Monday, December 30, 2019
Ronald Reagan And The Struggle For Black Dignity - 1067 Words
Introduction Stephen Vaughn, author of ââ¬Å"Ronald Reagan and the Struggle for Black Dignity in Cinema, 1937-1953,â⬠wrote an informative article about Ronald Reagan as an actor during an important period in time. In this article, written for The Journal of African American History, Vaughn gives a detailed illustration of Ronald Reaganââ¬â¢s involvement in overcoming racial discrimination in the film industry. The author starts with giving background information on the state of racial issues in America in the 1940s. Continuing into the article, Vaughn mentions all of Reaganââ¬â¢s evolvement with organizations against racial discrimination, particularly in the film industry. Throughout the article, it is clear that Vaughn believes that Reagan was very respectable and greatly contrasted mainstream Hollywood due to his upbringing. According to the author, despite Reaganââ¬â¢s good intentions, his effectiveness in executing his intentions in relation to racial discriminat ion is questionable due to Reaganââ¬â¢s obvious priority of anticommunism over anti-racial discrimination. Race Relations in the 1940s According to the author, in 1946, Neo-fascism and racial violence was on the rise.Due to this, investigations of the Ku Klux Klan began to intensify. Ronald Reagan, a well respected actor, began putting his effort into fixing the problem of segregation and racial discrimination. September 1946, a radio show began airing a show entitled ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s Happening Here.â⬠This radio showed featured Reagan andShow MoreRelatedRonald Reagan and Communism3036 Words à |à 12 PagesRonald Reagan and Communism Introduction Critics remarked that Ronald Reagan tended to perceive things in terms of black and white, and his attitude toward Soviet concerns was no different. The organizing principle of Reagans defense and foreign polices was anti-Communism, and Soviet policy to him pervaded every part of the globe. Each of Reagans predecessors, from 1945 onwards, had been occupied with the possible Soviet threat towards America but Reagan was obsessed with it. Unlike his predecessorsRead MoreBefore Ronald Reagan Became President, There Was A Lot1895 Words à |à 8 Pages Before Ronald Reagan became president, there was a lot of hostility between the federal government and working labor (Foner 831). In Reaganââ¬â¢s inauguration address, he states, ââ¬Å"We are a nation that has a government ââ¬â not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our government has no power expect that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government, which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.â⬠He alsoRead More The African National Congress and the Fight Against South African Apartheid1666 Words à |à 7 PagesLanguage. Human Rights, according to ââ¬Å"Article 1, UN Declaration of Rightsâ⬠states that ââ¬Å" All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in spirit of brotherhoodâ⬠. The native Africans were being segregated from the whites and were treated as second class citizens. The black residents felt that the apartheid policies violated their rights. Human rights of South African natives were violated when a racialRead MoreHow the Movies of the 1970ââ¬â¢s and 1980ââ¬â¢s Reflected Americaââ¬â¢s Mood and Culture1552 Words à |à 7 Pagescom/watch?v=PyV9m9C5P4o What about the changing mood towards African American actors? Black cinema has slowly changed from the 1970ââ¬â¢s were ââ¬ËShaftââ¬â¢ a tough guy detective was a rare hit at the movies, to the 1980ââ¬â¢s, a time when politicians and news journalists were ignoring racial and urban issues, when acclaimed movies like Do the Right Thing (1989) could focus on such problems as the racial divide separating blacks and whites, the conditions in the nationââ¬â¢s inner cities, the increasing number of poorRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.: An Innovator of Change2438 Words à |à 10 PagesRosa Parks, was arrested (Johnson 12). Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man in the black section of a crowded bus (12). The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), in which King Jr. was the president, instigated the boycott (12). The 382-day boycott would cause a financial loss of around $250,000 to the city of Montgomery (12). During the boycott, black people walk ed, rode mules or horse-drawn carriages, hitched rides, or rode in cars or buses that had been donatedRead MoreDecoted to Civil Rights in Timothy B. Tysons Book, Blood Done Sign My Name1877 Words à |à 8 PagesLeague, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Southern Christian Leadership Conference chose to wield the weight of the masses as their chief weapon. Churches also contributed their multitudes as one of the few organizations dominated by blacks, capable of rallying the support necessary to embolden impact. Essentially coining modern ââ¬Å"sit-ins,â⬠mass marches, and Freedom Rides with fruitful campaigns at Atlanta University, Washington D.C., and nearby Greensboro, peaceful protestors harnessedRead MoreThe Hostage Crisis2531 Words à |à 11 Pageseffort against Germany, was the strongest motive for the allied invasion of Iran. Because of its importance in the allied victory, Iran was subsequently called The Bridge of Victory by Winston Churchill. By the 1950 s, the Shah was engaged in a power struggle with Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq, an immediate descendant of the previous monarchy, the Qajar dynasty. In 1953, the British and U.S. spy agencies deposed the democratically-elected government of Mossadegh in a military coup d à ©tat codenamedRead MoreGAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE 60S3496 Words à |à 14 PagesMilk campaigns against the bill and attends every event hosted by Briggs. In the summer, attendance greatly increases at Gay Pride marches in San Francisco and Los Angeles, partly in response to Briggs. President Jimmy Carter, former Governor Ronald Reagan, and Governor Jerry Brown speak out against the proposition. On November 7, voters reject the proposition by more than a million votes. On November 27, Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone are assassinated by Dan White, another San Francisco cityRead MoreFamily as the Cornerstone of American Society6564 Words à |à 27 Pagesnature, preserve and pass onto each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish, values that are foundation for our freedoms. In the family, we learn our first lessons of God and man, love and discipline, rights, and responsibilities, human dignity and human frailty. Our families give us daily examples of these lessons being put into practice. In raising and instructing our children, in providing personal and compassionate care for the elderly, in maintaining the spiritual strength of religiousRead MoreRacism and Ethnic Discrimination44667 Words à |à 179 Pagesââ¬Å"Back in 1950s, my mother used to tell us that we couldnââ¬â¢t speak in Mayangna out loud, because people would call us ââ¬Ëel sumito,ââ¬â¢ ââ¬Ëel indito.ââ¬â¢ If we thought and spoke as Mayangnas, we could be locked up (that is what she told us). But now with the struggle of Indigenous Peoples, now with publications about Indigenous Peoples, we can speak in public in our language. We now confront, however, new threats: we can lose our identity, losing our land, our traditional medicines with the introduction of
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Kant s Categorical Imperative Essay - 2239 Words
Kantââ¬â¢s Categorical Imperative An imperative is the linguistic form of a ââ¬Ëcommand of reasonââ¬â¢. In section II of the Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, German philosopher Immanuel Kant writes, ââ¬Å"the conception of an objective principle, in so far as it is obligatory for a will, is called a command (of reason), and the formula of the command is called an imperative.â⬠It is a rule telling us what we ought to do. He distinguishes between two types of imperatives: hypothetical and categorical. Kant says, ââ¬Å"if now the action is good only as a means to something else, then the imperative is hypothetical; if it is conceived as good in itself and consequently as being necessarily the principle of a will which of itself conforms to reason, then it is categorical. A hypothetical imperative commands actions that are instrumentally good. A categorical imperative commands action that is good and an end just by itself. Hence, the feature that differentiates categorical from hypo thetical imperative is that a categorical imperative commands a certain course of conduct independently of any other purposes, goals, or ends the agent has. Kant continues, ââ¬Å"there is an imperative which commands a certain conduct immediately, without having as its condition any other purpose to be attained by it. This imperative is Categorical. It concerns not the matter of the action, or its intended result, but its form and the principle of which it is itself a result; and what isShow MoreRelatedKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1454 Words à |à 6 PagesIn this paper, I will explain the concept of Kantââ¬â¢s Categorical Imperative, and show how he used it to justify why it is wrong to lie to an inquiring murderer. I will note how he arrived at this conclusion, and why I consider it to be the correct moral answer. According to Kant, the Categorical Imperative is the supreme law of morality by which a particular rule that an individual takes as a maxim must be accepted by all rational beings. This universal acceptance is what judges an action to beRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1246 Words à |à 5 Pagesutilitarianism, Kant was more focused on intent and action itself. This leads into one of Kantian ethics main ideals; you mustnââ¬â¢t treat another human being as a means to an end. Kantââ¬â¢s Categorical Imperative (CI) is a deontological theory, which relied heavily on his belief that humans are all capable of reason in the same manner, on the same level (A Brief Summary of Kant s Categorical Imperative, 2012). Kant recognized 2 kinds of moral ââ¬Ëimperativesââ¬â¢, a hypothetical imperative (what must be doneRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1190 Words à |à 5 PagesIn section I of Immanuel Kantââ¬â¢s categorical imperative, Kant argues that every huma n being alive is subject to the categorical imperative. Kant came to this conclusion by arguing that the only thing that is good without needing qualification is a good will. Throughout this paper I will discuss Kantââ¬â¢s good will and his three propositions. A good will is an act done from duty and motivated by respect. If a person manifests a good will in action, the respect for duty determines that I do the actionRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1448 Words à |à 6 PagesKantââ¬â¢s categorical imperative is a natural conclusion of reason when searching for a moral guideline that does not depend on previous expense but reason alone. The categorical imperative can be explained in many different ways. Kant offers five formulations in his work groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. The formulations of Kantââ¬â¢s categorical imperative can be considered a test. If your maxim passes the test then your actions under that maxim will be good. The formulations that Kant offers,Read MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay983 Words à |à 4 PagesImmanuel Kant is known for his absolute and idealistic approach to answering this question, with which he provides us a medium to answer it. Kant calls this his categorical imperative. Throughout this paper I will break down Kantââ¬â¢s view on ethics, explain one formulation of his categorical imperative, and evaluate his theory on an existential level. Kant was a firm believer that there are two different worlds. He called them the ââ¬Å"World of Phenomena,â⬠and the ââ¬Å"World of the Noumena.â⬠Kant describesRead MoreEssay about Kantà ´s Theory: Categorical Imperative and its Rules827 Words à |à 4 Pageswill benefit them at the end. The purpose of Kantianism is to tell us that morality is not to make us happy but the whole purpose is to do the right thing just for the sake of doing it. Eventually doing the right thing will lead us to our happiness. Kant said that we are determined to know whatââ¬â¢s good or whatââ¬â¢s bad through self- law and using ourselves as our own guidanceââ¬â¢s. We as individuals will determine our own behavior than having someone telling us how we should act because of their expectationsRead MoreKant And The Moral Law1451 Words à |à 6 PagesIntroduction: Kant argues that mere conformity with the moral law is not sufficient for moral goodness. I will argue that Kant is right. In this essay I will explain why Kant distinguishes between conforming with the moral law and acting for the sake of the moral law, and what that distinction means to Kant, before arguing why Kant was right. 2) Meaning of Kantââ¬â¢s Statement Why: According to Kant, we can control the will and meaning behind our actions. The morality of an action should be assessedRead MoreKant s Philosophy On Moral Philosophy Essay1519 Words à |à 7 PagesAlthough Kant s philosophy, outlined in The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, has some value as a moral guide, it alone is not always sufficient. After analysing Kant s objective moral imperative, I will show that implementing his philosophy has the potential to permit what is considered to be immoral. This is due to its rigid conditions, which are formed on the basis that he believes in the existence of a perfect morality that always holds true. However, I will argue that there is notRead MoreKant And Mill On Animal Ethics Essay1365 Words à |à 6 PagesIn this essay I will begin by explaining the overall views of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill, then compare and contrast the ideas and philosophies of Kant and Mill on Animal Ethics. I believe that Kant, the deontologist, will not care as much about the duty/responsibility between humans and animals as Mill, the utilitarian, who will see the extreme importance of animal ethics. After studying and explaining the views and teachings of these two philosophers I will see if my thesis was correct,Read MoreThe Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin1424 Words à |à 6 Pagesgreatest number of people. On the contrary, Kant would argue that using the child as a mere means is wrong and argue that the living conditions of the child are not universalizable. The citizens of Omelas must face this moral dilemma for all of their lives or instead choose to silently escape the city altogether. My central thesis is that Kant would give the childââ¬â¢s life inherent value and advocate that Omelasââ¬â¢ citizens abandon their practices. In this essay I aim to examine the story of Omelas through
Saturday, December 14, 2019
The Correlation Among Corporate Productivity Assessments Commerce Essay Free Essays
string(142) " a map of the manner at least three variables are managed: engineering, capital, and human resources \( Latham A ; Wexley, 1994,2 \) \." In any profit-oriented or nonprofit-oriented organisations, human resources have an of import function in accomplishing organisational efficiency and effectivity by pull offing the physical, fiscal and human resources in the most effectual and efficient. To make this, the organisation has developed a assortment of complex procedures and processs. One to pull offing human resources is the appraisal of public presentation ( besides known as public presentation rating, public presentation assessment, public presentation direction, reviews or evaluations ) . We will write a custom essay sample on The Correlation Among Corporate Productivity Assessments Commerce Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now In a extremely competitory epoch of globalisation, companies need high public presentation. At the same clip, employees need feedback about their public presentation and counsel for future behaviour. Attempts to make company ends can be realized through increased productiveness. Higher productiveness will make efficiencies in operations, where the degree of productiveness itself is extremely influenced by the public presentation or productiveness of employees of these companies. One of the of import factors that affect employee productiveness is motive. Work motive is something that can bring forth enthusiasm and thrust to work. Motivation can be sourced from internal and external. External motive can be obtained from the organisation, so the responsibility director to make a work environment that can take to the being of a motive. Meanwhile, the productiveness can be defined as the ratio of end product to input. Work productiveness is affected by motive and, hence, extremely motivated persons who tend to be more productive than persons who have low motive. In the globalisation epoch filled with stiff competition, every organisation should better and heighten the productiveness o f work. With high productiveness fight of the organisation is expected to be better and net incomes besides increased. There is something of import in understanding how the public presentation assessment system will convey increased productiveness. Silberman ( 2003 ) said that ââ¬Å" an effectual public presentation direction plan can increase productiveness and morale in your organisation and aid you retain valued high-performers â⬠. Meanwhile, harmonizing to Bruce ( 2002 ) that the manner to increase employees ââ¬Ë motive and productiveness is to guarantee that everyone has a common apprehension of what high public presentation is and to do certain that employees know what is expected of them. Furthermore, she suggests that directors recognize the consequence that they have on their employees and the demand to utilize their places to act upon the nexus between motive and public presentation in positive and originative ways. In order to developing human resource to better of company public presentation, spread outing some motive theoretical accounts based on by former motive theories. Reaching company public presentation which is maximum to be needed the apprehension of the motive theoretical accounts so that can be made by way to actuate employees. Corporate Productivity V Motivation Possibly some of people non truly recognize that the public presentation of every employee in the company is really large influence on company productiveness. Several factors are believed to impact the productiveness of the company are: Skill, evidently this single factors that differ from one individual to another Wellness, every bit good as single factors of the characters concerned. Work Attendance / Absenteeism is the last factor is more particular because it non merely influenced by the character in the drama but was influenced by these workers in the company groups that related with motive of employees Although many organisational factors contribute to effectiveness of organisation, such as turnover, absenteeism, and engineering, likely the factor that is described as most of import and one that direction feels it can act upon is occupation public presentation. Job public presentation typically is viewed as partly determined by the motive to work hard and, hence, additions in motive should ensue in greater attempt and higher public presentation ( Mitchell, 1982 ) . Furthermore, Mitchell said before any motive system is installed, one must be certain ( a ) that there is a good public presentation assessment system available, ( B ) that motive is an of import subscriber to public presentation, and ( degree Celsius ) that where motive clearly is non the major subscriber to public presentation, a separate step of motive or of behaviours clearly caused by motive is developed. Employees who work in an organisation have the features and backgrounds which different each other. Therefore, every employee has different demands and different desires, so that it can actuate organisational members to execute certain behaviours. Individual differences besides cause differences in public presentation / productiveness of their work. The productiveness of an employee ââ¬Ës work among others affected by their motive. Differences in behaviour among members of the organisation make a director must understand the motive that is owned by each member of the organisation, how to actuate them, who in bend can increase their productiveness. These of import inquiries about employees ââ¬Ë behaviour can merely be answered by directors who have a appreciation of what motivates people. Specially, a good apprehension of motive can function as a valuable tool for understanding the causes of behaviour in organisations, for foretelling the effects of any managerial action, and for directing behaviour so that organisational and single ends can be achieved. ( Nadler and Lawler, 1977 ) . Motivation can be sourced from internal and external. One of the external beginnings of motive is from the organisation. Therefore, the direction of organisations should be able to make a clime that can actuate their employees. A motivated employee tends to be more productive than those non motivated. Motivation is one of import factor to increase work productiveness, which in bend would increase net incomes for the organisation or company. There are assorted constructs or theories of motive that can be used as mention by the directors to larn and understand the assorted motives that are owned by their employees within the organisation. All considered, that between the motive and productiveness can be said to be a causal relationship, which is one of the impacts on the other side will do an impact on others. The productiveness of most organisations is a map of the manner at least three variables are managed: engineering, capital, and human resources ( Latham A ; Wexley, 1994,2 ) . You read "The Correlation Among Corporate Productivity Assessments Commerce Essay" in category "Essay examples" Employee productiveness depends on the sum of clip an person is physically present at a occupation and besides the grade to which he or she is ââ¬Å" mentally present â⬠or expeditiously working while nowadays at a occupation. Motivation is considered as the chief determiner of the of import and encouraging increased productiveness / public presentation ( Gibson, Ivancevich, and Donnelly, 1996 ) . An employee ââ¬Ës productiveness depends on employee motive to work to be done. The higher the motive for person to execute a occupation, the higher the productiveness. This is consistent with the end of explicating the theory that productiveness is a map of motive: P = degree Fahrenheit ( M ) . While harmonizing to the anticipation theory of productiveness is a generation of motive with the ability: P = M x A ( Suprihanto, 1986 ) . Productivity represent generation map from attempt of employees, supported by high motive, and ability of Human Resource through productiveness patterns which mounting, intending good public presentation, will go feedback to go oning organisation activity ( Klingner and Nalbandian, 1998 ) . Feedback ( Peformance Appraisal ) Attempt Ability Productiveness Working Conditions ( Safety, Healthful ) Ten = Beginning: Klingner and Nalbandian ( 1998 ) Figure 1. The Relationship between Productivity and Motivation Harmonizing to the consequences of a study conducted by the Employers and Manufacturers Association, where they have been reviewed every bit many as 521 instances that went before the Employment Relations Authority in 2008 showed that 67 per centum autumn in support of employees. One of the job is that in many instances when covering with hapless employee public presentation, because employers do non follow the needed procedure. ( Atkins, 2009, p.22 ) . So that the hapless public presentation of employees will impact the company ââ¬Ës productiveness, squad spirit and work civilization within the company. Bettering productiveness is one large challenge that has engaged the attending of employers ââ¬Ë whether private or public by inventing appropriate mechanism for actuating their workers. The earnestness of this challenge can be understood from direction ââ¬Ës perceptual experience of the strong functional correlativity between employee motive and organisational productiveness. Motivation vs Assessment System In the human resources direction, public presentation assessment systems have a critical function. The public presentation rating is an of import mechanism for commanding the organisation, where employees can see their public presentation in the past and take concrete actions for betterment. Performance assessments besides provide of import information for the direction of human resources to make just and right determinations sing publicities, transportations, compensation, inducements and preparation plans and calling direction. Particular companies typically require different public presentation assessment system tailored to the demands of the maps and procedures ( Chen A ; Chu, 2007 ) . Appraisal of public presentation is related to the motive of employees, in supplying some of import constituents of effectual motivational schemes. Particularly in this instance is the proviso of feedback to enable employees to larn how the employee worked ; puting specific ends about what employees should make ; team-building to enable employees to take part with friends and their directors in work outing jobs that hinder their productiveness, and pecuniary inducements that reward good public presentation ( Latham and Wexley, 1994 ) . Harmonizing to Mathis and Jackson ( 2000: 81 ) the factors that affect the single public presentation of workers, viz. : 1. ability, 2.motivation, 3. support that received, 4. being of work that they do, 5. Relationship with the organisation. Meanwhile, harmonizing to Gibson ( 1987 ) there are three factors that affect public presentation: 1 ) single factors: ability, accomplishment, household background, experience of employment, societal and demographic degrees of a individual. 2 ) Psychological factors: perceptual experience, functions, attitudes, personality, motive and occupation satisfaction 3 ) organisational factors: organisational construction, occupation design, leading, reward systems. The Individual Ability Motivation Support The Job Design Indvidual V Team Job elements Job Satisfaction / Dissatisfaction Organizational Committedness Productiveness Quality Service HR Effectiveness Beginning: Mathis and Jackson, ( 2000, 81 ) Figure 2. Model of Individual / Organizational Performance The public presentation rating ( public presentation assessment ) is fundamentally a cardinal factor in order to develop an organisation efficaciously and expeditiously, due to policies or plans that better the human resources that exist within the organisation. Individual public presentation assessment is really good for the growing kineticss of the organisation as a whole, through an appraisal can be known about how the existent conditions of employee public presentation. Harmonizing to Bernardin and Russell ( 1993: 379 ) ââ¬Å" A manner of mensurating the part of persons to on their organisation. â⬠The public presentation rating is a manner of mensurating the part of persons ( employees ) to the organisations where they work. Harmonizing to Cascio ( 1992: 267 ) ââ¬Å" public presentation rating is a systematic description or a description of the relevant strengths and failings of a individual or a group. â⬠Meanwhile, harmonizing to Wahyudi ( 2002: 101 ) ââ¬Å" a public presentation assessment ratings are conducted sporadically and consistently about their work public presentation / place of a work force, including its development potency. â⬠Furthermore, sing definition of public presentation assessment Grote ( 2002 ) says that ââ¬Å" Performance assessment is a formal direction system that provides for the rating of the quality of an person ââ¬Ës public presentation in an organisation â⬠. Performance assessment is ââ¬Å" the procedure of measuring how good employees perform their occupations when compared to a set of criterions, and so pass oning that information to those employees ââ¬Å" ( Mathis and Jackson, 2000, 384 ) . Sing how to do a good public presentation assessment, Messmer ( 2000 ) province that there are several elements of a good public presentation appraisal: 1 ) preparation of the ends that will be done by workers or leader at the terminal of the appraisal, 2 ) a list of specific competences or accomplishments to be measured with a successful illustration of the behavior / public presentation, 3 ) graduated table ranking or evaluation is right for the organisation, 4 ) the infinite for workers in measuring for themselves, 5 ) the infinite for the appraisal supervisors / directors, 6 ) infinite for particular events from the director about public presentation of their employees, 7 ) promote the development of worker / employee, 8 ) the end to aline with the following rating day of the month. Furthermore, in ACAS brochure ( 2005 ) that there are several the general rules in explicating a good public presentation appraisal system: what is the intent of public presentation appraisal? , who should be assessed? , who conducted the appraisal? , how frequently should the appraisal take topographic point? , what methods are used in measuring employee public presentation? , how the interviews conducted? . Sing the aims of public presentation assessment system, in ACAS Booklet ( 2005 ) , states that the primary intent of appraisal system used for reexamining public presentation, measuring possible employees and place preparation demands and calling planning. Besides the public presentation assessment system can be used to find whether the employees eligible to have fiscal wagess for their public presentation or non. Klatt, Murdick, and Schuster ( 1978 ) study on a survey conducted by Schuster and Kindall ( 1974 ) in which the public presentation assessment patterns of Fortune ââ¬Ës 500 largest corporations are described. Of the 403 corporations surveyed, 316 ( 78 % ) reported the usage of some type of formal public presentation assessment system. Futher, they report the public presentation evalutions were used for a assortment of intents, as showed below: Table 1. The intents of assessment system No. Uses of Appraisal Responses Number Percentage 1. Merit additions or fillips 238 75,3 % 2. Reding employees 278 88,0 % 3. Planing preparation or development for employees 270 85,4 % 4. Sing the publicity of employees 266 84,2 % 5. Sing the keeping or discharge of employees 184 58,2 % 6. Motivating employees to accomplish higher degrees of public presentation 269 85,1 % 7. Bettering company planning 178 56,3 % 8. Other 28 8,9 % Entire company coverage 316 Beginning: Klatt, Murdick, and Schuster ( 1978, p.367 ) Other studies likewise conducted by Lazer and Wikstrom ( 1977 ) , based upon a study of 300 companies, that 82 % of the respondents had used public presentation rating for feedback, 70 % for compensation determinations, 67 % for publicities, and 65 % for indetifying preparation and developmental demands. Another research worker found similar consequences in their study, Locher and Teel ( 1977 ) said that 71 % of respondents had used public presentation assessment for compensations determinations, 55 % for public presentation betterment programmes, and 11 % for certification. To sum up, the literature suggests that public presentation assessment serves two chief intents: the administrative ( on the organisational degree ) and the developmental ( on both the organisational and single degree ) . The major administrative intents of public presentation assessment are: To supply back-up informations for direction determinations sing salary additions, publicities, transportations, and sometimes demotions or expirations ( McGregor, 1957 ; Levinson, 1976 ) . To place promotable employees within the organisation for effectual work force planning and use ( Thomson, 1969 ; Schneier and Beatty, 1979 ) . To supply information that will ease determinations sing preparation and development demands ( Oberg, 1972 ) . The major developmental intents of public presentation assessment are: To supply equal feedback to the employees about how they ââ¬Ëve conducted occupation and to propose needed alterations in behavior, attitudes, accomplishments, or occupation cognition ( McGregor, 1957 ; Thomson, 1969 ; Oberg, 1972, Levinson, 1976 ; Schneier and Beatty, 1979 ) . To supply a footing for the coaching and guidance of employees by supervisors ( McGregor, 1957 ) . To supply information sing both single and organisational development demands ( Oberg, 1972 ) . Formal public presentation assessment can be accomplished after any period, although it is usually conducted on an one-year footing. Sometimes organisations require that it be done more often, quarterly, or biyearly. Frequent public presentation assessments can ensue in greater apprehension of the occupation and betterment in occupation public presentation ( Nathan et al. , 1991. B.R. Nathan, A.M. Mohrman and J. Milliman, Interpersonal dealingss as a context for the effects of assessment interview on public presentation and satisfaction: a longitudinal survey. Acad. Manage. J. 34 ( 1991 ) , pp. 352-369. Full Text via CrossRefNathan et Al, 1991 ) . Mathis A ; Jackson ( 2000, 387 ) province that assessment typically are conducted one time or twice a twelvemonth, most frequently yearly. For new employees, common timing is to carry on an appraisal 90 yearss after employment, once more at six months, and yearly thenceforth. Besides Anderson in Towers ( 1996, 196 ) says that the most comm on corporate patterns are to keep public presentation assessments every twelve months or every six months, although more-frequent and less frequent fluctuations can and make occur. Harmonizing to Bhatia ( 2010 ) , based on the consequences of his research where he has worked with many companies and found that each measure in the assessment procedure should be no more than 4-5 on the job yearss. Further, he said that in measuring the public presentation of at least six phases which wholly takes over 15 ââ¬â 35 yearss. The different stairss in the appraisal procedure and their time-line might be: No Stairss Proposed Time-Line 1 Employees completing their ego appraisal and submit it to their directors 2 yearss 2 Directors completing the appraisal procedure and subject it to Heads of Departments 5 to 10 yearss ( depending on the squad size ) 3 Head of the Departments completed the mark of their employees and so subject it to the HR section 2 to 5 yearss 4 HR do standardization ( remotion of departmental prejudice ) throughout the organisation, finish the appraisal tonss and subject it to the directors 3 to 12 yearss ( depends on the degree of interaction required ) 5 Directors to discourse the assessment with the employee and so give those consequences to the employee for concluding credence 2 to 5 yearss ( depending on the squad size ) 6 Employees receive their appraisal consequences and mark it 1 twenty-four hours Entire Time Taken 15 to 35 yearss Beginning: Bhatia, 2010 Futhermore, public presentation assessment can carry on into two ways, informal or formal. The informal assessment is conducted whenever the supervisor feels it necessary. A systematic assessment is used when the contact between director and employee is formal, and a system is in topographic point to describe managerial feelings and observations on employee public presentation ( Mathis A ; Jackson ; 2000, Anderson in Towers ; 1996, Oberg ; 1972 ) . Although informal assessment is utile, it should non take the topographic point of formal assessment. Performance can be appraised by a figure of methods. Winston A ; Creamer ( 1997 ) said that there are legion methods to mensurate employee ââ¬Ës public presentation assessment but some of these methods are non suited in some instances. Effective assessment system should include lucidity, transparence, and justness ; give acknowledgment to productiveness through the wages ; and recognize the leading qualities of valuators. Harmonizing to Mathis and Jackson ( 2000 ; 393 ) , assorted methods are categorized into four major groups: Class Rating Methods Comparative Methods Narrative Methods Behavioral/Objective Methods Beginning: Mathis and Jackson, ( 2000, 393 ) Figure 3. Performance Appraisal Methods Rating ââ¬â is a public presentation assessment technique in which judges assess employee public presentation utilizing a graduated table for mensurating the public presentation factors ( public presentation factor ) . For illustration is in mensurating the degree of inaugural and duty of employees. Scale used is 1 to 5, Internet Explorer 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. If the degree of inaugural and duty are insouciant employees, for illustration, so he was given a value of 3 or 4 and so on to measure other public presentation factors. Critical incidents ââ¬â a public presentation appraisal technique, in which the judge noted about what behavior / accomplishment of the best and worst ( highly good or bad behaviour ) for employees in the assessment period. Ranking ââ¬â is a public presentation assessment technique by comparing employee to another employee with the purpose of seting them in order of value of a simple degree. Narrative study ââ¬â a public presentation appraisal technique, in which the judge write a description about the strenght of employees, their failings, their public presentation in the yesteryear, its possible and provide suggestions for the development of employees. Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales ââ¬â a public presentation appraisal technique, in which judges assess the employee based on some type of behaviour that reflects the dimensions of work public presentation and do the graduated table. It is a combination of the evaluation graduated table and critical incident techniques of employee public presentation assessment. Management By Objectives ( Comparison with aims ) ââ¬â is an appraisal method that oriented to the accomplishment of employment marks. In the MBO method, each single employee is given his ain mark, which corresponds to the work unit ends in one period of work. MBO public presentation appraisal methods conducted at the terminal of the period refers to the realisation of the mark. Harmonizing to Jafari, Bourouni and Amiri ( 2009 ) , they propose a model for the choice of appraisal methods and compare some public presentation assessment methods in order to ease the choice procedure for organisations. The model is based on six factors which are developing demands rating, happenstance with institutes, excite staff to be better, ability to compare, cost of method, and free of mistake. This model is theoretical in nature, and is build based on a reappraisal of related literature. The model called Simple Additive Weighting ( SAW ) , and the concluding consequence of their research as shown below: Table 2. The Grade of Performance Appraisal Method based on SAW No. Methods Method ââ¬Ës Grades 1 Management By Objective 0.91 2 360 Degree Feedback 0.87 3 Parallel barss 0.82 4 The checklist 0.72 5 Forced pick, Ranking 0.66 6 The critical incident 0.54 7 The in writing evaluation graduated table 0.51 8 The essay 0.40 Beginning: Jafari, Bourouni and Amiri ( 2009 ) The tabular array above shows that the method of MBO has top class, because the MBO is the best method of public presentation appraisal. Following, 360-degree feedback, BARS and checklist are the most suited method for the appraisal. Forced pick method and Ranking, include group order ranking, single ranking and paired comparing, are apathetic. It means that if the human resource director uses each of them for their employees ââ¬Ë public presentation assessment, his ( or her ) consent will be the same. The critical incident, the in writing evaluation graduated table and the essay are the worst method to utilize. The procedure of public presentation assessment and employee motive are related. Futhermore, in all excessively many instances the relation is negative ; that is, the supervisor who does the evaluation may attach small importance to the procedure and may even resent holding to transport it out. When this attitute rubs off on the employee, there is a negative overall motivational consequence. Under berhaviorally based systems, more positive consequences can be achieved ( Burgess,1984 ) . Motivation vs Salary System Typically organisations use compensation to actuate employees. Compensation is a benefit received by employees for services that have been given to the company, it could be fiscal benefits in the signifier of salary, rewards, pay inducements, fillips, insurance, and allowances, and benefits non-financially in the signifier of physical conditions of work environment, and paysheet systems applied by the company. Motivation can non be imposed, the wagess can actuate some employees but non needfully able to actuate other employees. Employees will be motivated to make better work when they feel that the benefits granted distributed reasonably. Allow a sensed deficiency of just and worthy cause assorted jobs, for which the company must recognize that the system of compensation that is applied will impact employee motive. High employee motive will better employee public presentation which finally will better public presentation of company. Fairness is a fundamental of the compensation or salary system ( Newman A ; Milkovich, 2004: 8 ) . A statement such as ââ¬Å" just intervention for all employees â⬠reflects a concern for justness. The intent of justness seeks to guarantee equity of compensation to all persons in employment relationships. The intent of justness focal point on doing compensation systems that recognizes both the part of workers ( the higher the public presentation or experience or developing the higher the compensation given ) and the demands of workers ( giving lower limit rewards, or wellness insurance ) . Harmonizing Simamora ( 2004: 449 ) , equity compensation is divided into three, viz. : 1. External equity Appropriate pay rates with salary applicable to similar occupations in the external labour market. Assessed by comparing the external equity occupations similar between organisations unparalleled. Two conditions must be met: ( 1 ) . work is being compared must be equal or about equal, and ( 2 ) . the surveyed organisations have a similar size, mission, and its sector. 2. Internal equity Salary degrees are appropriate / inappropriate to value the internal work for the company. Internal justness is a map of the comparative position of a occupation in the organisation, the economic value of the work, or societal position of a occupation, such as power, influence, and its position in the hierarchy of the organisation. Associated with a plurality of internal equity in wages between different occupations within an organisation. 3. Individual equity Individual worker feels that he is treated reasonably compared to his co-workers. When a worker receives compensation from the companies, the perceptual experience of equity is influenced by two factors: ( 1 ) the ratio of compensation to the input of attempt, instruction, preparation, opposition to adverse working conditions of a individual, ( 2 ) comparing of this ratio with the ratio of other workers who come into contact with him straight. Salary system created and organized to accomplish certain ends ( Newman A ; Milkovich, 2004: 7 ) . These aims include efficiency, equity ( equity ) and conformity in conformity with the Torahs and statute law in force. Efficiency objectives specifically include increased productiveness and control cost of labour. Conformity, as a end, related to the execution of all Torahs and ordinances on compensation. When the legal and statutory ordinances are changed, so the compensation system itself besides needs to be adjusted, so that eligibility purposes can go on to run. Salary is a cardinal factor that can impact relationships in the workplace. The degree and distribution of wages and allowances can hold a major influence on the efficiency of any organisation, every bit good as on the morale and productiveness of labour. Therefore it is of import that organisations develop pay systems that suit them, that gives value for money, and that wages workers reasonably for the work they do. Salary system is a method in giving the award to person for his parts to the organisation. Ideally, the system must be simple and clear to follow and understand, so workers can easy happen out how they are affected. ( ACAS Booklet, 2005 ; Simamora, 2004 ) . Conceptual Model The conceptual theoretical account of this research company productiveness has relationships with public presentation of employees, and employees public presentation linked with motive. The linkage can be throught of as follows: Corporate Productiveness Employee Performance Salary System Performance Appraisal System Employee Motivation Fair / Equity Clear / Understandable Competitive Aims Sporadically Appropriate method Beginning: Created by Author, adopted from many beginning. Figure 3. Linkage among corporate productiveness, public presentation assessment system and salary system Based on the image can be explained that the company productiveness has relationships with public presentation of employees, where the premise that the better public presentation of the employee will do an impact that company productiveness will be better. Furthermore, employees ââ¬Ë public presentation is non irrespective of the motive owned by employees. Several factors can impact the motive of employees associated with the public presentation of one of them is the execution of public presentation assessment and wage system. Although many factors that influence employee motive and public presentation. Furthermore, from the image above with the premise that with the execution of an nonsubjective public presentation appraisal, usage of appropriate methods, the periodic executing, and execution of compensation that is just, clear and competitory consequences will be honoring and actuating employees to work better. With high employee motive, it is expected that the public presentati on of employees will increase productiveness of the company which subsequently rose as good. High productiveness is one of the ends of an organisation. Purpose Of This Research The intent of this survey is to cognize the correlativity among, corporate productiveness, public presentation appraisal and salary system, and besides to develop quantitative relationships among them, so can mensurate how motivated person at work. Methodology adopted The type of research is experimental research. Sing the experimental research, harmonizing to Landman ( 1988: 82 ) that experimental research is research designed to analyze the causes and effects. The basic construction of this sort of research is the two state of affairss ( the causes and effects ) are assessed to do comparings. Research experiments in rule can be defined as a systematic method to construct relationships that contain the phenomenon of cause and consequence. The construct of the research experiment begins with understanding a simple illustration on inquiries associating to how the relationship of one or more variables in certain conditions. Location of research This research behavior on figure of companies in Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia. Why did Jakarta and Surabaya? First, It might be assumed that Jakarta, as the national capital metropolis, possessed every necessary property to back up a developing economic system: skilled labour ( many university alumnuss went to Jakarta together with other job-seekers ) , a capital market, transit and communicating webs, a haven, airdrome, banking system, and cardinal authorities. Most foreign and domestic investing was allocated to this part. Between 60 and 70 per cent of Indonesia ââ¬Ës money supply circulated in the Jakarta megalopolis ( Santosa, 2004 ) . Second, Since the 1940s, East Java has been Indonesia ââ¬Ës 2nd major Centre of industrial development after Jakarta. Surabaya, the provincial capital, its 2nd biggest modern metropolis after Jakarta. Profiting from a business-friendly, dynamic provincial authorities, East Java ââ¬Ës industry sector contributed to a provincial growing r ate higher than for the Indonesian economic system as a whole. The mean one-year growing rate in East Java in 2005-2006 was 5,8 % , and in 2007-2008, 6,1 % . These figures were higher than the growing rates for Indonesia, which were 5,5 % and 6 % severally. ( Beginning: Planning Board of East Java Province ( Bappeprov ) , 2009 ) Sampling The sample is portion of the population. That means there will non try if there is no population. Population is the component or elements which we shall carefully. Research conducted over the full component is called a nose count. Ideally, that research consequences more trusty, a research worker should carry on the nose count. But for one thing research workers could non analyze all elements that, therefore he can make is analyze some of the whole component or elements earlier. Harmonizing to Sekaran ( 1992 ) , assorted plausible grounds why the research workers did non carry on a nose count among other things ; the population so much so that in pattern it is non possible all the elements studied ; limited research clip, cost, and human resources, the research worker must hold been satisfied if the survey examines some of the elements ; even, sometimes, a survey of samples can be more dependable than on the population. if the elements every bit good as a homogenous population, a survey of all elements of the population to be unreasonable Futhermore, Roscoe ( 1975 ) in Sekaran ( 1992 ) provides counsel on finding the figure of samples as follows: We recommend that sample sizes between 30 to 500 elements, If the sample was split once more into a subsample ( male / female, simple school, Junior / Senior High School, etc. ) , the minimal figure should be 30 subsample, In the multivariate survey ( including multivariate arrested development analysis ) the sample size should be several times larger ( to 10 times ) than the figure of variables to be analyzed. To analyze a simple experiment, with rigorous controls, the sample size can be between 10 to 20 elements. Following Roscoe ( 1975 ) , due to the sort of this research is experimental research, therefore sample sizes between 10 and 20 are appropriate for this research. Therefore, it is decided to aim a sum of 13 companies, which is have location at Jakarta and Surabaya conducted in randomize. The surveyed corporations have different type of ownership and are from different sectors. The corporations can be state-owned, local, private, a foreign-owned or join venture and belong to service and the fabrication sectors. The figure of samples is considered effectual based on the available figure of establishments, research inquiries investigated ( Cavana, Delahaye A ; Sekaran, 2001 ) , and besides this affair because of restriction of cost and clip in this research. The respondents of this research are HRD Managers / HR Specialist / HR Supervisor in the sampled houses. Beginning of Data and Instruments of Research In this research, the beginning of informations divide into two sorts ; primary informations and secondary informations. Primary informations include questionnaire study for analysing execution of public presentation assessment system and salary system, besides conduct interviews with respondents sampled. For secondary informations include company study, papers that relevant, and literature reappraisals. The major instruments used for informations aggregation in this research were questionnaire and interview. However, the interview method was merely used to supplement the questionnaires that were distributed to the respondents. The research worker made the questionnaires anon. by intentionally excluding such sensitive inquiries like name of the respondent because of its utility to the research. In informations aggregation non merely by utilizing questionnaire and interview, but besides certification. Data collection of obtained daring of this research topographic point organisation is done, that is documentation refering informations of employees ââ¬Ë public presentation, company profile, company location, and others. In fixing the questionnaire in this survey, the research worker refered to the ACAS brochure ( 2005 ) which explained the general rules in explicating a good public presentation assessment system: what is the intent of public presentation appraisal? , who should be assessed? , who conducted the appraisal? , how frequently should the appraisal take topographic point? , what methods are used in measuring employee public presentation? , how the interviews conducted? . Besides sing to the salary system: Is a salary system just, simple and clear to follow and understand, so workers can easy happen out how they are affected? The research worker determines the weights of instrument based on literature study, which is each of the replies in the questionnaire is given weight with scale interval 1-10. Then, from each of those replies made rank, in which points that have replies highest weight is the consequence of the most ideal or suited harmonizing to the research workers, and so on. The weight is given to find the place of each of the replies compared to other replies. For the intent of this survey, productiveness was treated as the dependant variable while public presentation assesment system and salary system as independent variable. The definition of variable operational are: Dependent Variables is coporate productiveness Corporate Productivity ( Y ) : dependant variable has been measured by how much net net income from trading divided by the entire figure of employees of the house. Independent Variables have been defined as follows: Performance appraisal system ( X1 ) : This variable has been defined as the public presentation appraisal that implemented by the company, include the aim of public presentation assessment, sort of public presentation assessment, frequency of public presentation assessment have been behavior, the clip consume for for complete the procedure of public presentation assessment, the methods that used to measure employees public presentation, execution of public presentation assessment system. Salary system ( X2 ) : This variable has been defined as wage system which behavior, about equity, fight, and lucidity of salary system Factorial Design In this survey, research workers used a factorial design to look into the influence of two independent variables on a individual dependant variable. Factorial design is really utile for research workers and field scientists in carry oning preliminary surveies, which allows them to measure whether there is a relationship between variables or non, while cut downing the possibility of experimental mistake and confounding variables. Factorial design represent application equation of regresi that is technique to give relation theoretical account among respon variable with one or more independent variable. Factorial design used on test to find simulationly consequence from some factor and important interaction ( Bolton, 1997 ) . Factorial design two degree mean there is two factor ( for illustration A and B ) what is the each factor tested at two different degree, that is low degree and high degree. Equation of factorial design shall be as follows: Y = b0 + b1XA + b2 XB + b12 XAXB Y = Corporate productiveness ( NPAT/number of employees ) . XA = Performance assesment system XB = Salary system b0, b1, b2, b12 = coefficient or constanta, can cipher from consequence of experiment. OR Y = Ià ±*X1 + I?*X2 +I?*X1 X2 Field Study Table 1. The Companies Name, Status, Location and Type as Sampled NO Company Name Status Location Type 1 PT. KG POE ââ¬Ës Surabaya Retail 2 PT. CF POE ââ¬Ës Surabaya Retail 3 PT. WA POE ââ¬Ës Gresik Cement Distributor 4 PT. IN POE ââ¬Ës Djakarta Printing A ; Printing 5 PT. TK SOE ââ¬Ës Mojokerto Fabrication, Pulp A ; Paper 6 PT. MAC POE ââ¬Ës Surabaya Servicess /Health 7 PT. RZ POE ââ¬Ës Surabaya Servicess / Advertising A ; Event Organizer 8 PT. PG SOE ââ¬Ës Djakarta Fabrication, Instalation 9 PT. HAI POE ââ¬Ës Djakarta Fabrication, Food 10 PT. ABDA POE ââ¬Ës Djakarta Finance A ; Insurance 11 PT. TMP POE ââ¬Ës Djakarta Printing A ; Printing 12 PT. WK SOE ââ¬Ës Djakarta Construction Servicess 13 PT. UM POE ââ¬Ës Malang Fabrication, Tobbacos Note: POE ââ¬Ës = Private Owned Enterprise SOE ââ¬Ës = State Owned Enterprise From the tabular array above can be explained that in this survey the figure of houses selected indiscriminately sampled, located in Jakarta, Surabaya and its environing countries with assorted types and countries of production. Where there are 10 companies are private-owned companies and 3 state-owned companies. No Company Name Net net income 2009 / twelvemonth ( IDR ) Number of employees Productivity / Year 1 PT. KG 7.800.000.000,00 155 50.322.580,65 2 PT. CF 9.000.000.000,00 150 60.000.000,00 3 PT. WA 49.440.000.000,00 121 408.595.041,32 4 PT. IN 108.199.710.608,00 700 154.571.015,15 5 PT. TK 378.580.000.000,00 12.844 29.475.241,36 6 PT. MAC 54.000.000.000,00 187 288.770.053,48 7 PT. RZ 523.000.000,00 55 9.509.090,91 8 PT. PG 6.229.043.496.319,00 1.700 3.664.143.233,13 9 PT. HAI 3.000.000.000.000,00 3.009 997.008.973,08 10 PT. ABDA 14.087.000.000,00 450 31.304.444,44 11 PT. TMP 3.000.000.000,00 195 15.384.615,38 12 PT. WK 132.621.941.132,00 6.000 22.103.656,86 13 PT. UM 59.825.400.000,00 600 99.709.000,00 Beginning: Primary Data, 2010 Explanation how the study was done Consequence NO Company Name X1 Sum X2 Sum PRODUCTIVITY / Year 1 PT. KG 33 18 50.322.580,65 2 PT. CF 42 18 60.000.000,00 3 PT. WA 48 24 408.595.041,32 4 PT. IN 72 24 154.571.015,15 5 PT. TK 78 21 29.475.241,36 6 PT. MAC 85 24 288.770.053,48 7 PT. RZ 34 18 9.509.090,91 8 PT. PG 54 18 3.664.143.233,13 9 PT. HAI 36 21 997.008.973,08 10 PT. ABDA 60 24 31.304.444,44 11 PT. TMP 56 21 15.384.615,38 12 PT. WK 44 18 22.103.656,86 13 PT. UM 48 24 99.709.000,00 Development of Correlation Function Decision and Recommendations How to cite The Correlation Among Corporate Productivity Assessments Commerce Essay, Essay examples
Friday, December 6, 2019
Appositive Phrases free essay sample
An appositive is a sentence part that identifies a person, place, or thing named in a sentence. Appositives often begin with the words a, an, or the. They always answer one of these questions. Who is he? Who is she? Who are they? (people) What is it? (place or thing) Appositives occur at the beginning of a sentence (opener), between a subject and verb (s-v split), or at the end of a sentence (closer). Examples of Appositives Opener: A professional individualist, William T. Stead seemed almost to have planned his arrival. Walter Lord, A Night to RememberS-V Split: Cotton, the kitten, went up the tree but could not come down. Roger Duvoisin, Petunia Closer: May always liked the weird ones best, the ones you couldnââ¬â¢t peg right off. Cynthia Rylant, Missing May Directions: With a partner, match the appositives with the sentences. Write out each sentence, inserting and underlining the appositive. Use all three positions at least onceââ¬âopener, s-v split, closer. Sentences:Appositives: 1. Maycomb was the county seata. suede with tags and zippers. of Maycomb county. 2. He signaled to Jake to take over the b. a red Olds. cash register. One of these dogs had disappeared. c. the middle brother 4. Tomorrow is Wednesday. d. the best one 5. And of course it was red. e. twenty miles east of Finchââ¬â¢s landing 6. That jacket is a class act. f. a working day Practice 2: Identifying 1. Discuss with a partner what who learned in Practice 1 about appositives. Jot down brief answers to these questions on this paper. a. What information do appositives tell? b. Are appositives sentences, or sentence parts? c. What words usually begin appositives? d. How long are appositives, short, medium, or long? e. Where can appositives be placed in a sentence? . When is one comma used for an appositive? Two commas? g. How can appositives improve your writing? 2. Find the appositives phrases in the following sentences, and see if your answers fit them. 1. Shannon, a boy Arthur knew from the playgrounds, approached. Hoop Dream-Ben Joravsky. Arthur dribbled low, like coach Bedford had taught him, and was careful to avoid the bits of glass and clumps of grass on the asphalt. Hoop Dream-Ben Joravsky 3. For Bedford and his assistants, Eli Ephram and Al Williams, it was hard to determine just how good their team would be. Hoop Dream-Ben Joravsky . Nate, the only person present who could get away with asking , blurted out, ââ¬Å"So, are you going to get married, Grandma? â⬠Hoop Dream-Ben Joravsky 5. Only one time, last summer, Ruthie had mentioned it. Finding Miracles, Julia Alvarez 6. Un milagrito, a little miracle, had happened! Finding Miracles, Julia Alvarez Practice 3: Combining With a partner, combine the two sentences by making the underlined part of the second sentence an appositive. Write the new sentence and underline the appositive. The pilot seemed more a machine than a man, b. He seemed an extension of the plane. Combination: The pilot seemed more a machine than a man, an extension of the plane. Gary Paulsen, Hatchet Sentences to Combine: 1a. In the long pasture, there was a small knoll which was the highest point on the farm. 1b. The pasture was not far from the farm buildings. George Orwell, Animal Farm Combination: Sentences to Combine: 2a. He remembered his mother taking the new child into her arms, while the document was read to the assembled family units. 2b. His new child was his sister. Lois Lowry, The Giver Combination: Sentences to Combine: 3a. Last year my new American friends took me to a carnival. 3b. Alyce and John took me to a carnival here in the suburbs of Chicago where I live now with my mother. Farah Ahmedi with Tamim Ansary, The Other Side of the Sky Combination: Sentences to Combine: 4a. Ghulam Hussein decided to do something about this. 4b. Ghulam Hussein was my father. Farah Ahmedi with Tamim Ansary, The Other Side of the Sky Combination: Sentences to Combine: 5a. Dr. Andrew Raleigh had written to her explaining that it served as the bunkhouse for the men working on the project. 5b. Dr. Andrew Raleigh was the project leader. Mary Anna Evans, Relics Combination: Sentences to Combine: 6a. One of my teachers back in Pennsylvania, always quoted at us, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. â⬠6b. Mr. Kaffi was one of my teachers. Margaret Peterson Haddix, Double Identity Combination: Practice 4: Unscrambling With a partner, unscramble the list of sentence parts and write out the sentence. Underline the sentence parts that are appositive phrases. Scrambled Sentence Parts: a. Tobias b. was about a hundred feet above us, floating on a nice warm current of air c. he remaining member of our group Unscrambled Sentence: Tobias, the remaining member of our group, was about a hundred feet above us. Floating on a nice warn current of air. K. A. Applegate, Animorphs: The Underground Scrambled Sentence Parts: 1a. does she go to your church 1b. Tammy 1c. that woman from the Y Margaret Peterson Haddix, Double Identity Unscrambled Sentence: Scrambled Sentence Parts: 2a. not one but two talented your gymnast harbored Olympic dreams 2b. in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere 2c,Illinois Margaret Peterson Haddix, Double Identity Unscrambled Sentence: Scrambled Sentence Parts: 3a. nd past the friendly woman at the front desk 3b. Ronaldââ¬â¢s momââ¬âwho barely gets a nod 3c. Myrlie hustles me out of the locker room Margaret Peterson Haddix, Double Identity Unscrambled Sentence: Scrambled Sentence Parts: 4a. Sethââ¬â¢s quarter horse 4b. and blewair from his pink-lined nostrils 4c. Quiet lifted his reddish brown head over the box stall Mary Casanova, Wolf Shadows Unscrambled Sentence: Scrambled Sentence Parts: 5a. lay in Momââ¬â¢s teal chair 5b. a ball of black cat fur 5c. Mid night Unscrambled Sentence: Scrambled Sentence Parts: 6a. about fat deer overruning suburban backyard, destroying gardens 6b. is cousin in Eagan 6c. heââ¬â¢d heard stories from Hannah Unscrambled Sentence: Practice 5: Expanding With a partner, create an appositive that begins with the words provided. Vary the lengths of the appositives ââ¬â some short, some medium, some long.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
5 Words Caught in Semantic Drift
5 Words Caught in Semantic Drift 5 Words Caught in Semantic Drift 5 Words Caught in Semantic Drift By Mark Nichol Is it possible to simultaneously admire the vibrancy and flexibility of the English language and grumble about shifts in meaning that deprive the language of some of its richness? I know it is, because I often do so. Because of the organic nature of language, English is a victim of semantic drift not as cataclysmic as continental drift, but detectable on the rigor scale and I regret the loss of the far-flung flotsam. Semantic drift is the evolution that occurs in the meaning of some words when careless, ignorant usage alters or even reverses their senses. Such change is inevitable, but allow me to mourn the loss of a word here and there, never again to be applicable to an idea or image with such crisp clarity. Here are five terms tainted by semantic drift: 1. Aggravate The essence of aggravate is right there in the middle: grav-, the root of gravity and grave (as in ââ¬Å"seriousâ⬠; the word for the resting place of a coffin has a different etymological origin). The Latin word gravis means ââ¬Å"heavy,â⬠and aggravate originally literally means ââ¬Å"to make heavyâ⬠; the original sense was ââ¬Å"to make worse.â⬠But almost immediately and naturally, because a burden is irritating it acquired the additional sense of ââ¬Å"exasperate.â⬠Use of that meaning now predominates. Wordsmith H. W. Fowler proclaimed that ââ¬Å"to make worseâ⬠is the only correct sense of aggravate; he was undoubtedly irritated (not aggravated) to know that popular usage defied his decree. 2. Bemused The root of this word, muse, means ââ¬Å"to think or ponder,â⬠but it has an amusing origin; it is from a Latinate term for ââ¬Å"snoutâ⬠and became associated with cogitation from the image of lifting oneââ¬â¢s nose in the air, perhaps to sniff a scent and consider its source. (It is apparently unrelated to, though influenced by, muse, meaning ââ¬Å"to think,â⬠from the name of the Muses, the Greek goddesses of the arts and sciences; this is also the origin of museum and music.) Bemused (ââ¬Å"confusedâ⬠) is often confused for amused (ââ¬Å"comically entertainedâ⬠) because of their original similarity of meaning: Bemused literally means ââ¬Å"thoroughly thinking,â⬠suggesting being confused by thinking too much, whereas the literal meaning of amused is ââ¬Å"without thought,â⬠with the connotation of being diverted from thinking by some lighthearted entertainment. However, bemusement is serious business. 3. Nonplussed This word, taken literally from the Latin words for no and more, originally was used in the noun form to describe a point from which one could not continue because one was perplexed. For five hundred years, thatââ¬â¢s what the word meant. But at some point during the twentieth century, people inexplicably began to assume that it refers to the opposite state, that of being unfazed (not unphased!) or at ease, as if being plussed were a state of bewilderment and nonplussed therefore means ââ¬Å"not bewildered.â⬠The antonymic meaning soon went viral, and now one is likely to be unclear about which meaning a speaker or writer has in mind. When that happens, perhaps itââ¬â¢s best to retire a word altogether and fortunately in this case, at least bewildered and perplexed persist (for now) with unequivocal synonymic meaning. 4. Nostalgia This battle was lost long ago, but the case study is interesting. Nostalgia was coined (from the first part of the Greek word for ââ¬Å"homecomingâ⬠and the Latin suffix -algia itself originally from Greek and meaning ââ¬Å"painâ⬠) in the late 1600s to refer to the literal affliction of homesickness. For two centuries, nostalgia was treated as a serious ailment suffered by soldiers and others who suffered ailments caused by a melancholic longing for home. That clinical sense itself wasted away, and though nostalgia continued to refer to homesickness, that meaning was overtaken by the idea of a sentimental yearning for a lost state or condition, usually temporally rather than spatially irrevocable. However, Iââ¬â¢m nostalgic about the lost meaning. 5. Voluptuous For hundreds of years, voluptuous meant ââ¬Å"luxurious, pleasure seeking, devoted to sensual gratificationâ⬠(the Latin root is voluptas, meaning ââ¬Å"pleasureâ⬠), but back in the early 1800s, the word came to be associated primarily with female beauty, and later the primary sense shifted to that of curvaceousness. Here are some other words that have been affected by semantic drift. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingConfusing "Passed" with "Past"May Have vs. Might Have
Monday, November 25, 2019
Politics and I essays
Politics and I essays Politics and I have never really seen eye to eye. When I say this I mean Ive never really been interested in it. Politics to me has always looked like a stupid childish argument. I think I view politics like that because of watching the British house of Parliaments live on T.V. I dont know if you have seen it but its so childish; people mocking each other and loud voices shouting offensive comments back and forth. The whole charade is just pathetic. I also dont hold to much trust in people that run in Politics. I swear they change their opinions on certain topics just to hammer the opposition. Sometimes I think they are running their campaigns not to satisfy the country but to beat the other candidate. Due to my negative view on Politics I never really paid much attention to the political affairs that were going on around me, until I moved to I dont know why exactly I got into Politics when I moved to America, maybe it was something to do with the presidential campaign! I never really thought much if I was a democrat or republican, but listening to the debates and the news I was even more confused with whose side I belonged to. What I did find out, was that I had opinions and lots of them, whether they agreed with the democrats or the republicans really didnt bother me. These opinions of mine surfaced one day when I was babysitting. Hard to believe that in one day spent with an 11yr old, my whole view on the Political system in this country dramatically unfolded. I couldnt believe what I was hearing from this little innocent boy. My most memorable expression was I hate Iraqis........they should all die. We should cut their heads off! It was so disturbing to hear. Where did this hatred for Iraqis come from? When I asked the boy what he thought of how the Americans wer ...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Budget Requirements Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Budget Requirements - Coursework Example The selected families will be offered free training, education and mentorship programs until they qualify to leave the program. For us to finance all the activities of the organization, we require to have around $100,000. This will enable us to cater for all the services that we will be delivering to our beneficiaries. As indicated in our budget, the available resources will be properly spent. Meaning, all the planned items will be funded as planned. The total number of families will be 50. This is the appropriate number that we will mange to support at this time. Out of these families, each family will be allocated $1,837. This will be enough to cater for all their expenses throughout the year. However, it is from this allocation that we will get the money to provide for all the necessary services and materials that they will be requiring as we enroll them into this program. They will be used for licensing the program, buying the required materials, paying the personnel and catering for any other activity which might be undertaken during the program. For this reason, we will allocate a total of $30,000 for staff salaries. This will be used to remunerate the program coordinator, assistant coordinator, part and full-time instructors who will be directly handling the children. Besides, we will spend $20,000 on training services; $10,000 for technical assistance; $5,000 for acquiring licenses and registering with our national affiliates. At the same time, we will have to spare $10,000 for the development of the program and then use $10,000 to purchase learning materials such as text books. Last, but by no means the least, the remaining $850 will be left for any other expense which might arise, may be because of emergency or such like issues. By doing this, we are assured of a promising career in the NGO
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Addressing Child Poverty in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words
Addressing Child Poverty in the UK - Essay Example This limiting of considerations and change in social policies is not simply a development in UKââ¬â¢s guiding principles toward families and children within its frontier, but is applied to promote a specific political objective across the globe. The child poverty program of Labour is driven by the broadening of inequality and increase in social exclusion in the UK throughout the past two decades and specifically the worsening in the conditions of UK children in comparison to other vulnerable groups. This has shown that the main social objective of the government of the UK has increasingly turned into addressing child poverty. The UK government is viewing and treating poverty not only as a symptom of socioeconomic disparity, but as a force producing resource deficit and hampering the educational achievement and growth of children. Social policy refers to the study of the structure and provision of public services, security, and welfare within countries. Its emphasis is on the means in which various countries interpret and address the demands and needs of their citizens (Micklewright & Stewart 2000, 89). Basically, social policy is an applied discourse which tackles the provision and organisation of resources for the fulfilment of social needs. This paper will analyse and discuss the development of UK governmentââ¬â¢s social policy since 1997, particularly in relation to child poverty, along with two other related policy areas, namely, child abuse and low educational attainment. There have been substantial disparities in child poverty between countries over the past two decades. In some societies, particularly the UK, the extent of child poverty broadened significantly, whereas in other European countries it did not (Hills 1998, 8). Rather, different types of welfare state safeguarded revenue and expenses flowing to children. This refers to the mutual connection between childrenââ¬â¢s citizenship or political representation and their cultural and social representation. This demands both reassessing the segregation and exclusion of children from the society and re-evaluating the commonplace but negative stereotypes of children that govern political discourse (Dobrowolsky 2002, 45). Nevertheless, there is a vital link between childrenââ¬â¢s influence in policymaking and political discussion and the culturally and socially constructed paradigms in which children are viewed. Moreover, several studies have emphasised the connection between child poverty and a number of forms of child abuse, particularly physical and emotional maltreatment, and neglect (Devaney & Spratt 2009, 2). There is no major research that explicitly studied the nature of the connection between child poverty and child abuse in the UK, yet the widespread assumption focuses on the stress variables related with social exclusion and poverty, which are aggravated if mental health problems and substance abuse come about (Devaney & Spratt 2009, 2). Hence, in order to su ccessfully support and protect vulnerable families and children, there should be more understanding and knowledge of the effects of material and social deprivation, and the various kinds of difficulties that families and children are confronting have to be acknowledged if their demands and needs are to be successfully addressed. Furthermore, aside from child abuse, child poverty in the UK is now being felt in the education sector. For instance, there are empirical reports of behavioural and psychological disparities by socioeconomic standing, in at least 2-year-old children (MacBeath, Gray, Cullen, et al. 2006, 82). Alongside supporting the growth and development of
Monday, November 18, 2019
International economics theory to real world issues Assignment
International economics theory to real world issues - Assignment Example It looks comprehensively at the issues plaguing international trade and its promise of increasing wealth for countries. International economics concerns itself with the effects on economic activity of global differences in productive resources and consumer preferences or tastes and the international institutions that affect them. The aspect of international economics seeks to explain the patterns and results of transactions and interactions between inhabitants in different countries. The aspect of international economics includes international trade, migration, and investment. International trade being one of the key pillars of international economics is supposed to be a voluntary exchange occurring with all the participating countries expecting to gain. Free trade increases access to goods and services that may be lacking in some countries (Enderwick 222). For this reason, in international economic, trade bridges the differences in terms of goods and services. It follows the laws and rules of supply and demand to cater for the demand of areas with low supply of certain goods and services from areas with a high supply of said products and services. International trade promotes specialization and the division of labor increasing output and consumption. As a result of international economic interdependence, economic conditions and policies in one country increasingly influence economic conditions in other countries. In addition, international trade abides by some fundamental international economic principles such as standard exchanges. The comprehension of international trade is important in critically understanding its importance and how it is the backbone of todayââ¬â¢s increasingly globalized modern, commercial world. It helps in understanding how producers in various countries try to profit and benefit from an expanded market rather than being limited to the market within a single county. It
Saturday, November 16, 2019
What Islam Bestows To Humanity Religion Essay
What Islam Bestows To Humanity Religion Essay ABSTRACT Humanity needs Islam for its spiritual transformation. It needs Islam to live happily and successfully in this life. It needs Islam to find salvation in the life to come. Islam is the religion of truth and it guides to all that is good. WHAT ISLAM BESTOWS TO HUMANITY? Almost all moral or religious reform revival movements prior to Islam emerged as reactions against existing orders. This explains as to why they were one-sided failed to address all aspect of human life. For example, Taoism-a Chinese version of mysticism- taught a corrupt and vice-ridden China to neglect material pleasures. Confucianism-a middle of the road approach- was opposed to these principles and called upon those who had retreated to monasteries to seek spiritual purification and individual piety in and through the thicks of life to establish a virtuous state and live a social life among the people. Indias vast fertile land was invaded several times, which caused its religions to become very mystical. In addition, asceticism grew as a reaction against the previously prevalent luxury and debauchery.à [1]à Likewise Judaism was heavily this worldly in its approach. Christianity, on the other hand, particularly in the beginning, developed too much as an otherworldly religio n. It was a revelation, as Jesus Christ himself emphasized, for a particular nation at a particular time and in particular circumstances, and so was not the final and complete Divine message.à [2]à Only Muhammad (PBUH) emerged a the last Prophet of God to reveal His truth. Before this, polytheism and other variants of disbelief were prevalent: Most of humanity did not believe in God, but associated other gods with Him.à [3]à As people measured not God with His true measureà [4]à , some believed that He had a son while others erroneously considered the angels to be His daughters.à [5]à The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) revealed the truth about God and uncompromisingly emphasized His oneness Unity. With him, God perfected His religion and declared that the true religion with Him is Islamà [6]à and: therefore, whoso desires another religion than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him and in the next world he shall be among the losersà [7]à . God revealed that the message , the prophet of islam, brought was universal,à [8]à that he spoke only what was revealed to him, and that he did not speak on his own authority. We appointed for you a Messenger from among you so that he will recite to you Our signs, purify you, and teach you the Book, wisdom, and what you do not know.à [9]à Such facts were foretold by Jesusà [10]à and mentioned in the Quranà [11]à . Only purified souls can use science and technology to benefit humanity. If this fact is ignored, such knowledge can lead to death distruction as we witnessed in the twentieth century. Only purified s ouls fully conversant with science and technology can lead humanity toward true happiness here and salvation in the here after.à [12]à Any religion or system that lacks the principles of spiritual purity or the conditions of a virtuous social life cannot provide true happiness. As will be explained, Islam provides a complete guidance for our lives here and in the hereafter. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent as the blessing for all the worlds, and so there is no need to renew the Divine message through another Prophet-so long as we hold the eternal and uncorrupted Quran,à [13]à à Sunnah of the prophet (PBUH). Islam presents for mankind an equitable, fair and complete system of life, for while it exalts the human spirit and prescribes ideal ethical and spiritual principles for man, it does not deny the importance of the material aspect of his life either.à [14]à It is rather a comprehensive way of life, spiritually and materially, in the conscience of the individual as well as in the behaviour of the society, and includes the principles of social rights and obligations in all dealings, whether they pertain to economics, politics or to international relations.à [15]à Some people contend that Islam, now 1,400 years old, is obsolete and outmoded and, that new guidance is required. Such an assertion is totally unfounded, for Islam was revealed by God as an eternal final message of God to human kind. Further, the Quran assures us that not only the Quran was revealed by God Almighty but it would also be presented by Him. Those who think that Islam has had its sway once, and now it is fu tile to attempt its rebirth, are labouring under grave misconception. The effervescence of its wave-is still curling the waters as the consequences of the Islamic revolution are by no means exhausted. Islam is destined to prevail over all other religions. And this assertion expectation of Quran is yet to be materialized in full. It will be realized nonetheless-with us o without us is a separate question. Moreover, Islam is addressed to essential human nature, so long as his nature remains the same the guidance remain operative effective. It is a modern illusion that everything is subject to change. Human nature show a beautiful balance between elements of permanence and change: Outward forms change, while fundamental principles, basic values, and essential human nature and needs do not.à [16]à Islam is the only religion that embraces all dimensions of life and possesses an established method that allows for the perennial evolution of human society in accordance with lifes fundamental principles and permanent values.à [17]à It is an outlook which manifests itself in all shades of human behaviour. Thus the Islamic concept of social, political and moral order is more concrete and tangible than of any other religion.à [18]à HUMANITY The Islamic concept of religion as a complete code of life has in fact spiritualized all aspects of human existence. It was hitherto thought that the spirit and matter are entities essentially opposed to each other. Religion is concerned only with the soul and has nothing to do with mundane activities of human body which gravitate him towards evil. The depravity of human nature, especially the supposed essential evil of the body, led to the absolute suppression of the whole sensual side of man. The idea of a religious man was that of an extremely detached , unsocial being. To flee from the social order, and take up the solitary life is the presupposition of salvation. It is in absolute loneliness, isolated from all other human beings that the religious and pious man stands face to face with himself and with Allah. Each person is composed of three parts-spirit, mind and body. Each of these needs to be satisfied. They are so interrelated, and their needs are so different, that neglecting one results in our failing to attain perfection.à [19]à As we read in the Quran: Fair in the eyes of men is the love of what they covet: women, children, stored-up heaps of gold and silver, horses of mark, cattle and tillage.à [20]à Our physical make-up and individual characteristics produce certain inclinations, and we can neither avoid satisfying these lusts implanted in us by the Creator nor be able to get rid of them. This does not mean that people attempting to satisfy their lusts are free to do as they please or cannot overcome their inclinations. On the contrary, this means that we can change our inclinations by exercising our free will, and can control our lust, anger, and other emotions and then use them to propel ourselves along the path of perfection and wisdom.à [21]à Islamic attitude towards the physical needs of a man can be well judged from the following Hadith. It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Amr b. alAs that he was once asked by the holy Prophet (PBUH) whether it was correct that he observed fasts during the days and spend nights standing in prayer. Abdullah affirmed that. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) observed: Dont do that. Keep fast at times and break at times, offer prayer and go to bed also. Your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your guests have also a right upon you.à [22]à Just as our physical body has its own pleasures and pains, our spirit has its own joys and ailments as well. Sickness hurts the body, while the physical well-being, health, and whatever is in harmony with its nature gives it pleasure. As for the spirit, its pleasures and diseases depend on whether or not the carnal soul has been purified.à [23]à All of us want to reach happiness. The most consummate happiness is to embody and manifest the Divine Attributes and characteristics. The soul of a truly happy person develops by knowing and loving God.à [24]à True happiness cannot be reached or retained unless all of the souls faculties and powers are purified and reformed.à [25]à Partial or temporary Reform or purification will not result in true happiness. Just as a body can be considered healthy only when all of its limbs and organs are healthy, people can attain perfect happiness only when freed from all evil-commanding animal passions preventing their ascension to higher realms.à [26]à Islam does not subscribe to soul-body dualism. Physical urges are an integral part of mans nature: not the result of the original sin, and therefore the demand of their burial is unnatural fraught with unnatural problems. Islam stands for their transformation, education training in order to redirect them to better ends and ideals. Re ason left to itself could be barren impotent. It requires the concurrence of passions to be operative effective. The order that Islam recommends is that our passions should be sub-ordinated to reason; while reason should be guided by revelation. We should never allow the passions to run wild. Piety in Islam does not consist in suppressing the demands of the body; it aims at coordinating them with the demands of the spirit in such a way that life might become full and righteous. The Muslims have been asked not to forbid themselves the use of the bounties of Allah.à [27]à Say: who has forbidden the beautiful gifts of Allah, which He has brought forth for His servants? And the things, clean and pure, which He has provided for sustenance. My Lord forbids only indecencies such of them as are apparent and such as are concealed and sin and highhandedness without justice, and that ye associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority and that you say of Allah what you know not.à [28]à Self Purification does not mean eliminating desires and anger or destroying our reproductive instincts and capacity for self-defense, for such abilities are essential for our survival continued existence. For example, we are endowed with intellect to see the distinction between the devil the Devine. And we are endowed with freedom so that we could choose either of the two. Islam does not condemn outright the appetites of man; it justifies them to the extent where a man can put restraint upon them and control them according to the moral consciousness and thus use them for spiritual development.à [29]à O you apostles! Eat of things that are good and do what is right; of your good things I am cognizant.à [30]à We must express our powers and faculties in a balanced and moderate way so that they can perform their functions properly. Purifying and training the intellect brings knowledge and wisdom, purifying anger engenders courage and forbearance, and purifying passions and desires develop chastity. The moral virtues acquired by those moving toward perfection and the realization of true happiness are wisdom, courage, and chastity.à [31]à Our earthly life covers social, political, and economic aspects as well as spiritual ones. Our worldly nature presses us to be obedient to our desires. History testifies that when the power seekers finally do attain power, they turn to tyranny oppression and enslave the poor and the weak. On the other hand, God is All-Just and never approves of injustice and oppression. Thus the religion He revealed must-demands that our rulers must be conscious of the Day of Judgment. They must be fair just avoid cruelty oppression.à [32]à Muslims believe that the Quran is the word of God (Allah) as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It serves as the source of the Muslim worldview together with the Hadith and Sunnah and contains all the guidance that we require to lead a good life, both as individuals as members of an Islamic state.à [33]à WHAT ISLAM OFFERS TO HUMANITY? Humanity needs Islam for its spiritual transformation. It needs Islam to live happily and successfully in this life. It needs Islam to find salvation in the life to come. Islam is the religion of truth and it guides to all that is good. The Quran has mentioned in three places: It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it). (al-Tawbah 9:33 see also al-Fath 48:28; al-Saff 61:9). The truth is also called Al-Ilm or knowledge which is the opposite of Al-Zann (the conjecture) Allah says that most people follow conjectures (al-zann) or wild speculations. Were you to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead you away from the Way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture: they do nothing but surmise.à [34]à These are nothing but names which you have devised à µ you and your fathers for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire! And indeed there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord.à [35]à But they have no knowledge about it. They follow nothing but conjecture; and conjecture avails nothing against Truth.à [36]à When people do not follow Allahs guidance (al-Huda) they end up in error and go astray (al-dhalal). They wander. Today the humanity is in error (al-dhalal). There is corruption every where. There are those who do not know what is wrong and there are those who know what is wrong but they do wrong things. There are those who know what is right and they do not do right things. The whole world is sick with godlessness, immorality, racism, violence, injustice and oppression. The humanity needs Gods guidance. We human beings have mind, soul and body. We live as individuals and in families and communities. We are confronted with life and death. We need a religion that satisfies all our needs and answers all our questions and queries. Islam, if put to practice, satisfies our minds and souls and takes care of our physical needs. Islam, if translated into actions, brings balance between our individual needs and our social and collective concerns. Islam, if our profession is put to practice, provides success, felicity and happiness in this life and salvation in the eternal life. Islam is the religion that is based on the true natural disposition or Fitrah of human beings. Islam culminates in the most authentic form the same religion that Allah gave to all His Prophets and Messengers. In brief Islam offers to humanity: A clear, simple, sound and profound belief system and Guidance. A balanced action plan, with clear principles that are suitable for all times and places. A universal outlook with a worldwide community of believers and brotherhood of the faithful. A clear and practical vision for success and happiness in here and salvation in the Hereafter. Let us elaborate these points a little further. A clear, simple, sound and profound belief system and Guidance a- Oneness of Allah: This is the most logical, rational and spiritual belief. It is simple, yet ultimate truth and desire of all human beings. Islam teaches that Allah is One, the Lord, Master, Creator with Most Beautiful Names and Attributes. b- The Message of Islam is presented in a Book, the Quran. This book is most authentic. Nothing in this Book is falsified with the advancement of science technology or our knowledge in general. Its message is clear and always fresh and contemporary. c- With the message and the Book there is a human personality who is not mythological but historical. He was the ideal human being who lived the message and presented it to the people in the most beautiful and loving way. Islam is Allahs guidance; it is He who has guided us to this way. Guidance is one of the most important themes of the Quran. The Quran tells us that Allah created everything and He has guided everything: Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form, and further, He gave (it) guidance.à [37]à Glorify the name of your Lord, Most High, Who created, then shaped in proper proportion; and he determined the way, then He granted guidance. (al-Ala 87:1-3)à [38]à Allah has guided every thing by fixing its nature and ability. To human beings he also granted moral and spiritual guidance through His Prophets and Messengers. Islamic guidance is for all humanity. Allahs guidance is for all people, in all places and at all times. Islam is the way to which Allah guided all human beings. This religion did not begin with Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him. Islamic guidance is the same that came with the first couple of humanity when they arrived on this earth. When Allah sent Adam and Eve to this earth He told them: We said: Get down you all from here: and if, as is sure, there comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.'à [39]à Messengers and Prophets of Allah at different times and in different parts of the world received this guidance. This same guidance came to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses and to Jesus and then finally it came to Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him and upon all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. Allah says: That was the reasoning about Us, which We gave to Abraham (to use) against his people: We raise whom We will, degree after degree: for your Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge. We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) We guided: and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron: thus do We reward those who do good: And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the Righteous: And Ismail and Elisha, and Jonah, and Lot: and to all We gave favor above the nations: (To them) and to their fathers, and progeny and brethren: We chose them, and We guided them to a straight Way. This is the Guidance of Allah: He gives that guidance to whom He pleases of His servants. If they were to join other gods with Him, all that they did would be vain for them. These were those whom We gave the Book, and Authority, and Prophethood: if these (their descendants) reject them, behold! We shall entrust their charge to a new People who reject them not. Those were the (prophets) who received Allahs guidance: follow the guidance they received; say: No reward for this do I ask of you: this is not but a reminder for the worlds.à [40]à Allah has given us many sources for guidance. Five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch all these guide us in our life and help us a great deal. It may be observed that the Quran has emphasized the eyes, the ears, the hand heart as the main sources of knowledge. Eyes stand for observational empirical knowledge. Our ears stand for collective heritage of human kind. Our head is the source while our knowledge matures we draw inferences for the future. Heart is the recipient of wisdom values. It is the core of our being. Reason: It is a gift of Allah. He gave human beings reason (Aql) and made the Aql as a condition for all responsibilities. Reason and intellect help us in finding the right direction. Intuition: Sometime we know things and are guided by our instincts feelings without using senses or reason. Revelation: This is the supreme and perfect source of guidance. It is a special gift of Allah that He gave to humanity through His chosen beings people who were the Prophets of Allah. In Islam all these sources are recognized and respected. We thank Allah for our senses and consider them Allahs gifts. Islam is not against reason. Reason and revelation are not mutually contradictory but are mutually complimentary in Islam. Science and religion are also not incompatible in Islam. Islam does not say that we should suspend reason or dismiss science in order to become good believers. However, Islam does emphasize that our senses, our reason, and our intuitions or instincts though necessary are not sufficient sources to guide us. We need divine revelation Prophetic guidance. Reason by itself, without the guidance of revelation, is prone to commit errors. Reason, senses or intuitions cannot guide us in metaphysical eschatological matters, which provide us the true anchorage to our moral spiritual life. We need divine guidance. Allahs guidance is the real guidance: Say: The Guidance of Allah, that is the (true) Guidance. Were you to follow their desires- after the knowledge which has reached you,- then you would find neither Protector nor Helper against Allah.à [41]à Balanced Action Plan: This action plan takes care of the individual, family and society. Its guidance is comprehensive, practical and balanced. It guides: a- In the matters of worship to establish deep and loving relationship with Allah. b- In ethics and morality it teaches discipline, moderation, virtue and goodness. c- Laws and rules it gives rules that are practical, dynamic and progressive. The rules are not rigid. They are practical and their purpose is not to burden us but to guard guide us. Islamic law gives us the knowledge, of our fundamental rights and obligations and of what is good and bad for humanity on the individual and collective levels. Thus the Islamic view of life consists of a set of rights and obligations by which Muslims are expected to follow. Broadly speaking, Islamic law deals with our life in terms of our relationship with our Creator, ourselves (our rights upon ourselves), other people, and our natural environment (the rights of the resources that God has given to us for our benefit).à [42]à Muslims are urged to perform their daily prayers in congregation, and must do the same for the Friday noon congregational prayer. This creates a bond of love and mutual understanding, arouses a sense of collective unity, fosters a collective purpose, and inculcates a deep feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood. Prayers are a symbol of equality, for poor and rich, low and high, rulers and ruled, educated and uneducated, black and white all stand in rows and prostrate before their Lord. Furthermore, this gives a strong sense of collective discipline and obedience to the communitys leader. Prayers train Muslims in those virtues that engender the development of a rich individual and collective life.à [43]à Islam regards human beings as Gods vicegerents and cannot tolerate the degradation brought on by their submission to humiliation or oppression, for Islam is the real way to freedom and liberation. It invites people to struggle against oppression and tyranny for their freedom and dignity. By prostrating before God, Muslims declare that they bow to no other power. Islam forbids serfdom; promises universal freedom, independence in thought, action, property, and religion; and safeguards a persons integrity, honor, and dignity.à [44]à Islam frees people from their lusts so that sensual pleasure does not tempt and corrupt them. Consuming intoxicants and engaging in gambling, nightclubs, mixed social activities, overspending, conspicuous consumption, arrogance, greed, and so on are all humiliating factors that destroy a persons honor and dignity. Colonialists and imperialists used such practices to enslave Muslims and many other peoples. Only the daily prayer and other forms of worship, such as alms-giving (zakat), inculcate the will to struggle against self-degradation.à [45]à Universal Outlook: Islam is not racist or ethnocentric. It teaches that all human beings are equal. It removes the barriers of nationalism, color, caste or language. It is against all discriminations and prejudices. It teaches justice for all people. It teaches peace and tolerance, freedom of opinion and expression. Islam establishes a worldwide community of faith and brotherhood. Islam is a word derived from the root words Silm and Salamah. It means surrendering, guiding to peace and contentment, and establishing security and accord. Islam is a religion of security, safety, and peace. These principles permeate the lives of Muslims. When Muslims stand to pray, they cut their connection with this world, turning to their Lord in faith and obedience, and standing at attention in His presence. Completing the prayer, as if they were returning back to life, they greet those on their right and left by wishing peace: Remain safe and in peace. With a wish for safety and security, peace and contentment, they return to the ordinary world once again. Greeting and wishing safety and security for others is considered one of the most beneficial acts in Islam. When asked which act in Islam is the most beneficial, the Prophet (PBUH) replied, Feeding others and greeting those you know and those you do not know. How unfortunate it is that Islam, which is based on this understanding and spirit, is shown by some circles to be synonymous with terrorism. This is a grave historical mistake; wrapping a system based on safety and trust in a veil of terrorism just shows that the spirit of Islam remains unknown. If one were to seek the true face of Islam in its own sources, history, and true representatives, then one would discover that it contains no harshness, cruelty, or fanaticism. It is a religion of forgiveness, pardon, and tolerance, as such saints and princes of love and tolerance as Rumi, Yunus Emre, Ahmed Yesevi, Bedià ¼zzamanà [46]à and many others have so beautifully expressed. They spent their lives preaching tolerance, and each became a legend in his own time as an embodiment of love and tolerance. Jihad can be a matter of self-defense or of removing obstacles between God and human free choice. Our history is full of examples that show how this principle has been implemented in life. Of course there are and should be occasions where war is unavoidable. However, the Quranic verses on jihad that were revealed for particular conditions have been generalized by some short-sighted individuals. Whereas in actual fact war is a matter of secondary importance, it has been given priority as an essential iss
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