Wednesday, October 30, 2019

ABBREVIATION ERRORS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ABBREVIATION ERRORS - Assignment Example d that the Institute of Medicine reported that more than 7,000 deaths a year are due to medication errors which was published in their 1999 review To Err is Human (Landers ). Due to this disturbing report, a campaign was launched in 2006 by FDA and IMP to reduce errors, wherein one of the main thrusts of that campaign was to eliminate some error-prone notations like U and IU ( FDA press release 2006 ) The following three abbreviations chosen that were prone to error are the following : BT ( bedtime ),q1d ( once a daily), and u ( for units ). BT is commonly mistaken as BID ( twice daily ) which can be lethal when the medication can cause extreme reactions to the patient when an over dose is given. Another mistake would be q1d which can be thought of as 4 times daily since it closely resembles qid .;thus, administering a dosage four times the original dosage can have produce other unwanted symptoms such as allergy or even shock that can complete the doctor’s treatment. The third abbreviation is u ( units ) which is commonly mistaken 0 or 4 thereby increasing the dosage as much as ten times. Consequently, the result would be an overdose that would stress out the liver or kidneys of the patient which can cause serious complications or even death. The Purpose of the safety goals is to promote safety when using abbreviations in prescribing. The Goals main focus is clarity in written communication that will result to correct administration of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Factors Affecting Labour Turnover Commerce Essay

Factors Affecting Labour Turnover Commerce Essay This proposal is on the factors that affect labour turnover of Life insurance Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. A Life insurance company relies on a stable Agency force to sell and service its Life insurance products to enable it make profit from the Life policy. The exit of an Agent affects the servicing of the policies sold with negative impact on Companys profitability and investable fund for the nations economic development. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the factors, find out how and to what extent they affect labour turnover of Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. It will also seek to find solution to the problem and make recommendations. This study will benefit the management and Agency Managers of the company, other Life Insurance companies, current and potential investors in Life insurance companies as well as government and its Agencies. The study will make use of descriptive research design which will involve field survey of targeted respondents of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. The target population will be the regional managers, sales managers and the Agents at its branches in Nairobi numbering about 200. A sample of 15% will be taken using simple random sampling technique. The data will be collected by the use of questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics which will include tables, charts, diagrams and frequency distribution measurements such as mean, mode and median. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS Life Insurance Life Assurance is an aspect of Financial Planning which provides for the payment of a capital sum to the dependants of a policy owner on his death or to the policy owner on survival to policy expiration, in consideration of the payment of a smaller, often regular, amount to the Life office Life Insurance Sales Agent Life insurance agents specialize in selling policies that pay beneficiaries when a policyholder dies. They also sell other varieties of Life insurance products such as annuities that promise a retirement income, Health insurance and short-term and long-term-disability insurance policies. Agents may specialize in any one of these products, or function as generalists, providing multiple products to a single customer. They earn commission and other benefits for their effort. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS LIMRA Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association AKI Association of Kenya Insurers IIAA- Independent insurance Agents of America COP Certificate of Proficiency OMLAC Old Mutual Life Assurance Company CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION This chapter will focus on background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, the hypothesis or research questions, significance, scope and limitation of the study. 1.1 Background to the study Life Insurance is an aspect of Personal Financial Planning which enables somebody to provide for his future financial needs at old age and that of his or her dependants in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Such unforeseen circumstances are premature death, Total Permanent disability resulting from Accident or Critical illnesses which may reduce or terminate a persons income earning capacity. The risk of premature death is one of the major personal risks faced by most individuals. The financial consequences resulting from the death of a breadwinner before adequate resources have been established for dependents can be severe. Life insurance is a major source of financial protection against premature death. There are three main sources of life insurance protection which are individually purchased, Employer-sponsored and Government sponsored life insurance coverage. The dependable source is the individually purchased Life insurance protection because the other two may not be available to an individual. Life Assurance is a service premised on a promise to pay a certain amount of money in future in the event of the occurrence of a stated contingency which usually depends on the duration of human Life. Hence, the best form of selling this service is one on one personal selling through a Sales Person traditionally called an Agent. One major problem facing Life insurance Companies in selling their products and hence, profitability is the high rate of labour turnover of their Agents. A Life insurance company relies on a stable Agency force to sell its Life insurance products. These products are usually long tern going for a minimum of five years in duration. The profitability of a policy to the Life insurance Company depends on the consistent servicing of that policy by the Agent. When an Agent leaves an insurance Company when the policies he sold are still in their early years, such policies will no longer be serviced. Hence, the Company will lose in terms of future in-flow of investible funds, lost of commission that has been paid in advance to the Agent and payment of surrender values arising from lapsed policies. This situation threatens the survival of Life insurance companies and it has attracted the attention of some writers and researchers. According to Leverett et al (1977), the death of the independent Agency system as it exists today has been predicted for several years. Increased competition from newer sources, such as the entrance of Life insurance companies into the property-liability field, as well as traditional competition from the direct writers of insurance, tends to reinforce the foundation for such a prophesy. The attraction and retention of new agents into the independent agency system is vital to the continued successful existence of that system. A number of studies have indicated that the retention rate for agents recruited into the Life insurance industry is very low. According to one study, the two year and five year retention rates for 13 large life insurers in the United States were 39 and 13 percent respectively. Furthermore, the retention rate for smaller life insurers was found to be even less than for their larger counterparts. These figures are not totally unexpected given the lack or inadequacy of training and educational programs offered to new life insurance recruits. LIMRA (2009) points out that, it has been of great concern to many managers, the fact that only 5% of sales representatives who join the industry remain in the industry and become successful sales representatives. Out of the 5% only 2% become high achievers in the industry. Despite the fact that those on commissions earn more than majority of the salaried people, it has remained a very challenging field especially for the young people from college and university who would wish to earn good money easily and fast. Burand (2010) notes that over time, agents retention in the life insurance industry remains a perennial challenge for companies operating within the traditional career agency system. According to LIMRA (2010), 68% of agents leave companies within their first two years. Many managers presuppose that retention rates correspond with a companys effectiveness in building its sales and Organization in general. Company bottom lines would benefit substantially from increased retention rates. 1.1.1 Background to the Scope of Study Old Mutual Life Assurance Kenya belongs to an International long-term savings, protection and investment Group. The Group provides life assurance, asset management, banking and general insurance in 33 countries (Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia). It has over 15 million customers and approximately 55 000 employees. The vision of the group is to be their customers most trusted partner passionate about helping them achieve their lifetime financial goals. The group was founded in 1845 and has expanded from their origins in South Africa in the last decade through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. It is listed in the UK, South Africa and three other African exchanges. Old Mutual Kenya (OMK) started doing business in Kenya in the late 1920s. The vision of the company is the same as its parent company but limited to East Africa. The mission statement of the company is as follows through understanding and meeting our customers needs, we will profitably expand our market for wealth accumulation and protection in Kenya. 1.1.2 Background to the Population Area and organizational Chart Old Mutual has 16 retail marketing outlets throughout Kenya including 4 in Nairobi. The retail marketing arm is under the jurisdiction of the Head of Sales who is at the head office. The head of sales is part of the executive management who reports on the activities of the sales force. The head of sales is assisted by head of channels who oversees the activities of the Branch managers in different locations. Under the Branch Manger are Sales managers who manage the Agents. 1.2 Problem Statement The Insurance industry has suffered astronomical losses resulting from high rate of labour turnover among Agents especially the new agents. The new agents are the sales representatives who have been with the company for less than four years. Annual report published by LIMRA international in 2004 pointed out that four year agents retention has not been able to move above 13 percents. This translates to 87 percent of the new agents in the insurance industry leaving their respective companies within the first four years of signing the contract. An agent in the insurance industry especially life insurance starts becoming profitable only after the third year of their contract in the company. This is because the initial years are characterized by huge training cost, initial allowances which are not tied to production and forward-earning commission system. This results in high expenses for the firm in the early years of recruiting an Agent with the hope of recouping the cost gradually from the future earnings of the Agent. This implies that most of the insurance companies have been incurring huge losses because of consistently poor retention rate of the new agents. Insurance agents retention has become a matter of concern as the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) highlighted in the 2011 report concerning developments of the tied agents in the insurance industry in Kenya. AKI report (2010) observed that lack of personal development of many Agents who join insurance industry is an issue that requires attention by the industry if the industry is to remain relevant in the country. Lack of personal development among the agents has been cited as an important factor that affects agents retention in the industry. A Life insurance company relies on a stable Agency force to sell its Life insurance products. These products are usually long tern going for a minimum of five years in duration. Agents are paid commission for any policy sold. The commission is structured in such a way that a substantial percentage up to 50% of the premium is paid in the first year and between 10% to 40% is paid in subsequent years up to the fifth year or sometimes end of the policy term. The profitability of a policy to the Life insurance Company depends on the consistent servicing of that policy by the Agent. If an Agent leaves an insurance Company when the policies he sold are still in their early years, such policies will no longer be serviced. Hence, the Company will lose in terms of future in-flow of investable funds, loss of commission paid in advance for future services of the Agent and an early lapse of such orphan policies. The economy also suffers because it will be starved of investable funds which aid the economic development of the nation. Old Mutual Life Assurance Kenya has experienced a drop in its number of Agents in the past years. While it had 500 Agents in 2010, they currently have about 200. This has also reflected in the revenue of the company from the individual life Insurance segment of the company. The premium income generated by the Agents for the past four years is represented in the following table. Table 1. Premium Income of Agents in Old Mutual Life Ass. Co. Kenya (2008 2011) Year Premium Income (Kshs 000) Difference Percentage Difference 2008 386,367 2009 378,056 (8,311) (2%) 2010 376,496 (1,560) (0.41%) 2011 349,429 (27,067) (7.18%) Source: OMLAC (2012) The graphical representation of the above situation is shown below. Figure 1. Premium Income of Agents in Old Mutual Life Ass. Co. Kenya (2008 2011) Source: OMLAC (2012) Life insurance premium from the sales Agent should increase in geometrical progression with positive cumulative effect on the revenue of the company. If the premium from new policies sold is added to the premium of existing policy holders, it should lead to increase in premium income from year to year. However, the reverse is the case in Old Mutual where premium income from Life insurance Agents has declined from Kshs 386 million in 2008 to Kshs 349 million in 2011. This represents a drop of 9.56% in premium income in 2011 compared to 2008. It is against this premises that this study will focus on factors affecting labour turnover of Life Insurance Agents in Old mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. 1.3 Objectives of the study The objective of the study will include the following: 1.3.1 General Objective To investigate the factors that affect labour turnover of Life insurance Agents in the Life insurance industry in Kenya. 1.3.2 Specific Objectives To find out how remuneration affects the turnover of Life Insurance Agents of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. To determine the effects of training on the turnover of Life Insurance Agents of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. To investigate how physical work environment affect labour turnover of Life Insurance Agents of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. To establish to what extent job satisfaction affects labour turnover of Life Insurance Agents of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. To determine to what extent level of education affects labour turnover of Life Insurance Agents of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. 1.4 The Research Questions The study will seek information to answer the following research questions: To what extend does remuneration affect turnover of Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited? To what extent does training affect turnover of Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited? How does physical work environment affect labour turnover of Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited? How does job satisfaction affect turnover of Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited? To what extent does level of education affect labour turnover of Agents in Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited? The Significance of the Study The findings from this study will benefit the organization and its stakeholders, the life insurance industry, government and other researchers in this field. The top management of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Limited consisting of the Managing Director, the head of sales and head of channels who are likely to use the findings to understand the reasons behind labour turnover of Agents in the company. It will also help the Regional and Sales managers of Old Mutual Life Assurance Kenya to improve on their management techniques towards reducing labour turnover of Agents in their region and sales unit. The Sales Agents will also benefit from the study by using the recommendations to improve on their sales performance and create the personal willingness to stay with the company The findings of the study will also be of immense benefit to the government, especially the ministry of finance, and the commissioner of insurance who will use it to formulate policies that will improve retention of Agents in the Insurance industry. The stakeholders of Old Mutual Life Assurance Limited which include customers, investors and the public will also benefit from the study by understanding the factors that affect labour turnover of Agents in the company. Lastly, it will also benefit other researchers in this field who may use this report for further studies. 1.6 Scope of the Research Study The scope of this study will be found in the Life Insurance industry of Kenya. However, due to time and limited resources, the focus will be on Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Kenya. Since this study is on factors affecting labour turnover of Agents, the research will concentrate on the Agency force of the company which has about 200 Agents nationwide. For the same reasons above, the study will concentrate on the Agency force in Nairobi which is about 100 in number. The researcher will take sample from the research population. The period of study will be up to 30th September 2012. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter will critically analyze literature related to the study. This will include the issue of labor turnover in general and its effect, special attributes of Agents engage in selling services and Agent turnover in Life insurance industry. 2.2 Labor Turnover Labor turnover is the ratio of the number of employees that leave a company through attrition, dismissal, or resignation during a period to the number of employees on payroll during the same period. One of the 14 principles developed by Henri Fayol is stable labor turnover. He postulated that there should be stability of tenure of personnel in an organization. This is because a high labor turnover is harmful to the organization. Employee turnover refers to the rate at which employees leave jobs in a company and are replaced by new hires. A high employee turnover rate implies that a companys employees leave their jobs at a relatively high rate. Employee turnover rates can increase for a variety of reasons, and turnover includes both employees who quit their jobs and those who are asked to leave. Average employee turnover rates differ among industries; for example, in 2006, average turnover rates in the United States varied between around 15 percent annually for durable goods manufactu ring employees to as high as 56 percent for the restaurant and hospitality industry, according to Nobscot Corporation. According to a freelance writer, Shelley Frost, Employee turnover is a natural part of business in any industry. Excessive labour turnover decreases the overall efficiency of the company and comes with a high price tag. Understanding the effects of losing a high number of employees serves as a motivator to work toward reducing the labour turnover rate for higher profits and a more appealing work environment. The writer identified some cost associated with labour turnover as follows. Each employee who resigns costs the company money. All of the money invested into that employee through training, education and licensing walks out the door with the employee. When you hire a replacement, the company spends money on those same areas to prepare the new hire for the position. The company also pays to advertise the vacancy and may incur costs for drug testing, physicals and moving expenses. The company could pay 1/3 of the yearly salary of the new employee in costs. Labour turnover rates cost the company time in addition to money. Managers or human resources staffs spend time conducting exit interviews, advertising the job, recruiting candidates and interviewing. Supervisors and colleagues are often left to cover until a new employee is hired and begin working. The new employee may take several months to fully learn the job and achieve competency in the position. When the staff changes frequently, the employees who stay have a difficult time building a positive team dynamic. A group of employees learns to work well together, only to have one or more members leave. This leaves the staff in limbo until a new employee starts. The personality and work ethic of the new employee may vary significantly from the previous employee. Labour turnover can hurt overall morale of employees. The overall productivity of the workplace tends to decrease with high turnover. Since a new employee has a period of adjustment, he wont complete tasks as quickly as the person he replaces. Group projects that rely on the new team member may slow down, which affects experienced employees productivity levels. The loss of momentum when an employee resigns may also affect morale. A high turnover rate affects the continuity of service to clients and other employees. This is particularly difficult in an industry that relies heavily on relationships with clients. For example, a client who purchases products from a company on a regular basis may grow tired of getting a new salesperson or customer service contact every few months. Consistent relationships with clients help build a stronger loyalty to the company. The company is also better able to provide consistent, high-quality service with well-trained staff that doesnt change often. 2.2.3 Life Insurance Agent According to Independent insurance Agents of America (IIAA) (2009) an agent is a person who performs services for another person or an organization under an express or implied agreement and who is subject to the others control or right to control the manner and means of performing the services. The other person is called a principal. Rosenberg (2004) expresses the same opinion in different words by saying that, Insurance agents are sometimes referred to as insurance sales agents whose main obligation is to help clients choose insurance policies that suite their needs. There are two types of agents as classified by LIMRA (2007), some agents are captive or tied agents who mainly work for an insurance company and only sell that companies products, the other category of agents called independent or free lance Agents, are those who work for various insurance companies and sell insurance products of many insurance companies. The independent or free lance Agents are usually registered and licensed companies popularly referred to as brokers. 2.2.4 Qualification for becoming an Insurance agent Frankas (2010) says that, for Insurance sales agents job, most companies and independent agencies prefer to hire college graduates-especially those who have majored in business or economics, high school graduates are occasionally hired if they have proven sales ability or have been successful in other type of work. In fact, many entrants to insurance sales agent jobs transfer from other occupations. According to LIMRA (2007), College training may help agents grasp the technical aspects of insurance policies and fundamentals and procedures of selling insurance. As per the recommendation of AKI (Association of Kenya Insurers) regulations, every insurance agent must have done C.O.P (Certificate of proficiency in insurance) which is a proficiency certificate to transact insurance business in Kenya. Various employers are also placing greater emphasis on continuing professional education as the diversity of financial products sold by insurance agents increases. (Holt, 2010). An Insurance sales agent who shows ability and leadership may become a sales manager in a local office. As noted by U.S Bureau of Labor statistics (2010) a few advance to agency manager. However, many agents who have built up good clientele prefer to remain a sales agent. Some particularly in the property and casually field-establish their own independent agencies or brokerage firms. 2.2.5 Resourcing strategies George (1990) has pointed out that before selecting an agent there has to be a great process than just interview. He asserts that pre-hire assessment like testing and call center simulations have become essential tool in the industry. Tett (2000) of employment Technologies Corporation says that, for the insurance industry to succeed in improving agents retention there has to be simulation centers where the applicants would be given the opportunity to experience what they expect to find in the field and how sales are like. According to Ashly (2000) it is good to control; the flow of less-interested candidates before they reach the interview stage. Sometimes the applicant knows better than the hiring specialist that he or she is not the right sampling the job. Tom (2009), and Peter (1999) agree that accepting agents without checking their interests in the initial selection stage leads to poor retention of the agents. Nevertheless Srivivas (2003) warns against relying too heavily on the simulation. He says that simulation can be very effective for providing people with some exposure to what the job is likely to be. On the same note Banks (2010) disputes the other authors by pointing out that simulation are too artificial such that good candidates get left behind because they do poor simulations Wright (1992) asserts that simulation is only good to give a job presentation. 2.2.6 Agents Remuneration According Armstrong, (2006) Remuneration is the compensation an employee receives in return for his or her contribution to the organization. Luthans (1992) asserts that Remuneration occupies an important place in the life of an employee, his or her standard of living and status in society. Groholdt (2001) points out that, Motivation, loyalty, and productivity depend upon the remuneration he or she receives. For the employer too, employee remuneration is significant because of its contribution to the cost of production, besides, many battles (in the form of strikes and lock outs) are fought between the employer and the employees on issues relating to wages or bonus. Life insurance sales professionals typically earn all or most of their income through commission, which means that they get a certain percentage of every sale they make as well as residual income when clients continue to make payments. For this reason, an agent has the potential to earn much more than he would at an average hourly job. As with any other commission-based job, if an agent fails to perform, he will not be able to earn anything. Even if he does sell a substantial amount of insurance one month, he may not be able to sustain these sales numbers from month to month, and this may result in an unstable level of income. Cravens, Ingram, Loforge and Youngs, (1993), explored the relationships between compensation/control systems and performance and retention. Their results indicate that the type of control system, that is management control versus commission control, is correlated to several measures of success and agents retentions. They found out that sales performed and agents retention was more affected by commission control than by management control. 2.2.7 Agent Training Employee development is something that most people imagine as intrusive all-day group training sessions. Unfortunately, this dreaded approach to employee development is just the opposite of how employee development should occur and feel to employees. Employee development can manifest itself in many forms of training, evaluations, educational programs, and even feedback. If executed correctly, the effects of training on agent performance can often encourage growth within the worker and the organization itself. One of the larger aspects of developing Agents skills and abilities is the actual organizational focus on the Agent to become better, either as a person or as a contributor to the organization. According to Organizational Behavior by Robert Kreitner and Angelo Kiniki, (2009) its been shown that employees that receive regular, scheduled feedback, including training, along with an increase in expectations, actually have a higher level of worker output. Kreitner and Kiniki refer to this as the Pygmalion Effect. The hope is that agents who receive training in line with their individual or organizational goals will become more efficient in what they do. Organizations should look at the positive effects of training on agent performance, and consider agent development as a targeted investment into making the front line worker stronger. More importantly, development plans that include train-the-trainer (training that trains agents to become trainers of a skill) can provide exponential benefits to the organization. This training can be anything from how agents can do their own jobs better to these agents being groomed to replace their supervisor. In addition, agents who are invested as a trainer might be further inclined to stay with the organization, and possibly reduce agent turnover. Along with supporting the organization, agents might recognize that most types of agent development provide them benefits. Agent development programs that range from certifications to education reimbursement, to even basic sales skills training, have a certain cost to the organization that can easily be considered a benefit to the agent. Such awareness on the part of the agent can also lead to greater loyalty to the organization as well as enhanced job satisfaction. Training and education that can be added to the agents resume are big ticket items in terms of compensation plans, and should be treated as such. Beyond agent training and certification courses, evaluations and counseling sessions are another form of agent development. They provide performance feedback and allow agents to be aware of changes to both their work goals and the overall objectives of the organization. Agents who do not receive feedback on a regular basis usually end up feeling as though they might be forgotten by their supervisor, and this pattern may even lead to feelings of dissent among the Agency force. Going back to the Pygmalion Effect, agents who have consistent knowledge of their levels of performance, and who feel that their supervisors are placing expectations on them, generally perform better on an individual basis. Agents are required to attend meetings, seminars and programs to learn about new products and services, learn new selling skills and receive technical assistance in developing new accounts. Churchill, Ford, Hartley, and Walker, (1998) explored role variable, skill, motivation, personal factors, aptitude, and organizational/environmental factors in the retention of agents. The study found that, on average, single predictors or sales performance accounted for less than 4% of the variation in salesperson performance. Aptitude accounted for less than 2% skill levels slightly more than 7%, motivation accounted for 6.6% role perceptions was by far the best predictor, accounting for as much as 14% of the variation in performance. Personal variables (age, height, and sex, completion, and dressing) accounted for 2.6% while organization and environmental factors accounted for about 1%. They concluded that personal characteristics, while important, are not as important as the influencing factor s such as, training, company policies, skill levels, and motivation. 2.2.8 Physical Work Environment The physical work environment can be identified as a place or location where somebody works. Performance experts agree that the physical work environment has a significant impact upon employee performance and productivity. By physical work environment we mean the building structures, office layout, tools, furniture, space, noise level and surrounding of

Friday, October 25, 2019

legalize :: essays research papers

Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs throughout the world. The psychoactive constituent of cannabis, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC), produces a myriad of pharmacological effects in animals and humans. Marijuana has been in use for over 4,000 years as a therapeutic and as a recreational drug. It can have both stimulant and sedative properties. In usual intoxicating doses, it produces a sense of well-being, relaxation, a loss of temporal awareness, slowing of thought processes, impairment of short term memory, and a feeling of achieving special insights. At high dosed marijuana can induce panic, toxic delirium, and not often, psychosis. Marijuana is the term used to describe the leaves and flowering tops of the Cannabis sativa plant. Like other herbal medicines, the Cannabis plant plays host to a number of chemicals. The plant houses approximately 460 known compounds. Sixty of these are unique to the Cannabis plant and are called cannabinoids. The primary psychoactive cannabinoid is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) interacts with cannabinoid receptors to trigger dopamine relase from the mesolimbic reward system. Chemically the cannabinoids are classed as terpenoid (terpene-like). These compounds occur as essential oils within many plants and some are involved in vitamin, steroid and pigment formation. There are two known endogenous cannabinoid receptors named CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are found primarily in the brain. They are most prevalent in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. CB1 receptors in the hippocampus mediate effects on short-term memory. CB2 receptors are also found in the brain, but more so expressed by cells of the immune system, especially B cells. The CB receptor is a G protein mediated receptor that affects primarily calcium and potassium channel activation (Howlett et al, 1995). Both receptors are G protein linked, decrease adenyl cyclase activity, inhibit calcium N channels, and disinhibit potassium channels. Functional changes are most notable in neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter release. Both receptor types selectively bind THC, the active principle in marijuana, and anandamide, an endogenous cannabimimetic eicosanoid (Felder et al, 2000). As was just mentioned, there is also an endogenous cannabinoid system, the brain’s own marijuana, capable of activating these cannabinoid receptors functionally. These endocannabinoids are synthesized by neurons and inactivated by reuptake systems and enzymes in both neurons and glia. Initially, the receptors were considered orphaned receptors meaning that there were no endogenous ligands. Subsequent research turned up two endogenous cannabinoid ligands, anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol, that not only bind to the receptors but also mimic many of the biological actions of plant-derived cannabinoids.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Essay on School Field Trips

Can teachers and students imagine all year in class without a chance at a hands-on experience? Field trips should continue throughout the remainder of the school year, because students can put skills into action, learning in new environments, and enhance the curriculum. The way students can put skills into action is by working together with classmates to achieve one goal. If field trips are abolished students that do not learn well in the classroom may lose interest in a particular subject. Field trips teach students that they can learn everywhere. To begin with, field trips are a great way for students to put skills they learn in the classroom into action. There are three different types of different methods of learning, including visual, auditory, and tactile. By taking field trips away tactile learners would not learn as well as the visual and auditory. Tests and classroom education may not work so great for some children, field trips put every student at the same level. The learning is experience rather than taught. Additionally, learning in new environments can provide challenges for more individualize learning. During field trips students can learn as much information as they want to, but in the classroom restrictions apply because of the different learning styles. Field trips expose students to new experiences which may lead to new interest or talents. This can be helpful to the students in the long run because they have seen what they like and enjoy doing; therefore they can get an education and pursue that interest. Above all, field trips enhance the curriculum for the students. The students, by field trips, are aware that they can learn from anywhere and everywhere on earth. Field trips are simple tasks, but they teach students so many useable things in life that are needed in the future workplaces. Some of these things include: problem solving, analytical thinking, theory making, and critical thinking skills. These skills will stick with them for the rest of their life, but if students do not get to go on field trips no skills will be experienced. In conclusion, field trips are expensive, however if we want our students to experience skills that will stick with them we must continue to go on educational field trips. Financial restrictions are a burden to the school system even if the admission is free. Gas, bus driver, and food is what pushes the cost up. Money is not everything in life when it comes to education we must put everything else aside and put students first. That’s why our school does not need to cut field trips for the remainder of the year, because it puts our skills into action, lets students learn in new environments, and enhances the curriculum. While books can teach and computers can instruct, but they do compare to hands-on experience.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Job Interview Questions with analysis Essay

Why is it appropriate to the role of retail assistant? 1. Why did you apply for the job of retail assistant at Primark? * In the job advert it asks ‘Do you have a passion for fashion?† * In the job advert it asks for â€Å"good communication skills† * In the person specification asks for â€Å"good communication skills† * This is an open question , this allows the candidate to give a detailed response on why they believe they are the most suitable candidate . This is also an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their communication skills. * This question is simply to answer and allows the candidate to relax into the interview , this is important because the candidate may be nervous so it is best to calm their nerves to ensure they complete the interview to the highest possible standard . * The interviewer can assess the quality of the communication skills and rank the candidates from this . This is important as when the candidate starts working at Primark they need to communicate clearly with the other members of staff and the customers . The customers needs to understand what is being said or they may get frustrated and leave , this would lead to a loss in sales . Having good communication skills is a key part of being a retail sales assistant as the candidate will be talking and interacting with the customers all day . They will be representing Primark and giving off possibly first impressions . In the person specification and job description asks for â€Å"good communication skills† * This question allows the candidate to demonstrate their interest and passion in fashion and retail , this is important as if a candidate is truly interested into Primark , they will be more motivated , put in more effort and perform all their tasks to the highest standard . The interviewer can also rank the candidates on how passionate they are about Primark as this directly shows how committed they are to Primark . The more committed an employee is , the more loyal they will be and they will often be more determined to take the business succeed . * This is an opportunity for the candidate to show they have researched Primark and that they have a real interest in the business . This shows they want to find to find out and they are aware of the aims and values of the business . After the candidate has read those they have decided that this job is suitable for them , this shows their confidence and determination in getting the role of retail sales assistant . As the candidate is interested in the business , they are more likely to want it to succeed and therefore will give better customer service . This candidate is given the chance to explain why they want to work at Primark as a retail sales assistant , they can be specific to Primark . * The interviewer can clearly see if the candidate is enthusiastic about Primark and the job , this will help with the ranking . In the job advert it asks ‘Do you have a passion for fashion?† * This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not . 1. Tell me about a time when you have shown good teamwork skills? * In the person specification a requirement is to able â€Å"to work in a team† * In the job advert it states that the candidate will join a â€Å"successful team† , implying good teamwork skills are needed to integrate into the department . * This is an open question , this allows the candidate to explain in detail a time in which they have demonstrated good teamwork skills . Team work skills are important at Primark as if the team isn’t running smoothly neither will the business . All the members rely on each other . In the job advert it states that the candidate will join a â€Å"successful team† , implying good teamwork skills are needed to integrate into the department . * This allows the interviewer to asses the candidate and see if they work integrate well with the other members of staff and therefore if they would be appropriate for the role of retail sales assistant . If the candidate shows a lack of teamwork skills , the interviewers can rank them lower as this will cause day to day problems because if the candidate cant get along with the team , its highly likely that the candidate wont get along with the customers. In the person specification a requirement is to able â€Å"to work in a team† * This is an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate good communication skills , if they have these skills are able to implement them into the interview , they will be able to implement these with the customers . This means a high standard of customer service , if the customers are happy they will come back more often , leading to an increase in sales . * This gives the candidate to show off their communication skills to the interviewer , proving they are the most suitable candidate and they would be perfect for the role of retail sales assistant . Confidence is needed in this role , if the employee is not confident about what they are saying the customer may not believe them . * This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not . 1. What would you do if you saw a customer putting unpaid stock in their bag from the fitting rooms and leaving? * In the job description it requires the candidate to â€Å"watch for and recognise security risks and be able to report this situations as appropriate† * In the job description it requires the candidate to be able to supervise the fitting rooms * In person specification it requires the candidate to be able to â€Å"work under pressure in a busy environment† * This is an open question and allows the candidate to give a detailed response and demonstrate other skills such as communication skills . This is important as it shows that the candidate is able to communicate confidently in an appropriate manner with customers, other sales assistants, and retail supervisors. * This allows the candidate to show they can work under pressure and act quickly without causing a scene and disrupting other customers ., this is important as Primark will be very busy during peak shopping times such as weekends and school holiday periods. . In the person specification it requires the candidate to be able to â€Å"work under pressure in a busy environment† . * This allows the candidate to show that they can recognize security risks and give a past experience and how they dealt with the situation then . In the job description it requires the candidate to â€Å"watch for and recognise security risks and be able to report this situations as appropriate† * This allows the candidate to show they can supervise fitting rooms and possibly give a detailed response on what the would do . In the job description it requires the candidate to be able to supervise the fitting rooms . This is important as when the candidate would be working at Primark part of their job will be to supervise the fitting rooms as this is stated in the job description . . If the candidate can show that they can do this suitably . * This allows the interviewer to assess whether the candidate would act appropriately if the situation occurred and helps to judge if they are suitable for the role of retail sales assistant. * This shows that the candidate pays attention to detail and wants to improve the quality of their own work, therefore will be productive and effective as sales assistant as they will ensure stock is displayed to a high standard, customer service will be of a high standard * This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not . 1. How would you apply you previous training in the workplace in Primark ? * In the person specification it states â€Å"demonstrate willingness to undertake appropriate training† * This is an open question , this allows the candidate to explain in detail a time in which they trained and how they would use that in the workplace . This is important as it ensures that the candidate will implement the skills into the workplace . * In the person specification it states â€Å"demonstrate willingness to undertake appropriate training† The candidate can demonstrate their willingness to learn here by talking about a past experience . In the past if a candidate was unable to do a skill and they were willing to train to better themselves , it is highly likely that when they work at Primark they will be willing to train . * This allows the interviewer to rank the candidates because to work at Primark you need to be willing to train as at Primark there could be new tills and machinery. * If the candidate is willing to better themselves , they will also be able to ask for help when needed from another sales assistant or from the retail supervisor . * The interviewer can make a decision whether they believe the candidate can also demonstrate that they Review their work to ensure it is meeting the standards required for example would they notice that stock needed replenishing or re-folding to ensure customer satisfaction based on their past experience . This will help with ranking as the interviewer rank the candidates not on how much training they have but on if they would use it in the workplace. * This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not . * This question allows the candidate to demonstrate their â€Å"ability to work in a team† through their past experience . This is important in the role of a retail sales assistant as everyone relies on each other , if one person does not do their job everyone is put off track. 1. Tell me about a time when you dealt with a customer complaint * In the person specification it requires the candidate to â€Å"demonstrate a awareness of customer care† * In the person specification it requires the â€Å"good communication skills * In the job advert it requires the candidate to â€Å"deal with customer complaints as appropriate† * In the job advert it requires â€Å"good communication skills† * This allows the interviewer to rank the candidates on how they deal with this particular situation . Also the interviewer can see about any extra past experiences they may not have included . The candidates can be ranked on the most experience * This allows the candidate to demonstrate how they would react in this situation and how they will implement their past experiences in . * This allows the candidate to show that they are the most suitable candidate as they will deal with the situation with caution . * This is an open question as you can deal with the situation in many ways that are all still correct , this allows the candidate to demonstrate their skills including communication skills , communication is an essential part of working at Primark. This means that the candidate will be able to communicate confidently in an appropriate manner with customers, other sales assistants, and retail supervisors if they have already done it. In the person specification it requires the â€Å"good communication skills * This complies with the employment legalisation and is not discriminatory as it mentions nothing to do with race , religion , age or gender * This shows the interviewer how the candidate would deal with customers as if they would be patient and polite when dealing with customer enquiries or complaints about products at Primark. Also the interviewer can see how good the candidate is at recognizing the needs of customers and acting on them. This is important as it is good to have good communication skills and be able to work in a team but the candidate needs to implement them in the workplace . * The interviewer can also see what language they will use as basic literacy skills are required in the person specification , and if it is formal . The candidate will be representing Primark so they need to not use slang / swear and be polite at all times . This will help with ranking as the interviewer can decide on how they want to be dealing with the customers . If the customer complaint isn’t dealt with correctly , the customer may go to the media and a large problem may arise . In the person specification it requires the candidate to â€Å"demonstrate a awareness of customer care†. As well as In the job advert it requires the candidate to â€Å"deal with customer complaints as appropriate† 1. If a customer bought a pair of sunglasses for  £3.49 and a top for  £2.39 and paid with a  £20 note , How much change are they owed ? * In the Person specification it states that you need basic numeracy skills * It is an closed question , there is only one correct answer helps with ranking as the interview can just check which candidates get the answer correct * This complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory as it does not mention age , race , gender or religion . * This will allow the candidate to demonstrate their numeracy skills . This is important because in the work place the candidate may need to count the change to give back to a customer and they need to be able to do this instantly. This is important as it allows the interviewer to know if the candidate would be able to do simply maths in their head in the case of the till breaking down .The candidate can show that they are able to work well under pressure as Primark will be very busy during peak shopping times such as weekends and school holiday periods. This helps with comparing and ranking of the candidates . * This helps the interviewer with ranking also because if the candidate is unable to do this they can just be removed from the rest of the process and basic numeracy is a main component of working at Primark . If the candidate is unable to do a simple question like this , it is highly likely that if they are hired they will give too much or too little change , or just be extremely slow . Primark is a very busy business and the employees need to be able to â€Å"work under pressure in a busy environment† as it states in person specification . 1. How would you ensure that the customers are happy in Primark ? * In the person specification â€Å"an awareness of customer care† is required * In the person specification â€Å"good communication skills† are required * In the job description it states the candidate needs to â€Å"meet and greet customers† * The candidate can demonstrate that they would keep up to date with sales/offers and answer as well as give advice on products . This shows they are caring towards the customers . In the person specification â€Å"an awareness of customer care† is required . Interacting with the customers and giving advice on certain products is a great way to increase sales . In the job description it states the candidate needs to â€Å"meet and greet customers†. This is important because making sure the customers are happy is key at Primark . * This is an open question , this allows the candidate to give an a detailed response on how they would ensure customer satisfaction . * This allows the interviewer to rank the candidates on how they would be around the customers . If the candidate can explain how they would do it , its highly likely that they will * This complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory as it does not mention age , race , gender or religion . * The candidate shows that they will recognise the needs of the customers at Primark and will act promptly to serve them . This is important as if a customer is ignored that they would get annoyed and possible got to a competitor . * . * 1. What would you do if your colleague was struggling with keeping up the customers but it was the end of your shift ? * In the person specification it requires the ability to work in a team and the ability to work under pressure * In the person specification it requires an awareness of customer care * If the candidate is able to work well under pressure as Primark will be very busy during peak shopping times such as weekends and school holiday periods. * This allows the candidate to demonstrate that they are committed to the business and want it to succeed , so they would be willing to work overtime . * This allows the candidate to demonstrate that they know when is appropriate to step in and when they are needed . This is important as Primark is quite often busy so a dedicated employee is needed . If they are willing to step in this show that the candidate works well under pressure

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

6 Steps to Landing Your Dream Job By The End Of Summer

6 Steps to Landing Your Dream Job By The End Of Summer Rather than treating this summer as a slump season, or a time to shirk your duties a bit without getting in trouble, why not put the pedal to the metal and see about scoring big career-wise? Here are 6  things you can do to turn your career around and get your dream job by the end of the summer (if you work hard and start now).1. Be a leaderRemember that no one is in control of your career except you. If you start thinking and acting like a leader, people will take you seriously as one. Be confident and clear and start steering yourself in the right direction, rather than waiting to be pushed.2. Leave the family loopIt’s great to rely on friends and family for advice and counsel. But sometimes you can get better and clearer advice if you step out of your inner circle. You can get much better- and much more objective- feedback this way. Find yourself a mentor or a job coach who understands your particular strengths, weaknesses, and goals.3. Sort out your financesYou canâ€⠄¢t really take any risks or make any moves from tenuous financial ground. Use this summer to get your fiscal house in order. Assess your current situation. Figure out where you need to be, and how far you need to go to get there. Then come up with a concrete plan and implement it. Don’t forget to figure out what your must-haves are- and what your minimum salary would be in your new position.4. Get clear and communicate that clarityBe able to correctly describe your vision for your career. This will help you make more effective and efficient decisions as you move towards your dream. The key to this is to figure out exactly where your wheelhouse is, and aim for situations in which you can excel.5. Figure out your ideal cultureThe truth is you will do your best work if you’re in an environment in which you can be yourself and facilitate your own greatness. Ask yourself what conditions help you be your best self at work and make a list. Find a company (or companies) that focus on these conditions as part of their company culture and then move towards getting hired there.6. Self-assessDon’t just wait for your performance review to figure out how well you’re doing. Manage your own performance. Figure out where you’re weak and make a plan to improve. And take a moment to acknowledge your own strengths. These will help you in determining your plan to get into your dream position.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Subordinationism and Gender

Subordinationism and Gender Free Online Research Papers For decades, theologians have debated Trinitarian doctrine: whether the Trinity exists in scripture; what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are; whether the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate personas, etc. These debates and disagreements are still present in current doctrine, and provide some of the basis for denominational separation today. However, they actually date all the way back to the third and fourth centuries, when dozens of scholars sought to define and explain the foundation for the Trinity laid out by the apostles in scripture. Their endeavors at explaining scripture has served as the groundwork that has shaped Christian knowledge, and discussion, of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, it has even shaped the use of Trinitarian terms. This paper will focus on a specific area in Trinitarian debate called subordinationism, an extreme form of subordinationism known as Arianism, and contemporary conservative evangelical use of subordination. This paper will look at how subordinationism was defined in the early church in the third and fourth centuries, it will look at how Arianism radically reformed and developed its own subordinationism, and it will look at how contemporary evangelicals have manipulated subordinationism to support their doctrine about gender inequality. Through this historical account, this paper will argue that Trinitarian doctrines that do not have a balance between both the unity of the Godhead and individuality of the persons cause a heretical view of God, and lead to beliefs and behaviors that contradict His basic attributes, principles, and commandments for His people. Furthermore, this unity and individuality evidenced in the relational dynamics of the Trinity is the best example God could give His children for human beings striving to regain likeness with Him: it shows us how to successfully relate to one another in equality of nature, but difference in function. As explained previously, early Christian scholars in the third and fourth centuries actively sought to explain the relationship of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is through their efforts that we have the doctrine of the Trinity today, even as far at the terminology that is currently used in describing these relations. However, even as contemporary times suggest, whenever interpretation of scripture takes place, debate and conflict arise; subordinationism is an example of such disagreements. Those who embraced subordinate ideals, in most cases, advocated the inferiority of Jesus Christ, and subsequently the Holy Spirit, to God the Father in nature, being, and essence. In these terms, subordinationists saw God the Father as head of the Trinity, like a commander in a military sense, and thus argued that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are subjects under Him, subordinate to His command and authority. Thus, subordinationism implies that Jesus Christ and the Holy S pirit are lesser â€Å"gods, not of the same substance of God the father. However, it is important to understand that not all subordinationists ascribed to this idea that Jesus Christ was a lesser God, and this is where the conflict arose. Thus, it is necessary to divide subordinationism into two sects, the orthodox and the heretical: functional subordinationism, and ontological subordinationism. Functional subordination is the idea that subordination is â€Å"for the sake . . . of accomplishing a specific task [and is] therefore limited in scope or duration† (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 316). Thus, functional subordination is dependent upon circumstances. For example, a blind person is subject to the authority of his or her see-and-eye dog while negotiating a busy street. Similarly, a student is under the authority of his or her teacher in the context of inferior knowledge about the subject being taught (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 316). If this idea is applied to the Trinity, then it can be argued that Jesus was subject to the authority of the Father during His incarnation and resurrection because He took on the inferior body of the human being. However, after He returned to heaven and shed His earthly body, He was no longer functionally subordinate: His â€Å"subordination [was] limited in scope or duration because it [was] contingent on conditions that [did] not always and everywhere obtain† (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 318). Most early church theologians, as well as Christians today, believed that there was a hierarchical structure within the Trinity in relation to the incarnate Son, but once the Son was resurrected, and returned to heaven, this hierarchical structure was no longer in place because the function had been fulfilled. Thus, functional subordinationism was seen as orthodox, and anyone who ascribed to the ontological subordination of the Son was seen as a heretic. Ontological subordinationism is, as stated earlier, the crux of heretical subordinationism: it ascribes to the belief that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are inferior to God the Father in nature, essence, and being. Therefore, ontological subordinationism focuses on the Biblical teaching that there is only one true God. â€Å"God the Father . . . is God in the fullest sense, the Son is the . . . Word of God always in the Father who was brought forth for creation and redemption† (Giles, 2004, pp. 272-273). Thus, because The Son and Spirit are generated from the Father, they do not share the same essence, or being. Nevertheless, the Son and Spirit are fully divine persons, but this ontological difference in being subordinates them to the one true God. Therefore, ontological subordinationism focuses on specific passages of the Bible that support the inferiority of the Son, without filtering in those that state that the three persons of the Trinity work together in unity an d that there is no inferiority among them: they ascribe to a heretical view of God because their doctrine denies all the attributes of God that appear in Biblical text. Arianism is similar to ontological subordination in the idea that the human traits of the incarnate Son proved that he was inferior to the Father, that he was somewhat of a vulnerable God. Because of this, the Son always does the will of the Father, he has to be obedient; the Son is the Father’s subordinate, and describing God the Father and Son as coeternal negates the hierarchical structure of father and son language. The Arians’ ontological subordination of the Son â€Å"always had as its corollary the eternal functional subordination of the Son† (Giles, 2004, p. 273). However, Arianism takes subordinationism a step further and argues that, â€Å"the Son imaged the Father, but only by being created as a derivative copy of some of the Father’s attributes† (Ayres, 2004, p. 16). For the Arians, because the Son is begotten of the Father, it is impossible for him to be God because God is â€Å"uncreated, unbegotten, unoriginated† (Fortman, 1982, p. 63). Furthermore, the Son and Holy Spirit could not be of the same essence as the Father because that would imply that the Father is divisible and mutable. Therefore, Arians believed that the Son was made out of nonexistence and was thus a creature produced by an act of God’s will. Thus, there was not always a Son, so God was not always Father: God created the Son â€Å"as an instrument by which He created the world† (Letham, 2004, p. 113), so the unity of the Trinity is a moral one dependent on will, not an ontological unity dependent on essence. Thus, for the Arians, Jesus was more than ontologically subordinate, because not only was He not like God the Father is essence, being, and nature, but He only existed because of the will of the Father. It was impossible for Jesus to have any ontological relation with the Father; the only similarities to the Father were those created in Him by the Father. Thus, one could argue that the Arians created their own, hybrid subordinationism, one that combined with ontological subordinationism only to be manipulated for their own beliefs about the attributes of God. A contemporary example of subordinationism is that of conservative evangelicals to support the idea that women are subordinate to men in marriage and in the church. These conservative evangelicals argue that the Son is eternally subordinate to the Father in role or function, but equal to Him in essence or being. These conservative evangelicals, like the Arians, have come up with their own form of subordinationism, because prior to their claims, subordinationism argued that although the Son is divine, he is subordinate in his essence, nature, and being, while also being subordinate in his role and functions – ontological subordinationism. However, evangelicals are the first to ague that the Son is of the same essence as the Father, therefore He is equal in nature and being, but he is eternally subordinated in his role and functions. Thus, contemporary subordinationism among conservative evangelicals is a blending of functional and ontological subordinationism. Where functi onal subordinationism states that Jesus was solely subordinate in function in His incarnation, evangelicals argue that His eternal existence is functionally subordinate to God the Father. Conversely, where ontological subordinationism use evidence of Jesus’ role and functions to support claims that the Son is eternally subordinate to the Father because it is impossible for Jesus to share essence with an immutable God, evangelical subordinationism argues that the Son’s role and functions make him eternally subordinate to the Father, while still having the same essence and nature of the Father. However, there are some evangelicals who believe that the Son’s subordination in function to the Father implies that he is also subordinate in essence, nature, and being as well. Nevertheless, evangelical subordinationism argues that the Father is over the Son in authority, and that there is a hierarchical structure within the Trinity. They purport that this subordination of the Son to the Father, this hierarchical structure within the Trinity, correlates with gender relations between men and women. â€Å"Just as the divine Father-Son relationship is hierarchically ordered, so too are the husband-wife relationship in the home and the man-woman relationship in the church† (Pierce and Groothuis, 200, p. 334). Thus, these evangelicals purport that men and women are equal in nature, essence, and being, but women are forever subject to the authority of men functionally, both in the church, – a woman cannot have a higher position over a male – and in the home – the husband is the leader, commander, head of the wife, her role is to heed to his authority. Thus, no matter how â€Å"qualified a woman is, this can never overrule [the fac t that] in church and home, she must not have authority over a man but must support and submit to a man’s authority over her† (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 302). These evangelicals are convinced that the Bible places men in authority over women. â€Å"Just as God has given ‘headship’ to men in the home and the church, so the Father has a ‘headship’ over the Son and this can never change. The eternal subordination of the Son in authority has its counterpart in the permanent subordination of women† (Giles, 2005, p. 4). In essence, what is being said is that women and men are equal in being, but unequal in role. It is important to note, as Kevin Giles points out, that prior to the twentieth century, it was common to speak of, and purport, the superiority of men and inferiority of women. But, after the women’s liberation movement in the 1970s, Christians were forced to abandon this language of inferiority, and â€Å"most also abandoned the idea that women were subordinated to men† (Giles, 2005, p. 4). Most conservative evangelicals abandoned this language, but still harbored the perception that men actually were superior and women inferior. Thus, they sought a way to support these principles with subtler wording. Therefore, â€Å"they said men and women are equals, it is simply that God has given them different roles† (Giles, 2005, p. 5). As evidenced earlier, although this sounded good, the meaning was entirely different, and not as nice: they argue that men were given the role of leading, and women the role of obeying, â€Å"no other role is in mind† (Giles , 2005, p. 5). Thus, the difference in role is really a difference in authority, which is really a circular way of saying that men are still superior and women are inferior. Add to this the argument about the subordination of the Son to the Father, and you have the perfect, acceptable sounding, modern and spiritual proof for the eternal inferiority of the woman. These evangelical theologians reformed the doctrine of the Trinity using the same terms and ideas they used to prove the leadership of men: the Father and Son are equally divine; they just have different roles or functions. What are these functions? The Father is the commander, the director, the leader, and the Son’s function is to obey and go as the Father sends. Thus, once again, the meaning for their argument of different roles is really an argument for difference in authority, and the evangelicals have a way of subordinating women through scripture. â€Å"If women are permanently subordinated in role and th eir subordinate role can never change, then they are the subordinated sex. In some way they are less than men . . .. Women do not merely function subordinately. In creation, God set them under men in perpetuity† (Giles, 2005, p. 5). Thus, when completely analyzed, these evangelicals have a circular argument, and in essence, support the ontological subordination of the Son without explicitly saying so, simply for the purpose of subtly advocating the inferiority of women. â€Å"The Father rules over the Son like men are to rule over the women set under them† (Giles, 2005, p. 5). This circular argument is part of the basis for criticism of this conservative evangelical subordinationism, however most critics find a problem with the ontological connotations in their claims that the Son is eternally subordinate to the Father. Critics feel that â€Å"the eternal subordination of the Son to the Father in function undermines the complete unity of person and work in the Godhead† because it implies that the Son is not fully equal to the Father in â€Å"divinity, majesty, power, and authority† (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 338). However, this is not necessarily true because there are several circumstances in which â€Å"equals have different roles – even roles of subordination and authority – yet with no entailment of personal inequality† (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 314). Is it not possible, then, for the Son to be subordinate to the Father in function while still being equal to Him? These critics would most likely agree, if the statement were qualified. They would more than likely say yes, it is possible for the Son to e equal to the Father in essence, but subordinate in function – during the incarnation. However, this is not necessarily completely true either. As argued by Robert Letham, the Son was the only person of the Trinity to become incarnate, not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit. Thus, â€Å"the Son has permanently and everlastingly united himself to humanity; the Father and Spirit have not† (Letham, 2008, p. 340). Modern Trinitarian perspective illustrates this point best in describing the Trinity as a community of three persons who work in perfect unity and harmony with each other. Furthermore, there is a â€Å"downward thrust in God, from Father to Son by the Holy Spirit† that shows â€Å"a subordination that is not subordinationism or inequality of being in God† (Thompson, 1994, p. 146). The beauty of the Trinity is that the three persons perfectly submit to the authority of one another in unity, and there is no conflict, no jealousy, no hatred. Thus, the Trinity is the ultimate example for the human, especially believer, of one of the most important lessons God has been trying to teach His children after the fall: how to relate in community with other human beings in order to reshape oneself back into His likeness and regain communion with Him. In relation to evangelical subordinationism, this idea can immediately be applied to the relationship of a husband to his wife, and vice versa. Most supporters of evangelical subordinationism quote 1 Corinthians 11:3 which states â€Å"that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God† (KJV). Evangelicals use this verse to support the subordination of women and of Christ. However, there are some problems with this interpretation. First, the Greek work kephale translated to head in English has multiple meanings in this passage, and in verse three does not â€Å"denote a relation of subordination or authority over† (Giles, 2004, p. 284). If we take this into account and jump over to Ephesians 5, we find a passage that admonishes husbands and wives to submit themselves one to another. Wives are to submit themselves to their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. In this cont ext then, one can argue that the headship assigned to the husband means submitting, while also leading by example. Christ loved the church, His love for the church led Him to incarnate Himself to not only submit to us by dying for our transgressions, but to also provide an example of someone who could truly live upright before God; therefore, just as Christ lead the church, so too should husbands lead their wives. Furthermore, in this context, equality of essence but difference of roles does not condone the superiority of males. Rather, it acknowledges that just as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have different functions within the Trinity, which still having equality of being, each person is able to work in unity and perfection together. So should, and can, a wife and husband. Thus, â€Å"to say that two people differ in function is not to say that one is personally superior to the other† (Pierce and Groothuis, 2004, p. 314). Let it be noted that this position does not advocate cultural conventions of the â€Å"roles† for men and women, but rather the constant submission of husbands and wives to each other, as the Trinity constantly submits one to another. What works for one marriage does not always work for another, as well as the fact that one person’s strengths are another person’s weaknesses. Thus, as the parable of the talents teaches that the Master gives us each different gifts and abilities, determination of roles and functions within a marriage is personal. The two spouses should submit to one other and God, just as the individual persons of the Trinity submit one to another. This principle of working together in unity can be expanded to community relations among mankind. Once again, the example of the unity yet individuality of the Trinity is a prime example of community relation, and God’s desire for His children to relate with each other in love. This example is illustrated all the way back in the Old Testament, when God gave the Law to Moses for the children of Israel. While the Law gave provisions for our relationship with God, much of it was also concerned about community relations with each other. As Leviticus 19:18 states, God desires that we love our neighbors as ourselves, and once again, this idea of equality in being, but difference in function brings a fresh perspective to community relations. As stated before, God gives us each different gifts and abilities, but as Romans 12:4-6 states, â€Å"for as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every o ne members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us† (KJV). These verses plainly speak of the community relationship God desires of us as humans, furthermore believers. Just as the body would not function properly if one part were missing, so too is the community relation of Christ’s church. We all have different roles, different functions, and no role or function is more important than the other because the body of Christ would not function properly without it. Thus, we are to submit one to another, and work in unity, in order for the community to be successful, in order to allow the body to function properly. The interrelationship between the persons of the Trinity is the perfect example for humans, but especially believers, to relate with each other. Just as the three persons of the Trinity work together and submit to each other, they each have different functions. Furthermore the Trinity would not function properly, God would not be God, if one of the persons of the Trinity were not present. God would not be God if He were not God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three persons, in unity, are God, but are also individually different. â€Å"The Father gives being to the Son, but in this the Son is not simply passive; he responds in receiving and accepting in obedience. Likewise, Son and Spirit are bound together in mutually receiving from the Father† (Thompson, 1994, p. 145). Thus, there is an eternal self-giving present in the Godhead, but this does not denote inferiority: â€Å"there is and must be total equality† (Thompson, 1994, p. 146). The Trinity is a community of three persons, with three separate centers of consciousness, who exist in unity with one another while still depending on one another. And that is the beauty of the Trinity: â€Å"they are bound together in love, agape love, which, therefore, unites them in the closest and most intimate of relationships† (Giles, 2004, p. 282). This agape love is how we, through the example of the Trinity, should relate with each other. The agape love that God the Father shows the Son and Spirit, and vice versa, is not selfish, and makes â€Å"each more concerned for the other than for himself. There is therefore a mutual submission of each to each of the others and a mutual glorifying of one another† (Giles, 2004, p. 282). Thus, there does exist an eternal functional subordination in the Godhead, but perhaps subordination is not the best term because of its hierarchical connotations of commanding officer and subordinate. Rather, we will say that there e xists a self-less community order within the Godhead, where each puts the other before himself, each has separate functions, but each work together in unity, perfection, and love: the perfect example of how we, as humans, should treat our brothers and sisters. Research Papers on Subordinationism and GenderUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyQuebec and CanadaMind TravelResearch Process Part OneThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How One Word Transformed a Hollywood Screenwriters Career

How One Word Transformed a Hollywood Screenwriters Career How One Word Transformed a Hollywood Screenwriter's Career With more than 25 produced credits to his name, Stu Krieger is best known as the writer of the animated classic, The Land Before Time. Almost 30 years later, Stu is here to share how moving outside his comfort zone has shaped his career as a writer. This fall, Stu is publishing his debut novel, That One Cigarette.Yes to publishing my novelAfter the talk had been posted to YouTube, I received an email from Publishizer, a company that connects authors with publishers after launching a pre-sale campaign to generate interest in the project. They asked if I’d thought about turning the topic of my Ted talk into a book. I hadn’t, and told them instead about the novel I’d been working on. After my pitch, I was asked if I’d like to work with Publishizer to try and get my book published. I said YES.The next challenge was to find an editor. Publishizer founder Guy Vincent suggested I check out Reedsy. He said he knew several writers who had worked successfully with e ditors through them and asked if I wanted to give the site a look? I said YES. On Reedsy I hired assessment editor Lauren Hughes, who would become the first outside eyes to read and offer a detailed analysis of the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses. Her in-depth memo was incredibly positive and encouraging, and her suggestions for improvement were sharp and beneficial. I said YES to her notes and revised the manuscript accordingly.After a successful pre-sale campaign with Publishizer - that resulted in over 300 books sold - I received interest from fifteen publishing houses and signed a deal with Harvard Square Editions. My first novel, That One Cigarette, will be on sale November 24, 2017.All of this is happened because when opportunities arose, I said YES to them. In each instance, I had no idea where the new road would lead, just that I wanted to meet each challenge head-on. Staying engaged in life is a really good way to keep from being dragged under by the inevitab le gravitational pull of aging. Staying engaged in life is a good way to keep from being dragged under by the pull of aging. One of the perks of becoming a professor has been that I’ve learned to listen to the things I tell my students. This â€Å"practicing what you preach† business really has its benefits. Who knew? I am endlessly encouraging my students to be proactive. If you can’t see something as a possibility for you, there’s no way it can happen. I often tell my students that one day I’ll go to court to legally change my name to Professor Nike, because when they come to me with a dream, a goal, a project they’re hoping to pursue, my response is always the same: â€Å"Just do it.†I have no idea how That One Cigarette - a counterfactual history tracing four families from November of 1963 to January of 2009 - will be received. There’s no way to know if it will get some decent reviews or if my readers will enjoy it. What I do know is that when someone asks me if I have a book coming out this fall, I can tell them†¦ YES.Please  share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Stu Krieger, in the comments below!That One Cigarette is available for pre-order from Harvard Square Editions.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Black women in modern science fiction media Essay

Black women in modern science fiction media - Essay Example Marleen Barr is one of the people who have written some of the greatest works of literature created by black women. She particularly acknowledges Octavia E. Butler and Toni Morrison by saying that they stand to be remembered as major contributors towards the emergence of black science fiction (Thomas 105). Halle Berry is one of the greatest black women-actresses in the world of cinematography. One of her works as an actress in the film titled X-men has been said to be the embodiment of what fits perfectly the way Frank Norris defines American novel (Thomas 105). This research was inspired by the quest of finding out more of the journey that the black women have tread in the field of art. This research will evaluate the role of gender and race and how the two have hindered artists in their various endeavors (Barr 7). It will start with the 1920s black-art movements followed by its evolution and, finally, look at black artists in the contemporary society. â€Å"People need to imagine how it is like having the entire society aligned against you,† these were the words said by one of the greatest black women fiction writers named Butler (Barr 255). Her attitude of having the outside perspective of the whole situation made her prosper in her work. Other black women science fiction writers at the time just sought to understand the situation from the victim’s side. While they complained about their rights and how their work is undermined, Butler took the opportunity to make the world understand why people behave the way they do. She advised her fellow black women that they cannot run away from repulsion because people’s strengths hinder them from accepting other people’s differences. Barr (8) suggests that if other black women could have had exactly the same attitude, they could have had an easy trend through the field of science fiction. A writer named A. Scott once said that a griffin and a

Friday, October 18, 2019

Judgment Heuristic and Biases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Judgment Heuristic and Biases - Essay Example These heuristics are very useful but at times can leads to severe and systematic errors. ( Harding,707 and Tversky, Kahneman,1124) In case of representative heuristics (Tversky and Kahneman, 1126), the likelihood of an event is judged based upon the extent to which it represents the essential features of the parent population or the generating process. Representative heuristic is generally used by people to make judgment or impression about someone or something. (Koning, 1) The relative frequency of an event often depends on the availability or accessability of the object or the event under perception memory or construction of imagination. This is availability heuristics. (Garns, 1) A bias is any of a wide range of observer effects identified in cognitive science and social psychology including very basic statistical, social attribution, and memory errors that are common to all human beings. Biases drastically skew the reliability of anecdotal and legal evidence. (Doughert and Franco-Watkins, 23) For example, the apparent distance of an object is determined in part by its clarity. The more sharply the object is seen, the closer it appears to be.

Ecological Colapse of Past Civilizations Research Paper

Ecological Colapse of Past Civilizations - Research Paper Example This risk has been existing in the human history, resulting in the current destructive modern technology, which is contributing a lot towards environmental pollution. It is widely believed that pre-industrial societies respected and preserved nature, lived with their environment in a harmonious manner, and were wise when it came to the consumption of natural resources. However, Diamond points out that there is a large number of pre-industrial societies that did collapse. He defines â€Å"society collapse† as a local radical decrease of the number of human populations and economic, political, and social complexity (363). He further states that collapse can result in a certain human population disappearing completely over a wide area. Some of the victims of past civilizations listed in this article include: Great Zimbabwe, Greenland Norse, Anasazi, Angkor Wat, Classic Lowland Maya, Mycenaean Greece, and Easter Island among many others. Human beings should have learned from the collapse of these societies and work tirelessly to find appropriate solutions to the current environmental difficulties. Diamond notes that the recent devastating evidence from archaeological and other disciplines demonstrates that some of the past collapses actually stemmed from ecological disasters that are similar to the current ecological suicide that human beings are risking to commit nowadays. Even though the past societies were made up of smaller populations with less destructive technology compared to the ones we possess nowadays, the pre-industrial ecological suicides unfolded resulting in collapsing of some societies. This indicates that things will become worse if we continue participating in modern activities that cause a lot of harm to the environment. People can really learn from these past happenings. However, the problem seems to be very complicated. This is a problem that requires critical thinking to come up

Civil Engineering Management Portfolio Assignment

Civil Engineering Management Portfolio - Assignment Example Construction has a long history, almost parallel to the development of civilization. Across the globe, construction is the biggest industry which is churning billions of dollars every year and providing employment to a large workforce - skilled as well as unskilled. As far as the UK is concerned, its output is worth over 100bn a year. It accounts for 8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides employment for around 3 million workers (Vadera, Shriti and Woolas, Phil et al. 2008). Civil Engineering and the associated sub-disciplines are changing rapidly as a result of technology enhancements, growing concerns on local & global environment problems & commitment required to the ecosystem and the overall management system & quality control procedures that collectively comprise of the management portfolio of the profession. The job of a Civil Engineering Project Manager is no longer planning & execution of construction projects but is also linked with commitment to local & global envir onment, the local ecosystem, the society and the overall safety of the infrastructure from the perspective of the workers and the end users. The Management Portfolio thus needs to include all these responsibilities and organized to form an organization structure that can effectively deliver as per all such requirements. The local special interest groups and the legal & statutory system of the nation carry lot of influence on the projects and hence they need to be satisfied effectively by sending to them regular updates & reports and allowing them to audit the proceedings as and when demanded. Hence, every project is expected to comprise of the following management challenges: (a) Health & Safety

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Maryland, Jim Crow Law and The Eastern Shore Essay

Maryland, Jim Crow Law and The Eastern Shore - Essay Example Much of the Eastern Shore’s practices were the same as southern states and showed little signs of improvement at moving forward with allowing African Americans to be free through the enforcement of Jim Crow laws. The state of Maryland is located north of Virginia and south of Pennsylvania. Maryland was very popular for its steamboat trade. It’s location along the coast made it easy for steamboats to travel up and down the coast importing and exporting goods. Maryland practiced segregation and passed many laws between 1879 and 1957. Maryland, without a doubt, practiced more as a southern state as its views on recapturing slaves were more similar to the south rather than areas north west of the state. What this meant was that even though they abolished slavery, they still believed in segregation, which was more common in the south than in the north. Maryland as a whole, gave in to the abolishment of slavery when it was abolished in 1864, 101 years after it was instituted. Maryland supported many Jim Crow laws. The laws specifically segregated African Americans from living freely amongst whites. Many of Maryland’s Jim Crow laws prohibited African Americans from marrying whites, riding in steamboats with whites and attending the same schools as whites. These laws were supposed to help African Americans be free of slavery but only caused more problems like segregation. Most of Maryland was pro Jim Crow laws like the eastern shore. The eastern shore didn’t profess the practice of slavery but did implement Jim Crow laws, which were in full force through the 1960s. Much of Maryland was dependent on slavery like many of the southern states. White plantation owners participated in slavery as free labor. The free labor was important to the plantation owners because they were able to make more profit. Tobacco was one of the choice products grown. The slaves could harvest the tobacco and since the land was owned, slave masters were able to make al most 100% profits from the tobacco. Areas like the Eastern Shore of Maryland were especially subject to slavery since there was easy access to steamboats. Maryland’s Eastern Shore was an area near the Eastern shore that was accustom to strict beliefs and practices. Many African Americans struggled to find true freedom in the southern states because of such people as slave catchers and extreme racists. However, some southerners were willing to help. The Quakers that lived along the Eastern Shore were known for fighting slavery. They risked their own lives and families to protect free slaves from being captured and discriminated. The Quakers were even thought to actively participate in the Underground Railroad. Alongside of the Quakers were the free blacks. These free blacks made up a small percentage of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The free blacks were constantly in fear of becoming re-slaved or convicted of crimes. Many fled to northwestern states in fear of becoming re-e nslaved. This was similar to the fear that many slaves felt living in southern states, as the southern states still continued to practice free labor even after slavery was abolished. Practices that led the Eastern Shore to be similar to southern states include the constant re capturing of slaves and freeing of slaves. Recapturing and freeing of sl

Consumer Behaviour Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer Behaviour - Assignment Example This paper seeks to analyze the purchase behavior of a particular consumer on their purchases of between the 27th of February and the 11th of March 2012. The report seeks to analyze the various factors that influenced the purchases of the particular consumer in terms of situational influences, consumer choice value perspective satisfaction perception learning and memory, motivational and feelings, personality and self concept. This can be generally be defines as the circumstances that surround the time, place and conditions that surround the purchase in the particular purchase of the product. In an analysis of the situational factors we Identify a couple of factors that affect the purchase process of the consumer that include temporal facts: this are thoughts and feelings that surround the particular product, pressure factors this are the factor that push a consumer to make a haste or a well calculated purchase, seasonality factors: this are factors that are caused due to the cyclabi lity of the supply of the product In subject. Citing an example of a situational influence in the dairy is the purchase and consumption of burger and fries. The purchase of such fast foods due to the time pressure on the consumer it pushed the individual into consumption of a fast food product. Another situational influence on the purchase process of the consumer is where the individual consumed a sandwich and tea. The consumer was driven into consumption of tea at lunch time due to the chilly weather that was on the day.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Maryland, Jim Crow Law and The Eastern Shore Essay

Maryland, Jim Crow Law and The Eastern Shore - Essay Example Much of the Eastern Shore’s practices were the same as southern states and showed little signs of improvement at moving forward with allowing African Americans to be free through the enforcement of Jim Crow laws. The state of Maryland is located north of Virginia and south of Pennsylvania. Maryland was very popular for its steamboat trade. It’s location along the coast made it easy for steamboats to travel up and down the coast importing and exporting goods. Maryland practiced segregation and passed many laws between 1879 and 1957. Maryland, without a doubt, practiced more as a southern state as its views on recapturing slaves were more similar to the south rather than areas north west of the state. What this meant was that even though they abolished slavery, they still believed in segregation, which was more common in the south than in the north. Maryland as a whole, gave in to the abolishment of slavery when it was abolished in 1864, 101 years after it was instituted. Maryland supported many Jim Crow laws. The laws specifically segregated African Americans from living freely amongst whites. Many of Maryland’s Jim Crow laws prohibited African Americans from marrying whites, riding in steamboats with whites and attending the same schools as whites. These laws were supposed to help African Americans be free of slavery but only caused more problems like segregation. Most of Maryland was pro Jim Crow laws like the eastern shore. The eastern shore didn’t profess the practice of slavery but did implement Jim Crow laws, which were in full force through the 1960s. Much of Maryland was dependent on slavery like many of the southern states. White plantation owners participated in slavery as free labor. The free labor was important to the plantation owners because they were able to make more profit. Tobacco was one of the choice products grown. The slaves could harvest the tobacco and since the land was owned, slave masters were able to make al most 100% profits from the tobacco. Areas like the Eastern Shore of Maryland were especially subject to slavery since there was easy access to steamboats. Maryland’s Eastern Shore was an area near the Eastern shore that was accustom to strict beliefs and practices. Many African Americans struggled to find true freedom in the southern states because of such people as slave catchers and extreme racists. However, some southerners were willing to help. The Quakers that lived along the Eastern Shore were known for fighting slavery. They risked their own lives and families to protect free slaves from being captured and discriminated. The Quakers were even thought to actively participate in the Underground Railroad. Alongside of the Quakers were the free blacks. These free blacks made up a small percentage of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The free blacks were constantly in fear of becoming re-slaved or convicted of crimes. Many fled to northwestern states in fear of becoming re-e nslaved. This was similar to the fear that many slaves felt living in southern states, as the southern states still continued to practice free labor even after slavery was abolished. Practices that led the Eastern Shore to be similar to southern states include the constant re capturing of slaves and freeing of slaves. Recapturing and freeing of sl