Study of Religion Learning Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Study of Religion Learning Journal - Essay Example In my own opinion, I don’t think it’s possible for a person to suspend his or her own background, socialization and beliefs just because they are studying religious data. This is because sometimes, whether people are aware or not, sometimes it’s likely for their subconscious to sway them towards a particular direction even if they want to think and belief they are unbiased. Although sometimes there may be a possibility of persons thought being in line with the issue at hand, it happens to be a very rare occurrence. My opinion is strengthened after reviewing the behavior of individuals who are covered in Randall Studstill Journal of eliade, Phenomenology and the Sacred, which mainly looks at those who were after presenting religion as being false (Amstrong, 2004). Phenomenology refers to the internal structures of consciousness. As the author suggests, the relationship between people to a sacred being will be based upon the person’s existential condition, t he qualities of the sacred being he believes in, his openness to the environment around him and the mediation of experience through specific religious symbols. On this perspective therefore, scholars and religious learners will not be left out and although they may focus on proving that there is no God, they may be still connected to a particular sacred being which will affect their interpretation of religious data (Cox, 2010). Eliade looks at religion as a concept that engages the sacred and the supernatural. According to him, the reductionist theories are not sensible and this makes him refer to the timeless forms of ideas which are present in all parts of the world without a regard to their history. According to the author, there is causal relationship between the most basic elements of the human condition and their basic experiences. Since our religious attitudes arise out of our knowledge of the universe, even religious scholars will respond to situations in accordance with the ir knowledge of the universe, which is defined by their socialization, background and beliefs. Even though scholars who are atheists may not identify themselves to God, they certainly have a religious symbol within which they identify themselves with and that defines their interpretation of the society and the universal problems that face humility. Humanity will always identify them with a particular religious symbol which helps them to have a better inner interpretation of the environment around them and to appreciate the mysteries of nature. Separating oneself from your background, socialization and beliefs when interpreting religion is therefore impossible, since through their religious symbols, they become part of a normal society (Studstill, 2000). 2. Newer Anthropologies Related To Culture: Clifford Geertz and Evans-Pritchard According to Geetz, religion is simply a system of symbols which acts towards establishing powerful and pervasive motivations and moods in men that are l ong lasting. Religion is able to achieve this through formulating and redefining conceptions with factuality, which makes the moods and motivations to appear realistic (Asad, 1993). According to Geetz, the concept of a symbol is critical because it aids in knowing the essence of religion. On this note, he defines a symbol as an act, event, quality or relation whose purpose is to give meanings, and therefore results to systems of symbols that lie outside a particular being. Pritchard and Geertz bring out a religious theory that resolves on religious beliefs as being subject to a person’

Employment at Will Essay Example for Free

Employment at Will Essay There are several concerns and issues that had been analyzed by the new COO of the organization. Many aspects need to be carefully considered before making sound decisions of any corrective action or termination in effort to avoid legal actions. According to Connell and Castro, issues need to be carefully investigated by exploring relevant witness such as co-workers (Castro Connell, 2009, p.31). This will ensure that situations with misunderstandings are not the issue. However, the conclusion made by the COO should be practical and within reason, not made on impulse or suddenly, and in line with the Employment-at-will doctrine. Although, employees can be dismissed at any time for whatever reason if there aren’t any statutes that would prohibit the act, careful review of the concerns listed below is needed for the betterment of the company and its strategic plans. John posted a rant on his Facebook page in which he criticized the company’s most important customer. Jim sent an email to other salespeople protesting a change in commission schedules and bonuses and suggesting everyone boycott the next sales meeting. Ellen started a blog to protest the CEO’s bonus, noting that no one below director has gotten a raise in two (2) years and portraying her bosses as â€Å"know-nothings† and â€Å"out-of-touch† Bill has been using his company-issued BlackBerry to run his own business on the side. The secretaries in the accounting department decided to dress in black-and-white stripes to protest a memo announcing that the company has installed keylogger software on all company computers. After being disciplined for criticizing a customer in an email (sent from his personal email account on a company computer), Joe threatens to sue the company for invasion of privacy. One of the department supervisors requests your approval to fire his secretary for insubordination. Since the secretary has always received glowing reviews, you call her into your office and determine that she has refused to prepare false expense reports for her boss. Anna’s boss refused to sign her leave request for jury duty and now wants to fire her for being absent without permission. Summarization of Employment-At- Will Doctrine In any kind of employment relationship, employment is a moment to moment employment contract between the employer and the employee. Therefore, the employment- at – will doctrine allows the employer to do whatsoever it feels to the respect of the employee. Putting it differently, the doctrine permits an employer to terminate a worker for any reason good, bad, or without reason as long as the termination is within the legal parameters (Urhuogo, 2010, p.29). In other words, if nothing else applies to the situation at hand such as a specific law of court case that would support the termination (Anti- Discrimination Law), then the employment – at – will doctrine will succeed. However, exceptions at the federal, state, and city level such as specific statutes or laws and common laws (contract and public policy) allowed for modifications to be implemented to the employment-at-will-doctrine in effort to prevent an employer in terminating a worker under the more precise exemption. At the federal level Title VII (Civil Rights Act), which includes race, sex, national origin, and religion are protected. In addition, workers are protected under the Age Discrimination and Employment Act, Americans with Disability Act, and National Labor Relations Act, which protects workers that participate in a union. Most state laws are paralleled to those laws implemented at the federal level. However, some states have expanded their laws to further modify the employment-at-will doctrine for example; some states have included sexual preference as being protected, which is not covered under the federal law. Common law exception, which is applied to all levels is based on precedence and therefore, does not need   o apply. An example would include a judge handing down a verdict in his or her jurisdiction creating an exception to the employment-at-will-doctrine. The decision made by the judge would therefore become a binding on employers, which is independent or separate of the laws or statutes that was created by the legislative body. In conclusion of the employment-at-will doctrine, if the workers termination does not fall within the statutory or common law exception, the employment-at-will doctrine will default. Recommendation and Implementation Firstly, many of the concerns and issues referenced above could have possible been eliminated if a whistleblowing policy had been implemented. Realizing and executing this policy within the workplace, allows for whistleblowers to exhibit a role of importance that could eliminate unethical or illegal behaviors within the workplace before any issues become too difficult to handle. When organizations continue to have employees that display a characteristic of being unethical, they position the organization to be at risk in a negative manner legally, financially, and publically. The fact of the matter is that wrong doing occurs in many organizations, but workers at ALL levels should feel comfortable and confident that their work environment is not one of being hostile. Therefore, including a whistleblowing policy should be safe for the worker in knowing that if or when a matter is reported internally; any corrective action can be quickly executed thereby, causing workers to become more ethical. In addition, ongoing ethics training for workers at ALL levels in effort to enhance a moral environment or climate should be applied so that: Objectives and strategic plans are met and the best way to ensure that they are met Leaders are â€Å"walking the walk and talking the talk† (setting examples for all) Workers will feel as though their communication and responsibility is of value to their place of work. Finally, the assurance of the policy should be an image of the company and therefore, being upheld than just words on a piece of paper. The whistleblower should feel confident and safe that when an investigation is done, it will be conducted in an objective manner and investigated by one that has absolutely no influence on the outcome. This too will give a feeling that confidentiality is of value within the organization to the whistleblower. After careful review of the employee issues and concerns, the following recommendation has been made: Firstly, the real boss in my opinion is the customers and especially the high profitable ones because they are the major source of buying. And if your high profitable consumers decide to take business to your competitors then you basically have fired yourself. Although, John decided to criticize the most important customer, it is best to terminate his position due to the fact that at that moment a competitive disadvantage had been created. Jim and Ellen have some real legitimate grievances that need to be address by the company in effort to determine if other employees have the same concern and if so, developing ways to correct the issue. However, both Jim and Ellen have real concerns in reference to pay and therefore, it should be addressed. I believe that they both need to be coached and maybe even disciplined on the way of handling their concern but, I feel that they are both protected under the retaliation law and public policy. In Bills cases, grounds for termination can be expected assuming he did not get permission first. The use of the company’s cellular in effort to start his business is considered theft. Misusing the company’s resource for personal business causes the business to lose time and money. Im afraid it is perfectly legal for an employer to monitor company computer usage while you are at work, you do not have the right without permission to do your private work on your companys computer. Therefore, the accounting department need to be coached on the expectations of the company but also understand that they are not obligated to continue their employment with the organization if they feel disapprove of the key loggers. I believe that Joe has the right to sue the company due to the fact that it was his personal email that had been reviewed. I believe that if Joe’s criticism had been done on the business email then corrective action must stand. In order for the business to prevent personal email usages, it should be clearly outlined in the employee handbook as well as explaining the extent of computers being monitored. Employers should make sure that workers clearly understand the policy. The information provided by the secretary should be investigated thoroughly. If her claim is true, then she would be protected by the violation of public policy. The secretary cannot be terminated due to the fact that she declined to prepared false expense reports for her boss. However, the boss should and need to be investigated and terminated for his actions to eliminate a hostile work environment. Anna exercised her legal right under public policy law reporting to jury duty. However, Anna’s boss may ask for proof of jury duty and unless the employee handbook state otherwise, the employer does not have to compensate Anna. Termination in this case would be illegal. In Conclusion, understanding the employment-at-will doctrine and carefully executing the parameters of the doctrine can still leave the employer with sense of being uneasy and becoming apprehensive that an employee will attempt to sue. According to Wood and Karau, it is imprtant to respect employees during the process of which the termination is taking place because it will show the employee that their work was appreciated while they were working for the company (Wood Karau, 2008, p. 521). This can help or assist in preventing legal actions when respect is given. According to Urhuogo, Giving employee’s reasons for termination may result in employees to be understanding of the situation (Urhuogo, 2010, p.33). However, in the end, every employers and workers must display a demeanor that is ethical and suitable for the company and themselves.

revolution Essays -- essays papers

revolution The American Revolution occurred because of Great Britain's failure to adjust to conditions brought on by the growth and development of the colonies, and by the aggravation of a breakdown in the political and economic harmony that existed between the colonies and their mother country. America was a revolution force from the day of its discovery. The American Revolution was not the same thing as the American War of Independence. The war itself lasted only eight years, but the Revolution lasted over a century and a half and begun when the first permanent English settlers set foot on the new continent. Insurrection of thought usually precedes insurrection of deed. Over the years such ferment had occurred in the thinking of the colonists that the Revolution was partially completed in their minds before the first shot was fire or musketball began to fly. The American Revolution had its beginnings in the French and Indian war. For seven years, Britain battled the French and Indian nations in the colonies. Where the colonies militia fought beside the troops of the British army and learned war first hand. After winning the war, Britain had a huge debt to pay. To pay these expenses, George Grenville, who was secretary of Treasury in England, came up with a plan. He reasoned that the debt should be paid by taxing the colonies. After all the war had been fought to protect their land, that is the land of the Ohio River Valley. However, even before the French and Indian War had ended the political harmony that was once between the colonies and the British was already being broken down, due to all of the new acts that were passed in accordance with the mercantile theory of economics. This theory of economics said that colonies are only here to serve and glorify their mother country, in this case Britain. This lead to Britain's passing of the Navigation Laws. These laws mandated that all goods from the colonies had to be carried by British ships, thus making British merchants rich and important because everybody wanted goods form the New World and now they would have to go threw Britain to get them. The Navigational Acts were tolerated to a certain extent but also disobeyed by the common people when necessary. In 1763, the Seven-Year War in Europe and the French and Indian War in the colonies was over, and with the end came a British debt of ove... ...moves that might start a major war. However, on the other hand, they also felt they needed to protect themselves, so they established the Continental Army and named George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. They also passed a "Declaration of Causes of Taking up Arms," which named England as an aggressor and gave the Colonists the right to take up arms against the British. After King George III officially called the Colonies in rebellion, which was after Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" was circulated and read, the Patriots realized there was no way to solve the problems peacefully. They decided to declare independence and they drafted the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted and ratified on July 4, 1776. This was the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, in it's major points. Both Britain and the American Colonies had their faults in this matter, however most of the problem resided in the fact that the colonies' perceptions of the British actions were not the reality of the British actions. Therefore in fighting these actions the American Colonies eventual lead themselves to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and into the American Revolutionary War.

Gender differences over attraction on Facebook Essay

Internet has for a long time changed the way people communicate. One such internet services are provided by the Facebook. Since its launching in the year 2004, Facebook acts both as a means of communication while at the same time helps to maintain interpersonal relationships between genders. Past analysis show the use of internet to have dominated in one gender, the male, but the recent developments show equality in the male and female internet use. This study analysis the gender differences over attraction on Facebook. Such differences will be based on their differences on the use of Facebook and online relationships forged through the use of Facebook. The paper will also give a future direction on the results and the limitations in the research (Gross, 2004). Introduction There exist a lot of differences in as far as gender is concerned on internet services offered by the varying internet providers. The increased accessibility and the fact that internet services are ever expanding helps to augment the way people communicate. The internet use and the interpersonal relationships create a basis for gender differences on Facebook use. Considering some of the gender differences that exist and the dynamic nature of the Facebook users, it’s imperative to analyze the demographic differences that exist between the genders on such issues as (and not limited to) online relationships (Fallows, 2005). In as far as Facebook is concerned, the differences that exist in the usage or attraction to the services offered range from (and not limited to) chatting, sending mail, educational purposes, creation of ideas, pursuing sexual relationship. This paper carries out an analysis on different journal articles on the Facebook use and then gives a future direction of the topic. Methodology Secondary method of data collection was employed to collect the data for this paper. This is by the use of different journal articles on psychology, addressing the gender differences over attraction on Facebook. Facebook What is Facebook? Social networking website, with a free access, managed and privately possessed by the Facebook, Inc. it enables its users to connect with different networks organized by   (and not limited to) the school, and workplace, among others. It also enables people to add friends, communicate through messages, and update their profiles to provide information to their friends. It was founded by computer science student Mark Zuckerberg, and other students at Harvard University. It’s commenced with its members limited to Harvard students and later expanded to several colleges and universities (Ellison, Steinfeld & Lampe, 2007). It allows users to interact with a number of its features, such as the Wall (for posting messages), Pokes (a virtual poke to the users), Photos (for users to upload albums and photos), and Status (for users to inform their friends on their whereabouts and particular actions). Although Facebook has had a great success in the past, it has also received several challenges and controversy. For instance, it has been banned and blocked by some countries such as Syria and Iran, and its usage banned at different workplace to discourage workers from wasting time while using the service. Its privacy has also been compromised (Ellison, Steinfeld & Lampe, 2007). Literature review This section gives an explanation on the different journals used in writing of this paper. According to Yan (2006), the debates over the extent of gender differences in as far as internet use on Facebook is concerned still exist. The journal continues to explain that the ratio of men to women, who happen use these internet services, are equally distributed, although their activities while online are quite different (Yan, 2006). Golub, Baillie, and Brown (2007), noted that the attraction of women to the internet service was more on a need for a interpersonal communication, that includes, and not limited to chatting and message sending and other educational purposes, while on the other hand, although men enjoyed interpersonal communication, they were more into the different news offered by the internet service such as business news, such as on web page creation, and pursuing sexual relationships (Golub, Baillie, & Brown, 2007). On the other hand, Boneva, Kraut, and Frohlich (2006), in their recent studies indicate that women are more likely to use computer mediated communication that do men. This in other words is to say, women tend to use Facebook communication services for relationship building. Golub, Baillie, and Brown (2007), indicates that there are gender differences in as far as attraction is concerned, and this is attributed to the usage of the Facebook services. For the male, they consider the internet use as a daily activity more than women do. This indicates a gender gap in the internet use in as far as face book is concerned. The journal also indicated that men were more attracted to the use of Facebook messaging as a means to forge relationship more than women, this is because, men prefer to â€Å"date† and communication online than in person. Another difference existed in the state of the relationship especially, whereby; the journal indicates that women take such relationship more seriously than do men (Golub, Baillie, & Brown, 2007). According to Gross (2004), there exist no difference in as far as maintaining existing relationship is concerned via the Facebook. This is to mean that men and women prefer to use the Facebook services for the purposes of communication with their loved one in order to maintain an existing relationship. Lenhart, Madden and Hitlin (2005), indicated that men were more likely to communicate with strangers than women. This is because of the fact that some men would prefer to use the service for short term relationship or to establish a sexual relationship (Lenhart, Madden & Hitlin, 2005). Other reasons included the fact that men would greatly be affected by the physical appearances and therefore preferred this service. The authors also indicate that Facebook internet users from both genders have in the process formed a new relationship; friendly, romantic, and professional. This is attributed to the nature of privacy provided by the messaging services provided by the Facebook (Lenhart, Madden & Hitlin, 2005). On the contrary to the above findings, Fallows (2005) argue that, though internet use has in the past been a male domain, through the introduction of Facebook services, the gender gap in the use of their services have in great way improved. There is a high indication the future growth in the internet use in as far as Facebook is concerned which might tend to increase the gender gap. This is because introduction of such services as games will have a tendency to attract men. News and advertisement will also tend to attract men. Therefore, depending on the face and the services offered by the Facebook, the gender differences will be established (Ellison, Steinfeld & Lampe, 2007). References Ellison, N. B., Steinfeld, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook â€Å"Friends:† Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12 (4). Yan, Z. (2006). What influences children’s and adolescents’ understanding of the complexity of the internet? Developmental Psychology, 42(3), 418-428. Fallows, D. (2005). How women and men use the internet. Washington D.C.: Pew internet and American Life Project. Retrieved on 9th march 2009, from: http://www.pewinternet.org. Lenhart, A. Madden, M. & Hitlin, P. (2005). Teens and technology: Youth are leading the transition to a fully wired and mobile nation. Washington D.C.: Pew internet and American Life Project. Retrieved on 9th march 2009 from: http://www.pewinternet.org. Gross, E. F. (2004). Adolescent Internet use: What we expect, what teens report? Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25(6), 633-649. Boneva, B., Kraut, R., & Frohlich, D. (2006). Using email for personal relationships: The difference gender makes. American Behavioral Scientist, 45(3), 530-549. Golub, Y., Baillie, M. & Brown, M. (2007). Gender Differences in Internet Use and Online Relationships. American journal of psychological research. New York, NY: Brooklyn College. 3(1).

Dangerous habits of drivers Essay

Driving a vehicle is a serious matter and requires a great deal of responsibility. Poor driving habits can cause tragic loss that could have been preventable. By taking a defensive approach to driving, we could ultimately save someone’s life or help prevent an accident. To prevent accidents, drivers need to have a responsible attitude and a level of maturity. Driving is a major part of life but some habits like, using cell phones, speeding, and drinking and driving could be known as abusing the right of driving. Firstly, talking and texting while driving is a major addiction that could lead to accidents. People spend a big part of their day commuting; many use this time to catch up on phone calls or returning messages. Getting caught up in a conversation on a cell phone can lead to the loss of focusing. It is hard to be aware of two things at a time, but some people don’t realize this because of over confidence. Texting while driving could also lead to loss of control on the car. This most likely happens when one is using both hands to text and is also looking down on the phone. If there is no control of the steering wheel by the driver, the consequences could lead to death. I myself was one of those drivers until my six-year-old son told me once â€Å"mom you can’t use your phone when you are in the car; it’s not safe!† I was so embarrassed when I heard his little voice. I asked my son where he had heard this and he said his teacher told them in class. I immediately apologized to my kids and told him he was right and I will no longer use my phone when I’m in the car. There are so many applications for our smartphones that will help with the addiction to talking and texting while driving. Secondly, another bad habit is driving over the speed limit. There is always people running late for appointments, teen drivers who feel they have a great deal of experience behind the wheel, and drivers with fast sports vehicles who think they have the right to go faster than everyone else. Speeding can cause a driver to receive a ticket, go to court, attend traffic school, and on top of all that, make their insurance rates rise. If a driver gets several speeding tickets in a short amount of time, the DMV may suspend the license. When you speed, you have less time to react to unexpected situations. Other drivers have less time to react to your situation.