the environment). The products and services are consumed by the environment, which supplies additional capital and labor as inputs in the feedback loop. Figure 3-2 The Behavioral View of Organizations The behavioral view of organizations emphasizes group relationships, values, and structures. Figure 3-3 * Features of organizations * All modern organizations share some characteristics, such as: * Use of hierarchical structure * Accountability, authority in system of impartial decision-making * Adherence to principle of efficiency * Other features include: Routines and business processes and organizational politics, culture, environments and structures * Routines and business processes * Routines (standard operating procedures) Precise rules, procedures, and practices developed to cope with virtually all expected situations * Business processes: Collections of routines * Business firm: Collection of business processes Routines, Business Processes, and Firms All organizations are composed of individual routines and behaviors, a collection of which make up a business process. A collection of business processes make up the business firm. New information system applications require that individual routines and business processes change to achieve high levels of organizational p erformance. Figure 3-4 * Organizational politics * Divergent viewpoints lead to political struggle, competition, and conflict * Political resistance greatly hampers organizational change * Organizational culture: * Encompasses set of assumptions that define goal and product * What products the organization should produce * How and where it should be produced * For whom the products should be produced * May be powerful unifying force as well as restraint on change * Organizational environments: Organizations and environments have a reciprocal relationship * Organizations are open to, and dependent on, the social and physical environment * Organizations can influence their environments * Environments generally change faster than organizations * Information systems can be instrument of environmental scanning, act as a lens Environments and Organizations Have a Reciprocal Relationship Environments shape what organizations can do, but organizations can influence their environments and decide to chang e environments altogether. Information technology plays a critical role in helping organizations perceive environmental change and in helping organizations act on their environment. Figure 3-5 * Organizational structure * Five basic kinds of structure * Entrepreneurial: Small start-up business * Machine bureaucracy: Midsize manufacturing firm * Divisional zed bureaucracy: Fortune 500 firms * Professional bureaucracy: Law firms, school systems, hospitals * Adhocracy: Consulting firms * Other Organizational Features * Goals * Constituencies * Leadership styles * Tasks Surrounding environments How Information Systems Impact Organizations and Business Firms * Economic impacts * IT changes relative costs of capital and the costs of information * Information systems technology is a factor of production, like capital and labor * IT affects the cost and quality of information and changes economics of information * Information technology helps firms contract in size because it can reduce transaction costs (the cost of participating in markets). Outsourcing expands * Transaction cost theory Firms seek to economize on cost of participating in market (transaction costs) * IT lowers market transaction costs for firm, making it worthwhile for firms to transact with other firms rather than grow the number of employees The Transaction Cost Theory of the Impact of Information Technology on the Organization Firms traditionally grew in size to reduce transaction costs. IT potentially reduces the costs for a given size, shifting the transaction cost curve inward, opening up the possibility of revenue growth without increasing size, or even revenue growth accompanied by shrinking size. Figure 3-6 * Agency theory: * Firm is nexus of contracts among self-interested parties requiring supervision * Firms experience agency costs (the cost of managing and supervising) which rise as firm grows * IT can reduce agency costs, making it possible for firms to grow without adding to the costs of supervising, and without adding employees The Agency Cost Theory of the Impact of Information Technology on the Organization As firms grow in size and complexity, traditionally they experience rising agency costs. IT shifts the agency cost curve down and to the right, enabling firms to increase size while lowering agency costs. Figure 3-7 * Organizational and behavioral impacts * IT flattens organizations * Decision-making pushed to lower levels * Fewer managers needed (IT enables faster decision-making and increases span of control) * Postindustrial organizations * Organizations flatten because in postindustrial societies, authority increasingly relies on knowledge and competence rather than formal positions Flattening Organizations Information systems can reduce the number of levels in an organization by providing managers with information to supervise larger numbers of workers and by giving lower-level employees more decision-making authority. Figure 3-8 * Organizational resistance to change * Information systems become bound up in organizational politics because they influence access to a key resource information * Information systems potentially change an organization’s structure, culture, politics, and work * Most common reason for failure of large projects is due to organizational amp; political resistance to change Organizational Resistance and the Mutually Adjusting Relationship between Technology and the Organization Implementing information systems has consequences for task arrangements, structures, and people. According to this model, to implement change, all four components must be changed simultaneously. Figure 3-9 * The Internet and organizations * The Internet increases the accessibility, storage, and distribution of information and knowledge for organizations * The Internet can greatly lower transaction and agency costs * E. g.

Role Of A Social Work Practitioner Social Work Essay

Role Of A Social Work Practitioner Social Work Essay Interrelationship can be defined as a mutual or reciprocal relation (Oxford University Press, 2012). A theory in social work is a framework for understanding (Thompson, 2000a, p. 22). It provides the practitioner with an understanding of client behaviour and emotions. Where theory enables understanding the client and the situation they are encountering, practice is how the practitioner interprets this knowledge and uses it. It is the process of interviewing, accessing and assisting the client. Thompson (2000a) states the relationship between theory and practice can be seen as a direct parallel with that between thinking and doing (p. 4). Social work practitioners learn theories so they can be more competent and professional in their practice. Without theory and a solid knowledge base, the social work practitioner inadvertently becomes less effective (Thompson, 2000a). Howe states (as cited in Collingwood, Emond, Woodward, 2008) some social work practitioners believe that theory is not required and that the best decisions are based on pragmatism and common sense (p. 72). However, according to Fisher and Somerton (as cited in Collingwood et al., 2008) theory may not be explicitly articulated, and it may not be used well, but there is no such thing as theory-less practice (p. 72). An example of a how theory interrelates with practice is what Connolly and Healy (2011) call mountain-moving theories (p. 28). These are approaches that aim to shift oppressive structures and/or dominant discourses so that we can move towards a more equitable society (Connolly Healy, 2011, p. 28). Social work practitioners are considered to have power and influence, therefore they need a practice that does not discriminate, oppress or show prejudice in terms of sexism, racism, ageism and disablism (Thompson, 2006, p. 40). Anti-oppressive practice is the practice in which a social work practitioner strives to reduce, undermine or eliminate discrimination and oppression (Thompson, 2006). When working with a person with a disability, a social work practitioner must be careful not to oppress the client themselves, therefore social work practitioners follow the principle of minimal intervention (Connolly Healy, 2011, p. 29). They need to use skills that involve empowerment which means b elieving that people are capable of making their own choices and decisions (Connolly Healy, 2011, p. 28). The social work practitioner would use their knowledge, access to resources, and power to enable the client to feel powerful and supported. They would not make decisions for the client but would let them decide for themselves, giving the client the tools necessary to realise their potential (Connolly Healy, 2011, p. 28). By using the right theory in their practice the social work practitioner has enabled the client to feel validated, giving them greater control of their lives, therefore building up their confidence and allowing them to be valued members of society (Connolly Healy, 2011). Connolly and Healy state anti-oppressive practice provides a theoretical explanation, guidance in terms of approach, and techniques for responding to the needs of people (Connolly Healy, 2011, p. 28). According to Thompson a paradigm is a theoretical approach which encompasses a number of related theories (2000, p. 27). Theoretical paradigms play an important role in social work as they guide the practitioner on what may be happening in the clients world. Social work practitioners can choose which approach to take by which paradigm they deem more appropriate to the situation (Thompson, 2000b). They can choose to focus their practice on a particular or singular paradigm or use multiple paradigms, in an eclectic manner (Poulter, 2005). Poulter states eclectic workers argue that not being locked into one particular paradigm frees practitioners to determine what actually works best in practice (2005, p. 1999). Although there are many theoretical paradigms of social work one main one is systems theory. An understanding of systems theory involves looking at the sociological effects of society on the client and how they are being affected by them (Thompson, 2000b). With Bronfenbrenners ecological theory, the social work practitioner takes the clients current environment into account. This theory includes microsystems, mesosystems, ecosystems and macrosystems (Connolly Healy, 2011). It is a valuable theory because it allows the practitioner to look at the whole picture. For example if there was a problem with a child, the social work practitioner would firstly look at the microsystem surrounding them. This includes the childs family, school, peers and neighbourhood which interact daily with them (Santrock, 2011). The social work practitioner would then look at the mesosystems that impact the clients life; this is the relationship between the childs microsystems and how they affect each other (Santrock, 2011). The ecosystem consists of links between a social setting in which the indiv idual does not have an active role (Santrock, 2011, p. 29), examples of this are parents work places and social welfare services. Here, the social work practitioner looks at how the parents work place or hours of work affect the child or how social welfare is influencing the familys life (Payne, 2005). The macrosystem involves the culture in which individuals live (Payne, 2005, p. 29). This is the familys values and beliefs and how this affects the child. By looking at the whole picture the social work practitioner can obtain a true picture of the child and his / her environment. By using a theoretical paradigm the practitioner has managed to fully comprehend the clients situation and what its influences are; now they can use their knowledge of practice to provide assistance to the child and family. As theory and practice are interrelated, it is accurate to say that they shape one another as well. Sheafor and Horejsi determine that, not only is it hard to separate theory and practice but practice is the process of using knowledge and applying theory in order to bring about specific change (2008, p. 46). During the process of time and practice, a practitioners knowledge base develops, changes, and becomes more comprehensive. To help recognise when change is needed, part of the social work practitioners role is to constantly reflect upon what they do and what they think about what they have done (Dominelli, 2004, p. 250). Reflexivity practice is cyclic, and begins with the experience of the task, reviewing what has happened, conceptualising and trying to understand relationships and finishing by predicting what to do next, thus giving the practitioner a new idea of how to proceed next time (Chenoweth McAuliffe, 2012). Reflexivity provides an opportunity to understand the way in w hich the workers personal views and interpretation intersect with practice-in-situation (Harms Connolly, 2011, p. 6). Reflexivity leads to praxis when an ideology is added; this is the process of strengthening our practice and a form of continual growth for the practitioner (Harms Connolly, 2011). During this time theories will also grow and change, leading to a change in practice. As most social work practitioners want to bring about change and help people, they are more inclined to promote social action (Shaefor Horejsi, 2008). Examining social injustices and inequalities in society is just part of the social work practitioners role (Payne, 2005). According to Payne (2005) this has led to the development of perspectives that broaden the range of factors that lead to inequality and injustice (p. 230). Culturally sensitive practice in New Zealand was developed in order to promote perspectives that encompassed MÄ ori value and beliefs. Social work practitioners saw the need to treat MÄ ori within the context of their culture, not the dominant culture of the Pakeha. MÄ ori well-being is viewed as holistic, containing characteristics from the spiritual, mental, physical and extended family (Durie, 1994). Where a psychodynamic theory might work with a Pakeha, the one to one dynamics and required openness of the dialogue, does not encompass the culture of MÄ ori. This led to the development of mÄ ori models like the whare tapa whÄ  model, Te Wheke and NgÄ  Pou Mana (Durie, 1994). The whare tapa whÄ  model was formed from the findings that MÄ ori health was suffering due to the westernised treatment of them while sick (Durie, 1994). The standard dominant Pakeha model of health was not allowing MÄ ori to follow their cu ltural beliefs; therefore a new theory or models were developed to encompass MÄ ori culture. This in turn led to improved practice. Social work practitioners now understand when working with Maori that it is not just the individual that needs to be considered but the collective (Durie, 1994). In conclusion, the interrelationship between theory and practice denotes that they are reliant on one another for the social work practitioner to develop their professional selves. For quality practice, a social work practitioner must have a sound knowledge base of theory and practice. The developments of new perspectives enhance the ability of the social work practitioner to have an ethical practice. Thompson states (as cited in Thompson, 2000a) practice which does not take into account of oppression and discrimination cannot be seen as good practice (p. 10). The use of theoretical paradigms in social work practice provides the practitioner with an understanding of where the client is at in their situation, what they will do to assist the client and how they will do it. Theory shapes practice in the way that what the practitioner learns will affect the way they practice. Similarly how the practice is developed, is based not only on theory but also experience, so this shapes theory i n that it may be modified to suit. The process of reflection helps the practitioners ability to look back on their practice and the theories they have used, allowing them to review their thoughts and feelings. A change in theory and practice has enabled MÄ ori to be treated in a way that is more in line with their culture, making the practitioner more sensitive and well-rounded which leads to an improved practice.

The Increasing Trend In Marriage Halls

The Increasing Trend In Marriage Halls The increasing trend in marriage halls over the years mainly from 2007-2012 is contributed by a number of reasons. The main aim of this thesis is to find out the reasons to the rising trend in marriage halls from 2007-2012 and to gather in depth knowledge of the marriage halls business and industry in Lahore Pakistan. The areas of research are Gulberg and Garden Town Lahore. Marriage is a basic necessary process every human being passes through during their life time. It not only is necessary but a social custom as it is a religious practice that every individual is likely to follow. Marriage halls aim at organizing marriage and wedding functions providing all the services for the convenience of the people under one roof. Marriage halls provide all services including food, cutlery, sitting arrangements, decor, music system, safety, security and parking. The mission of a marriage hall is to sustain customers and increase repeat clientele as there is high competition in the marriage hall industry. Marriage halls aims at providing customers with the best quality and best arrangements in arranging their marriage function and allowing them to be satisfied as much as possible. Marriage halls business has been a glooming business in the past couple of years and has proven to be profitable. There are 20 marriage halls located in Gulberg and Garden Town both registered and un-registered. As a result with the changes in the government regulations, awareness of customers and economical changes in the economy of Pakistan has affected the industry tremendously and has also given way to increase in competition by introducing outdoor catering services, marquees and other catering service providers to meet customer needs. In this paper I will be discussing the trend of marriage halls from 2007-2012 and the reasons as to why they have increased or decreased supported by facts and figures and using both qualitative and quantitative data. I will be focusing on only Gulberg and Garden Town area in Lahore as my target market and sample size. 1.1 Background Increase in the number of marriage halls and the increasing trend over the years have increased in all over Pakistan from 2001-2012. Pakistan having a large population allows a large number of people getting married every now and then. The marriage halls business is increasing day by day and therefore it is of my interest to find out the reasons to the increasing number of marriage halls in Lahore from year 2007-2012. The increase in the number of marriage halls is due to the convenience it provides to the hosts and allows package budgeting and are easily available according to the requirement. Indoor marriage halls provide protection against bad weather conditions and also allow more traditional outlook for marriages the ambiance, the decor as compared to the outdoor marriage events. According to the Punjab Government laws the halls have to be closed by 10pm rather than events held outside. The owners of marriage halls are more pressure and tension to shut down by 10pm if not they are penalized but in case of outdoor marriage events the organizer and host are in less pressure and tension as they have more time to vacating the area. The marriage hall industry is the only industry booming in the past 5 years as it requires converting residential area to commercial marriage halls. I am motivated to research on the rising trend of marriage halls as this research has not been done previously as it requires first hand information. Therefore it allows me to conduct different research methods to find out the increase in the number of marriage halls. The purpose of this research is to gain all the knowledge about the industry and to have in depth knowledge of the industry. 1.2 Industry Overview Marriage halls industry has been glooming in Pakistan from 2007-2012. A rising trend is seen in the increase of number of marriage halls in Pakistan. Investors foresee it as a profitable investment irrespective of the economical challenges, fluctuations in the prices and changing policies of the government. The changes in the government policies have affected the overall industry in Pakistan; therefore investors have made big investments in marriage halls business. Marriage halls are and have been facing different challenges that affect the business including the rules and regulations of wrapping up the function by 10pm, allowing a one-dish policy in food which as a result squeezes the profit margins for the investors but allows them to earn profits. The high rate of inflation strongly contributes to the increase in the number of marriage halls as the purchasing power of customers have reduced and they prefer to arrange their functions as economically as possible. The challenge of load shedding is another major problem faced by the marriage halls which as a result has increased their expenses and decreased their profits. The overall industry in Pakistan has been facing a business slum by the changes in the government frequently over the years with fluctuations of prices therefore marriage halls have been a safe resort for investors to invest and earn profits. As marriage is a necessary process every individual goes through investors foresee marriage halls business as a profitable business in spite of the challenges being faced by them. Recently from 2010, the competition for marriage halls has been increased by different competitors including marquees and outdoor catering which has increased competition for marriage halls to compete with. Though the target market for marriage halls is particularly the upper-middle, middle-middle and lower-middle class therefore it allows marriage halls business to sustain the business as the middle class income group is high in Pakistan. 1.3 SWOT Analysis Strengths Security Marriage halls provide security to the customers as compared to the other competitors. They provide security in situations of danger, fire and secure the properties of the guests in the function. Economical Prices Marriage halls target the middle class and therefore allow middle class income groups to arrange their function with the best facilities in the most economical prices possible. Due to the high inflation rate in Pakistan marriage halls are booming as the purchasing power of consumers have decreased and marriage halls provide the best economical prices to arrange function compares to competitors. Weaknesses Customization A major weakness of marriage halls is that they provide standard format to arrange marriage functions and lack in providing customization the customers according to their needs. Capacity Marriage halls do not have enough capacity to accommodate people more then 500-700. Whereas marquees can accommodate large number of people from 700-1000 number of guests. Opportunities Increase usage and capacity Marriage halls have an opportunity to increase their usage by conducting other functions including seminars, exams, business meetings, lunches to increase their revenue. Marriage halls also have an opportunity to increase their capacity by building halls to accommodate more people. Threats Government Regulations Government regulations pose a serious threat to marriage halls as they can only offer one dish to be served in the main course and the time restrictions that the functions have to be wrapped up by 10pm. The government regulations are a limitation for marriage halls to earn more profit and to offer customers more satisfaction. Increasing Competition The increasing competition in the industry is also a serious threat that the marriage halls have to face a number of challenges and meet different ways of conducting business. 1.4. Research Objectives:- To find out the percentage increase of the marriage halls from 2007-2012 in Lahore. To find out the number of marriage halls in Gulberg and Garden Town Lahore from 2007-2012. To find out the reasons as to why the trend has increased in marriage halls over the years. To conduct primary research and gain knowledge on marriage halls business in Pakistan. To find out the prospects of marriage halls in Lahore Pakistan. To compare the trend of rise in marriage halls in Pakistan with India and China. 2 Theory 2.1 Literature Review:- Marriages take place in every society, community and country. A number of reasons have been highlighted over the years as to the rise of marriage halls. Wedding expenses have increased by 20 to 30 percent this season and are likely to increase in the coming months. Catering and poultry prices are high and wedding hall rates have been raised considerably. This has added to the consumers financial burden but traders in wedding-related businesses are making the best of it. Wedding halls in Gulberg, Garden Town, Johar Town and Faisal Town have increased their rates and blamed the move on inflation.2Inflation plays an important role in decreasing purchasing power of consumers to spend on wedding activities. Increase in prices has increased expenses and therefore there has been a 30 percent increase in the prices of wedding expenses and wedding halls rates. Due to the high inflation rate consumers find places with economical prices to arrange their functions. Marriage halls therefore provide the only means to arrange a wedding function economically that can be easily afforded by the consumers targeting the middle income groups. The trend of conducting marriage ceremonies at banquet halls has decreased in the city in recent days, as people are scared to leave their houses in the prevailing security situation, owners of various banquet halls told Daily Times on Saturday. In addition to a reduction in the total number of reservations, the numbers of guests attending weddings has also decreased, they said, adding this was very bad for business. They said their business was already under tremendous pressure due to rising prices and limited budgets and the recent wave of terror attacks had only added fuel to the decline. Inflation has squeezed the purchasing power of the people, said Mahboob Ahmed, the owner of a private marriage hall.3 In 2009 with the increase of terrorism in the country marriage hall business has been affected tremendously. People instead arranging their functions outdoor or in marriage halls preferred to stay at home and arrange it at their home. Lack of security caused a lot of people to think whether to arrange wedding functions in house or in marriage halls. Terrorism along with inflation posed a serious threat to the marriage halls and increased intense amount of security concerns in order to survive their business. The industry in 2009 faced a number of challenges allowing the business slope to move downwards effecting marriage halls adversely. The LDA concerned is responsible for providing basic facilities to residents, but it seems that the authority has adopted a liberal policy for issuance of NOCs for conversion of residential plots into commercial plots. It is because of this liberal policy businessmen take advantage and are building marriage halls without considering the prerequisites of the by-laws. The residents are suffering from this mushroom growth of marriage halls which are more than from any other scheme in Lahore. 5 The liberal policy of LDA to issue NOC to the marriage halls in one of the major reasons in the rise of marriage halls in the past couple of years. Lahore Development Authority has been converting residential plots into commercial areas providing businessmen to invest in opening marriage halls and serve as a source of generating revenue for the government as well as the marriage hall owners. Marriage halls surrounded everywhere in the residential area cause inconvenience to the residents causing traffic jams and noise disturbance to the residents living in the surroundings. By issuing NOC creates a high opportunity for businessman to open marriage halls and earn revenue more easily as compared to other industry in Pakistan District Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mengal has warned the owners of marriage halls and said they should be closed on the given time and in case of negligence they would have to face consequences as per law. Chairing a meeting at Town Hall on Wednesday, the DCO said in future no case would be lodged against bride and groom and their relatives while the entire responsibility of late closing of marriage halls would be on the shoulder of halls owners and case would be registered against them.6 Government regulations have immensely affected the running of marriage halls business. All marriage halls are strictly advised to adhere to wrapping up of a wedding by 10pm. In providing food items government has also limited the availability of food items to one-dish only which effects the marriage halls reducing their profits. The DCO stated to charge fines to any marriage hall violating the law and the fine solely being paid by the marriage hall owners. Government regulations have limited the profits of marriage halls but on the other hand the government regulations have been made in the favor of the public security and protection. Therefore these laws allow marriage halls to be profitable as the customers pay the full price of a function allowing marriage halls to provide less and earn more money per head. As Pakistani society has grown more overtly conservative, weddings remain one of the few culturally acceptable venues for men and women to meet without restriction and even dance with each other. In other words, a mehndi is simply a substitute for a nightclub. The phrases used to justify the extravagance ranged from people will talk if you dont have an elaborate wedding, to I just want a traditional wedding and there is social capital being built at weddings.7Marriages in Pakistan from the very start have been a source of entertainment and over the years the ritual has become more of a status symbol of having a prestigious marriage. People in Pakistan spend big amount of money on marriages and is known to be one of the biggest expenses in lifetime for every family in Pakistan. Marriages in Pakistan are costly due to the different events taking place in a marriage including dholki, mehndi, barat and walima. Pakistan facing severe economic challenges the higher spending on wedding functions has not declined as marriages in Pakistan is known to be a big event and spending more money is a status symbol to have a status in the society. But Indias burgeoning middle class now 300 million strong are turning weddings into showcases of their growing disposable incomes and newfound appetites for the goodies of the global marketplace. The largesse has spawned an $11 billion wedding industry, growing at 25 percent annually and beginning to rival the US industry valued at $50 billion. Top global luxury brands and local entrepreneurs are learning that the way into the pocketbooks of Indias new consumers is through their nuptials. 8India has a big wedding industry which is overcoming the US industry. Indian weddings are now a show of wealth in the society and wedding service providers are earning large amounts of money by customizing services. The Indian wedding industry is growing with 25% annually which is more than the growth of the US industry. India is an emerging country with people witnessing rise in disposable income. Increasing disposable income renders people to mark this grand event with luxurious celebrations. Wedding at exotic locations, far from the maddening crowd of the city has become a rage and is considered to be a significant driver. Destination weddings continue to increase as it allows the wedding to be unique. In this format of the event, a planner becomes imperative due to the lack of knowledge of the place at which the wedding will take place as well as towards streamlining the entire process. An Indian wedding needs a lot of time and effort towards planning and implementation.9 India has a big wedding industry growing with a high rate every year. Different factors contribute to the increase in the spending on the marriages in India as well as the number of marriages taking place every year. Weddings for higher class in India are an opportunity to show their wealth, for middle class it is an event for which they have to go beyond limits to make it luxurious and for the lower class it is as simple as a normal event. Spending on luxurious locations, places, have given way to wedding planners as wedding in India require a lot of time to plan. Demographic Profile, In 2011, India had a population of 1.21 billion, and with average family size of five members, there are around 242 million families in India. Considering one marriage per family every 20 years, on average India has around 10 million marriages per year. Also,the estimated median age in India as of 2011 in 26.2 years, signifying a large proportion of population in marriage age group.10 India has a large population of 1.21 billion with average families accounting around 242 families. Almost 10 million marriages take place every year in India with the increasing population the number of marriage increases proportionally. In 2011, it was seen that majority of Indias population lies with the marriage age bracket. Availability of wedding loan and wedding insurance, Many banks and financial institutions have started lending marriages loan to ensure hassle free wedding experience. Also, increase in disposable income has encouraged newlywed to opt for wedding loan and make wedding a grand event. This attitude to make the wedding event grand increases the total wedding cost. With high financial stakes, the couples or their families opt to buy marriage insurance that take care of contingencies during marriage like cancellation/ postponement due to fire or natural disaster, accident of bride groom or burglary.11 Another important factor contributing to the increase in the number of weddings and increase on wedding expenditures is the accessibility of marriage loans and insurance provided by the Indian government. Now its easier for people to spend more as they have access to loans and can pay off later. These all facilities provided by the Indian government are provided to enhance the wedding industry in India and to strengthen it. Wedding Insurance is also popular among people as due to natural disasters during wedding functions people have an option of being compensated by the insurance companies in case of different problems including natural disaster. Official figures suggest that 10 million people wed annually and that the industry as whole turns over more than 250 billion yuan (US$30.2 billion) each year. Big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have established well developed wedding celebration markets. Beijing, for example, leads the country with 1,000 wedding related firms. About 50,000 couples get married each year in the capital, a diamond mine for the wedding businesses.12 China wedding industry is rising with an increasing number of marriages taking place each year. The main cities of China including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou contribute to the higher revenues generated from weddings on a larger scale. All cities in China have related business to the wedding business which help generate higher profits and develop its wedding industry. While parents use weddings to cement their status and display their wealth, the bridal couple are experimenting with ways to personalize the experience, drawing not only from the U.S. but also from South Korea and Japan, and usually involving vast sums of money. Whereas Chinese weddings used to be about a dinner banquet and honoring parents, todays weddings feature more exotic fare like fire-dancing, elaborate video presentations and motorcades of luxury cars with nameplates like Bentley, Lamborghini and Ferrari.13 Wedding in old times were entirely different from what they are now in the 21st century. People now focus more on showing of their wealth and status by having a lavish wedding of their children and is more considered as a symbol of honour. Chinese weddings are now arranged more exotically with having large amount of budgets for each step in a wedding arrangement from wedding planners to make up to photography and honeymoon. People in china display their status in a wedding by the prestigious cars they have and the different presentations of showing of their wealth in the society. Excess is in order in all departments of the Indian wedding industry, estimated to be a staggering US$ 25.5 billion (Rs.1,42,596 crore) the economy of a small country and growing at the explosive rate of 20 to 25 per cent a year. The speed of economic growth in India, which is responsible for the creation of overnight fortunes, is also creating a conspicuous, yet almost desperate type of consumption at weddings. The average budget for an Indian wedding ceremony in the middle class is estimated to be US$ 34,000 (around Rs.19.01 lakh). The upper-middle and rich classes are estimated to spend upward of US$ 1 million (Rs.5.59 crore). This doesnt include cash and valuables given as part of a dowry. Companies like GE Money India have introduced an auspicious personal loan, exclusively for weddings. Giant malls like the Wedding Souk in Pitampura, Delhi, spread over one acre and with over 100 shops dedicated to weddings, have emerged14 Indian wedding industry is rising day by day and the Indian government provides loans to provide access to cash for weddings. The average wedding costs around 6 crore. People in India spend large amount of money on weddings therefore wedding in a flourishing business in India and contributes a large chunk to the growing economy. Marriage rates have tumbled over the past few decades, falling from about 10 marriages per 1,000 people in the mid-1980s to 6.8 marriages in 2009. This decline is a result of social influences (fewer couples looking to commit) and attitudinal changes, as consumers hold off for financial and lifestyle reasons. However, the fall in the marriage rate has not resulted in a complete disaster for the industry. In fact, the decline has led to a higher-than-average wedding spend, meaning even greater profits for those involved Coming off of 2005 and 2006, two of the most prosperous years in the wedding industry, the sector plummeted as the economy entered recession. Revenues fell from a high of $67.5 billion in 2005 to $42.9 billion in 2009. Industry performance is expected to improve in 2010, expanding an estimated 10% to $47.2 billion, but still far below the years, so businesses need to put in place appropriate strategies to capture that increasing demand.15 As mentioned above the decline in marriage rate in China has led to increase in spending and earn higher profits. The decline is mainly caused by social influence on people, lack of commitment and difference in lifestyles. The decline has not caused damaged but allows the Chinese government to implement strategies that help to capture the increasing demand and develop wedding related business to enhance the industry and provide more services in order to generate more revenues from the wedding industry. 2.2. Competitor Analysis The competitor analysis focuses on two main competitors including Marquees and Outdoor Catering services that cause a serious threat to the marriage halls. Over the past few years the competition in the industry has increased by the increasing awareness among the consumers and consumer needs and wants. Consumers now like everything their way which imposes a pressure on the service providers to be more efficient and provide customized services to cater to their needs. 2.2.1. Marquees Marquee is a tent used for outdoor functions. Different investors have introduced a new concept of marquee which is basically taken from Saudia Arabia Hajj performance in Mina where there are small marquees for people to reside in for 5 days as a necessary process to perform Hajj. The concept has been introduced in Pakistan to arrange marriage and other functions in the outdoor. This has increased the competition for marriage halls as marquees allow customized services meeting the consumer needs and wants and providing value added facilities that include changing the theme of the set, colors, lighting, sitting arrangements to customize the marriage function to the consumer needs. Though marquees lack in providing few facilities including no kitchen, re-heating food facilities and as everything in a marquee is outsourced by other service providers they cause a threat to the quality of food and food diseases as to being stored for longer hours before it is served. Marquees pose a serious threat to the marriage halls indoor services as consumers are more aware and require more customized services and facilities then the traditional marriages concept in the marriage halls. 2.2.2. Outdoor Catering Services Outdoor catering services are an emerging business that has been posing a serious threat to the marriage halls from past many years. The Pioneers of the outdoor catering services are Nadeem Caterers, Hanif Rajput, Zafar Caterers, Dynasty and many other that have changed the way marriage take place now. They provide a complete package from providing a tent to the food, sitting arrangements, generators, lights, music system and all other facilities according to the customer requirements leaving them satisfied. Outdoor caterers pose a threat to marriage halls as it allows consumers to arrange the function with outsourcing different materials from different people and arranging their function according to their needs and budget. 2.3 Comparative Analysis 2.3.1. Industry Overview of Marriage Halls in India India being rich in its culture, history rituals and customs in all aspects surpasses all countries and is known to have the best lavish wedding ceremonies all over the world. All industries in India have been affected tremendously with the financial slum being faced by India, but somehow the marriage hall industry has been able to survive and people spend more money on marriages and perceive to have a life time experience spending as much as they can. The demand for weddings in India has increased and the numbers show that weddings have increased every year. The Wedding season in India takes place in October and all the marriage halls in New Delhi are booked a month before. Indias wedding industry is flourishing as not just the halls but the wedding planners, designers, jewellers, beauty parlours now cash on the wedding season by providing different ways of organizing weddings. Weddings in India are more taken as a an event t spend large amount not by the upper class but the middle class to project their wealth having a status symbol. Wedding Planners in India provide all services from marriage halls to arranging the whole event within the consumers budget making it a customized service for people to pay high fees. People are now more aware of the changing trends in arranging marriages they do not want a simple five-star hotel wedding but a customized wedding. With the increase in purchasing power of the consumers in India people now have more income and spend more on weddings. Indias wedding industry is growing faster and bigger day by day, with people trying to overdo each other as to whose wedding arrangement is better. According to experts its been stated that a single wedding now normally takes 1.5 crore without jewellery. Indias wedding business is flourishing as now new designers are capitalizing on the opportunities in India. Indias wedding business is the best business to invest as it has large profit margins and because of people increased income, and increase in purchasing power they spend more on weddings allowing wedding related services to earn more. Fewer auspicious days, as marriages are arranged only on auspicious days as Hindus place a lot of emphasis on astrology, the industry faces seasonal revenue. In case of unfavourable planetary combination as per astrology marriages are postponed. This act as a barrier for the growth of wedding planner. Furthermore as large number of marriages across country takes place on few selected dates this give rise to the possibility that wedding planner may not be able to capture additional market share.22Marriages in India take place seasonally as majority of the Hindus believe in astrology. This restricts wedding planners on capturing the market share apart from the seasonal dates. This is a restriction for the wedding planners to earn high revenues and is a challenged faced by them. 2.3.2. Industry Overview of Marriage Halls in China Chinese wedding industry has been glooming from past 5 years with a rise in number of marriages each year. The increase in the spending on weddings in China is attributed mainly because of economic, increase in disposable income and cultural change. Wedding expenditures have increased mainly in the urban areas of China accounting to 70% wedding day expenses. The cultural change has a strong impact on the increase on the wedding expenses due to the different government policies including one child policy. Parents want to spend large amounts of money of their childs wedding as they just have one child and desire to have a dream wedding for their child. Other factors contributing to the increase in the wedding expenses is the traditional arrangements and economic factors. Having a new house, household accessories after wedding has become a necessity as before wedding children live with parents and after marriage live separately. The spending habit of chinese people and the increase in disposable income increase the spending on weddings. 30% of savings are spend on weddings of every person in China. With the rise in the number of marriages each year and the increase in wedding expenditures businesses in China have taken it as an advantage and strengthened the wedding industry by providing specialized wedding services and increasing revenue. 2.4 Research Question Rising trend in marriage halls in Gulberg and Garden Town from 2007-2012 in Lahore Pakistan 3 Methodology:- The methodology I will be using to research and analyze the rising trend in marriage halls in Pakistan is by conducting Interviews Survey Study Questionnaires Examination of Secondary Data To gain in depth knowledge of the marriage halls in Lahore I conducted a survey study following the steps mentioned by Campbell and Katrina (1953) in the book Essentials of research design and methodology. Campbell and Katona (1953) delineated nine general steps for conducting a survey. Although this list is more than 50 years old, it is as useful now as it was then in providing a clear overview of survey procedures. The nine steps are as follows: 1. General objectives: This step involves de ¬Ã‚ ning the general purpose and goal of the survey. 2. Speci ¬Ã‚ c objectives: This step involves developing more speci ¬Ã‚ city regarding the types of data that will be collected, and specifying the hypothesis to be tested. 3. Sample: The major foci of this step are to determine the speci ¬Ã‚ c population that will be surveyed, to decide on an appropriate sample, and to determine the criteria that will be use

Epic Heroes Essay examples -- Hero Roland Siegfried Balian

Heroes may fall, but they are never forgotten. An epic is an enlightening story with its true purpose to portray a historical person or event. Epics centralize on concepts such as loyalty and valor, which were important to those of medieval times. Epics were not recorded for a long time after they actually occurred. An epic hero is an individual with phenomenal finesse and extraordinary abilities. They represented a culture's highest standards or values. A heroic flaw is usually the triumphant downfall of a hero. Most heroes are depicted to have a heroic flaw which shows their mortality or ephemerality, meaning they do not live forever or just a brief amount of time. Epic Heroes are thrust into greatness upon their birth, but it is up to them to fulfill their destiny. Roland was truly a brave and valiant knight. In the section read it begins as Roland, his best friend Oliver, and the rest of the French rear guard face the immense Saracen army. Roland is consistent and pretentious, many knights and warriors fought for honor and dignity. Roland although courageous and dari...

Anatomy Of A Psychopath :: essays papers

Anatomy Of A Psychopath "In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty." Almost every person has a preconception of the darkest form of humanity: evil. One German film exemplifies this classic struggle of right and wrong, while addressing deeper emotional messages. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was made in 1919 and directed by Robert Weine. The film features a character named Francis, the protagonist, who seeks revenge against Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist, Cesarà ©, whom he believes murdered his friend. In one specific scene, Cesarà © attempts to kill a beautiful woman named Jane, Francis’s fiancà ©e coincidentally, at Caligari’s request. Judging by Cesarà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s previously witnessed brutal and robotic nature, it is assumed that as he creeps up to her gentle sleeping body that her time has expired. Magically, he cannot commit the deed. Overcome with affection, he instead lovingly reaches to cradle her head. She awakens, screams, and struggles. Cesarà © snaps out of his funk and overtakes her, eventually escaping with her on his back. This intense scene conveys the message that even the darkest forms of evil are not completely devoid of humanity, giving the audience the faintest glimmer of hope that good can always shine through malevolence. Cesarà © has no mind of his own; rather he is the puppet of the sinister Dr. Caligari. This is strikingly obvious just before the attack on Jane. As Cesarà © slinks down the corridor to the bedchamber his movements are awkward and unnatural, similar to puppet’s movements. At one point he even pauses, as if to mentally rethink the plan for murder Caligari has laid down. This attention to said murder agenda points that normal people can be highly susceptible to perform evil deeds. In essence, Cesarà © is not an evil person, but one who has been mentally dominated by the evil Caligari. One could play a contemporary television therapist and venture to state that Cesarà © "is the victim in all of this." In fact, "Cesarà © the sleepwalking killer" never existed before Caligari came into place. One can therefore also determine that evil spawns more evil. Kindness and humanity always find a way to shine through the depths of rage and hate. Poised in a striking position, primed to kill, something inside Cesarà © snaps. He is rendered momentarily immobile, unable to perform the deed he has been commanded.

Concert Essay -- essays research papers

CONCERT REPORT #2 Beatles Z320   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my second concert report I thought that I would write about my only experience hearing songs of the Beatles live. The Rib America Festival was hosted by The Beatles Live Repertoire. The group dressed exactly like the Beatles, even had the same names, John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I had never heard any Beatles songs live before, so that was enough to get me off my butt. Not to mention, it was free entertainment, not a bad time at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So the show starts, and I’m not sure what to expect. Paul comes out and introduces the band, ( very good English accent ) and then started out with â€Å"I want to hold your hand â€Å". He mentioned that their songs would for the most part go in chronological order. And after comparing notes to my book, they were on track for the most part. All of the songs played before their break, were songs on albums released before Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band. I wasn’t impressed with this song, however. No, it isn’t my favorite song, but I just wasn’t impressed by the playing of the song. The song, the beat, something was dead about the song, hard to put my finger on it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next song was â€Å"Please, Please me†. And I had never heard this song before that night, and I liked the song a lot. Then after hearing it in class, I remembered hearing it for the first time, good song. Hard Days night was their next song. And much like the first song, I do like this song, but the band didn’t do justice for the song. But this was the last song that I remembered not really liking. The rest of the songs I recall liking very much for one reason or another. The band must have just needed to warm up a little.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So, now that the band had warmed up, messed up a few good songs, but at least they didn’t start out with my favorite songs, they were ready. Their next song was â€Å"Eight Days a Week†. I like this song. I just like the beat and how the lyrics go along with it. I don’t know if that is a legitimate reason to like a song, but it’s mine. They asked for some audience participation during this song. They wanted to us to clap with the instrument break when he sings, â€Å"Hold me†¦ Love me†¦ â€Å" The audience was very participative. It seemed like the audience was having a really good t... ... am assuming that he grew up around Penny Lane. Now an interesting thing about the next song â€Å" Strawberry Fields Forever†, was that â€Å"Paul† mentioned that John(Lennon ) had never performed this song live. Now, this was hard to believe, but I think that these dudes know that they are talking about, so I guess he didn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nowhere man†, â€Å"Day Tripper†, and â€Å"Imagine† were to follow â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever†. â€Å"Nowhere Man† was written by Paul about Ringo according to â€Å"Paul†. â€Å"Imagine† was performed very well, and just a cool song all around. Good song to hear live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I knew it was drawing towards the end of the show, and I hadn’t heard the song that I really wanted hear â€Å" Revolution†. It was about a quarter till, and still no â€Å"Revolution†. â€Å"Back in the USSR†, â€Å"Come Together†, and â€Å"OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA†, were their final songs. I was mad, but still a very good show, and I was glad that I went. The crown wasn’t satisfied enough, and chanted for more. They finally gave in like I knew they would, and what do you think that they busted out with, oh yeah, â€Å"Revolution†. A perfect ending to a good time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Crash Human Nature Essay

* Human nature is The general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioural traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans. * Crash directed by Paul Haggis presents to us an intertwining story set within the streets of LA, confirming and challenging racial stereotypes and at the same time reflecting the ever existing good and dark side of human nature. * Human nature drives us all to view â€Å"the other† as bad, evil and untrustworthy, it is complex and every man, despite differences holds the underlying values buried deep into our subconsciousness * In the film crash, Haggis has successfully portrayed the truth about human nature through the conventions of dialogue, camera shot and symbolism, confusing us as viewers, but also giving us an intruging insight into the reality of each and every one of us despite differences in race and background. * Haggis has successfully evoked feelings of uneasiness, confusion, anger and empathy at through the making of the film crash. * Human nature drives us to fear the unknown, the â€Å"other† in our eyes is seen as evil and that we should steer away from any communication. It may be in relation to race, ethnicity, age, gender or beliefs but in reality each one of us does not have the ability to fight this automatic discrimination against those who are different. * Haggis has successfully reflected this dark aspect of human nature through the convention of dialogue. * In one scene a Persian man is attempting to purchase a gun from a white American. The salesman calls the man â€Å"osama† and then continues to talk about 9/11, he then is aggressively told to leave the shop. * The white American man displays his fear of â€Å"the other† by racially discriminating him through his dialogue, he has his own racist, stereotypical image of this man in his mind automatically relating him to 9/11 and due to his human nature sees him as â€Å"the other† and as untrustworthy to be in his shop telling him he â€Å"has no right to buy a gun here† * In another scene a Hispanic locksmith is changing a white American couples locks on their door after their car had been hijacked. The American woman makes assumptions that this locksmith is going to sell their key to his â€Å"homies† purely because of the way he looks and his race and demands to get her locks changed again in the morning. * The American woman views the locksmith as â€Å"the other† and due to her human nature she fears him, and does not trust him to be in her house. Her judgement is not on personality or individual traits it is based upon the automatic assumptions she makes about him due to his tattoos, dress sense and skin colour. Little does she know that the Hispanic locksmith was in many eyes the only character in crash seen as completely innocent, but due to her ignorance she believed the opposite. * Through dialogue Haggis has successfully positioned the viewer to feel anger at both of these scenarios and causes us to question our own human nature and our own classification of â€Å"the other†. We are positioned to feel guilt as we feel partly responsible for these racial stereotypes as we too, through our human nature, instinctively stick to our own. * Human nature is complex, values at polar opposites could exsist in the same man, particular beliefs could be compromised and in reality no one can ever truly understand the extent of complexities embedded within each person. * Racsim and nobility can exsist in the same man. Haggis has successfully portrayed this idea of human nature through the narrative conventions of camera shot and dialogue. * In one scene a cop pulls over a black couple, he abuses his power and shows extreme racism seen through the convention of low camera angle while he molests her. * In another scene the same cop shows nobility while is seen rescuing the same black woman he molested, he ironically says things to her such as â€Å"im not going to hurt you† * The camera angle in the first scene is a panning low angle displaying the police officers hand stroking up the womans leg, emphasizing his sickening racist actions. In the second scene the camera angle is a close camera angle focusing on his remorseful worrying facial expression. The shot of the hand in the first scene could represent â€Å"a mans hand† where the shot of his face in the second scene presents him, and therefore suggests that although his racism and dark side of his human nature exsists the good side of his human nature is a representation of his true identity and we begin to question the reasons behind his actions. * These two scenes In the movie crash display to us that humans are extremely complex. A man can live a life full of sin but then commit a noble act just as a man can be a criminal but then save a life. * The concept of human complexities is hard to grasp, an individuals identity can determine why they act a certain way or do certain things. The cop in the film displayed racism due to the fact that a black woman would not help his sick father, but does this excuse particular values and behaviours? * Through the convention of camera angle Haggis has effectively positioned the viewer to feel both disgust and awe at the same man. We begin to question what drives humans to be so complex and we wonder whether it is ever possible for a man to be seen as completely innocent. * Instinctively human natures drives us to protect and stick to our own, just as we repel those who are seen as different. * This universal value embedded inside each and every human is represented by Paul Haggis in the film crash through utlising the narrative convention of symbolism. * Crash follows the story of a Hispanic locksmith and unconditional love of his.