Explain How Christian Charities and Communities Essay Example for Free

Explain How Christian Charities and Communities Essay May put these Ideas into Practice Christian charities and communities put these ideas into action by devoting time to those who are less fortunate than themselves. They may work abroad as a doctor or nurse, or as an aid worker in a refugee camp. They may also provide help from their own homes by not being wasteful and donating old clothes and books and other objects that could be of use. There are certain organisations set up for Christians to help those less fortunate. These include organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas which offers service to people with the will to help and it helps set them up with some work to do abroad. Other people will make donations to charities or even set aside some of their monthly income to make sure that they give something each month to help thise less fortunate than themselves. Christians are obligated to work towards helping those less fortunate than themselves. Charities such as Oxfam, Save the Children Fund and Comic Relief are all based to eliminate world poverty. However, they are not based on any religious beliefs. Christian charities include the Salvation Army, Christian Aid, Tear Fund and CAFOD. Christian Aid was organised just after the Second World War as many people had lost all their possesions and loved ones, including their home and family. Many people were left with nothing. That is when Christian Reconstruction in Europe was set up, which raised a massive one million pounds! This helped people start to build up their lives again. Once the citizens in Europe started to become more settled, the attention was drawn to other countries where there was still a huge problem with poverty and injustice, such as Africa. The name of the organisation was then changed to Christian Aid and has been known as that ever since. Christian Aid has helped those in natural disasters (such as the war in Lebanon, the famine in Sudan and East Pakistan and others), by sending over money, doctors and medicines, clothes and food. The money sent over is used to build hospitals, education centres and wells for clean water. Most recently Christian Aid has campaigned for fair trade and for an end to Third World dept. Christian Aid works in more than 70 countries, and on more than 700 local projects. There are four main areas to Christian Aid, the first of which is fund-raising. Christian Aid Week started in 1957 and is a major nationwide event. Churches are given a number of towns to manage between them, of which all houses in them have an envelope posted through. In this envelope are the aims of Christian Aid, along with the explaination of the work and asks for a donation. In 1995 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8,600,000 was raised. Christian Aid provides emergency aid to deal with natural disasters and refugees- this takes priority over long-term projects due to the extreme nature of the situations. This type of aid involves sending food and medicine as well as providing shelter for those affected. About 10-15% of its funds are spent on emergency aid each year. Long-term projects such as in Bangladesh where a basic drugs factory has been funded have the aim to continue helping the country in the future. This is the main area of Christian Aids work, which encourages people in LEDCs to work themselves out of poverty, so that they will not need aid in the future. The final area of Christian Aids work is education (in the UK mainly), where 5% of the budget is spent. Christian Aid News, a quarterly newspaper gives information on their developments as well as explaining the need for world development and ways in which Christians can help those in LEDCs. Christianity tries to make people in the west aware of the conditions in the Third World. They do this by running advertising campaigns and educatory packs for schools. They believe that increased awareness will mean that Christians and others will be more prepared to give to Third World charities. The Salvation Army began in 1865 when William Booth, and his wife Catherine, realised that the poor were not being treated equally to the richer and they were not even allowed into churches. He believed the church needed to go to the people, rather than the people coming to the church, to be touched by the Christian message. By 1900 the Army had spread around the world to 36 countries.The aim of The Salvation Army is the advancement of the Christian religionof education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole. The Salvation Army are also aiming to reach out to others, in order to encourage them to do the same. The community outreach team aims at doing just that, making people aware of the hundreds of people who are homeless in London alone! Caritas is a world-wide Roman Catholic organisation which believes that it is not enough to give people in need material help. It believes in providing the solidarity needed to nourish that hope which alone will enable our less fortunate brothers and sisters to take personal charge of their own lives and destiny and thus achieving that liberty which is their inalienable right as children of God. In England and Wales, Caritas is represented by CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development). CAFOD is considered one of the United Kingdoms leading development and relief organisations, and funds over a thousand projects in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. Not only does CAFOD help those less fortunate but they also work within parishes, schools and community organisations to help teach others about poverty and its causes. They also run many fund raising projects through schools and otherwise, such as sponsored sports events to raise money. CAFOD aims to get rid of poverty in the Developing World, and aims to bring about justice and fair shares for everyone. CAFOD also does a lot of emergency work when it is needed. When there is a natural disaster incident, such as a flood, hurricane, or earthquake they provide food and then help with rebuilding. Some Christians donate one tenth of their earnings as their duty towards helping the poor. Christians faith teaches that the wealth is by no means bad but they must learn the right purposes for earning it and using it, and would argue that they should give money to charity rather than spending it all on luxuries. This is illustarating the Eye of the Needle; it is easier for a camel to go through a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God as in the story of The Rich Man If the world were like it should be according to Christian teaching then the world would probably be a better place. The problem is that God gave men and women free will. If all of the worlds wealth was divided up equally between each person then not before very long the rich would be rich once again and the poor would be back where they were.

Economic development in China and India Essay Example for Free

Economic development in China and India Essay Foreign trade in China is almost completely dominated by the state. In 1979, China relaxed certain trade restrictions, paving the way for increases in the relatively small foreign investment and trade activity. By the late 1980s, yearly exports totaled about $41. 1 billion and imports $46. 4 billion, and both have increased sharply since then. China has been undergoing a dramatic transformation to a market economy. As a result, it currently is the world leader in terms of economic growth, industrial expansion, and exports. It contains an array of potential consumers that far exceeds the markets in Europe or the Western Hemisphere, and it is rapidly emerging as a new epicenter for industry, commerce, and finance. In addition, the so-called â€Å"greater China† has substantial amounts of technology and manufacturing capability, outstanding entrepreneurial, marketing, and services acumen in Hong Kong, a fine communications network and a tremendous pool of financial. When these resources are combined with the very large endowment of land, resources, and labor on the mainland, China already is a major superpower in the global economy. The people’s Republic of China (PRC or China, for short) has had a long tradition of isolation. In 1979, Deng Xiaoping opened his country to the world. Although his bloody 1989 put-down of protestors in Tiananmen Square was a definite setback for progress, China is rapidly trying to close the gap between itself and economically advance nations and to establish itself as an economic power in the Pacific Rim. Southeast China in particular has become a hotbed of business activity. Presently, China is actively encouraging trade with the West, and it is a major trading partner of the United States. Despite this progress, many U. S. and European multinationals find that doing business in the PRC can be a long, grueling process that often results in failure. One primary reason is that Western-based MNCs do not understand the role and impact of Chinese culture. Since the last few decades there has been a multifold increase in the FDI in China. The Chinese economy has now gaining the power of effecting the decisions of the economic bodies of the world. History of FDI growth in China: The country launched its open door policy 26 years ago. Since the policy introduction the FDI flows in the country received a quick response. In 2004 China was at no. 2nd position in the world of FDI with $64 billion. The Chinese FDI trends can be examined in two phases. First phase: 1979-82 Second phase: 1984-91 Third phase: 1992-99 In the first phase the government establish for special zones with incentive policies. Although there was a high inflow into those regions, the total FDI flow reached US $ 1. 8 billion. In the second phase the provinces were opened and recorded US $ 10. 3 billion. In 1989 however the trend dropped. In the third phase Deny Xiaoping opened China for overall economic reform. The phase was very fruitful for China. The government introduced new policies and market oriented economic reform. In result of these reforms the FDI’s started flowing into the Chinese economy at rocket speed. In November 1999 US-China had an agreement regarding the WTO, according to which many new reforms were made (Sandra, 2001) those included †¢ The sectors relating to the distribution services will be opened for repair and maintenance and China will phase in trading rights and distribution services over three years. The Government for the investment opened the telecommunication industry of China. †¢ The professionals were also allowed access to the service markets of China. The services included according, consulting, Information Technology and Engineering. (Lardy, 2000). FDI in China rose to a peak level of US $ 45463 million in 1998. In the first six months of 2002, actual foreign direct investment (FDI) in China rocketed to 24. 58 billion U. S. dollars, setting a record growth rate of 18. 69 percent year-on-year. (Beijing Time, 2002) On June 22, 2005, CNOOC, a Chinese company made a $18. billion bid to purchase Unocal Corporation, an U. S. energy company. News of the bid raised concern among several Members, many of who contend that the deal would threaten U. S. national security. On June 30, 2005, the House passed H. Res. 344 (Pombo) by a vote of 398 to 15, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a Chinese state-owned energy company exercising control of critical United States energy infrastructure and energy production capacity could take action that would threaten to impair the national security of the United States. On the same day, the House passed an amendment (H.  Amdt. 431) to an appropriations bill (H. R. 3058) that would prohibit the use of funds from being made available to recommend approval of the sale of Unocal Corporation to CNOOC. On May 20, 2005, the Chinese government reported that first quarter real GDP grew by 9. 4% in 2005 over the same period in 2004. On April 15, 2005, the Chinese government reported that its foreign exchange reserves had risen to $659. 1 billion by the end of May 2005. (Morrison, 2005) Some researchers state the fact that the data reported for FDI in China is different from the reality. The Chinese FDI data is overstated. About ? of flight capital later returns (â€Å"round-trips†) as FDI when opportunities emerge. (Gunter, 2004) From the early 1990s most of the researchers from International bodies have calculated wrong FDI. It is Mainland Chinese monies that flowed out to access better financial, regulatory and legal services and round-trip by returning to China as apparent FDI to access the fiscal incentives and improved investor protection offered in China to foreign investors. (Erskine, 2004) Outward FDI: â€Å"The figures on FDI outflows vary. According to China’s BOP statistics, the cumulative total during 1990 to 1997 was US$18. 9 billion, consisting exclusively of equity capital. Since the 1980s, China has been fast acquiring assets abroad. Researchers7 estimate that Chinese FDI in Hong Kong totaled US$20-30 billion by the end of 1993 or 1994. In fact the net wealth of Chinese affiliates abroad can be measured in hundreds of billion dollars. Officially, the Chinese SOEs had as many as 5 666 affiliates abroad at the end of 1998 with a combined FDI of US$6. 33 billion. (Chandra) Both the in-ward and the out-ward FDIs are a strong influencing forces which effect the trade performance of a country. This can be further explained by conducting the following case study. The study reveals increased value to Economy of China due to FDI. Source countries: Among the developed countries Japan United States are the most important investors in China. Hong Kong is also an important investor and newly industrialized (NIEs. From 1990’s some of the countries like Philippines Malaysia Indonesia have also increased their investment levels in China. Other countries are also showing interest in investing in China in future. In 2003, Sino-Japan trade reached a record high $132 billion. Examining the fast expansion of the bilateral trade suggests that direct investment from Japan performed a critical role in strengthening the economic integration between the two economies. Japanese affiliated manufacturers in China contributed to the soaring bilateral trade in dual ways: exporting their products as final products and intermediate inputs to Japan, and importing intermediates inputs from Japan for their production in China. In 2002, Japanese affiliated manufacturers exported 1,057 billion yen products to Japanese market (METI, 2003). The effect on China’s exports and its national economy is tremendous. (Xing, 2004) FDI from China: Not much material is provided regarding the subject. Although Hong Kong can be viewed as the destination for out ward flow of FDI from China. Sector and geographical distribution of FDI in China Sector Distribution: â€Å"So far, the major proportion of FDI is drawn for the manufacturing field, which takes up almost 60 per cent of the total contracted FDI by 1998. Next follows real estate with the share of 24. 4 percent. The portion of the distribution industry including transport, wholesale and retailing is 6. 0 percent. Construction comes next with 3. 1 percent. The primary industry such as agriculture, forestry and fishing takes 1. 8 per cent. In the future, service trade, such as finances, telecommunications and wholesale and resale commerce, will take up a larger share as a result of Chinese accession to WTO and further liberalization. Further investment liberalization should also take place in traditional industries. Especially, the expansion of FDI in agriculture will depend on the degree of opening up to the market circulation of agricultural products and the industrialized process of production operations. FIEs also generated nearly one fifth of the total tax revenues and 23. 5 million job opportunities, employing about one 10th of urban workers. These numbers suggest FDI has contributed nearly one quarter to one third of China’s GDP growth. †(OECD, 2004) Barriers in the way of FDI in China: The Chinese government has applied a controlled competition culture which against the liberalization provided by the WTO which lift most of the regulations from the trade commerce (Yoost, 2005) Many assets in commercial and industrial sectors are state owned. This in turn gives rise to the problem of hidden state regulation imposition of the government on the foreign investors. This strengthens the view that China does not practice liberty in Business. Some of the sectors of economy are still protected by the government. Due to the situation the WTO commitments are not fulfilled which gives rise to local competition for foreign investors Factors attracting FDI in India: â€Å"India is a prime offshore location for low and high-tech activities, its low-cost, English-speaking and IT-savvy labor force, coupled with a large market potential, underpin global executives improved outlook and investment confidence this year. † (Rediff. com, 2003) The first set of factors which was involved in bringing the FDI to India was the improvement in technology, cheap labor, cost effective production of the goods, cheap and efficient supply chain. The Indian Government also has the cutting edge of Channeling the FDI in the right direction. They are attracting most of the MNEs towards India because at present the Chinese economy can provide them with all the suitable factors desired. Due to its increase in population India has become a growing and profitable market for most of the MNEs products (Ahluwalia) The second set of factors, relating to SOEs, will change significantly and alter the market environment that foreign firms will face in India. Many if not the majority, of India’s best SOEs in industries accessible to foreign investors have set up joint ventures with foreign companies. In the foreseeable future, as the number of SOEs in the national economy continues to shrink, India will facilitate the entry of private domestic firms. MNCs will tend to build up their own affiliates rather than look for Indian domestic partners. At the same time, they will face more competition from private Indian firms as their numbers increase. All of these will become attractive features of the Indian market. Foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) have provided an alternative to private entrepreneurship because private Indian firms have been largely discriminated against. In the past 20 years, the highly efficient FIEs have contributed a great deal to the Indian economy. In 2002, even though FDI accounted for only one 10th of the gross fixed capital formation, FIEs contributed one third of the industrial output, one quarter of the value added, more than half of the exports, and nearly three quarters of the foreign exchange balances held in Chinese banks by corporations (Zhang, 2005). â€Å"The government of India eliminated export quotas as part of its effort to double Indian exports to more than $80 billion by 2007. India is the largest cotton cultivating country. The country has vast reservoir of scientific talent, established pharmaceutical industry, diversity of population and unique natural resources. Key to Indias development of biotechnology is the need for a science-based, rules-based regulatory approach, which is the best way to attract private sector investment. † (Larson, 2002) The major empirical conclusions of this paper are: (1) Much of the measured trade effect is through FDI rather than cost, as the theory of FDI would indicate, and that studies which concentrate on cost as the channel significantly understate the extent of such expansion. 2) On the whole bilateral country level, outward FDI has a larger predicted impact on Chinas exports than does inward FDI. On the other hand, inward FDI is found having a larger predicted impact on Chinas imports than does outward FDI. (3) There is much cross-regional variation and differences in the patterns of FDI-trade links. Regarding to the impact of inward FDI on Chinese trade, FDI is found to boost both export and import growth in Asia, Europe and Oceania. As far as outward FDI is concerned, a unanimous complement link between FDI and trade exists only for Asia, and Africa. (Yong, 2003) The work undertaken in this paper is an improved one because it takes into account all the aspects related to the FDI including a set of countries which contributes towards the FDI in China India, the contribution made by this paper is in more fully evaluating an important policy question regarding the effect of FDI. Second, it takes into account national changes both in inward FDI and outward FDI over a considerable period of time.

Social Constructs of Gender and Sexuality

Social Constructs of Gender and Sexuality Sexism- Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. Many people are still faced with the absence of equality solely because they are a woman. Sexism is used as a way to keep women submissive in our patriarchal driven society. The three methods that are used to ensure the predominance of submissive attitudes in women are homophobia, violence, and economics. These acts further emphasize the importance of feminism in The United States. Sexism is enforced through traditional gender roles, or how people are perceived through the eyes of society. For example, Linda is a woman, so therefore she must dress appropriately and stay home and care for her children. People oftentimes forget that we are not born with gender as a genetic trait; it is in how one chooses to present themselves. Gender is so much the routine ground for everyday activities that for many people, questioning its taken-for-granted assumptions and presuppositions is like thinking about whether the sun will come up (Lorber 13). West and Zimmermans concept of doing gender suggests that women and men are to continuously act out membership in their appropriate gender category. They are expected to submit to traditional gender roles and to do gender in ways that are constructed by society as natural (Murphy 210). Gender is oftentimes misinterpreted by the members of society. It is skewed in a way that is to mean gender is strictly related to sex. Both women and men are expected to act according to traditional norms, and when they deviate from those norms, they are subject to scrutiny by other members of society (Lorber and Farrell 210). The vast majority women would more than likely rather avoid the negative judgment by society and remain within the realms of normative behavior. Gender is considered to be a socially constructed status in The United States. Society tends to overlook the concept of gender because it is so ascribed into our daily lives that it takes a severe disruption to notice. Judith Lorber says, Gender signs and signals are so ubiquitous that we usually fail to note them- unless they are missing or ambiguous (112). Gender is looked upon as an issue of black and white, man and woman, provider and supporter. It is related to our roles of normality in our society. Gender tends to be stratified in that men are the privileged and women the unprivileged. To be a man is to have a crown, and to be a woman is to make it. We are conditioned at an early age that girls and boys are to look and act differently. Fathers teach their sons sports and how to be tough, and mothers teach their daughters how to bake and act like a lady. According to societys standards of what is right and what is wrong, many individuals whom fall under the stereotype of how lesbians/gays appear as are scrutinized on a daily basis. An individual is subject to assessment by others on how well and appropriately one displays his or her gender category (Lorber and Farrell 210). When picturing a heterosexual woman, what do you see? Maybe it is a slender woman, who appears fragile or weak, dresses in a feminine manner, and is maybe not as intellectual as most men? When picturing a homosexual woman, what do you see? It could be a woman with short, spiked hair that chooses to dress in clothes that are traditionally made for men; and is larger than most straight women? In reality, all women, regardless of their sexual orientation are the same; in that, the most feminine women could prefer women and the most masculine women could prefer men. It is sad to say that women keep their sexual identity to themselves and feel forced to present them ho wever they feel society wants them to appear. From day one, males are conditioned to be masculine and it is the source of oppression not only for women, but to some men as well. Men are each others biggest opponents; looking down upon one another for encompassing any aspect of femininity, stemming into homophobia. Therefore, homosexual men are frowned upon in much of the same context as lesbians. Heterosexism prevails once again in labeling these males as sissies and wimps because they do not necessarily embody the same traditional male mentality as many heterosexual males do. Men view this as a threat because they assume that gay men are working against everything straight men have worked for, in terms of dominance and respect, in societal institutions. If any facet of weakness, or femininity, is observed they are automatically insulted and ranked lower on societys stratification status. Sociology Professor, Michael Kimmel explains how oppression starts here: men against men, weaker men against stronger women, and eventually wo men against women (184). Our system of patriarchy strives on power. Homophobia is used as a means to reinforce patriarchy. The word homophobia was unknown to me until the late 1970s, and when I first heard it, I was struck by how difficult it is to say, what an ugly word it is, equally as ugly as its meaning. Like racism and anti-Semitism, it is a word that calls up images of loss of freedom, verbal and physical violence, death (Pharr 1). Homophobia, as defined by Suzanne Pharr, is the irrational fear and hatred of those who love and sexually desire those of the same sex (1). Homosexual women all over the country have struggled with gaining respect and equality from many men, and in some cases, women. Megan Murphy from the University of Albany conducted a survey on heterosexual females attitudes toward openly lesbian students on the same college campus (212). Her findings dictate that the majority of the subjects would exclude said lesbians because they do not want other people to get the wrong idea in regards to their own sexual preference (215). Other findings show that some of the students surveyed would only tolerate their existence, but not support it (216). Sorority and Fraternity parties on college campus are examples of gendered erotic markets, places where women and men are required to act in sexually traditional manner. These markets discriminate against homosexual women because they are expected to act in the same way as the other women present, but obviously will not due to their sexual preference. Women have been conditioned to be homophobic towards other women from the norms set forth by society. The term lesbian oftentimes frightens heterosexual women away from being associated with feminism and womens liberation. Being a lesbian and being a man-hater are used interchangeably to describe the women whom participate in feminist activism. Both are used to identify the womens movement and continue to give feminists everywhere a bad reputation. Sexism prevails in this aspect on the basis that many women who believe in equal rights and reform are forced by societys view of traditional gender roles and male dominance to stray away from the subject. Thus, they conform to said gender roles and live life by other women whom succumb to societal pressures. A graduate student from Northern Illinois University, Wayne Wilkinson, conducted a survey of 269 self-proclaimed heterosexual females ranging from 18-20 years of age at a University in the Midwestern United States. Waynes hypothesis was that heterosexual womens attitudes against lesbians facilitate the patriarchal system dominated by males. Further investigation leads him to confirm that of those surveyed, the conservatives tend believe in traditional gender roles in order to define what is considered natural for females and males alike (141). Those whom identify themselves as conservative generally believe in tradition and womens role within the household, whereas those who identify themselves as liberal tend to welcome change more easily. The central focus of the rightwing attack against womens liberation is that womens equality, womens self-determination, womens control of our own bodies and lives will damage what they see as the crucial societal institution, the nuclear family (P harr 17). Nuclear family- a social unit composed of a father, mother, and their children. Fearing anyone whom identifies with a sexual orientation other than heterosexuality, is a way to keep women in line under male power. Lesbians are then considered double victims, of both sexism and homophobia. This is due to misogyny and the patriarchal system induced by men and some heterosexual women who encourage it. Homophobia tends to mirror heterosexism. They work together to enforce the notion that everyone must be straight. Those who are not straight must face the consequences by said individuals. Heterosexism- the belief that since person A is heterosexual, person B must be too. The display of anti-gay attitudes in societal institutions is almost synonymous with homophobia in that they both enforce assumptions that the world and all of its components must remain in a heterosexual state; in that, anything outside of the traditional nuclear family is looked down upon. The nuclear family remains a dominant example of societys heterosexism and patriarchal structure; it signifies traditional gender roles. Any woman seen to be stepping outside of that role, whether it be providing for herself, not having children, demanding equal pay, and obtaining assertion in any situation that attempts to skew them away from what they believe in, risks being called a lesbian. In the past, people did not know how to handle the fact that people can love others of the same sex. Suzanne Pharr explains how there have been two main theories created in attempt to make sense of their way of life. My exploration of the sickness theory led me to understand that homosexuality is simply a matter of sexual identity, which along with heterosexual identity, is formed in ways that no one conclusively understands (Pharr 2). Since many heterosexual individuals cannot relate to homosexual men and women on the basis of love and romantic relationships, it is viewed as taboo. The American Psychological Association has said that it is no more abnormal to be homosexual than it is to be left handed (Pharr 2). [Being homosexual] is simply that a certain percentage of the population is (Pharr 2). Many heterosexual people, men and women, do not realize that it is not a matter of sickness or health. What is unhealthy is homophobia- that societal disease that places such negative mess ages, condemnation, arid violence on gay men and lesbians that we have to struggle throughout our lives for self-esteem (Pharr 2). It is simply a way they choose to live their lives, and it is unfortunate that just because it is not exactly as those whom are heterosexual, they have to be labeled with such negative connotations. Dawn Szymanski hypothesized that internalized heterosexism would negatively correlate to feminist attitudes. The research and study of over 200 self-proclaimed lesbians and/or bisexual women shows that the more heterosexist attitudes a woman holds, the less likely she is to positively relate to feminism (156). The consequences of heterosexism have been shown to cause stress, depression, and other psychological related disorders in women. Szymanski states, Internalized heterosexism is related to a variety of psychological difficulties, such as depression, a lack of social support and low self-esteem in lesbians and bisexual women (146). Homosexual men and women experience heterosexism differently; this could be due to the presence of sexism and traditional gender role socialization. The second theory often times used to explain homosexuality is The Sin Theory. This is often used by religious people backing up their beliefs through Biblical texts. It is interesting that said individuals refer to The Bible on this matter because it is impossible to prove the validity of the texts. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the fact is that the word homosexual does not occur anywhere in the Bible. No extant text, no manuscript, neither Hebrew nor Greek, Syriac, nor Aramaic, contains the word. The terms homosexual and heterosexual were not developed in any language until the 1890s, when for the first time the awareness developed that there are people with a lifelong, constitutional orientation toward their own sex. Therefore the use of the word homosexuality by certain English Bible translators is an example of the extreme bias that endangers the human and civil rights of homosexual persons (Mollenkott 383-4 Pharr 3). If their higher being(s) are described as respectful, all-welcoming, and fo rgiving, how is it that these homosexual individuals are not treated as justly as everyone else? The marriage laws in The United States stands as an example of how heterosexism rules much of society. Many people use the Bible to state their beliefs in what marriage truly means, and feel it is meant to be a union between a man and woman. It has been argued that because two people of the same sex cannot physically reproduce a child, it is unnatural. Gay marriage has been illegal in The U.S. for a long time; it was not until recently that a few states legalized the matter. The first six states to legalize gay and lesbian marriage were Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, New York, as well as The District of Columbia. It was not until the 2012 re-election of President Barack Obama that three more states were added to the list: Maine, Maryland, and Washington. Traditional gender roles and religious bias prevail once again, excluding certain individuals from enjoying the freedom that they deserve. The second component of sexism is violence. Violence is used as a means to keep women submissive and obedient. Men use violence when they feel threatened by a womans actions whenever she stands up for herself or attempts to move onward with her life. Violence is used against women in both physical and emotional means. Work in the womens anti-violence movement during almost two decades has provided significant evidence that each of these acts, including rape and incest, is an attempt to seek power over and control of another person (Pharr 13). Women who have suffered through any violence from a male have been belittled to be viewed as something of ownership, or an object. Resorting to name-calling and pulling on emotions can be the biggest obstacle a woman will go through, even more so than physical violence. Men who refer to women in such a way is attempting to prove that she needs him in her life, or that she will be useless without him. When a male abuser calls a woman a lesbian, he is not so much labeling her a woman who loves women as he is warning her that by resisting him, she is choosing to be outside societys protection from male institutions and therefore from wide-ranging, unspecified, ever-present violence (Pharr 15). Maybe what the abuser in this type of situation is most afraid of is losing his control over her, what he feels he has a natural right to do as a man in todays society. As Suzanne Pharr put it, the concern is not affectional/sexual identity: the concern is disloyalty and the threat is violence (15). Many feminists agree that economics is the main effect of sexism. Pharr exerts the theory by stating, Men profit not only from womens unpaid work in the home but from our underpaid work within a horizontal female segregation such as clerical works or upwardly mobile tokenism in the workplace where a few affirmative action promotions are expected to take care of all womens economic equality needs (10). Alongside of affirmative action is the glass ceiling. The glass ceiling is a way for supervisors to lure women in to their company, stating that there are many ways for advancement and pay raises, but never allow them to enjoy those benefits. The glass ceiling allows the woman-worker to see the proposed benefits, but prevents them from actually obtaining them while their male counterparts reap the rewards. Women are then forced to be dependent on men for economic security, maintaining male domination and put limitations on the options women have for being self-sufficient and determined to advance in society. Social institutions are at the core of oppression and inequality. Oppression can be accomplished through racism, sexism, classism, ageism, and even how one identifies their sexuality. Women are denied positions of power because it is considered stepping out of the gender role mentality and men, who are usually in charge of said institutions, are petrified of it. For years women have been ranked in society based on their race, class, and age. Caucasian women go through a form of oppression, but it is different from those whom are African American and vice versa; this does not mean equality cannot be the same for all. It was not until the end of the second wave of feminism that women of all races and religions were brought in to the picture. It is unfortunate that women of every sexual orientation are still not respected by all women. We are in the midst of the third wave of feminism; it is our goal to turn this mentality of inequality for lesbians and bisexual women around. Homophobia is used time and time again as a weapon of sexism on the basis of economics, violence, and patriarchy. Our socially stratified society continuously enables men to claim opportunities of importance and women what is left. Any woman who turns away from the traditional gender roles created by men and upheld by society as a whole, is looked down upon and faces the risk of being abused physically and/or mentally. Heterosexual women can identify with lesbians on a personal level, but some choose not to openly do so because of the patriarchal society we live in. These acts only emphasize a mans need to be the sole provider and leave women succumbing to the pressures these males harbor them with. Feminism is an important concept that all women in this country should endure. It gives heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual women alike a sense of community and strength that they cannot find out in the world we are faced with. Liberal feminism allows individuals to open their eyes wide enough to see past the oppression and discrimination the erotic markets create for them. If one cannot physically overthrow the system, one must learn to work within it. Just because a woman speaks her mind does not mean that she is a radical feminist. Just because a woman stands for what she believes in does not mean she hates men. Just because a woman is successful and independent does not mean she is a threat to society. Feminism is oftentimes overlooked by many women and the mockery of many men; it is seen as abrasive and nonsensical. Homosexuality is not a mental disorder nor does it need the approval of any biblical reference. What is considered right in the eyes of society cannot be justified on the basis of opinion; what are justifiable are facts. It is a fact that women are capable of doing things on their own. It is a fact that women can obtain a higher degree of education than men. It is a fact that women can be happy regardless of their sexual orientation. Some men feel threatened any time a woman is assertive and independent. It hampers the testosterone driven society and its norms. It gives some women a reason to move forward and others a reason to move back. Sexism is used to keep women apart, keep their voices lowered and their opinions dismissed. Until women of all races, sexual preferences, classes, and religions can work together to cut the root of sexism, it will continue to grow.

Real Estate Investment Trusts :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Real Estate Investment Trusts A real estate investment trust, or REIT, is a company that buys, develops, manages and sells real estate assets. There are three types of REITs; they are equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and hybrid REITs. An equity REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate properties; it does not own or originate real estate loans. It may also develop properties. A mortgage REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate loans; it does not own real estate properties. It may or may not originate commercial and/or residential loans. A hybrid REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages both real estate loans and real estate properties. It has the qualities of both an equity and mortgage REIT which is why it is referred to as a hybrid. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of a REIT is that they are required to distribute at least 95% of taxable income to shareholders. REITs allow participants to invest in a professionally-managed portfoli o of real estate assets. This is important because prior to Congress's creation of REITs only extremely rich individuals were able to benefit from ventures in the real estate market. By pooling assets together in a manner similar to that of a mutual fund, REITs allow the everyday investor the chance to invest in real estate properties. The main benefit of a REIT is that it is exempt from double taxation. The normal corporation is taxed on earnings, and then when dividends are paid, the individual receiving the dividend is taxed. REITs can deduct dividends distributed from taxable income. This results in only one level of taxation. The main disadvantage of a REIT is that since nearly all earnings are distributed as dividends, the trust must find capital to reinvest into the business from other areas. These funds are usually raised by investments in the market, and through the capital gains realized from the sale of the REITs assets. The second method by which REITs procure capital to reinvest into the business raises an accounting issue regarding the classification of assets. Currently, the buildings and property that REITs utilize to raise income are classified as property, plant, and equipment. However, it can be argued that these assets should be classified as inventory. The accounting definition of property, plant, and equipment specifies those properties of a durable nature used in the regular operations of the business.

Eleutherodactylus (Greenhouse Frogs) :: essays research papers

Eleutherodactylus p. planirostris, or more commonly the Greenhouse frog, is from the Leptodactylidae family. They were unintentionally introduced to Florida around 1875. Their numbers have continued to grow and they are now very common among South Florida with increasing inhabitants around the panhandle. Greenhouse frogs have a reddish-brown appearance with either dark blotches or 2 dark stripes down their backs. They are relatively small in size usually growing to about an inch to and inch and a half in length. Often, the greenhouse frog is confused with cricket frogs (genus Acris). However, this type of frog has webbing between their toes which the greenhouse frog lacks. As their name describes, the greenhouse frog lives in greenhouses or lawns. They prefer a moist environment with a relatively high humidity rate which may be why they have flourished in Florida. Greenhouse frogs are a terrestrial species as well as being nocturnal. They feed on other small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and snails. Naturally occurring in certain Caribbean Islands such as Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas these frogs may have been brought to Florida by importing tropical plants from these areas. They dwell underneath leaf litter and can go undetected. A common trait that distinguishes this type of frog from others is that they lay their eggs on land rather than in water. This is due to the fact that the greenhouse frog does not go through the tadpole stage. The infant frog is merely a smaller version on it’s parents. Some major problems that this species of frog has caused in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem include: uncontrollable density, over-consumption of prey, and a negative effect on native birds and snakes. Greenhouse frogs consume approximately 45,000 prey items per acre per night (16 million per year). This over-consumption of prey is having detrimental effects of the small invertebrate population. Spiders, snakes, and snails are being consumed far faster than they are being reproduced causing a gradual extinction of these species. This also has an effect on native birds and snakes. If the greenhouse frogs consume all of the small invertebrates in a specific area they will slowly starve other animals that feed on the same prey. Eleutherodactylus (Greenhouse Frogs) :: essays research papers Eleutherodactylus p. planirostris, or more commonly the Greenhouse frog, is from the Leptodactylidae family. They were unintentionally introduced to Florida around 1875. Their numbers have continued to grow and they are now very common among South Florida with increasing inhabitants around the panhandle. Greenhouse frogs have a reddish-brown appearance with either dark blotches or 2 dark stripes down their backs. They are relatively small in size usually growing to about an inch to and inch and a half in length. Often, the greenhouse frog is confused with cricket frogs (genus Acris). However, this type of frog has webbing between their toes which the greenhouse frog lacks. As their name describes, the greenhouse frog lives in greenhouses or lawns. They prefer a moist environment with a relatively high humidity rate which may be why they have flourished in Florida. Greenhouse frogs are a terrestrial species as well as being nocturnal. They feed on other small invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and snails. Naturally occurring in certain Caribbean Islands such as Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas these frogs may have been brought to Florida by importing tropical plants from these areas. They dwell underneath leaf litter and can go undetected. A common trait that distinguishes this type of frog from others is that they lay their eggs on land rather than in water. This is due to the fact that the greenhouse frog does not go through the tadpole stage. The infant frog is merely a smaller version on it’s parents. Some major problems that this species of frog has caused in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem include: uncontrollable density, over-consumption of prey, and a negative effect on native birds and snakes. Greenhouse frogs consume approximately 45,000 prey items per acre per night (16 million per year). This over-consumption of prey is having detrimental effects of the small invertebrate population. Spiders, snakes, and snails are being consumed far faster than they are being reproduced causing a gradual extinction of these species. This also has an effect on native birds and snakes. If the greenhouse frogs consume all of the small invertebrates in a specific area they will slowly starve other animals that feed on the same prey.

Regulation of Conception in Moores How Essay -- Moore How

Regulation of Conception in Moore's How  Ã‚      Lorrie Moore's "How" takes an active stand on love and relationships.   It strongly and clearly rests on the values and ideas that our society holds on the concepts of partnership among a man and woman.   Moore formatted the narrative in such a way that it commands the reader's dependency upon the author's words, makes inevitable foreshadow, and specifically directs our views into the story.   By using the cultural analysis, one will find ways and evidence that assisted Moore in successfully achieving these previously listed.   Those aspects that will be covered include the exterior and interior structure of the narrative, how it sets our views and expectations of the aspects of love and relationships, how that potentially influences our personal thoughts, goals, and actions, how the narrative changes focus, perception, and sympathy on each character, and how the author used allusion to help the reader create visualization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "How," the title itself has the reader to automatically look into the story line for information and insight instead of entertainment.   This alone, gives the author the upperhand and ability to feed her ideas into our own.   Like other "how to" texts, off hand, the writer is looked to with much creditability which in turn causes us to absorb and believe more of its context.   Furthermore, "How" is written in a step by step pattern where each thought, action, and time frame is easy to follow and understand.   Moore also uses the word "will" often to state a command.   Within the narrative, Moore states and describes the progression and passage of time.   The events that take place in a relationship are foreshadowed and an inevitability is portrayed.   Also, t... ...ions were relevant to either actual singers, actors, music, or musicals.   Moore made several reference to the violin (991). The violin is closely associated with death.   Theses allusions were made with the female character's fantasies of a funeral and nightmares of her own downfall. Other allusions made were that of Dorothy (992) in the "Wizard of Oz," James Cagney (988 and 991), Ozzie and Harriet (987), Hank Williams (993), Coriolanus (988), and Robert Goulet (989).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "How" is a powerful piece in its ability to catch its reader and directly challenge or influence their ideas.   The format commanded, foreshadowed, and focused on many aspects of love and relationships. Moore specifically directed our attention throughout the narrative.   However, she ended with some freedom for the reader to make their own conclusion and develop their own opinions of the text. Regulation of Conception in Moore's How Essay -- Moore How Regulation of Conception in Moore's How  Ã‚      Lorrie Moore's "How" takes an active stand on love and relationships.   It strongly and clearly rests on the values and ideas that our society holds on the concepts of partnership among a man and woman.   Moore formatted the narrative in such a way that it commands the reader's dependency upon the author's words, makes inevitable foreshadow, and specifically directs our views into the story.   By using the cultural analysis, one will find ways and evidence that assisted Moore in successfully achieving these previously listed.   Those aspects that will be covered include the exterior and interior structure of the narrative, how it sets our views and expectations of the aspects of love and relationships, how that potentially influences our personal thoughts, goals, and actions, how the narrative changes focus, perception, and sympathy on each character, and how the author used allusion to help the reader create visualization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "How," the title itself has the reader to automatically look into the story line for information and insight instead of entertainment.   This alone, gives the author the upperhand and ability to feed her ideas into our own.   Like other "how to" texts, off hand, the writer is looked to with much creditability which in turn causes us to absorb and believe more of its context.   Furthermore, "How" is written in a step by step pattern where each thought, action, and time frame is easy to follow and understand.   Moore also uses the word "will" often to state a command.   Within the narrative, Moore states and describes the progression and passage of time.   The events that take place in a relationship are foreshadowed and an inevitability is portrayed.   Also, t... ...ions were relevant to either actual singers, actors, music, or musicals.   Moore made several reference to the violin (991). The violin is closely associated with death.   Theses allusions were made with the female character's fantasies of a funeral and nightmares of her own downfall. Other allusions made were that of Dorothy (992) in the "Wizard of Oz," James Cagney (988 and 991), Ozzie and Harriet (987), Hank Williams (993), Coriolanus (988), and Robert Goulet (989).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "How" is a powerful piece in its ability to catch its reader and directly challenge or influence their ideas.   The format commanded, foreshadowed, and focused on many aspects of love and relationships. Moore specifically directed our attention throughout the narrative.   However, she ended with some freedom for the reader to make their own conclusion and develop their own opinions of the text.

Human Services Issue Memorandum Essay

I am presenting this letter of memorandum, as I would like to solicit the attention of the upper management department in our organization regarding a certain issue that I believe is important for the effectiveness of our purpose and visionary goal. I sincerely believe that each and every personnel associated in this social service organization are very much concerned with the significant effects of our activities for the society’s benefits and thus we want to do everything to our abilities and resources to improve the results towards our goals. Considering the previous statistical results gathered through our client’s feedbacks, we could say that our organization indeed has functioned effectively in our servitude with the societies that we have determined to be in need of our expertise and service. However, I have uncovered a certain issue that is significant to our field of childcare that I believe can significantly promote the success and effectiveness of our organization and thus, I am presenting this now through this memorandum. Our field of childcare has primarily focused on the aspects of nurturing the children, addressing their needs and developing a suitable environment that can foster a healthy lifestyle for these young individuals. Because of which, as related to this field of childcare, I believe that the issue presented in a recent study regarding the influences and effects of media particularly television programs to the children must be incorporated to our organization’s concerns and approaches. As gathered through the research study, too much television access for the children can have an adverse effect to their young bodies and minds. Some of which, as determined by this study is the psychological irritability of the child, sleeplessness, early exposure to violence and mature scenario leading to the exploitation of the imagination of the child and other adverse health conditions. Because of which, I believe that our organization must incorporate this issue in our campaigns and programs through launching an information awareness drive to educate the parents and other concerned adults regarding the adverse effects of early television access. As our primary concern is childcare, I sincerely believe that we must also be concerned with this issue and some parents and guardians are still not yet aware or fully convinced with this fact. As I have observed in some of our campaign drives and programs, children watching television programs at an early age is a common practice in our society. Parents, due to their busy schedules and hectic lifestyles are neglecting the fact that their young children are already fully focus on varieties of television programs manifesting some of the previously mentioned symptoms. On the long run particularly if yet unattended, this can cause a tragic condition for these young children and thus organization must react upon this issue. As our organization has already established a reliable name in the aspect of childcare social services, I believe that this group and its activities can be a very effective medium in spreading the facts about the said issue. Indeed, through incorporating the said issue regarding the negative effects of television programs to the young minds of the children, we can convince the parents and concerned adults to react upon this matter thus, protecting the children against the adverse effect of this issue as similar to the primary purpose and goals of this child care social service organization, Human Service Personnel Institute of Child Care Social Services http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_48893. html. TV Use Pervasive Among Tiniest Tots Almost two-thirds of kids under 2 watch TV daily, study finds HealthDay Monday, May 7, 2007 MONDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) — Parents don’t seem to be heeding expert pediatrician guidelines that urge a ban on TV watching for their very youngest children. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that children 2 and under watch no TV at all. However, a new study finds that on a typical day, only 37 percent of children between zero and 2 years old watch no television, and as many as one in five youngsters under 2 even have a television placed in their bedrooms. More than half (54 percent) of these tiny tots could turn on the TV themselves. â€Å"I understand the AAP’s stance, because we don’t yet know the neurological implications of screen time in young children,† said the study’s author, Elizabeth Vandewater, associate director of the population research center and an associate professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas in Austin. On the other hand, she said, â€Å"I don’t think the guidelines are realistic. † The study’s findings weren’t all bad. Vandewater found that just over half of 3- to 4-year-olds and 70 percent of 5- and 6-year-olds watched no more than the recommended limit of two hours daily. In the 3 to 6 age group, TV in the bedroom became more common, with about one-third having a set in the bedroom. The findings were published in the May issue of Pediatrics. To learn more about actual viewing habits in young children, Vandewater and her colleagues surveyed 1,051 parents of young children during 2005. They asked about media use, whether or not there was a TV in the bedroom, and also about other activities, such as reading and playing outdoors, to see if TV use was supplanting other pursuits. On an average day, three-quarters of children watched at least some television, and about one-third watched videos or DVDs, the study found. The average viewing time was one hour and 20 minutes, which falls within the AAP guideline of no more than one to two hours for children over 3. The researchers didn’t find that TV typically displaced other activities, such as reading or outdoor play. However, Vandewater said that in previous research she’s conducted, she has found that TV may replace time spent interacting with parents. â€Å"It’s important to remember that if you turn off the TV, the assumption is that the family will spend time together, but that’s not always true. They might find other things to do separately,† she said. â€Å"It’s also important that we don’t assume all time spent with parents is good, quality time. If parents are under stress, that’s not necessarily a good time to be together, and it might not be so bad to pop in a video for a half an hour,† Vandewater said. She also commiserated with parents who might find the â€Å"no TV† rule tough to adhere to. â€Å"Media and technology are not going away,† Vandewater said. â€Å"They’re part of the backdrop of our everyday lives — TV stands are now standard living room furniture. So, we need to figure out how to give advice that’s workable. † Dr. Christopher Lucas, director of the early childhood service at the New York University Child Study Center in New York City, agreed that it’s difficult to keep children under 2 from watching any TV, because TV has become so ubiquitous in American life. â€Å"The guidelines seem out of sync with what the reality is,† said Lucas. Neither Vandewater or Lucas is specifically advocating TV watching for young children. Instead, they’re just acknowledging that it does occur and that there’s currently no evidence to prove that it’s harmful. Lucas said to be helpful, TV needs to be put into context for children. â€Å"Unsupervised, passive watching probably isn’t helpful, but educational media — when watched with parents or another caregiver — could be helpful,† he said. Both Vandewater and Lucas were concerned about the growing trend of TVs in children’s bedrooms. Most often, parents interviewed in the study said they put a TV set in their kid’s room because it freed up other TVs in the house for parental use. â€Å"There is a growing body of literature showing that TV in the bedroom is related to a host of negative outcomes. I would strongly urge parents not to put TV in a child’s bedroom,† said Vandewater. â€Å"There’s this belief that TV is helpful to children and may soothe them, but TV activates the brain and actually makes it more difficult to sleep,† explained Lucas. Vandewater’s final advice? â€Å"Media is a treat. Like any other treat, it’s best in moderation. † HealthDay Copyright (c) 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.