Monday, September 30, 2019

Moral Wisdom Review

The first main point that Keenan covers in chapter 1, Love, is about union. He does this to reinforce what drives love between individuals, whether it’s romantic or platonic love. The story that he tells about everyone holding hands on an airplane stricken with turbulence is very familiar to me. My parents and I go to the Bahamas every year, just the three of us. One year there were terrible storms on the day we were supposed to fly home. As delayed as we were we finally made it off the island late at night, in the dark. It was a small plane, maybe 20 passengers, and when it was struck with terrible turbulence every one began holding hands there too. This idea of union is the driving force in any kind of love. It is how we as humans express our compassion and connectivity with one another. Our love for God is driven by union as well, a need to be connected. We are united with God because He is essentially â€Å"in† us all, meaning His love is within us. Next, Keenan begins a discussion on why theological teachings should start with love. He roots his reasoning in the demands of scripture, the fact that love precedes all other teachings in theology, and that love is the driving force behind the human experience. To elaborate on his second reason, I would go so far as to say that one couldn’t have freedom or truth (points he used to begin his teachings with) without having love. To have freedom and truth one must have the respect for humanity that love brings. Further, Keenan emphasizes his last point with the comparison of the Michelangelo vs. Caravaggio paintings of the conversion of Paul. The last main point that Keenan makes about love is the â€Å"threefold love†, stemming from agape, eros, and philia. From the reading we learn what each type of love is, but to bring this full circle to Keenan’s point about union defining love, all three types of love are driven by union and themselves united. Agape, the love for God, is selfless and purely for God. That love cannot be shared among humans, but only between God and his individual children. However, accepting God’s love and returning love to God unite all humans that encompass, and we are united by doing so. Further, this gives us the ability to experience the eros and philia types of love. Keenan then moves to a discussion about conscience. He starts by discussing the Christian call to grow, to move forward in life, progress, and to do so in love. In his discussion of growth and developing a conscience, Keenan emphasizes three main points, the voice of conscience, the formation of conscience, and the erring of conscience. The voice of conscience is rooted in the development of an individual’s superego. The superego is the voice in everyone’s head that tells them what to do or not to do, it is like a watchful eye over one’s self. It tells us not to do things that would make us feel guilty. Keenan discusses the formation of conscience by reinforcing that we as adults should grow in our experiences, rather than be intimidated by a superego. The conscience is like the â€Å"big boy†, new and improved version of the superego, for grown adults. My favorite line that Keenan uses in this section is â€Å"the conscience calls us to aim more at being the one who loves than being the beloved†. I think that really drives home what it means to have a conscience. While wanting union and love drives both conscience and superego, that statement shows that wanting to give love rather than take it motivates the conscience. It is about wanting to do what is right for others, not just one’s self. Finally, Keenan makes a point about the erroneous conscience. The erroneous conscience may cause someone to do something that is actually wrong, but to do so in searching for the right. He also discusses the development of the ideas about whether a person acting with an erroneous conscience is good or not, ultimately concluding that it depends on intent. If the intent is good or right, then the person is excused.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Raw rubber from Malaysia is delivered to the factory in ‘bales’

During the time the way squash balls manufactured has developed into a highly sophisticated process. Here is investigated how balls are made. To begin with, raw rubber from Malaysia is delivered to the factory in ‘bales’ of about 25kg – sufficient to make about 1,200 balls. In its natural state rubber is very stiff and difficult to work, so it is first ‘masticated’ to a softer consistency.A variety of natural and synthetic materials and powders are then mixed with the rubber to give it the required combination of strength, resilience, and colour as well as to enable it to cure (or ‘vulcanise’) later in the process. The manufacturer’s ‘recipe’ is a no less closely guarded secret than that of Coca Cola, and different combinations of ingredients (as many as 15 are used, including polymers, fillers, vulcanising agents, processing aids, and reinforcing materials) produce fast (blue dot), medium (red dot), slow (white dot), and super slow (yellow dot) balls.The current WSF Specification for the Standard Yellow Dot Championship Squash Ball determines the permitted diameter, weight, stiffness, seam strength and rebound resilience of the championship ball. No specifications are set for other types of ball, â€Å"which may be used by players of greater of lesser ability or in court conditions which are hotter or colder than those used to determine the yellow dot specification†. (http://www. squashplayer. co. uk) Thus, we don’t have any exact data (parameters) for red and blue balls.We only can use data available for yellow ball and modify the possible parameters that red and blue balls may have. Out of all specifications of a ball we are interested in its weight and rebound resilience. Rebound resilience is a measurement of the height a ball bounces off a hard surface. The data given in the table above mean that if one drops ball from a height of 100 centimetres (1 meter) onto a concrete floo r then at 23oC the yellow balls must rebound at 12 centimetres; at 45oC between 26 and 33 centimetres.At 23oC the red ball must rebounds at 15 centimetres; at 45oC between 33 and 36 centimetres. At 23oC the blue ball must rebound at 17 centimetres; at 45oC between 36 and 38 centimetres. For our study we will take that if one drops ball from a height of 1 meter, then at 23oC the red ball must rebound at 15 centimeters; at 45oC – at 34. 5 centimeters. at 23oC the blue ball must rebound at 17 centimeters; at 45oC – at 37 centimeters.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Organized Sport Essay

It is obvious that the American society is obsessed with sports. All one needs to do to see this obsession is turn on the television and watch one of the dozens of twenty -four hour sports stations and commercials dedicated to sports. Still not convinced, then hop into your car and take a drive across any suburban American town and look at the parks and playing fields. They are full of adult and children athletes playing for leisure and competition. We, as adults, have made athletics into a billion dollar industry as spectators and participants. Our need for sports fuels our pride and self worth as Americans. However, organized youth sports in the U. S. are still a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to 1954, most organized sports in this country took place through social agencies such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, etc. (Seefelt & Ewing, 1997). Since this time, the benefits provided by these activities have developed into private youth sports organizations primarily run by volunteering adults. Does our obsession have a purpose? Do organized sports play a positive role in the lives of our children? At first thought, any red blooded American would say absolutely. But can we explain why and in what way organized sports benefit our children? Parents and coaches have alluded to the idea that sports are great for kids for decades, but when this comment is made it seems to be accepted without any question. In the following text we will discuss specific benefits from participation in organized sports including the physical, psychological, and academic impact of sport on children. We will also look at the research to see the concrete proof that organized sports play a vital role in the development of the youth of this country. Physical The most alarming issue facing the health of our country and specifically our children is the epidemic of childhood obesity. The infrastructure of our nation’s health care system will be tested as we see the first wave of obese children reach adulthood and deal with the related health issues. The scary facts are that the lifestyle and diet we promote is trickling down to the children of this country. Health issues that are linked to adult obesity are now becoming more and more common in children and teens. For example, type II diabetes was once considered adult on-set diabetes, but today the cases of children with type II diabetes is raising at an alarming rate. The estimated yearly cost of obesity in this country is estimated at around 61 billion dollars. With these issues facing the children of this country we need a cure right? Well a portion of that cure is located in organized sports. The solution is simple to stopping the trend of childhood obesity; eat less and be more active. Today children in this country are far less active than prior generations. Through childhood activity, we are not only saving our children from a life of obesity as adults but we are also potentially saving this country billions of dollars in missed days of work, dollars spent on health care, and rising disability rates. (Healthierchildren. org). In 1997, the CDC stated within its â€Å"Guidelines for Schools and Communities for Promoting Lifelong Physical Activity† that youth sports can promote positive behavior that can last a lifetime (Seefelt & Ewing, 1997). Much debate has been discussed in the general public about the frequency and duration it takes for a child athlete to receive benefits from physical activity. Boys and girls who participate in just two 50 minute training sessions per week improved their aerobic capacity by 15% in just six months (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradley, 1996). How young is too young for involvement in organized sports? Children under the age of 5 are more than likely to receive from organized sports the simplest of benefits. For example, children at this age seem to enjoy the advancement in motor skills and interaction and not the competitive aspect of the activity (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradley, 1996). A study in Singapore showed that even preschoolers could benefit from involvement in organized sports. This study showed that preschoolers who participated in organized sports where stronger physically, socially, and emotionally developed than peers who were not evolved in organized sports at the preschool level (Nonis, 2004). As with adults over training is a serious issue. A 1980 study detailed the risks of over training with child athletes. There is points in training were growth actually may be retarded (McKeag, 1980). This extreme should not scare parents from allowing there children to participate in a appropriate level of physical activity. Academics We live in a competitive world and as a culture it is our duty to prepare children for the competition. The benefits of organized sports reach farther than the playing fields and hardwood floors of our schools. Organized sport has the potential to also help our children in the realm of academia. Sports help us to prepare for a life filled with stiff competition. Organized athletics teach children to respect authority and to develop time management skills outside the classroom; to be able to balance the responsibilities of being a student and an athlete. The typical stereo-type of the â€Å"dumb athlete† couldn’t be any farther from the actual truth. Current research actually points to a relationship between organized athletics and higher academics. The lessons learned outside the classroom transfer directly into relationships with teachers and peers in an educational environment. The research points to a direct correlation between organized sports and higher development rates in academics. Athletics teach our children to master skills and to focus on the development of virtue over the outcome (Durrant, 2007)). This is a concept that parents and coaches since the dawn of sports have stressed. Organized sports teach life lessons of discipline, hard work, dedication, and how to push through adversity. But the stereotype of the â€Å"dumb jock† has also haunted organized sport as well. The truth is that students who participate in extra curricular activities including organized sports tend to be more academically equipped (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). It must be noted that students who participate in multiple extracurricular activities including those outside of organized sport seem to benefit the most academically. Psychological The average person knows that there is a positive feeling of self that comes from physical activity and exercise. From a physiological stand point we could say that this is caused by the body producing natural endorphins that just make us feel good for a short period of time following exercise. But the truth is through organized sport we build a sense of self worth, and accomplishment not present in exercise and physical activity alone. These positive feelings we feel following participation in organized sport are the direct result of putting hard work in and seeing the outcome for the whole group not just the individual. The truth is that sports give children an opportunity to develop self concept and how to express themselves within a group. It seems that this is a natural need that even children who do not participate in organized sports have. For example, children in early elementary school are seen looking for situations to act out their competitive nature; competition becomes an independent social motive. Organized sports give these children an outlet for this natural behavior (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradely, 1996) As health professionals, it is our job to promote behavior that will increase quality of life and educate Americans on the risk taken in certain behaviors, yet in this country today our children are living lives of risk. Our children are putting themselves at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, adult obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. Extracurricular activities including organized sports have a direct impact on decreasing risky behavior by children. This can mainly be explained due to the type of peers a child associates with on a regular basis. If a child participates in extracurricular activities his or her choice of friends is likely to be from the pool of children that participate in the given extracurricular activity. Peers who are involved in extracurricular activities tend to be more academically conscience and less likely to live lifestyles promoting risky behavior (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). If a child is surrounding them selves with responsible peers risky behavior is likely being decreased. In American society today it seems antisocial behavior is accepted, we claim that it’s just a phase or that it’s alright to just be who we are. While both of these may be true, a healthy person is a pro-social person who can function in main stream society. So what role can organized sport play in creating positive pro-social behaviors in children? Children who have been involved in organized sport tend to be more pro-social than their counterparts who have not been exposed to organized sport at an early age. Sports have been used with some success with improving adults and children with antisocial issues, but no clear evidence has shown sports as an effective treatment for antisocial behavior issues (Duncan, 2004). Organized sports may not have a place in treatment of children with antisocial issues but it is clear that children who have been exposed to sports at an early age are less likely to have antisocial disorders. Organized sports participation has been proven to lower scores in the areas of externalizing problems, social problems, aggression problems, and delinquency problems(Donaldson & Ronan, 2006). The number one psychological issue in the life of a child or young adult is the idea of self worth or self concept. The easiest way to define self concept is how do I feel about myself? What kind of self worth do I have? Various researchers have pointed to self concept as the variable with the most potential to reflect the most positive psychological gains (Sonstroem & Morgan, 1988). Researchers have found a positive relationship between organized or formal sports and a positive concept of self (Donaldson & Ronan, 2006). The strength of self concept is built through the knowledge that I, as a person on my own, can finish what I start. I, as a person, can put my mind to a given task and perform that task with the skill I have learned through hard work. And most of all, I can contribute to the group giving us overall success. The large focus of research in the health and sport community has focused on the benefits of organized sport, but can children receive the same social benefits from relatively unorganized sports activities? The answer to this question seems to be that children do not benefit from the same life skills that come from organized sports. Organized sports do create an environment where we learn to exist within the team concept. The world of organized sport appeals to young people who are drawn to the team concept and have a positive view of authority and the group concept. However, the earlier children are involved in organized athletics the more likely they are to be attracted to these sports as a adolescent (Donaldson & Ronon, 2007). Many have witnessed the out of control parent at a little league game or a child who participates in too many activities and gives up a sport at a later age. These are examples of the negative impact of youth sports. The negative impact of youth sports is a real and valid concern. The psychological benefits of youth sports are just as great for the child who grows up to have nothing to do with competitive athletics (McKeag, 1980). Conclusion The proof is in the research, organized sports provide positive benefits. Physically, children who participate in organized sport are less likely to develop asthma and diabetes as adults. Academically, children who participate in organized sports are more likely to excel in the classroom. Socially, children who participate in organized sport are less likely to suffer from depression and less likely to participate in antisocial high risk behavior. With all the positives involved, why do we see so many states and individual school districts cutting funds and opportunities for children to participate in organized childhood sports? It is vital that we fight to not only keep childhood sports a priority in our primary schools but also expand those programs. As parents we must take it on ourselves to give our children every chance to benefit from organized youth sports, even if it means taking time out of our own busy schedules to volunteer. As Americans we cannot afford to see a day when organized sports are limited to only those families who can afford to pay for their children to participate in them. In order for organized sport to become a priority in this country, we as health professionals must educate the public on the positives and how they translate to the long term financial and social benefits for our country. Works Cited Donaldson, S. , & Ronan,K. (2006 Summer). The Effecs of Sports Participation on Young Adolescents’ Emotional Well-being. Adolescence, 41(162), 369-389. Duncan, S. , Duncan, T. , Strycker, L. , & Chaumeton, N. (March 3, 2002). Relations Beween Youth Antisocial and Prosocial Activites, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25 (5) 425-438. Durant, S. (2007 Summer). Raising Successful and Emotionally Healthy Children in a Competitive World. Independent School, 66(4), 116-116. Eppright, T. , Sanfacon, J. , Beck, N. , & Bradley, J. (December 23, 1996). Sports Psychiatry in Childhood and Adolescence: An Overview, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 28(2), 71-86. McKeag, D. (1980). Sports and the Young Athlete: A Family Practice Perspective, Sports and the Young Athlete, 3-16. Nonis, K. (November 2005). Kindergarten Teachers’ View About the Importance of Preschoolers’ Partcipation in Sports in Singapore. Early Child Development and Care, 175(7-8), 719-742. Seefeldt, V. , & Ewing, M. , (September 1997). Youth Sports in America, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest, 2(11), 2-14.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Health Disparitiy among the Mentally Ill Research Paper

Health Disparitiy among the Mentally Ill - Research Paper Example Within every population, there are varying individual characteristics and mental health needs. Research on suicide cases among minority population is a clear depiction of mental health disparity. AIAN’s population records the highest cases of suicide representing fifty percent of the national average. The quality of health care provision to all American citizens for all ethnic groups is ideal. There is a remarkable gap between the health care recommended and the services delivered. Statistics nationally show medical patients receiving only 54.9 percent (Data shown in the table) of the recommended medical care (Safran et al., 2009). Studies comparing mental health care across ethnic groups depict disparities in accessing, usage and quality of care. Subgroups in the U.S. are more probable comparing to white population to delay or miss completely to get quality mental health treatment. Mental health status disparities exhibit definitely different patterns compared to other health disparities. Comparing national representation sample of the U.S. population, American Indians have high risks of posttraumatic stress and alcohol dependence but are lower risks of depression. Minorities have less psychiatric disorders comparing to white Americans. The black and Hispanic Americans have the highest tendency of persistently being ill. United States policy makers have designed federal laws that address discrimination of mentally ill individuals resulting from public stigma (Corrigan, Roe & Tsang, 2011). The federal laws provide an important basis for refining disparities in health care services, education, employment opportunities and outcomes for the mental illness that results from the humiliation process (Cummings, Lucas & Druss, 2013). Education for all handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA), is a piece of legislation addressing the issue of discrimination on

Thursday, September 26, 2019

ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example This requires changing the upgrading the entire organizational functioning through careful diagnosis and analysis such as to attain a different organizational structure and shape such that the work process becomes more efficient and improved. The purpose of OD interventions in organizations is to address the perpetual needs of organizations through a concerted and collaborated effort of both internal and external industrial experts in the particular field to discover such processes which can be used by the organization in order to become more effective towards stakeholders and groups. The assignment seeks to explain the OD intervention process undertaken in IBM in India. For this, it makes an analysis of the need for OD intervention in the organization on the basis of its present situations and conditions. The role of managers as change agents in the intervention process is also brought forth in the study. It explains the need and extent to which managers need to be empowered to bring about the changes and implement them successfully. However, incorporating the process does not come without hurdles. There are a number of strategic and practices which are to be dealt with carefully while managing the process. Reasonable arguments are provided with regards to the ways in which the obstacles can be managed and the process can be made successful. The requirements of OD intervention in IBM can be explained with the help of the contingency theory. This is on account of the ever changing business and technological environment in which it operates. Technology is fast growing and changing at a rapid pace. Thus, it is very easy for organizations and their present technologies to become obsolete and outdated, consequently loosing the competitive edge in the market. It is seen that IBM needs to adapt itself with the changing technologies, systems and practices so as to retain

History Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History Midterm - Essay Example causes, influencing factors, and the events that led to the French revolution, critical differences in the arguments presented have been realized year to year. Edmund Burke cannot hide the hatred he harbored for France1. To Burke, the French revolution was set to be a total failure, and one that could see France move down the ladder in terms of social, economic, and political performance. Another person that closely moved towards this viewpoint is Alexis de Tocqueville. Alexis associated the French Revolution with some negativity across social, economic, political, and religious concerns2. Arguments and counterarguments on French revolution draw myriad claims as to what exactly the revolution was set to achieve. The anticipated ruins that the French revolution was set to realize did not come short of the expectations. If anything, these expectations were way much surpassed. In this respect, the concerns, arguments, and analysis of the situation were not expected to match or relate in any way. While some parties present before, during, and after the revolution felt that the revolution was actually set for a fundamental course, others felt that it was primarily destructive altogether. On the same note, personalities linked to the revolution had their personal issues and concerns to deal with in relation to the French revolution. All these combined brought for the discussions, debates, claims, and arguments made by Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, Alexis de Tocqueville and Napoleon Bonaparte among others. On his part, Thomas Paine was concerned about the uncertainty that surrounded the whole revolution process. It is important to highlight that French lasted for up to ten years, a period within which predetermining the upheavals involved would be critically uncertain. Most importantly, Paine focused on the actual aftermath of the French revolution on the society, religion, economy, and politics in France and all other nations that felt its impacts. On the other hand,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Discussion Board Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board - Research Paper Example Southwest Airlines is one such organization that has focused on the Low Cost Producer Strategy (bags fly free!) in order to compete in the market. Southwest Airlines offers lower cost services to customers and is a low-cost-carrier. Southwest has almost never served a meal to passengers onboard and has cut on many of the other services that most airlines provide. Since the economic turmoil, as airlines started firing employees, Southwest Airlines fired none and rather cut on the salaries of its employees. This increased the employee loyalty towards the company and strengthened the customer base. This flexible nature has enabled Southwest Airlines to purchase the highest number of 737-700s (Bundgaard, Bejjani & Helmer, 2006) The use of information technology has never the less created the risks of security breaches. Online reservation requires passengers to provide credit/debit card details, that customer are hesitant to provide. However, Southwest has made sure that no fraud ever occurs and all reservations are secured. Apple Inc., a renowned American organization specializing in computers, believes in innovation and thus makes use of Differentiation Strategy as its competitive strategy. Apple has pioneered several inventions and come up with PDA’s, iMac, iBook, iTunes, iPod, iPad etc. taking the market by storm. Apple has continued to provide customers innovation when it comes to gadgets and has created some of the finest electronic products. The differentiation strategy creates monopoly and reduces the chances of substitutes taking over. Apple Inc. has hired this policy and thus is able to pass on the costs to customers, without losing customer loyalty. This strategy is viable since Apple has rare competitors who cannot replicate Apple’s market strategy and exploit their sales. Despite strict regulations, Apple has come under numerous security breaches where its data was hacked and

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Twinearth Thought Experiment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Twinearth Thought Experiment - Term Paper Example Productivity never implies regularity and prosperity is at least as indistinct as productivity1. The conventional policy that states that the idea of meaning owns the extension or intension of ambiguity with definite normal effects has been tackled. The most conventional philosophers believed that the ideas as something psychological. Therefore, the doctrine that the explanation of a word implying the intellect of intention is that a concept was tagged along with the insinuation that meanings are psychological entities. Nevertheless, getting these nonconcrete individuals was still a personal mental act. None of these theorists distrusted that understanding a term knowing its intention. Taking mental state to be explanation of would hardly have the effect that the theorists would stop from being perceived by the community2. As a result, the twin earth thought experiment was carried out as a study that every word associated with the psychological states of two individuals with resembli ng specific list of attributes. It indicates that the mental state does not determine the extension of a word. The issue that this experiment is meant to resolve the idea of definitions of English words is the idea of implications of English words. This experiment presumes that somewhere in the universe there is a planet identical to earth known as Twin Earth. The idea behind this study with the aim of yielding of similar findings to the assumptions of previous philosophers will be tried out in the following report. II. Introduction The experiment outlined a timeworn example of two phrases â€Å"creature with a kidney† and a â€Å"creature with a heart† does indicate that two words could have the same extension lead and yet vary in intention. Nevertheless, it was perceived to be apparent that the reverse is unlikely: two words cannot vary in extension and have a similar intension. Interestingly, no argument for this unfeasibility was ever provided. Perhaps it mirrors t he culture of the ancient and medieval theorists who presumed that the idea matching to a word was simply a joint of establishment3. Therefore, that the idea matching a word is supposed to consistently give an essential and adequate condition for falling into the extension of the word is supportive. The optimistic theorists were perfectly happy to sustain the conventional view on this point. Therefore, the definition came to rest in two unconfined presumptions: Realizing that the word is a simple matter of being in a definite matter in a definite mental state, in the sense of mental state that states of retention and mental dispositions are mental states. The description of a word in the sense of intension determines its extension in the sense that sameness of intension entails similarity of extension4. The following report shall mainly argue the two presumptions not jointly contented by whichever idea. The conventional concept of meaning is an idea which rests on a false assumption . III. The Mental state and technical solipsism The repot clarified the conventional idea of a mental state. In a single sense, a state is just a two-place predicate whose arguments are discrete and a period. Scientifically, it is normal to constraint the word state to assets that are described in terms of the limits of the person. They are usually fundamental from the perspective of the provided science. Therefore, being five feet tall in this case is a state from the physics perspective5. Being in

Monday, September 23, 2019

Critically Evaluate the Positivist Claims For Validity of Legal Rules Essay

Critically Evaluate the Positivist Claims For Validity of Legal Rules - Essay Example This essay stresses that the fact is that laws/rules are much more resilient than the various theorists would suggest. Actual life is more complex than the models that they put forward. For example, in most countries speeding laws are routinely ignored by the vast majority of the population. If the speed limit is 70 mph nearly all cars in the middle and fast lane will be going faster. Cars may be traveling at 80mph but will probably not be going at 100 mph. There is an unwritten (but well understood) â€Å"rule† that the police will not stop you if you are going at 75 or 80, but will if you are going at 100. This paper makes a conclusion that while laws must, by their very nature, be absolute: an act is either legal or illegal, a contract is either binding or non-binding; the rules of society are more flexible. They relate to the laws, and often influence how far laws are obeyed (or otherwise) and act as the glue that allows a society to be both flexible and stable. If laws become too remote from the rules that society is developing they either become irrelevant (and are thus ignored) or are changed. This interpretation of the relationship between rules and laws is in fact positivist in nature as their relationship is â€Å"validated† by the common adherence of the population to them. The rule is that speeding at 80 is acceptable, but not at 100. The law needs to set an exact figure, and it provides a territory for the rule to work within.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Suburbs and the use of space Essay Example for Free

Suburbs and the use of space Essay A suburb is a residential place or a district that is situated a round a city, a central business district or a town (Kruse Sugrue, 2006). Also the suburbs can be defined as the communities that live around the cities and town centers with time the urban centers and cities have been experiencing rapid growth and this has led to development of new modern residential places around the cities and towns. The suburbs offer a bigger space for living at a lower cost than it would be in towns. The availability of residential space at a lower cost makes many people opt go live in the suburbs (Newman, 1991). In regard to this the suburbs have been found to accommodate a higher population of the people unlike the neighboring cities and town centers. Suburbs are seen to spread over a large geographical area than any other living environments. A good transport system and infrastructure and the clean environment makes people to avoid living in the city centers so that they can avoid the untidy conditions and the high density (Jahn Frances, 2006). Living in a suburb offers the resident with the freedom and independence as people are able to decide for themselves what rules to govern them and how to live. The people in suburbs are able to even come up with bodies that govern their welfare. These bodies include those that deal with matters concerning the housing among other things (Head and Pat, 2007). Suburbs have become popular because the research shows that most people in a given suburb come from the same ethnic group or same community. This makes people feel more secure as they will always have a common way of life (GarciÃŒ a, 2003). The suburbs developed due to the development of transport system. Good transport system and infrastructure is one of the key factors that leads to development and establishment of the subur bs around the cities and towns. The evolution of transport technology for the ancient time where animal were used an a means of transport up to today where we have better automobiles such as busses ,cars ,ships and even airplanes which offer the people with the fast and convenient way of transport.(Kruse and Sugrue, 2006). Transportation in urban center and cities defined the size of the geographical area where people worked from. The growth of urban centers for the ancient time has directly influenced the development of the suburbs. In New York the establishment of the Levittown after the First World War in 1944 was the first suburbs in United States. The development of the Levittown was due to high number of people and this caused the shortage of houses. Due to high demand of housing facilities Gl bill in 1944 gave people money to start building houses for the soldiers who were returning form the war. It was at this time where a man named William Levitt decided to buy thousands of acres of land outside cities such Philadelphia and New York. He then constructed houses and living areas which were fully fabricated. Later in 1946 the first Levittown community was started in a town known as Hempstead. The firm owned by the Levitt sons funded this town by providing a lot of housing facilities. On top they offered and rented the homes at an affordable and low cost. The homes in this town had a lot of shopping centers, the playground for the families and even swimming pools. This developed to a bigger suburb. Suburbs have led to the sustainability of the towns. The high demand for good housing at an affordable cost has geared the and promoted the establishment of businesses that offer this services most entrepreneur take this chance to invest in housing industries among other ventures. Due to this the construction of better houses and homes has taken place. This leads to overall development in the suburbs. Through this the cities and town are gain the capability to hold the high population of the people around. This is one of the facts that we can say that through the suburbs the cities sustainable in terms of holding the population living there without constrains. The transport and infrastructure have been developed to meet the high demand of the people living in the suburbs. The automobiles have played a very crucial role in the transport system (Newman, 1991). The easiness of the movement of people to the places of work and other places is one of the reasons the suburbs are sustainable. In suburbs also one can easily transport his goods in and out due to better road and transport system. The issue of security also makes the suburbs to be termed as the most sustainable places. This is due to the fact that most suburbs are occupied by the communities of the same ethnic groups and the people living there have a common factor that unites those (Mees, 2010). The good measures taken in maintaining the clean environment in the suburbs makes them more sustainable. Policies that regulate environment have been used .for instance proper mechanisms to regulate the greenhouse gases and maintaining general cleanliness of the suburbs. Another factor that m akes most suburbs more sustainable is the good health systems. The quick access to medical care and heath surfaces is usually available. Good medication ensures that people are prevented from the dangerous diseases. Education of the public for proper health activities and protective measures vacillates this (Bridgman et al., 1995). On the other hand some suburbs can be seen as the limiting factor toward the country achieving sustainability. For instance some suburbs may suffer economic problems due to increased number of unemployed people in the society. This lead to poor living standards due to lack of sufficient funds to sustain the living requirement of the people. The architectural view of space is quite different to other peoples’ perception and understanding about the space. In architecture the great concern when we talk about the space is how the design of a house should be. Considering the environmental factors and social-cultural factors is put in place by most architects in viewing the space of a building. In design space is used in programming that is architects conduct the space survey and planning. This is a very important task in architectural planning (Newman, 1999). The architects also collect data and information from the clients and decides on the proper space allocation standards to be used (Jahn and Frances, 2006). In the house the family space is necessary. These are rooms in a house that are used by the family members this includes the bed rooms and kitchen. During the design the architect must include this space (Newman, 1991). The suburban houses are usually big than those in the city or the central business district s. This house are characterized with a large size which include a garden in them. However it is important to note that space is an important aspect in every design. Space utilization and management need to be observed in order to ensure that there is maximum utilization of space without wastage. Space in homes inside the suburbs is managed in various ways. So many people around the cities reside in suburbs so we find that the suburbs become densely populated. To accommodate the large population the house are designed in apartments therefore saving on space (Head and Pat, 2007). The suburbs also develop gardens cities to ensure that the space is profitably used. The gardens cities offer quality and sustainable places. The new garden cities are the places where one can get facilities that provide good transport low air pollution due to carbon energy, leisure and cultural services and also the green infrastructure and network. All this facilities are available at place near the homes. With time the space of the house in Australia has evolved and changed abundantly. Most houses in the Australian suburbs were consisted of a three bedroom, a bathroom and separate living area. This has transformed so much where you find the modern houses have extra rooms such a kitchen, walk-in wardrobes among others. This is due to the increased sizes of new residential building and houses. The use of space in the houses in Australia has been of great concern. The floor space of a house, is designed in respect to the amount of space available. When a lot of space is available the floor space may include a walking path in the house. However when there is limited space such a design cannot be implemented (Bamford, 2009). The space inside the house can be used for several purposes. In a story building some space can be used for stairs and even the lift to take people from one floor to the other. In broad spectrum, questions about the realism of space in the fields the fields of engineering, physicality and architecture have been raised since time immemorial. Essentially, this happens because the human diversity is basically surrounded by space and matter in all spheres (Brayn, 2004). As a matter of fact, space in architectural terms is a flexible and ubiquitous aspect that creates the flow of architectural activities that include the designs and the real structuring. In housing, space is defined by different phenomena that range from walls, column as well as windows among many other features which conceive space. It is worth noting that space in the built environment language refers to what cannot be seen. In other words, space refers to the neutral and the subjective part of the built environment and is what human beings conceive in the event when spaces are created for specific purposes. For instance, a staircase is a good example of the most used space in the built enviro nment as it is commonly used for moving up and down in storey buildings (Bamford, 2007).Since this research paper focuses on the architectural space, it is worth noting that only thorough use and not design that space becomes architectural space not only in how the space is used but how the structures are designed. In practical terms, space in the built environment is most not given the required concern in most of the architectural designs hence posing the greatest problem of how some pieces of designs in the architectural field are viewed as artistic while others are viewed as social objects (Head and Pat, 2007). The greatest aspect that leads to such an issue with respect to space in the built environment is the connection between people and the realism of the desired architectural space as well as the relations of space themselves. To create reliable spaces in regards to structures in the environment, individuals should focus on majoring on the intuitional aspects of space by focusing on the natural strategies as well as respecting the cultural and environmental factors. Most importantly, human beings tend to divide most of their time into sections as well as dividing space into locations an endeavor that separates activities in similar architectural spheres into physical diversities in the similar environment. The locations created after dividing space in the built environment are what human beings use as a means of spontaneously allocating the necessary space for a particular activity thus easing the daily human life (Brayn, 2004). In architecture, structural designers should work towards designing the most sustainable built environment through allocating each space activity as a means of differentiating space into many pieces thus making the final product fit for human use. In this way, it is therefore significant to acknowledge the importance of space with respect to the benefits that result from architectural and planning space in the housing units, neighborhoods as well as in the suburbs in general. When this is acknowledged the critical role played by architectural space in all built environment dimensions will be cognizable to all. Structural designs in the suburbs are essential in that they create a bio directional dialogue in any design off architecture in recognition of location of the particular space, the desired movements, the utility created as well as the incorporated symbols. This allows for proper planning and design of suburbs within the context of providing the best architectural plans for the benefits of the targeted population (Hayden, 2004). In the case of the Australian suburbs, the general economic, cultural and social significance of the suburb built environment in the space perspective. Irrespective of the radical changes of the suburb life over the last few years, little changes have been realized in the structuring of the space in suburbs by the professionals in the field of planning and architecture. As a matter of fact, the role of the public spaces in the suburbs has been ignored (Ellegood et al., 2002). If these professionals can be briefed of the importance of the inclusion of the most important dimensions of social open spaces in suburbs environment as well as considering spatial architectural characteristics. According to Bently (1993), spaces in suburb gardens acts as a potential center of the entire community life as well as serving a sustainability maintenance role in its own. In addition, the spatial planning for the suburb spaces is a critical aspect as it brings people together by encouraging a social interaction. Therefore, the responsible bodies should be advised to work towards creating more spaces for the as a means to serve the economic, social, cultural and environmental purpose. Creation of more effective policies in the Australian suburb environments can serve as basic foundation for the effective inclusion of the spaces in architectural and planning designs hence serves as a key catalyst in ensuring economic and environmental sustainability (Bentley et al., 1993). The philosophy of the privacy of the Australians life’s can be greatly dealt with through the creation of more public spaces in neighborhoods, gardens and housing structures in the Australian background. To sum up, the efforts in leaving major spaces in the suburb areas has suffered a major blow as a result of the recent changes in road network expansion approaches in planning, changes in housing structuring designs as well as the diversity in housing units development. The major issue is the difference between the architectural designs adopted in the suburbs to those adopted in the high and the medium density areas an aspect that brings in confusion in relation to planning and architectural variance. References Bamford, G.(2007) ‘The Rules of the Game’, Landscape Architecture Australia. Bamford, G.(2009). Spooked by Sprawl. Architecture Australia Bentley, Ian. ‘Community Development Urban Design’. In R. Hayward S. McGlynn (eds.). 1993. Making Better Places: Urban Design, Oxford: Butterworth Architecture. Besley, J. (2002) ‘Home Improvement: Suburban Works-in-Progress.’ Paper presented at Suburbia, National Trust of Australia (NSW) conference, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Observatory Hill, Sydney. Brayn. B. (2004). Good Deeds, Good Design: Community Service through Sustainable Architecture. New York: Princeton Architectural. Bridgman, Howard, Robin Warner and John Dodson 1995 Urban Biophysical Environments. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ellegood, A., Howard, R. L., Wigley, M., New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York, N.Y.), Henry Art Gallery. (2002). Out of site: Fictional architectural spaces : New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, 6.27.2002-10.13.2002 : Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, 11.8.2002-2.2.2003. New York: Published by the New Museum of Contemporary Art in association with the Henry Art Gallery. GarciÃŒ a, M. R., International Association for People-Environment Studies. (2003). Culture, environmental action and sustainability. Cambridge, Mass: Hogrefe Huber. Hayden, D.( 2004).Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth. 1820-2000. New York: Vintage Books. Head, L. and Pat M. (2007).Backyard: Nature and culture in suburban Australia. Wollongong: University of Wollongong Press Jahn, G., Frances, S. (2006). Contemporary Australian architecture. Sydney: State Library New South Wales Press. Kruse, K. M., Sugrue, T. J. (2006). The new suburban history. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Mees, P. (2010). Transport for suburbia: Beyond the automobile age. London: Earthscan. Newman, P. (1991). Sustainable Settlements: Restoring the Commons. Habitat Australia Newman, P.(1999). Sustainability and Australian Cities. Australian Planner . Source document

Saturday, September 21, 2019

What Is Syariah Law By Meaning Philosophy Essay

What Is Syariah Law By Meaning Philosophy Essay The term Sharia itself derives from the verb sharaa, which according to Abdul Mannan Omars Dictionary of the Holy Quran connects to the idea of spiritual law and system ofdivine law; way of belief and practice (45:18) in the Quran. Definition of Sharia law. Sharia (Arabic: Ø ©ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ ´ ; also SharÄ «ah, Sharia, Shariahor Syariah) is the Arabic word for Islamic law, also known as the Law of Allah. The word sharia mean the right path, refers to traditional Islamic law. The Sharia comes from the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, which Muslims consider  the actual word of God.  The Sharia also stems from the Prophet Muhammads teachings and interpretations of those teachings by certain Muslim legal scholars. Muslims believe that Allah (God) revealed his true will to Muhammad, who then passed on Allahs commands to humans in the Koran. Islam classically draws no distinction between religious, and secular life. Hence Sharia covers not only religious rituals, but many aspects ofday-to-day life, politics, economics, banking, business or contract law, social issues and legal rules, is more than legal system, strictly speaking. Islam is al-deen which is the way of life. Sources of sharia law. Basically the primary sources of sharia law are the Quran, Hadiths or Sunnah which is the sayings, practices, and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. The secondary sources are ijma, qiyas, ijtihad and istihsan. School of Sharia law No. Schools of sharia law Explanation 1. Hanbali Most conservative school of Shari`a. Used in Saudia Arabia . 2. Maliki Based on the practices of the people of Medina during Muhammads lifetime. 3. Shafii Emphasizes on opinions, companions of the Prophet Muhammad 4. Hanifi Most liberal school, relatively open to some limited modern ideas. WHAT IS HUDUD LAW BY MEANING? Etymology. It means limits, or forbidden and also as  definition. The root word is derived from the Arabic hadd. Literally hudud  (Arabic, also transliterated  hadud,  hudood; singular  hadd,  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ­ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯, literal meaning limit, or restriction) is the word often used in  Islamic  literature for the bounds of acceptable behaviour and the punishments for serious crimes. Definition of hudud. In Islamic law or  Sharia, hudud usually refers to the class of punishments that are fixed for certain crimes that are considered to be claims of God. They include theft, fornication and adultery (zina), consumption of alcohol or other intoxicants (khamr), and apostasy. According to Islamic dictionary hudu law is define as muslim law: divine punishments; the category of crimes most egregious and therefore most severely punished. Sharia is an Arabic word meaning the right path. Crimes in Islam Crimes under Islamic Law can be broken down into 3 major categories. Each will be discussed in greater detail with some common law analogies. The three major crime categories in Islamic Law are: Hadd Crimes [plural Hudud] (most serious), Tazir Crimes (least serious), Qisas Crimes (revenge crimes restitution). Hudud crimes. Hadd crimes are those which are punishable by a pre-established punishment found in the Quran. These most serious of all crimes are found by an exact reference in the Quran to a specific act and a specific punishment for that act. There is no reducing the punishment for a Hadd crime. Hadd crimes have no minimum or maximum punishments attached to them. The punishment system is comparable to the determinate sentence imposed by some judges in the United States. If you commit a crime, you know what your punishment will be. No judge can change or reduce the punishment for these serious crimes. The Hadd crimes are: Murder, Apostasy from Islam (Making war upon Allah and His messengers), Theft, Adultery, Defamation (False accusation of adultery or fornication), Robbery, Alcohol-drinking (any intoxicants) The first four Hadd crimes have a specific punishment in the Quran. The last three crimes are mentioned but no specific punishment is found. Thus the last three crimes, the punishment falls into taazir crimes which the punishment is declared by the government. Punishments under hudud law. Hudud  punishments are the severe  penalities prescribed by  sharia  for offenses defined as being against God himself. The punishments for these crimes are seen as divinely ordained and cannot be changed by humans. Methods of Execution HOW SYARIAH AND HUDUD LAW APPLIED IN MALAYSIA? According to Islam, a state which use holy quran and prophets tradition as its state constitution and the law that govern the people is an Islamic law is an Islamic state. The rulers also must be elected from muslim members in their community. Article 3 of the Federal Constitution stated that Islam is the religion of the Federation. But as such stated in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution is that every person have the right to profess and practice their own religion and subject to Clause 4, to propagate it. Article 3 merely declares that Islam is the official religion of the federation. It does not declare as does Constitution of Pakistan that the federation is an Islamic state. In Malaysia, although sharia law is applicable to all Muslim, but it only deals with family law and the division of property. Not all chambers of sharia law is applied in Malaysia. Basically for crime, the punishment is laid down in Penal Code. Recently, the government of Kelantan express their intention to impose hudud law in Malaysia while the other opposition side refuse to, especially DAP which their members all are non-muslim and Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Taking into consideration how you wanted to govern the people which are not muslim and didnt have faith in it, to follow its rules? As rational human beings, naturally we understand that in life there is such a thing as limits to whatever we can do or experience in all that takes place upon ourselves or others for the matter. No matter what particular matter or issue that we want to dwell upon or commit, we know that the law of nature always prevails over us or any circumstances. How much can we eat? How much can we drink? How much can we carry? How fast can we go? How long do we want to live? There are just so many things that we can keep asking each and everyone of you reading this and almost always you will agree with me that there is only a certain amount of things or eventualities that can take place. History is the best teacher of us all where it concerns matters that mankind are so desperately after? Power, strength, youth, beauty, libido, masculinity, femininity, authority, wealth, all the spoils of this earthly life that one can imagine and crave for? Reflect back to our coming into being. From a embryo after being conceived by our mother as a result of the physical union of our parents, we develop from stage to stage and eventually become a fully formed human baby in our mothers womb and at the appropriate time and moment decided by Allah the Almighty, we are born and delivered into this earthly realm. If we had stayed any longer in our mothers womb, there might be a danger both to our mother and to us as an infant ready to come out into this world. There is a certain limit to pregnancy. Thats a form of hadd or limit. Coming back to the main gist of this posting, we now have to understand what the Hudud in Islam means? As stated above, the ulama of Fiqh define hudud to be a Code of Punishments to be implemented by the authorities in an Islamic nation upon criminal acts carried out by the offenders who are proven without a doubt to be guilty of such crimes and upon conviction be punished as decreed by the Almighty. It is tosaid that if hudud law will be enacted in Malaysia, some of the execution must be recheck and change to suit the society now. As such, there is no provision for any punishments decreed by Allah SWT to be reduced, added on or altered by Mankind. The Hudud is Allahs Rights upon us Mankind. Criminal punishments upon those found to be guilty according to the Hudud Laws can not be dropped against the criminal or criminals by any individual or society as a whole. The Hudud Laws are meant to be a safeguard from the Almighty to protect human society from all forms of crime and to preserve peace, social orderliness and to ensure the safety of the general public. Any form of wrongdoing committed by any individual or group is to be judged according to what has been laid down in the Supreme Constitution of Allah SWT in the form of the Holy Al Quran Al Karim and as per the Hadiths of His Greatest and Final Messenger to all Mankind, the Blessed Prophet Muhammad S.W.T. Part A ( Chart Research ) SUGGESTION TO IMPLEMENT THESE LAWS ONTO NON-MUSLIMS. There is suggestion to implement these laws onto non-muslims, but, question arise whether this is workable? Our group had divided into three categories during our research and analysis on this suggestion where we suggested to divide the opinion to the basic of 3 findings, which consist most general(society Malaysia), less general(MMU student), and specific(lecturer and legal expertise). First category is on the views given by society in Malaysia. CHART 1 : MALAYSIAN CITIZENS VOTES ( Based on Poll Opinion on Internet ) The second category is according to the societies votes in Malaysia included those non-Malaysians who lived in Malaysia. Chart 2 : MMU Votes According the chart above, which derived from the poll, survey and interviews that made by our group. There were 30% of Muslims in Malaysia totally disagreed to implement these laws in Malaysia, and, 10% of them agreed to implement it in Malaysia, 2% of them were neutral positions. While, for the votes given by non-Muslims in Malaysia, there were 35% disagreed and none of them vote for agree or neutral. On the other hand, Muslims but not citizens of Malaysian gave 5% agreed and 5% disagreed towards the suggestion but none of them give votes for neutral. Lastly, the non-Muslims for those who are not the citizens of Malaysia, totally disagreed by giving 15% of the votes. It can be conclude that 85% of the Malaysian citizens totally disagreed on the suggestion to implement these laws onto non-Muslims. Some of them said that there will be no equality and justice to those who has no beliefs in the religions. Not only that, there is also some sayings that the law is too excessive and strict to adapt in current society. There will be difficulties and challenges that government and society will face if they impose the law. LECTURER`S VIEW CHART 1 : Lecturer view`s and opinion`s In this chart, we can see that among 9 lecturers that had been interviewed, there were 5 lecturers that totally disagreed of the suggestion to implement these laws onto non-Muslims. One of them is Miss Nur Fazini Asro Binti Ramizi Sulaiman, which in her opinion, she said that As for me, the suggestion to implement hudud law to non -Muslims is unreasonable. This is because if it is to be look upon the legal perspectives itself, the Syariah law only has the jurisdiction within the matter of MUSLIMS only. The interpretation in the statute itself has define, who are to be governed within this kind of law. For an example, a non-Muslim cannot become a syariee law, only a Muslim can be a syariee law, same goes to the syariah law (implementation only to Muslim). Thus it may be seem to complicated if arguments, suggesting hudud law are to be implement to non-Muslims. Not only that, Dr. Mohamed Ishak Bin Abdul Hamid also stated in his opinion that Hudud law ,is created only to govern the one who are professing the religion of Islam, and as for non-Muslims , it shall be unfair for them, for hudud law to be impose on them , due to their lack of knowledge, pertaining on Hudud law. On the other hand, the other 4 lecturers were in neutral opinions. Neither agreed nor disagreed. According to Sir Gary Ng Kit Min, If it to be look upon to in this matter, it may be divided into 2 aspect which is, in religion perspectives and the legal system perspectives. If in religion perspectives, the syariah law, should be apply to muslim only, not to non-muslim ,but if in legal perspectives, if the parliament passed a law, that which provides that the syariah law shall be the supremacy law in the country, thus the citizens (Muslim and non) cannot do anything except to accept it as the law of the country. As for Sir Jeong CP, have a different view pertaining on this matter, the religion is not wrong, if the question to be arose, such issues. Every religion have its own way in culturing of the individual who professing the religion itself, It its to be look in more liberal way, the religion is never wrong, it is one who are professing the religion are to be blamed for not giving the detail reason for his or her act. For an example, if it`s to be look in one principle of a car and a driver, the driver drive a car later caught into accident, who`s to be blame? The car or the driver.? The car is never to be blamed, as it had given, its fullest performance, well as for the driver? it may be the driver fault, maybe he was negligence when driving the car . Same goes to the religion, if there`s any defect, mischief or any mistake occurs to the society due to action done by an individual who professing such religion, it for them ( the individual ) to be blamed, as he or she has been negligence. The Al-Quran had put such many various way, to protect the maslahah (life in word and hereafter ) of individual, and any action done by an individual must have the sebabasbab ( reason ) .The society have been much liberal nowdays, any action done, must come with justifications and reason. Then the society may somehow be much open minded to receive any law to govern them, to develop a better society. Part B ( Articles and Newspaper Reviews ) ARTICLES SUMMARY [Hudud Law being applied in Terengganu, Malaysia]  [1]   As being shown in the article itself, Hudud Bill was being drafted by the Terengganu State Government and it constitutes a gross violation of the principles of justice and equality in Islam. Its being said that under this Hudud Bill, women who reported to been raped if being unable to provide evidence for the said statement, will be charged for slanderous accusation and 80 lashes; an unmarried woman who gets pregnant is assumed to have committed zina,  [2]  even if she has been raped; also a women cannot be taken as a witness for a case. The question arise here would be, how is this constitutional in the eyes of the law? In Malaysia we have a supreme law which is the Federal Constitution (FC) and under the FC, it provides equality section which made all persons equal before the law and entitle to an equal protection of law. The Hudud however, contradicts with the provision of the FC as it mentioned no discrimination shall occur in favor of any person under Art.8 of the FC  [3]à ‚  . It is important to note that all criticisms of Islam and its defense mainly rotate around its approach to women rights. Theres many criticism as to why Hudud shouldnt be applied in Malaysia, but the criticism is primarily focused on the stringent requirements of four reputable witnesses for offences such as adultery and qazaf  [4]  which according to them makes conviction for the abovecrime almost impossible.The evidence that could support the charge of adultery are the confession of either orboth the accused persons and/or eyewitness testimony made by four males, who are of justifiable and credible character. Anything else is merely circumstantial evidence and not admissible in a hadd prosecution.  [5]  Going back to the article itself again, question to be asked would be whether it would be unjust for the law to come out with a punishment of flogging 80 lashes if a clear proof of the rape committed couldnt be shown? The answer itself, lies under Art.8 of the FC as in the ca se of PP v DatukHarun bin Haji Idris  [6]  , where Suffian LP laid down the principle stating that if a law itself is discriminatory, one should see whether it falls within the exceptions allowed by the FC and if its not, it cant be said as a good law. As the situation laid down here, if we insist to apply Hudud into the Malaysian Legal System, even to the non-Muslim, it would definitely be unjust and contradicts with our Constitution as it is not obeying the provisions laid under Art.8 of the FC, which the equality of all before the law. Tun Dr. Mahathir, our ex-PM commented at the Hududs condition on rape offence, whereby four witnesses are required to convict a perpetrator, that today we have the modern equivalent tool of DNA. You can collect evidence of rape through collecting DNA samples and compare them with the offender.In Islam, the most important thing is justice. When you judge, you must make sure justice has been served. If you judge knowing clearly that this is unjust, then I think it is un-Islamic, he said.  [7]  And not to forget, Art.11 of the FC is interpreted itself to mean freedom of religion and therefore it is supposed to be a guarantee against prosecution on the basis of choice of religion thats being propagated. As for the effect of the Hudud on the gender relations if its being applied in Malaysia, there are many provisions in the Hudud discriminate against women. Women will not be accepted as witnesses and women are also most likely to be prosecuted for slander if they are not able to prove rape, which contradicts which our current provision of the Constitution. While in cases of adultery women which becomes pregnant will immediately be charged for the offence while it will be impossible to charge the male partner because of the requirement of four male Muslim witnesses. Evidence for rape is ocular evidence of four adult male witnesses or confession of the accused. The victims own statement has no testimonial value. Even if medical examination is taken and a sexual act has been proved to have taken place, the accused can still be acquitted. The woman is then convicted of zina. The onus is upon the victim to prove that she was not a consenting party to her rape. Even minors can be convicted of zina, unlike what is provided in the existing penal code, where consent of a minor is immaterial and statutory rape is applicable. All of these will then be causing gender discrimination in our country and the equality provision under the Constitution will therefore become unreliable under the provision of the Hudud if being applied here, in our country. ARTICLES SUMMARY [Hudud Law being applied in Saudi Arabia] Traditional Islamic law has become the basis for criminal law systems in Islamic countries. The most notable example of this is Saudi Arabia, where the Quran and Sunnah form the basis for the government and the legal system. Political Background Article 1 of the Constitution states that: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic state with Islam as its religion; Gods Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet, Gods prayers and peace be upon him, are its constitution, Arabic is its language and Riyadh is its capital  [8]   The legal system is, therefore, based on the divine revelation, rather than judicial decisions or written law. Article 38 of the Saudi Constitution sets forth that : (i)There shall be no crime or penalty except in accordance with a Shariah or organizational law. (ii)There shall be no punishment except for acts committed subsequent to the coming into force of the organizational law. This indicates that crimes and their penalties must be specifically set forth before punishments may be imposed. The Saudi Constitution also provides that the state protects human rights in accordance with the Islamic Shariah  [9]  . Legal System Saudi Arabian courts follow the Hanbali school. A judge in Saudi Arabia is called a qadi and must be trained as a scholar and a great follower of Islam  [10]  . There are three levels of courts. Mustajalah courts are the local courts and do not have jurisdiction over any case that could result in death. The High Courts of Sharia Law, or kubra, have jurisdiction over hudud and qisas crimes. Although usually only one qadi sits on each court, the hearing of a crime that would result in execution is heard by a panel of three judges. The three qadi conduct the investigation, examine witnesses, and issue a verdict. A defendant sentenced to death in a kubra court has a right of appeal to the Court of Cassation, and the case is heard by a five-qadi panel. During this review, the court does not examine the law or facts, but merely ensures that the judge has paid sufficient attention to the point of objection  [11]  . The Supreme Judicial Council reviews all death penalty cases. The Ki ng has final review. For death penalty cases for hudud crimes, the only review is of guilt; the penalty cannot be changed  [12]  . Population Saudi Arabia is the largest Muslim country of the world. It has an estimated population of 28 million. Saudi Arabia is a Kingdom and about 8 million people are migrants from different countries of the world. Saudi Arabia is the center of Muslims as the mousoleum of Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is in this country. According to The Future of the Global Muslim Population by Pew Research Center  [13]  , Saudi Arabia have about 25,493,000 estimated number of muslims population in 2010, which brings to approximately 97.1% of its citizen is a muslim. Thats about 1.6% of the muslim population as a whole. Educational System According to Robert Sedgwick  [14]  , education in Saudi Arabia is segregated by sex and divided into three separately administered systems: general education for boys, education for girls and traditional Islamic education (for boys). The religious secondary school curriculum includes the general academic secondary school curriculum but focuses primarily on Islamic and Arabic studies. Where memorization of the Quran, interpretation and understanding of the Quran (Tafsir) are stressed. Newspaper review ANALYSIS BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND SAUDI ARABIA Well it come to our understanding, on the paper based on its facts, analysis and others, we might able to implement this kind of law to both in Malaysia. But the question arose, whether when the government tries to implement this kind of law to both, would It be a total satisfaction to all who professing other religions? Indeed based on the analysis in Saudi Arabia country, it much obvious to see, hudud and syariah law, have well indeed, governed its government and society, whether in education, society, politics and legal system. But it come to much argument though, well if it is to be look upon the society of Saudi Arabia itself, Saudi Arabia is the largest Muslim country of the world. It has an estimated population of 28 millionapproximately 97.1% of its citizen, is a muslim. Thats about 1.6% of the muslims population as a whole. Differently in Malaysia which consist a multi-race society, which professing other religion instead of Islam itself. It would be easy to implement to Saudi Arabia, where its citizens, almost 97% professing the religion of Islam, while in Malaysia at least 30% of its citizens, professing the religion of Islam. Further to be illustrated that, as to be seen in respect of Education matters in Saudi Arabia, the government itself have well emphasized the society with primarily on Islamic and Arabic studies where the government of Saudi Arabia divided the system of education, into three parts which is education for boys, education for girls and traditional Islamic education (for boys), since their childhood. Differently, in Malaysia, it seems that the government itself does not really emphasizes the teaching of Islam (like fardhu ain) to the citizens, where the general education are ought to be champ. To be concluded, if one argument arose that the hudud law are ought to be implemented in Malaysia, first aspect to be considered is, the government of Malaysia itself may need to take a reconsideration to send a few people of ulama to have an emphasize knowledge of hudud and syariah law in any other Islamic country for example Saudi Arabia. As far to be concern, Malaysia have none who is really have such a perfect detail knowledge of any arguments pertaining to hudud law itself. Differently in Saudi Arabia, it would be easy to implement hududlaw there, as to the reason, there is many ulama who are far concerned, well learned of the syariah and hudud law themselves. THE DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HUDUD LAW IN MALAYSIA. Crux of hudud controversy, is the fact that both sides do not understand democracy and do not respect the democratic right of someone to support or oppose what they feel they want to support or oppose. Being a citizen of a democratic country, every citizen has a democratic right to drea about the Hudud and to support it, also to have nightmares about Hudud and oppose it. The implementation of hudud law (or any law for that matter) in Malaysia remains a possibility under democracy. It is not yet implemented because the majority of Malaysians including the Muslims themselves for some reason do not want it. They are simply practicing their democratic right by not giving it their consent.  [15]   Seen from a broader perspective hudud is not actually the real problem. It is just a form of punishment for a number of crimes mentioned in the Quran. Only criminals and criminals want-to-be, we might say, should be afraid of it. A proper Muslim would never reject hudud per se because he knows that it is a part of Islamic Law and it is a part of Islam. But a proper Muslim also would not allow people who are incompetent to use hudud as their rhetoric just to get into power because they are going to create bigger disaster. Hudud and Islamic law will not appear good and convincing in the hands of those who do not possess adequate moral and intellectual integrity. Hence, this is a matter of giving the trust to the rightful people. Implementing hudud is a big trust and it should not be given to just anybody. If the ability is not yet there, the real responsibility of the Muslims is to get themselves equipped with what it takes to carry out that responsibility.  [16]   So the real problem is the Muslims themselves who are, as a whole, no longer good Muslims in term of their understanding and practice of Islam so that they are not capable of carrying out their duties and responsibilities as it should be. As such, and as a matter of priority, what they really need today is a proper education that will make them be a good Muslims morally and intellectually. It is true that the criminals among them need to be punished according to Islamic law but that is not going to happen anyway if the majority do not believe in Islamic law or have no confidence in those who want to implement it. So now, the crux of the matter is actually education, only a properly educated human being will be able to use his democratic right wisely. When we talk about the education, the emphasis is on the individuals, not the society, and what matters most is ethics and morality instead of politics and law. Islamic law and political system cannot be conceived nor practiced outside the framework of Islamic ethics and morality because justice actually begins with the self. Even divine law cannot bring justice to the society if it is left in the hand of incompetent and corrupt individuals. A corrupt government can be brought down through the ballot box but it does not guarantee that the new government will be better that the previous one. True reform must ultimately come from a gradual process of education that is properly conceived and implemented. Our politicians, unfortunately, are not really interested in education. Perhaps, due to being poorly educated themselves, they do not see anything greater and more important than power. They think only with power and kind of reform can be done, hence their first concern over anything else is to get into power.  [17]   Besides that, the Malaysian Bar, stated that the Hudud cannot be implemented within the current constitutional and legislative framework. This is because, the law, as it stands, does not allow for the implementation of hudud by the States.   The Federal Constitution only allows the States to enact laws creating offences by persons professing the religion of Islam, against the precepts of Islam, and the respective punishments for such offences. With respect to the nature of such offences, these offences cannot include matters within the legislative powers of the Federal Government.   Therefore, there can be no replication of any of the offences within any Federal law with a different degree of punishment only for Muslims. Further, these laws, if enacted, must themselves be consistent with fundamental liberties guaranteed to all citizens, including Muslims, under Part II of the Federal Constitution. As to the scope of the punishments for offences against the precepts of Islam, the extent must be conferred by Federal law. The Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 provides that the Syariah Courts in all States shall not exercise jurisdiction in respect of any offence punishable with imprisonment for a term exceeding six strokes or with any fine exceeding five thousands ringgit or with whipping exceeding six strokes or with any combination thereof. Hence, the penalties that Syariah Courts can mete out are clearly circumscribed, and do not inclu

Friday, September 20, 2019

Guernicas History Essay -- Art Paintings Pablo Picasso Guernica Essay

Guernica's History The word art is an encompassing one, vastly interpreted and with multiple definitions. In the case of Picasso's painting Guernica, art informs, educates and expresses. Its power lies in its ability to capture and compel an audience nearly six decades after the modern world's "other" day of infamy. To understand fully the painting that evolved out of the Spanish painter's outrage, one must know its context. "Why do you think I date everything I do? Because it is not sufficient to know an artist's works--it is also necessary to know when he did them, why, under what circumstances" (Picasso). An appreciator who knows the saga of Spain's historical fishing village is given a depth of experience that only a genius like Picasso could portray --"it may well be the most terrifying document on the horrors of war ever to be produced by an artist" (Wertenbaker 126). Most people do not even know that the ancient Basque village Guernica exits, let alone that one third of its citizens were senselessly slaughtered or wounded in little more than three hours. On April 26, 1937, German bombers attacked Guernica, an open city. The unprovoked attack began at 4:30, the busiest hour of a market day. The streets were jammed with townspeople and peasants from the countryside. Never before in modern warfare had noncombatants been slaughtered in such numbers, and by such means (Wertenbaker 1967). During the Spanish Civil War Franco's army was often assisted by Germany. The Nazi General Goering's policy was to use the Spanish Civil War as an arena for trying out the airmen and planes of his new Luftwaffe . The Condor Legion was headed by Wolfram Von Richthofen, the cousin of the near mythical Red Baron of the First World War. V... ...e bombing of the ancient Basque town would now be almost forgotten. Picasso's monumental painting reminds humankind of one of the first acts of modern "total war" waged against a defenseless population. Picasso's painting is the quintessential example of humankind's senseless inhumanity to humankind. It creates a horrific image of humankind with which the observer must reckon. Through the art of Guernica Picasso educates us not only about April 26, 1937, but also about humankind and our tradition of war. WORKS CITED Chipp, Herschel, B. Picasso's Guernica. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. Fisch, Eberhard. Guernica. New Cranbury: Associated University Press, 1983. Gordan, Thomas and Max Morgan. Guernica: The Crucible of WWII. New York: Witts, Stein, and Day, 1975. Wertenbaker, Lael. The World of Picasso. New York: Time-Life Books, 1967.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

An Evaluation Of Nullsoft Winamp :: essays research papers

Nullsoft Winamp is a fast, flexible, high fidelity music player for Windows 95/98/NT. Winamp supports MP3, MP2, CD, MOD, WAV and other audio formats. Winamp also supports custom interfaces called skins, audio visualization and audio effect plug-ins. Nullsoft also provides a high quality website at http://www.winamp.com. The Winamp homepage provides support, information, software downloads, and music downloads for Nullsoft’s music products. Winamp is a high quality music player for your personal computer. The first thing to look for when considering a program to play music on your computer is sound quality. Nullsoft Winamp has the ability to play CD quality sound from MP3, MP2, CD, MOD, WAV and other audio formats. Winamp has a ten band graphic equalizer and built-in pre-amplifier that allows the user greater control over sound quality even before the music passes through a sound card or speakers. If you are not comfortable with changing the equalizer settings yourself, Winamp has hundreds of preset settings which are categorized by music type. Examples of this include Jazz, Rock, Reggae, and many more. Winamp users even have the ability to create and save song-specific pre-amplifier and equalizer settings. Another important factor in choosing a music program for your computer is customizable features. Winamp meets this criterion well. The ability to customize your music player makes the program easier to use. The user has the ability to make a â€Å"Play list† from the music files that are stored on the hard drive of the user’s computer. Play lists are easy to load and are not difficult to create. The Nullsoft Winamp website has a Plugin and Skin collection available for downloads to further customize your copy of Winamp. There are hundreds of different plugins and skins to choose from. Plugins for Winamp range from audio visualization oscilloscopes to audio effects like distortion and surround sound. Skin categories range from different colors to cartoons and artwork. Technically advanced users can even create their own skins. Customer service and technical support services are important with any product, especially when a user is unfamiliar with the product. The Winamp program can be difficult to learn and use without some instruction. However, Nullsoft Winamp provides a stable and easy to navigate website that includes many helpful services. Customer service and technical support are available through chat and via email from the Winamp homepage. Customers have the ability to read step-by-step instructions on how to use Winamp and all of its custom features by clicking on easy to see links.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Gothic Horror :: Free Frankenstein Essays

Shelly’s ‘’Frankenstein’’ is regarded as the first modern horror novel. It is in fact, a Gothic horror. The story came about mainly from a dream shelly had. The dream was heavily influenced by her background and past personal experiences. These include her visits to galvanism experiments, a visit to the Rock of Franks; a castle which translated gives ‘’Frankenstein’’ and her surroundings at the time, which where the Alps that made up the setting for some of the book. Other issues, which might have affected the outcome of the book, are her failed pregnancy, which could be linked to victors mother dieing. Events of the time had led to a near breakthrough to bring the dead to life and the near full exploration of the Earth leaving only the poles unexplored. Romantic and Gothic styles are used in the book the romantic style is the awe of nature a good example is ‘‘the abrupt sides of vast mountains were before me; the icy wall of the glacier overhung me’’ and the Gothic style is the psychological that encompasses the very personal themes of life and death this is shown by ‘’how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains I had endeavoured to form’’. The Story begins with Walton’s letters to his sister, he talks a lot about his ambitions of mapping the arctic and finding a companion who shares his ruthless ambition. After awhile he finds Frankenstein floating on a sheet of ice. After being nursed back to health Frankenstein begins his story. Victor talks about his childhood, how his mother died in childbirth, his younger brother Edward, and how he has read books about philosophy and alchemy most of which have been long disproved. Then he continues about when he was at university and his growing obsession with creating a being from the dead parts of humans also known as galvanism. Then he moves on to how he becomes obsessive and how it is only after he succeeds he realises what he has done and realises the implications of his dream. After being nurse back to health by his friend Henry Cherval Victor realises how badly he has treated his family and decides to return to his family, however before he can do this he receives a letter about his brother being murdered, the killer is presumed to be the family servant Justine and because Victor makes no mention of the monster she is hanged, victors farther also dies short after of a broken heart after losing William. Victor decides to travel to cope with his grief. It is at this point the monster appears and asks for a bride.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Goodwill Stores: A Business Case

The circumstance given depicts how important cash discounts are when looked into in real life. The latter compels debtors to pay on time their liabilities and when they do so, gaining deductions on their payables to one or several persons (their creditors). Accordingly, it also showcases some alternation of standards as businesspersons become more aware on how to manage or manipulate the said deductions. Like in the given situation wherein the cash discounts were still recorded though paid after the discount period where the business blamed the mail room or the post office for the delay (using the long process the reason of default of payment). Most likely, in that given case, only a few portion of the cash discount will be exhausted against complaint which, I think, is an advantage to the creditor (from 4% cash discount to 3% because of delay) since that does not completely exhaust the entirety of cash discount. Moreover, debtors often recognize and accept that cause making the full payment still fall on the discount period though was really paid beyond it. So the firm, instead of paying their debts on proper time (w/ discount), extends their actual payment on it using the money to some more transactions that involves credit terms or agreement. Ulysses, being a new employee of the company, would merely adhere or hold on into that â€Å"special norm† discussed to him by Lavares; that norm that exempts some of our deemed knowledge pertaining a particular business concept. Most firms, especially the low earning one, will most likely be induced by such having their reason â€Å"Other businesses do it anyway† (Peer pressure) and the thinking that it is so possible and somehow licit. Given these beneficial advantages doing such, it is still best to comply with things in good faith or on what is right (payment on the proper discount period). By that, at least, he would assure that he will not have a hard time when sleeping at night. Discussion 1. What are the ethical considerations in this case? Again, it is still best for debtors to pay their debts within the proper discount period (safety of self and of business). Taking into account these â€Å"ethical considerations† that must be observed or else the firm will suffer their corresponding consequences, we may assert to the potential-onerous nature that incompliance of debtor may bestow. Given the fact that creditors may demand for disclosure on certain parts of his debtor’s record, the latter should at least be prepared and has a good reason out of that, should be able to expound something important on it (allowing the cash discount), and maybe present tangible proofs that is suitable and reasonable or else he would suffer the thing plus damages. Given the rights in fully examining the record (by looking into the ledger account of cash to check if the debtor really paid within the discount period), the creditor may know if the debtor truly paid on that day or not. Another point here will be the need of creditors of money on the last date of discount period. Since no money was received by him, it is apparent that he somehow suffered something (for instance he also has a debt to someone). And the proper or just remedy for that will be the cancellation also of the cash discount he provided his debtors (those who pay beyond the discount period and continue to blame the post office, etc to sustain the cash discount). The problem in those considerations is that only a few applies it. They just keep everything, the operations, fast and in line with their competitors and clients’ needs without concern to the fundamental principles they should be applying (knowing only is insignificant). 2. Who are the stakeholders that are harmed or benefited in this situation? Debtors, given the latter, should also keep in mind that the in time when they are now in the position of a creditor allotting cash discounts, there is a great possibility of them encountering such that would also delay the proper date of payment yet still acquire the cash discount through excuses and reasons. Here, it would be prejudice if the creditor would not allow such because he himself actually did the same in time he was a debtor. This implies the practicality today that most would consider or acknowledge cash discounts even if they are paid a bit late, depending on the situation. Again, the essence of entice is here that forces creditors to condone not-on-time payments. Having that context, we may arrive or be aware that there are persons benefiting and not benefiting from it. Those who benefit from it in general would be the debtors. They are the persons pardoned from the delay in payment or just suffer a small reduction in the discount rate agreed. Another benefit out of that would be the idea that they could stimulate more the inflows and outflows of the firm’s money. Those merchandising firms that issue charge sales invoice in most of his transactions often benefit from these (large receivables all subject to cash discount). Accordingly, creditors are persons harmed out of it. Harm here would depend on the need of creditor for money because again, there are cases where payment to one is depended upon the payment of another. If the creditor was not able to pay his creditor and get the discount amount because of no payment of his debtor, the best remedy would also be the cancellation of the latter’s right to cash discount. Having all that, we may deem that those who are new to these kinds of things and ideas would most likely be harmed. 3. Should Ulysses continue the practice started by Philmon? Does he have any choice? In the beginning, yes, he should continue the practice started by Philmon. He must, at first, look and understand more the situation the firm is confronting and all of the matters in it with regard to the department he was placed in. In time he already knows all of the business’ complexities and such; he may now start to consider himself worthy and commence to petition for amendment or proposition of things and ideas (innovation) in accordance to what he deems more appropriate and more ethical relying on his substantial knowledge about the matter and to somewhat make it correspond more with the ethical considerations discussed earlier. Looking at the choices he has given this situation, I think he has many. If he often feels insecure working on such idea that it may be licit or not, he would not be able to perform well his job on the firm and would preferably be placed in another firm that usually just do the same thing. Given that reality, it is still best just to go on with it and slowly make the things better via recommendations, proposals, etc. Recommendation First would be for the firm to withdraw and dispose all its late payments and pay them instead on time. Then focus on things the business could lend or give credit to (maximizing the opportunity to supply loan). So in the right time, they would start getting their desired money on hand sufficient to cover what they will provide their debtors. Aside from security, doing such may give a good psychological effect to workers like Ulysses who engages in preparing and dating of checks. Having such in place of work, the continuous essence of motivation will more likely be observed and raised leading operations in a more productive form. Additionally, innovations, leadership, teamwork, and the like would also rise.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Performance of Sdssu in the Licensure Examination for Teachers Essay

Introduction High percentage of LET passers contributes greatly to the accreditation of education programs of a certain college or university. This, aside from adding zest within the vicinity of school academe, is the reason why schools offering education courses crave for high percentage of LET passers (Philippine Journal of Education, 2005). Today, prospective teachers must clear a series of hurdles to obtain and maintain a teaching certificate – one of which is to pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (Libman, 2009). States use licensing to ensure that the only qualified teachers can be hired. This builds anxiety not only among examinees but more so far schools who turn out prospective teachers with different majors. Obviously, the National examination for teachers stirs competitive against, since it augurs possible employment, salary or appointment upgrading ranking consideration, and acceptance to the halls of DECS. In addition, implications permeate school standards and pride for garnering honors from percentage passers (Philippine Journal of Education, 2005). The performance scores in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers reflect the abilities of the teacher examinees. Thus, having low percentage of LET passers indicates low quality pre-service teacher education in the country (Ramota, 2011). Palatino, who is a young education graduate from the University of the Philippines, feared that poor performance in LET may lead to further slide of the educational standards of the educational standards of our country. If this alarming trend will not be aided, he said, the country will be seeing more classrooms with no teachers in our schools despite an oversupply of teacher education graduates who end jobless or else volunteer teachers in remote areas (Ramota, 2011). Performance of education graduates in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers predetermine not only the competence of the graduates but so as the institutions where they have acquired their diplomas. This serves as the major key in accrediting education programs. Having low percentage of LET passers may lead to changing of educational programs or worse, closing of the educational programs. Hence, the researchers conduct this study to find the relationship between the students LET performance and standard and competence of the said institution. Moreover, to develop an intervention program that would help obtain standard results in the LET. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework This paper is anchored on Joe Wholey’s model of program evaluation (1987) and the Education Conceptual Model. Like systems and organizational theories, Wholey’s model of program evaluation describes the characteristics of faculty and students and the extent to which curricular activities and fiscal resources influence the educational process and subsequent effectiveness in goal attainment. Wholey defines a program as a set of resources and activities directed toward one or more goals. The linkage of resource expenditures, program activities, immediate outcomes, and ultimate goals directly relates to SDSSU and its program’s performance on the Licensure examination for Teachers. If SDSSU program resources are available, then qualified faculty will be recruited and retained to provide the necessary curricular instruction and learning activities. Given the appropriate faculty to develop and implement the curriculum and activities, students will be provided an opportu nity to develop the required knowledge, skills, and behaviors appropriate for entry-level practice as teacher practitioners. If the appropriate curriculum and activities are implemented, then graduates will demonstrate the desired outcomes expected at the entry level for Licensure tests. If these learning activities and outcomes occur, then progress will be made toward the SDSSU program goals and the ultimate goal of the teaching profession. The ultimate goal of College of Teacher Education programs is to provide competent teachers imbued with ethical values and ideals in a humane environment supportive to the national thrust for social transformation. Four teacher education program components with key predictor variables for each are identified. First, program resources (total program expenditures) must be adequate to ensure the achievement of the learning goals and outcomes. Second, there must be sufficient faculty (student-to-faculty ratio) with the necessary qualifications (degrees earned, teaching experience) to influence program processes and outcomes. Third, the curriculum (didactic, laboratory, and professional practice hours; comprehensive examination) must support the entry-level competencies of professional practice and the achievement of learning goals and outcomes. Fourth, in order to graduate and enter professional practice, students (mean cumulative college GPA on admission) must be evaluated on the ability to demonstrate competencies measured on the Licensure Examination for Teachers. Taking and passing the LET is the ticket to enter teaching profession which is the desire result of education students. Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) is the professional board examination given by Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to determine who are to be allowed to teach and who are not (http://eduphil.org/how-to-pass-the-licensure-examination-for-teachers-let.html).LET performances in terms of passing scores are often perceived as the scale in measuring the quality of education of schools offering teacher education. According to Daniel Goldhaber (2012) University of Washington researcher, â€Å"licensure test performance is clearly not a silver bullet. Licensing tests are usually paper and pencil tests of subject matter knowledge and on occasion, pedagogical knowledge.† Multiple researches having the same findings as his, argues for a much more comprehensive system for assessing teachers to determine their preparedness to enter the classroom as sole pract itioners (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2012). Schematic Diagram Basis for an intervention program. Basis for an intervention program. Level of accreditation of teacher education programs. Relationship of LET performance and level of accreditation in teacher education. Level of accreditation of teacher education programs. Relationship of LET performance and level of accreditation in teacher education. SDSSU performance in terms of passing percentage in Licensure Examination for Teachers SDSSU performance in terms of passing percentage in Licensure Examination for Teachers Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram of the study. The first table shows the profile of SDSSU in terms of their performance in LET. The second table shows the accredited education programs of SDSSU and their levels of accreditation. The third table shows the basis for an inspired LET performance. Statement of the Problem The researcher seeks to study the performance of SDSSU in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers. Specifically, the researcher would like to find out the following: 1. What is the performance of SDSSU in terms of passing percentage in Licensure Examination for Teachers? 2. What is the level of accreditation of teacher education programs in Surigao del Sur State University? 3. Is there a significant relationship between students LET performance and the level of accreditation of Surigao del Sur State University campuses? 4. What are the problems met in the teacher education programs to attain the better LET performance in pursuit for quality education? 5. What intervention program shall be crafted based on the findings of the study? Null Hypothesis Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the LET performance of the teacher education graduates and the level of accreditation in the teacher education programs. Significance of the study The following individuals are deemed to benefit largely on this study. School administrators. This paper would help the school administrators to become more motivated in administering better curriculum and courses that are relevant in achieving high passing percentage in LET. This would lead to the improvement of standards of the institutions. Faculty. This paper would remind them that their part as faculty is very crucial and relevant in moulding new generations of would-be-teachers. This would encourage them to always do their job honestly, sincerely, and passionately and to redesign their teaching strategies, if needed, in order for them to facilitate maximum learning effectiveness and produce highly competent and surely LET passer students. Students. This paper would help them realize their role as an important aspect in acquiring competence and standards of their institutions. Thus, would drive them to do well in their studies in order for them to bring pride and happiness to their college or universities. Community. If the individuals aforementioned would be able to realize the importance of their roles in developing a more equipped, qualified, and reliable who would benefit most. Scope and limitation This study focuses on the performance of teacher education graduates of SDSSU in the Licensure Examination for Teachers. It will be conducted at SDSSU during the second semester of school year 2012-2013. The monitoring is to be administered to the five campuses of SDSSU namely: Cantilan, Lianga, San Miguel, Tagbina, and Tandag campuses. Definition of terms The terminologies used in this study are defined operationally. Accreditation. Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented. Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies (such as PRC); hence they are sometimes known as â€Å"accredited certification bodies†. The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable, typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically and employ suitable quality assurance. Competence. Competence refers to the quality of being well qualified. It is the quality of having great facility and being able to perform and facilitate achievement or accomplishment. Education. Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people sustain from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. It is the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another, e.g. instruction in schools. Institution. An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behaviour of a set of individuals within a given human community. Institutions are identified with a social purpose, transcending individual human lives and intention by mediating the rules that govern cooperative human behaviour. The term â€Å"institution† is commonly applied to customs and behaviour patterns important to a society, as well as to particular formal organizations of government and public services. Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). Licensure Examination for Regulation Commission (PRC) to determine who should be allowed to teach schools in the Philippines. Performance. Refers to the accomplishment of a given task measured against present known standards of accuracy, completeness, cost, and speed. In a contract, performance is deemed to be the fulfilment of an obligation, in a manner that releases the performer from all liabilities under the contract. Profile. Is a brief description of the characteristics of something, where in my study, are the characteristics of Surigao Del Sur State University main campus in terms of their percentage of LET passers and the accreditation levels of the different education programs that they are offering. Student. A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In its widest use, student is used for anyone who is learning. Chapter II RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE Effective Teachers are what each classroom needs. But what makes a teacher effective? How can we identify effective teachers from those who are not? Are licensure examinations enough to assess the quality of teachers? Passing the licensure examination is often perceive as an indicator of qualified and effective teachers. But according to the researchers from the Southeast Centre for Teaching Quality (2003c), licensure examinations are not enough to measure the competence among teacher candidates. They concluded that in order to assess competence among teacher candidates, multiple methods should be used. This should include student work samples and the demonstration of new knowledge and skills known to reflect the core competences of highly qualified beginning teachers. This thoughts gained support from a study commissioned by the National Research Council (2001), the role of licensure tests in improving teacher quality, as cited in the study of Wilkerson and Lang (2004) concluding th at even a set of well-designed tests is inadequate to measure all of the prerequisites for a competent beginning teacher. The researcher of the National Research Council also recommended that states use multiple forms of evidence in making decisions about teacher candidates and use licensure tests only as a part of a coherent developmental system of preparation assessment, and support that reflects the many features of teacher competence. Addressing some of the issues on teacher effectiveness is through a voluntary certification process, which has been offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This is a certification process where teachers who are considered to be highly effective can demonstrate, and gain recognition for, their knowledge and teaching skills. And despite a lack of evidence on its efficacy in identifying effective teachers, there has been a continuous growing participation in the NBPTS. Many policymakers in various states and school districts also view this certification as a signal of teacher quality. In fact, NBPTS certified teachers receive recognitions and financial incentives (Goldhaber and Anthony 2004). Citing evidence, Goldhaber of the University of Washington and Urban Institute so with Anthony of Urban Institute describe the result of the first large-scale study, based on a unique data set from North Carolina, assessing the relationship between certification of teachers by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and Elementary-level student achievement. Findings indicated that NBPTS is successfully identifying the more effective teachers among applicants, and that NBPTS-certified teachers, prior to becoming certified, were more effective than their non-certified counterparts at increasing student achievement (Goldhaber and Anthony 2004). In the middle of these findings, the American Educational Research Association Panel concluded, based on the available evidences they have analyzed, that licensure in the field gained by university-based teacher preparation is an indicator of effective teaching and student achievement. Before getting to taking licensure exams and applying for certifications, teachers-to-be first have to finish education courses and undergo teacher preparation. Most of those who wanted to be effective teachers prefer to study at state colleges and universities having passed the National Accreditations since it is perceive that nationally accredited state colleges and universities caters teacher education programs that are capable of moulding and producing effective teachers. Many education graduates in the provinces are not passing the LET (Ramota 2011). Palatino, as cited in Ramota (2011), opined that LET examinees performance shows the low quality of pre-service Teacher Education in the country. He stated that many Teacher Education institutions are producing half-baked graduates who add up to the bulk of the LET non- passers and unemployed or under employed Teachers. He also stated that even these schools are being turn into mere for profit diploma mills rather than as training ground for future mentors. When Colleges of Education seek National Accreditation for their teacher education programs, there are a variety of obstacles to their success. But according to Adams (2004), not all of these obstacles are a reflection of program quality since accrediting bodies at the national or state level have different and at times conflicting requirements. This could even be more damaging. Evaluation systems may be scheduled to be phased in too rapidly, without clear guidelines. It is likely that the programs they are evaluating will be forced to suffer the consequences of this management. This situation is a contributing factor in the undeserved negative perceptions of teacher education programs. Though colleges of education should be accountable for the quality of the teachers they produce, the accrediting agencies should be accountable for the clarity and straightforwardness of the process. Whether a teacher candidate will be effectively teaching or not depends on the teacher preparations he or she had. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2012) stressed to components that are critically important in the teacher preparation: the teacher knowledge of the subject to be taught, and the knowledge and skills on how to teach that subject. Research and common sense tell us that subject matter knowledge is necessary for effective teaching. But there is a second part of the equation: knowledge and skills on how to teach is also a must. Effective teachers understand and are able to apply strategies to help students increase achievements. They understand and apply knowledge of child and adolescent development to motivate and engage students. They are able to diagnose individual learning needs. They know how to develop a positive climate in the classroom in order to make it a stimulating learning environment. The scholars of the National Academy of Education of America also supports that content knowledge does not adequately prepared teachers for the challenges they will faced in today’s classrooms, where teachers need to be prepared for learning differences and dis abilities that are prevalent (). Moreover, and American Educational Research Association Panel of nationally recognized scholars analyzed the empirical e vidence relevant to practices and policies in pre-service teacher Education in the US. Findings specific to education programs that produce successful teachers include: (1) collaborative arrangements between university programs and local school districts—known as professional development schools (PDSs)—have a positive impact on k-12 students in measurable ways such as increase in standardized test scores; (2) planned, guided and sustained interactions with pupils within early field and student teaching settings is important; (3) seven of eight studies reviewed found positive correlations between licensure and student achievement, especially in mathematics education (). These ideas stated above only proves that the quality of schools, the instructors of the teacher education programs, so with the educations programs, plays a very critical role in the education process since they are the one who mould the aspiring educators to be globally competitive and effective teachers. Gradual learning is very important for any student, be it in any field. But there are many more things in a student’s brain that we often forget, and herein appears the difficulty. There are students who faced learning problems and it’s not even their fault. For a school student, life is loaded with studies. Though it is not possible for each one of them to cope up with their studies, they often get nervous, frustrated and ends up mugging their lesson which is very harmful. There can be factors, as many as every student in this world, that affect student achievements. According to Shahin (2012), the student’s community is affected by lots of problems such us lack of quality of education, the threat of unemployment, absence of adequate opportunities, nepotism and a host of many such factors disheartening the students. She added that the lack of proper guidance by the parents and unawareness of the student in choosing the right career lead to their doom. Similarly, Suvajit (2009) believes that all these predicaments faced by students can only be resolve if every school and college recruits a qualified students councillor to guide the students in times of their problems. He cited recession as an example since it has caused huge dearth of jobs enabling the students to avail their desired job. And so, many of these students go on for further studies but are often puzzled about which course to study and from which college. And because of the lack of proper guidance, they often take hasty decisions for which they have to repent later. While Koski and Weis (2004) called on the state to analyse its own contents standards and curriculum frameworks to develop a complete basket of educational resources, ranging from laboratory equipment and sophisticated measuring instruments to well- stocked libraries and media centres, and conditions that all children should have an opportunity to achieve the state’s standards. But there have been a proposal cited by The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US (2012). The proposal stated that all (US) children should meet the same academic standards, essentially proposing a nationalized system of education. This issue gathered contrasting ideas of some influential educators in US including Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham institute and chairman of the Hoover Institution’s Koret Task Force on K to 12 Education, who argues in favour of national standards, and Jay Greene, head of the department of education reform at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark, who makes the case against natio nal standards. According to Finn Jr., as cited in a journal community The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US (2012), one way to ensure that young people would develop the skills they need to compete globally is to set clear standards about what schools should teach and students should learn—and make these standards uniform across the country. He stated that the issues plaguing American education—low achievement, poor technical skills, too many dropouts, etc.—are nationwide, and so is the challenge of economic competitiveness and that these were caused by the disorderly, dysfunctional way of handling academic standards for students. Though Finn Jr. believed that an effective education system also requires quality teachers, effective administrators and other vital elements, make them the same everywhere is important. A rigorous national standard is a need for a mobile society like theirs where a fourth-grader in Portland, Maine, may find herself a fifth grader in Portland, Ore. He also added that United States of America is no longer a country where children born in rural areas spend their entire lives there. They need and are expected to be ready for jobs in other parts of the land. And they won’t have any problem in adjusting to their lesson since every school is following a national standard (The Jou rnal Report: Big Issues in Education of US, 2012). On the other hand, Greene as also cited in a journal community The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US (2012) contended that different youngsters need to learn different things in different ways. He stated that such uniformity would only make sense if: 1) there was a single best way for all student to learn; 2) we knew what it was; 3) we could be sure the people running this nationalized education system would adapt that correct approach; and 4) they would remain in charge far into the future. But this isn’t how things are. He believed that there is no consensus on what all student need to know and that different students can best be taught and assessed in different ways. Greene then cited Canada and Australia as examples of large and diverse country like US with significantly stronger students’ performance as measured on international test. Yet neither have national standards, tests or curricula and added Greece and Thailand as examples of lower achieving countries though they have national standards and curricula (The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US, 2012). Libman (2006) also cited some negative consequences of standards-based testing such as narrowing the diversities in teacher education programs, homogenizing the characteristics of the teaching force, which hinder candidates from entering teaching and causing shortages in qualified teachers. Chapter III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY * This chapter presents research methods employed in this study. It contains the research designs, sampling techniques, research environment, validation of instruments and statistical tools used. * Research Design * This study will utilize the descriptive survey method using researcher made questionnaire as a main tool in gathering the data. It will also utilize documentary analysis to verify the data gathered from the survey. Sampling Technique This paper shall utilize the universality of Teacher Education graduates during the past three school years. It will also consider the total population for the faculty and administration under the education program. For the student respondents, a 30% student shall be utilized using Stratified Random Sampling. Instrumentation This study will utilize a researcher-made instrument which will be subjected through content validation. It shall be tried out in the private tertiary education offering teacher education program. The items which are vague need revision to suit to the levels of respondents. When the validated instruments are ready, it shall be administered to the SDSSU having Teacher Education programs offering. Data Gathering Procedure A permit to conduct the study shall be secured from the university president, and shall be furnished to the campus directors and concerned respondents and the campus offering Teacher Education programs. the pursuance of this study, the researcher will use researcher-made questionnaires that would show the relativity of the data subject to this study. The questionnaire shall be administered personally by the researchers to ensure the reliability of data of this study. After administration of questionnaire, it shall be retrieved, tallied, analyzed and interpreted and ready for writing the research report.