Female Genital Mutilation in Islam Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive T

Female Genital Mutilation in Islam      Ã‚   Female circumcision is a practice not uncommon in Muslim society.   Although this practice does not only occur within Muslim society, this paper will focus on the practices that do occur within Islamic society.   The Islamic countries with the most prevalence in practicing this form of genital mutilation are Sudan (98%), Somalia (98%), and Egypt (75%) (El Saadawi 34).   Other Islamic countries that practice this are Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and India, which practice this under the name of sunnah circumcision.   Sunnah refers to the Muslim religion, although it is not clearly defined within the religion. There are three major types of female circumcision that are commonly practiced within Islamic society.   These types are:   sunnah; clitoridectomy or excision; infibulation or pharaonic circumcision.   Sunnah is performed according to the tradition of Mohammed.   Religious circles who favor this method of circumcision usually do not give details as to what the act actually entails.   Some circles say that is the complete removal of the clitoris and labia minora, whereas others tend to say that it is just the cutting of the kernel-shaped external skin above the genitals (Falk).   A cliteridectomy consists of ablation of the clitoris as well as the labia minora.   Infibulation involves complete removal of the clitoris, labia minora, and part of the labia majora.   Then the two sides of the vulva are sewn together with silk, thorns, or slivers of wood in order to close the vulva, except for a passage of urine and menstrual flow (Falk).   Even with minimal excisions, th is experience undoubtedly traumatizes the female.   "To some extent all excisions involve some degree of irreparable loss.   A... ...Facts.   In Global Problems [On-line].   4 paragraphs.   Available HTTP: www.earlham.edu/earlhamcollege/polisci/globalprobs/fgm/Biology.html Brownlee, Shannon, and Jennifer Seter.   "In the Name of Ritual."   U.S. News and World Report 7 Feb 1994:   56-58. Cloudsley, Anne.   Women of Omdurman.   London:   Ethnographica, 1983.   105-125. El Saadawi, Nawal.   The Hidden Face of Eve, Women in the Arab World.   tr. & ed. Sherif Hetata.   London:   Zed Press, 1980.   30-44. Falk, Geoffrey.   11 August 1995.   Circumcision Information and Resource Pages [On-line]. Available:   halt.culture.Internet.Netscape.html Gaudio, Attilio, and Renee Pelletier.   Femmes.   Paris:   Donoel/Gonthier Press, 1980.   52-54. Mire, Soraya.   "A Wrongful Rite."   Essnece June 1994:   42. Sanderson, Lilisan P.   Against Mutilation of Women.   London:   Ithaca Press, 1981.   25.

A Comparison of the Sea in Beowulf and The Seafarer Essay -- compariso

The Sea in Beowulf and The Seafarer      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The characters in the Old English poem Beowulf certainly delighted in the seas. This essay seeks to compare their attitude toward the sea with that expressed in another Old English poem, The Seafarer.    In Beowulf there is one reference after another to the sea. When Scyld died, â€Å"his people caried him to the sea, which was his last request,† where he drifted out into the beyond on a â€Å"death ship.† In the Geat land Beowulf, a â€Å"crafty sailor,† and his men â€Å"shoved the well-braced ship out on the journey they’d dreamed of,† to rescue the Danes from Grendel. â€Å"From far over the sea’s expanse,† the Geats came, â€Å"brave men who come over the sea swells.† In his welcoming speech Hrothgar recalls that the hero’s father â€Å"sought us Danes over the rolling waves,† and his warrior Unferth remembers that the hero â€Å"struggled with Brecca [youthful companion] in the broad sea in a swimming contest †¦ risked his life in the deep water †¦ hugged the sea, gliding through the boiling waves †¦ toiled seven nights in the sea.† A Dane â€Å"was tending to every courtesy† for Beowulf, for â€Å"such in those days could a seafarer expect.† King Hrothgar and Queen Welhtheow gave rich gifts â€Å"to those on the mead-bench who made the sea-journey.† In the Finnburh Episode, Hengest had to spend the winter months with Finn because â€Å"he could not steer his ring-prowed ship on the cold sea.†Ã‚   â€Å"Guthlaf and Oslaf spoke of their grief after the sea-journey.† The Danes carried Hildeburh, the queen of Danish ancestry, â€Å"over the sea.† â€Å"The surging waters† received Beowulf as he swam in pursuit of Grendel’s mother. During the battle Hrothgar and his retinue stared down at the â€Å"turbulent water.† Finally Beowulf returned, â€Å"protector... ... A man may bury his brother with the dead and strew his grave with the golden things he would have him take, tresures of all kinds, but gold hoarded when he here lived cannot allay the anger or God towards a soul sin-freighted.      The Seafarer concludes with a rather lengthy prose exhortation to his heareres to fix their hopes on heaven.    The characters in the Old English poem Beowulf certainly delighted in the seas. From this essay it can be appreciated that their attitude toward the sea is quite comparable with that expressed in another Old English poem, The Seafarer.       BIBLIOGRAPHY    Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.    TheSeafarer. In The Earliest English Poems, translated by Michael Alexander. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.

Immanuel Kant †Metaphysics of Morals Essay

In his publication, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant supplies his readers with a thesis that claims morality can be derived from the principle of the categorical imperative. The strongest argument to support his thesis is the difference between actions in accordance with duty and actions in accordance from duty. To setup his thesis, Kant first draws a distinction between empirical and â€Å"a priori† concepts. Empirical concepts are ideas we reach from our experiences in the world. On the other hand and in contrast, â€Å"a priori† concepts are ideas we reach as an end point of reasoning prior to or apart from any experience of how things occur in the world. Kant then claims that moral actions are supposed done for the reason of morality alone. This train of thought leads to the conclusion that an understanding of morality must be based on â€Å"a priori† concepts of reason. Truly moral ideas are then universally valid if and only if they are based on â€Å"a priori† concepts. From this idea of â€Å"a priori† concepts, Kant begins his thesis with the notion that the only thing in the world that is a qualified good is the â€Å"good will†, even if its efforts bring about a not necessarily good result. A â€Å"good will† is good because of the willing that is involved. Two main implications arise with this idea of the â€Å"good will†. The first implication is moral actions cannot have impure motivations. There are many impure motivations but Kant tends to focus mainly on the motives of the pursuit of happiness and self-preservation. Second, moral actions cannot be based on the speculations of the probable results. This action is not good in itself but good because it brought about a more desirable outcome. Thus, Kant arrives at the conclusion that for an action to be considered to have genuine moral worth its motive must be that of dutifulness to moral law. In Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant lays out three propositions about duty. The first is the will is a morally good action if it is done in accordance from duty, as opposed to an action done in accordance with duty. The second proposition is that actions are judged by the â€Å"maxim† or principle that was the motivation behind the action. If someone undertakes an action with the only motivation being that of a sense of duty, they are following a valid â€Å"a priori† action. On the other hand if they decide to undertake an action in order to bring about a desired result, then their motivation is one that is beyond mere duty. Kant’s third proposition then explains that is not the respect for the power of the law but rather it is the moral motivation of an individual who acknowledges that the law is an imperative of reason that trumps our other interests. The will, as Kant describes, is of practical reason. A rational being is an individual who has the capacity to execute their behavior by the conceptions of laws. This discipline of action is also known as the will. Our judgment that advises us on our action is known as an imperative or a command to act on a certain motive. An imperative can be either hypothetical or categorical. In the hypothetical imperative one acknowledges an action as right or necessary if it is a manner in which to obtain or achieve a certain goal. As such you would act on an action if a previous circumstance has taken place. These types of actions come from our previous experiences and counsel us to a way in which our desires can be achieved. Thus, an action cannot be held universally valid at all times if its goal is to acquire some objective of desire under a certain set of conditions. If the goal is ultimately happiness, we are unable to set any universally hypothetical imperatives for happiness. This is because the definition of happiness differs from person to person. One man’s happiness can very well be another man’s misery. As Kant explains, a binding moral law then cannot be equivalent or parallel to a hypothetical imperative. Pure reason comes from the ability to consider neither a motivating condition accompanying another nor its intended results. With that, we then need to find a principle with universal validity or a principle that is valid no matter what issue is being considered. â€Å"A priori† principles of reason are the only principles that fit this standard on which a judgment or decision may be based. Hence, Immanuel Kant formulates that a moral imperative is one that is an unconditional or categorical imperative. A categorical imperative is our moral consciousness to do our duty because we ought to do our duty instead of pursuing our own desires attached to the duty. Such an imperative is driven by pure reason. Because we exclude our desires or maxims, we need only to focus on the form of our imperative. The form needs to be universally applicable or valid for all rational beings to follow. Thus, Kant gives us only one categorical imperative and it is â€Å"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† (Kant pg. 38). This universal law of morality states that we should act in such a way that we could will the maxim of our action to become universally applicable. This should be used as the criterion to determine whether or not a maxim is morally valid. Before we are able to apply a maxim to this categorical imperative, it is required that the maxim first, be fit to be a law of nature and second, is based on a notion that all actions have ends. The second pertains to the idea that men and women are ends in themselves. No maxim that does not impose or imply respect as a necessary accompaniment for men and women can be a moral law valid for everyone. Third, we must see every rational being as able to make universal laws. Last, the maxim requires the moral agent to act as a lawgiving member of all persons. From these points, two important ideas arise. The ideas deal with the autonomy of the will and dignity of the individual. Each person is essentially their own lawmaker, obeying the laws that they give themselves as a rational being. A person is not bound to a law by fear or hope of some reward, but freely bound to it by their lawgiving ability. This moral will is autonomous. Autonomy, which means self-law, is the only way Kant believes an individual to achieve the ultimate freedom. If an individual obeys laws from some other lawgiver, such as God and government, because of fear of punishment or hope of reward, he or she is not truly free. I feel the strongest objection to this thesis is Kant does not take enough consideration to human beings natural emotions. I believe his thesis weighs to heavily on mere reason alone without any emphasis on the emotional component of our morality. Kant’s perception that morality is a chore neglects the fact that by performing actions from duty individuals can obtain a somewhat subtle level of personal gratification from partaking in such acts that are not generally enjoyable to execute. I am not thoroughly convinced that if you are able to gain some happiness and reward from an action that is not generally alluring. The strengths of my personal view rely on the possibility of achieving a feeling of reward by completing an obligation. I feel there is an importance of doing something with a smile on your face. If you are unhappy to perform a moral action it will to reveal outwardly or make apparent that your heart is elsewhere, thus, tainting the action. However, if you perform these tasks seeking a somewhat level of enjoyment others will notice that you truly care about what it is you are doing and perceive the action to be a notable one. The weakness is obviously that you will be more probable to engage and look to engage in more actions that will give you this appeal and instant gratification. This is not an ideal situation because placing a slight neglect to a duty or obligation that you might not find appeal in defeats the purpose of completing all of the obligations set for us to go through with. Kant’s thesis has strength in the fact that the universal law seems closely related to the golden rule, which is do on to others as you would have others do on to you. With a statement as such it is awfully arduous to not perform a moral action. The weakness still lies in the fact Kant takes little to no consideration to humans’ natural emotions and feelings. Leading a moral life does not have to be a melancholy life, one in which you are bound to an endless amount of duties that you can seek no joy in. Whether or not Kant intended to make morality seem like torture, it appears it comes off in this manner. Kant’s overall view of morality appears near flawless. If there was a manner in which he could have incorporated a leeway for some emotions, I feel his thesis is in actuality how each individual should lead his or her life. .

Greenmonkey Organic Baby Food Essay

Background Christchurch, New Zealand was the home town of 100% organic baby food company, Green Monkey. Founded by sisters, Lizzie Dyer and Charlotte Rebbeck in 2002 (Green Monkey Ltd, 2013). The two sisters set out to create 100% organic baby food that was traceable and sourced from only certified New Zealand producers. No other baby food manufacturer within the New Zealand market could claim these same principles, creating a unique opportunity for Green Monkey (Bradley, 2011). Mission. Green Monkey uphold a strong mission, to see a sustainable way of producing their products without harm to the environment, but also to take the most of what the New Zealand pristine environment has to offer (Green Monkey Ltd, 2013). Allowing the customer to trace where the products primarily come from is key to Green Monkeys mission statement. Value Proposition Green Monkeys value proposition is to offer information about each part of the sold product, allowing customers from around the world to see what is in the product. Offering a product that is affordable and of a high standard for small children is one of Green Monkeys founding principles. Size Five employees make up the vital role of managing, marketing and maintaining the highest quality Green Monkey products. Production of Green Monkey is out sourced to a factory in Christchurch, New Zealand, due to high demand. Type of products Green Monkeys product range covers products such as growing up milk powder, meat and non-meat baby food pouches (Appendix 1). All of the products offered by Green Monkey are 100% Organic with no additives. Target customers. The target customers that Green Monkey focus on are in a niche market where parents are concerned about what is in their babies foods. Green Monkey uphold top customer relations to ensure the security within the niche market. Segmentation Base As Green Monkey cannot compete on price alone, their demographic has adapted to high to middle income families in Australia, China, Dubai and New Zealand (South, 2012). Green Monkey follow a differentiation focused strategy as they are in a niche market. According to VALS psychographics research innovators are more like to purchase organic foods (Strategic Business Insights, 2009-2012). Appendices Appendix 1: Example of Green Monkey products Sourced from business. newzealand. com: http://business. newzealand. com/vBY4ddA/media/1185202/GreenMonkey_Event. jpg ? Reference List Bradley, S. (2011). Green Monkey Organic Baby Foods Happy Planet – Happy Monkeys. Retrieved April 7, 2013. from Bord Bia Irish Food Board: http://www. bordbia. ie/industryservices/brandforum/CaseStudies/Green%20Monkey%20Organic%20Baby%20Foods. pdf South, G. (2012). Small Business: Making it in China – Green Monkey. The New Zealand Herald, [online] 28th September. Retrieved from: http://www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3&objectid=10837054 Ecofind. co. nz (2013). Green Monkey – organic baby food | ecofind. co. nz. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. ecofind. co. nz/food-drink/green-monkey-organic-baby-food/ Greenmonkey. co. nz (2002). Green Monkey | Organics born naturally. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. greenmonkey. co. nz/ Strategic Business Insights. (2009-2012). Sample demographic and behaviours. Retrieved April 7th, 2013. from Strategic Business Insights: http://www. strategicbusinessinsights. com/vals.

Sources of Clean Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sources of Clean Energy - Essay Example So the point is that the only way to avoid the global power crisis in future is to follow the policy of natural recourses saving and to use renewable sources of energy, such as solar energy, geothermal energy, wind power, water power, and biofuel. So renewable energy is 'energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes can not be depleted2'. Wind - is one of the renewable energy sources. The wind is considered by experts as one of the most perspective energy sources, capable to replace not only traditional sources, but also nuclear power. Production of the electric power by means of wind has a number of advantages: But as well as in other sources of energy usage, we can find some negative aspects in usage of wind power. The essential defect of a wind power is its intermittency. Moreover the usage of wind power may lead to a kind of environmental pollution, which existence and importance are often undervalued. It is a noise pollution. In Ohio one of the leading American companies has constructed the world's largest wind power plant with rating power 10 MW. This massive construction with the general height over hundred meters has worked just for some days and after has been sold for demolition at the price of 10 dollars per ton. The thing is that the life in radius of several kilometers has become just impossible. And question is not only in audible noise and vibrations. There is a very strong infrasonic, low frequency component in this noise. The point is that an infrasound on the frequency of 7 Hz conterminous with an alpha rhythm of a human's brain at sufficient intensity is very harmful. It may cause the strongest health disorders. Moreover the usage of wind turbines may result desertification of the grounds and in this case animals would have to leave their traditional areas of living. So the biodiversity may be decreased. Solar Power The leading clean energy source is the solar power. The energy of a solar radiation coming on the surface of our planet, almost in 40 times exceeds all energy consumed by the mankind. Every second the Sun gives the Earth 80 thousand billion kilowatt of energy, that in some thousand times more, than all the power stations of the world produce all together.Now mankind use only insignificant part of a solar energy, as existing solar batteries have rather low efficiency and are very expensive to produce. However we should not refuse from this practically inexhaustible source of clean energy. According to the statements of experts, this source could cover all needs of mankind for energy thousand years forward. The solar power is the most powerful and accessible of all kinds of non-traditional, renewable energy sources. Sunlight is not only inexhaustible, but also absolutely clean energy source having enormous energy potential. Nevertheless the usage of solar power also has own disadvanta ges.Solar energy is distributed on the big area, or in other words, has low density. That is why any plant for direct use of solar

Managing Stress among Employees in an Out-Patient Setting Research Paper

Managing Stress among Employees in an Out-Patient Setting - Research Paper Example The various steps involved in monitoring the operation of proposed organizational changes and different communication techniques are described in this essay. The quality of proposed changes alone does not necessarily contribute to stress management; instead, the systematic and thoughtful implementation of those strategies also play vital role in building a culturally competent workforce in a healthcare setting. Hence, the organization must take appropriate steps to monitor the effectiveness of the proposed changes among employees in out-patient setting. Initially, it is advisable for the organization to appoint a project manager in order to carry out the policy implementation and monitoring processes effectively (Buzzle.com). This system should enable the organization to collect weekly or monthly performance reports regarding the newly introduced programs so that it can make adequate modifications to the running program. The ultimate beneficiaries of a stress management program are t he employees. Therefore, it is necessary to collect feedback from them regarding the usefulness of the introduced changes. For this purpose, the firm can make use of company website, by which it can acquire the employee feedback with the application of online voting methods. Similarly, the company can conduct general meetings for out-patient department so that the employees would get the opportunity to express their opinions in detail. The general meeting procedures will not be practical for big concerns; in such situations, it is advisable to conduct sessions for department supervisors’ who can act as the employee representatives. It is recommended that the organization should compare its turnover reports before and after the introduction of the proposed changes. If it does not show any noticeable difference in figures, the management can understand that implementation of the proposed changes was ineffective. According to McConnell (2007, p. 53) a sequence of related process es such as planning, organizing, directing, monitoring, and controlling constitute an organization. The active functioning of each of these processes requires the application of different systems and human resources. In short; humans, systems and processes are interrelated components which determine the efficiency of the proposed organizational change. The various systems and human elements play a big role from the planning phase to monitoring phase of an organizational change. The first process, planning involves some complex procedures and takes long time to get completed since it is the foundation for the following processes. In this phase, the management formulates various strategies after considering a wide range of factors such as size of the organization, byelaws, governmental regulations, human power, and other organizational features. Once a change is proposed, it transfers to the organizing phase. In order to introduce the proposed change successfully, a good organizing te am is necessary. Under this phase, various duties and responsibilities are subdivided into respective officials for the effective implementation of the plan. It is noted that the responsibilities of the officials will not be disposed just after the implementation phase since they need continuous monitoring and control over implemented changes so as to produce fruitful outcomes. The systematization and effectiveness of the above mentioned activities have a tremendous impact on the proposed orga

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy Essay - 1

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy - Essay Example Aims of research on ICT/Digital film use in schools This critical review sets out the key messages from the literature, which focuses on:- a) The infrastructure to support the use of ICT in schools, b) The impact of this on learning and literacy levels c) The extent to which its adoption has supported communication in schools and the community at large The report analysis will further present an opportunity for further exploration and research. Research indicates that there is an increase in the use of computers and other new technologies in homes through the same suit is not followed at the schools where the authorities are so strict on print and print-based texts. The embracing of technology is viewed as a lot of a waste of times, which should not be the case as children and school going individuals are already expressing enormous interest to learn through the adoption of the new technologies like the digital film techniques (BESA 2006). Setting the context: ICT/Digital film techno logy provision and access In the recent years there have been numerous surveys formulated to provide information on the extent to which schools are developing the capacity to integrate digital technology in learning and teaching to improve the level of literacy in the UK. The evidence gathered shows an increase in the number of computers and other technologies like digital technology over time with most schools achieving the baseline for the computer-to-pupil/student ratio (BESA 2006). The evidence on the impact on learning and teaching indicates that the use of digital film technology is effective and efficient in enhancing the students learning experience and therefore teachers are motivated to integrate a number of technologies like the laptops to produce an interactive environment with whiteboards and the internet. Through the emergence of the digital technology, teachers have been in a position of integrating a combination of hardware; software and connectivity to allow them to have an innovative approach towards learning and teaching hence a bust in the level of literacy (Watts 2007). A critical factor in the effective use of digital technology is the fact that there exists a school level e-strategy; this gives room for the future development and maintenance of the ICT systems. Research has it that school going aged children are embracing the use of new technology through the engagement of a wide variety of Digital practices. These range from the use of CDs, playing computer games, play stations, internet mobiles, and mobile phones. It worth noting that computer games so far is the most popular components engaged in by children as they are able to access the internet at a very tender age (BESA 2005). From research, therefore, it is evident that children have been engaged in multimodal literacy’s in a manner that the print media is being faced out. Because digital texts are fast facing out print media most so in the young populations perspective, s chools through the authorities need to adopt such systems as they will in the first place engage the youth keeping them away from accessing intolerable material online. Research on the use of digital film technology in the UK shows that, through the new technological advancement, teachers are able to develop creativity within potentially limited confines, and pressures of curriculum guidelines.