Monday, September 30, 2019

Effects of Europe’s Colonization of Africa Essay

Imperialism is the political, economic, and social control by one country over another country. In the 1800’s, many European countries began their imperialism of most of Africa. But when the Europeans were finally forced out, the government, economy, and social life were in ruins because a lack of concern by the Europeans, and their hasty decisions. The Europeans ignored the social effects on the African people completely. When the new â€Å"borders† of Africa were drawn at the Berlin Conference, of which no African people had any input, the Europeans drew the lines according to what they wanted, and not what the African people had already established. The effect of this was that many ethnic and religious groups, and even sometimes families, were split up, causing mass havoc and chaos. The Europeans also decided that they were going to implement their own religion into the African peoples. Many times, if an African resisted, he would be beat for his religious beliefs because he would not convert to Christianity. Mostly, this only angered the African people. Overall, there was simply a total disregard for African life throughout the imperialism of Africa. Many Europeans had views that were contradictory. One such example is Henry Morton Stanley. Although he claimed to accept the Africans, he often portrayed them as childlike and ignorant. However, he was the ignorant one, not realizing what he was saying. Maybe it was not that he did not realize what he was saying, but he was trying to satisfy one group, while portraying his true personality to another. The political impacts of imperialism are probably the most widespread. The way the borders were drawn has created several civil wars that still rage on today. The lack of concern on the Europeans’ part created a huge problem when they left; they had made the borders so that previously warring tribes were placed in the same place, creating havoc. Also, few Africans had a strong governing power to begin with, and the leaders did not know how to deal with the economic mess, nor the social mess, because their knowledge and resources were so limited. Another huge problem was deciding who would be in power. This goes back to the civil wars and lack of concern on the  Europeans’ parts; they had made the borders so that previously warring tribes were placed in the same place, creating havoc. This led to the economic and political problems that still exist in Africa today. Economically, the Europeans depleted many of the resources that Africa had. The countries went in, plundered what they wanted, and sold it to their home countries, with the Africans receiving none of the profit. This can be likened to someone discovering a gold coin in a neighbor’s backyard, but declaring that it was their’s because they found it. This wouldn’t happen most places, but since the Europeans were the ruling powers of the time, there was no one to stop them. But what resources the Europeans didn’t completely plunder, they didn’t teach the Africans how to effectively make a profit from them. The Africans relied on the Europeans for their economy, because before their ethnic and religious groups had been separated, there was no need for an economy. But since the different areas had been reestablished as countries with peoples within its borders that fought, one had to be established. The Africans had no knowledge of how to run an economy, and as a result, there is an economic problem that still exists in Africa today. The biggest economic impact on Africa was also a social impact. Slave trade. It is probably one of the most significant issues to ever be written as history. The slave trade was the biggest exploit of Africa by the Europeans. Seeing that the Americans needed manpower for their large agricultural-based economy, the Europeans saw yet another economic road to riches. The Europeans thought of the Africans as inferior, and seeing that they could get ride of some of the resistance, they began to sell the Africans to plantation owners. This produced money for the Europeans, and separated many African families forever. Looking back on this problem, had the Europeans shown a little bit more concern for the Africans and thought about the consequences of their actions, the social, economic, and political problems that exist today in Africa would be lessened or even non-existant.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Environmental health Essay

Environmental health is the study of how the world around us affects our health. This can be from air pollution to global warming and everything in between. The goal is to determine how the world impacts overall human health. And, the initial information is not good. In 2005, the World Helath Organization reported that each year 3 million children under the age of five die from environmental related causes (â€Å"How Healthy is Your World? † 2005). In essence all of human health, except genetics and maybe that too, is affected by the environment. It affects the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe, but too many people take it for granted, not realizing there are things that can be done to improve the environment and its impact on humanity. One of the first and most important things to improve about your personal environment is the quality of the air that you breathe. First and foremost, it is important to avoid tobacco smoke. This is one of the foremost indoor air pollutants and is easily avoidable Other toxins can build up in a well-sealed indoor environment and should be guarded against. They include chemical vapors from cleaning products, carpeting and other petro-chemical products used indoors (Landgren 2005). The problem is that in many indoor environments there is no filtration system so these pollutants build up and make people ill. Recently, scientists have found that indoor air pollution is worse than outdoor air pollution. Another important factor in environmental health is outdoor air pollution. Though some cities worldwide are particularly known for their pollution that does not mean it is not a problem elsewhere as well. In Hong Kong, for example, recent research shows that the poorest part of the city have the worst air pollution (Stern 2003). In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attack on New York City air quality tests showed heavy particulates and cancer-causing materials present in much of the air (â€Å"Potential exposure† 2003). In addition, hefty amounts of green-houses gases in the city, presumably related to the use of fossil fuels for transportation have led to increasing rates of asthma and other breathing related illnesses (Misner 2003). To combat these environmental issues, we must find ways to cut our use of individual vehicles, car pooling more, using mass transit and using other means of transportation including walking and riding bicycles. Another major issue we must address to improve the impact the environment has on our health is the availability of clean drinking water. In parts of India where sanitation is inadequate, the water is polluted and contributes to the spread of disease. In other areas, such as part of the American southwest, population centers have developed in areas with inadequate water to support the population. We must begin serious water conservation efforts and find new ways to process waste so that it does not contaminate the water supply. Another important issue to address is the use of products determined to be toxins. Though efforts have been made to stop using lead-based paint, lead levels in some areas are still too high, causing lead poisoning. In addition, a recent study shows that in areas with high lead levels, there is a corresponding rise in crime (Stretesky 2004). It is important that we enact stricter regulations to remove these known carcinogens from our environment. Lead has been removed from gas and paint but is still being used in other products and is escaping to the air we breathe. Finally, if we want to serious impact the environment around us and the impact it has on our personal health, it is important that we recycle and buy recycled products. Too many things are going to the landfill, using up previous land to fill it with trash and allowing run off from the decaying trash to endanger our water supply and food sources. We must seriously reduce our need to buy and throw things if we want to keep the land healthy and by extension keep ourselves healthy.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Look At Three Types Of Price Searchers Economics Essay

A Look At Three Types Of Price Searchers Economics Essay A monopoly is a firm producing a commodity for which there is no close substitute. There are usually some forms of barriers of entry. It is difficult to define a pure monopoly as close substitutes are difficult to define. For example, there are no close substitutes for cigarettes, but there are many substitutes for Marlboro. 1.1 Characteristics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Features (a) Only one seller. (b) Restricted entry by barriers. (c) Market information is not free and perfect. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Barriers to entry (a) Legal barriers create legal monopolies. (i) Public franchise: exclusive right to run a business, e.g. TVB. (ii) Government licence: exclusive right to entry into a business, e.g. taxi licence. (iii) Patent: exclusive right to use an invention, e.g. right to produce a drug. (b) Natural barriers create natural monopolies. (i) The average cost falls over a large volume of output before it rises. LRAC would be lower if an industry were under monopoly than if it was shared between two or more competitors. (ii) Control the supply of an essential raw material, e.g. most diamond mines in the world are controlled by De Beers Ltd. (iii) Economies of scale: The large fixed cost of production requires a large output to pull down the average cost, e.g. electricity generated by China Light Power Ltd. 1.2 Output And Price Decisions Definition A single-price monopoly is one that charges the same price for every unit of output it sells. The monopoly must decide how much to produce and what price to charge. It is a price-searcher. Definition A price searcher is a seller with sufficient market power to set its price by adjusting supply. Since there is only one firm in the industry, the demand curve of the firm is also the demand curve of the industry, and the seller faces a downward sloping demand curve. Table 1 illustrates the demand function of a petrol station. The marginal revenue is less than and falls faster than the price charged. The price is also equal to average rev enue (AR). Table 1: Demand and marginal revenue Price (P, $/Litre) Quantity Demanded (Q) Total Revenue (TR = P x Q, $) Marginal Revenue (MR = ΆTR = ΆQ) ($/Extra Litre) 18 0 0 – 16 1 16 16 14 2 28 12 12 3 36 8 10 4 40 4 The monopoly maximises its profit by producing the level of output to MR = MC. Given the total cost as in Table 2, we can find that the best output level to maximise profit is at three litres, where both MC and MR are equal. The price charged is $12. Table 2: Demand and marginal cost Price (P, $/Litre) Quantity Demanded (Q) Total Revenue (TR=P x Q, $) Marginal revenue (MR = ΆTR / ΆQ, $/Extra Litre) Total Cost (TC, $) Marginal Cost ($/Extra Liter) 18 0 0 – 15 – 16 1 16 16 18 3 14 2 28 12 22 4 12 3 36 8 30 8 10 4 40 4 41 11 Graphically, the same conclusion can be derived in Figure 1. Figure 1 A monopoly’s output and price The price is determined by demand curve corresponding to the equilibrium quantity at which the MR equals to MC. The profit or loss is again determined by the ATC with reference to the quantity sold and the price charged. Owing to barriers to entry, economic profits will not be eliminated away in the long run. The only difference between short-run and long-run equilibrium is that in the long run, the firm will produce where MR = LRMC.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Course Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course Review - Essay Example In another wavelength, this methodology also remains very important, given that its standards of evidence and indicators that the program uses helps in comparing the system’s performance to its peer institutions. These indicators help in making these comparisons, so as to uphold the highest of standards. The changes that have been proposed are very recommendable on several grounds. First, it is through these proposed PLO systems that important values relevant to the discipline can be inculcated. Skills, knowledge and competence are some of these values that are bound to be deeply entrenched, should PLO systems be implemented. Likewise, it is only by adopting the PLO system that professional and disciplinary standards that certain disciplines try to advance are bolstered. The newly proposed system is also worthy of recommendation since it ensures the maintenance of desired standards by comparing its performance indicators to its peer institutions. This comparison ensures that areas that have not been adequately administered, taught or effected are identified, and then followed through with correctional measures. This smoothens and facilitates effective and tenable transition. The PLO curriculum can be said to be very appropriate, given that they reflect current trends, debates, technology and developments that are taking shape in the discipline. Similarly, the PLO system involves the use of curriculum maps which support learners’ achievement and thereby helping in sustaining the required breadth and depth of the study. The same also helps capture the flow, courses, coherence and the sequencing of opportunities for these learners. This thereby helps these learners to achieve the aims of PLOs. As Wang advances, the PLO curriculum will be very instrumental in helping to keep up with the changing times. This is because the PLO curriculum considers and adopts the latest technology, developments and trends

Thursday, September 26, 2019

AT&T Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

AT&T - Essay Example Then comes the Porter's five forces to see if it is favorable to invest in the telecom industry. The issues that need to be considered are stated after which the recommendations are given for the organization to take over. The AT&T Foundation invests globally in projects that are at the intersection of community needs and AT&T's business interests. Emphasis is placed on programs that serve the needs of people in communities where AT&T has a significant business presence, initiatives that use technology in innovative ways, and programs in which AT&T employees are actively involved as contributors or volunteers AT&T has a societal purpose. Public service and social responsibility are traditions deeply embedded at AT&T. The AT&T Foundation seeks to educate, enrich, engage, and empower the communities served by AT&T. Some of the priorities that the AT&T Foundation supports includes: The first divestiture was the result of AT&T and the Regional Bell Operating Companies. With this divestiture, AT&T lost its ability to reach almost every consumer in the US by its wires and bills, as they were no more providing local exchange services. With the incoming of fiber optic transmission and other technologies, the competition aroused in long distance telephone services. AT&T had to build up on these new technologies and reinvention was required. The lack of

Case study IT and Business (Maturity rating) Essay

Case study IT and Business (Maturity rating) - Essay Example ] a culture of plain talking, and telling it as it was†¦removed the notion of an individual win (p.7) and that for special arrangements†¦ all were treated straight forwardly and professionally (p.7). The relationship between business and IT for Sunshine State was commendable considering that they formed joint teams to work on the project. Leadership was also evident in that we see the external suppliers being given autonomy so long as they meet their deliverables. This element of trust and knowledge sharing must have been a big contributor to the project’s success. And what about the number of dissatisfied customers? In the end, there were only 167 of them, and most of these were dissatisfied with their share allocation rather than the share dealing system (p.9). The fortnightly report†¦ was a list of milestones... it had a list of things achieved in the last 2 weeks, a list of things to be achieved in the next 2 weeks, and a set of issues for management attention (p.6). The aim here is to have a formal process that ensures that assessment and reviews of the IT investment by Sunshine State allows for changes to be made based on the outcome of the reviews. Thus by instilling a culture of open communication the company is able to ensure that assessments based on the IT and business metric and service level agreements are analysed and spoken of truthfully such that an iterative process of constant improvement is developed. The programme office was tasked with the development of high level plans that would steer the company towards its longer term objective while not losing sight of the immediate need for an IT system ready for the IPO. The nominee account and bulk dealing where all cost control measures that fitted well with the IT strategic plan and allowed for budgetary control. The longer term objectives concerned the capability for further development and it was recognised early on that it would be possible to make share dealing and related activities a

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Parental Perspectives Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 19000 words

Parental Perspectives - Dissertation Example This study has broadened my thought process, my zeal, inner strength, passion, knowledge, and focus on how I can help our youth discover what it takes to reach their educational goals. I also dedicate this dissertation to all those that are close to my heart: my husband, children, parents, family, and friends that supported me through this process. Their support has allowed me to climb to the mountaintop in accomplishing my goals and to continue fulfilling the desires of my heart. I owe a special thanks to my wonderful children, Jermaay and Cladorian, who are my pride and joy. Thank you for sacrificing your wants and needs and for being patient with mommy. To Floyd, my loving husband, who listened, supported and made many sacrifices for me during this difficult process; I deeply thank you. Acknowledgments This dissertation took more commitment and devotion than I ever imagined and I could not have done it by myself. So many people helped me through this challenging time of my educational journey. I am truly thankful for the grace that God bestowed upon me over these past three years. I am very grateful and honored to have such a supporting family, friends, church and cohort who provided constant encouragement. I must acknowledge my wonderful mentor, Dr. April Flanagan, who came to my rescue in the midst of my uncertainties in my research plan. I started research for my dissertation in Atlanta, Georgia, with a solid foundation and then my husband received military orders to transfer to Okinawa, Japan for three years. As a result, my research topic had to change, and I was forced to switch my focus and start over. Dr. Flanagan was a true asset in the writing of my dissertation, due to her extensive experience... This phenomenological study investigates how parents perceive their involvement in student learning. Kohls, Stafford, and Miller (2003) assert that public dissatisfaction, international comparisons and the skills needed for the 21st-century workforce â€Å"by policy makers, parents, the business community and the public have resulted in demands that schools be held accountable for learning† (p. 1). In Okinawa, Japan, the language barrier restricts military and government civilian parents of non-Japanese speaking children from entering the more challenging domestic school systems (O. Lee, August 11, 2005, personal communication). The expense of registration and monthly tuition fees for private and Japanese public schools is another issue that military and government civilian families encounter if they choose not to use the provided school system available (Military Resources & Benefits, n.d.). Parents’ expectations about their role in their children's education are essential to student learning and academic success. When parents believe their children are not receiving the best education possible, the reason is often that they feel powerless to do anything about it other than basic home intervention (Bloom, 1992). For example, parents are establishing goals and possibilities for their children to become academically successful, such as seeking technical support through computerized tutorials when questions occur on schoolwork or allowing the child to call a fellow classmate or searching the text for guidance.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Discuss two critical challenges facing business in the next 10 years Essay

Discuss two critical challenges facing business in the next 10 years and what part management process will play in the developme - Essay Example Business leaders encounter numerous challenges in keeping their businesses growing as the economy deteriorates. Establishing a business remains an outstanding accomplishment for numerous entrepreneurs, even though upholding one remains a challenge. There are numerous elements such as hiring appropriate persons, constructing brands, and maintenance of a business. Business limitations touched on fundamental aspects of space and time. Partners, when not busy, could converse in person. Presently, technology has granted businesses conference and email-hosting capacities. Additionally, business prototypes are moving towards accepting more instant communication in every framework (Group, Bespoke Investment 1). This implies businesses should become conversant with performing important businesses around the world at any prearranged timing. This is because distances no longer matter, and communication capabilities are becoming pervasive. Additionally, businesses are becoming politically active . Businesses in America should encompass opinions on political matters such as immigration and guideline. In such instance, businesses will not straightforwardly pick out the path towards anything that increases their profits, rather than aspects that will function best during the existing political climate. Presently, customers examine the political leanings of businesses when deciding on companies to frequent (5 issues facing small businesses in 2013 1). Uncertainty A significant proportion of the populace especially business leaders especially are uneasy with uncertainty. Uncertainty regarding global economy, credit markets, and ways through which innovative technology will influence businesses, pose numerous challenges. The result is that uncertainty results in the short-term concentration. Businesses are drawing back from long-term plans, in place of short-term concentration owing to the excuse of uncertainty. Failure to strategically plan10-years into the future could end up d amaging value. The problem requiring solution is balancing the need for more responsive, short-term concentration with the necessity for cognizant, long-term approaches (Shelton 1). There is an increasing marking of conflicts between individual and team skills within the business world. Businesses require the experience of coping with such paradox. In order to fashion an efficient labor force, businesses should overcome the uncertainty tension. Companies could meet the challenge through offering additional creative packages of benefits and become further interested in the emotional health and well-being of employees. Businesses could accomplish this ideology through centering on employees’ lifestyle aspects, attempt to encourage creativity and well-being amongst others (Love 1). Technology The pace of technological advancement is exponential making capital investments beneficial to businesses. Other businesses choose to postpone their realization of comparative advantages by waiting for the next generation technology. Similarly, the capacity for the unsurpassed technologists to remain informed regarding emerging technologies remains a challenge when mastering the current technology of the business. The challenge involves developing long-term technology strategies, whilst remaining flexible enough to grasp unanticipated technological advantages (Brooks and Paul 128). Businesses could find it particularly difficult dealing with the rapid changes in business

Monday, September 23, 2019

Mexican culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mexican culture - Essay Example Scholars mention that â€Å"gender roles of men and women are reflected in spatial distinctions of la calle (the street) and la casa (the home)† (Knapp, Muller and Quiros, 2009). This differentiation reflects on Mexican people since their childhood. Boys are in need to leave home for the sake of earning money and maintaining a family in future (Vlassoff, 2007). As for the girls they are responsible to stay at home and to take care about its comfort and coziness (Vlassoff, 2007). Such tradition has been strictly laid into the minds of Mexican people. Concerning the present day situation and modern social norms it should be admitted that male and female roles undergo changes. With the tendency of globalization and increase of migration gender roles transform (Knapp, Muller and Quiros, 2009). Women started to get more freedom and ability to make an independent choice in accordance to their life values and personal desires (Mount-Cors, 2014). Such process in considered to be natural and logical for the system of modern society. It is worse to mention that American culture provide a significant influence to this process (Knapp, Muller and Quiros,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

People’s Home Gadgets Essay Example for Free

People’s Home Gadgets Essay 1. Provide advice to Paula regarding the nature of the HR system she should recommend for the customer service representatives at the six stores. There is a problem that PHG has faced employee turnover issues the figures indicates over the 70% more than management’s expectation. To reduce, turn over issues I’d like recommend an improvement of entire salary systems employees get their salary based on their performance, it makes high turnover issues that mean a representative who has remarkable ability when he sailing PHG stuffs. However, other people who can’t sales as much as sales top representatives ended up they got a lowest salary. So I recommend Paula to do establish fixed salary policies regardless of their sales abilities. 2. Identify a key strategic performance driver for this organization. They have strategic performance drivers based on low costs-high quality policies. It indicates a core concept of competition. In other words, it is called Cost leadership strategy. By lowering costs, they are able to get a high market positions more that other competitive. To maintain that position they always consider in respect of cost benefits. 3. How do the customer service representatives contribute to the strategic performance driver you identified? The company gives representatives a discretion which is able to provide lower prices by cutting margin of percentages. It was a unique policy. Finally, it makes them to maintain cost leadership so illustrated polices could give company a competitive edge in the market. A processes that establishing strategic performance is following. 4. Design an HR system to realize the strategic performance driver you identified. Be certain to explain how you would (a) design the work

Friday, September 20, 2019

Using Translation As A Means Of Interpretation English Language Essay

Using Translation As A Means Of Interpretation English Language Essay Translation is an activity comprising the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language and the production, in another language, of a new, equivalent text, or translation. Its goal is to establish a relation of equivalence of intent between the source and target texts, while taking into account a number of constraints. These constraints and differences between an SL and a TL and the variation in their cultures make the process of translating a real challenge. Among the problematic factors involved in translation include context, form, the rules of grammar of both languages, meaning, style, their writing conventions, their figurative languages, such as proverbs, idioms, metaphors, euphemisms, and the like. One of the grammar/vocabulary areas that cause most problems for students of English is euphemisms. Euphemisms are words or phrases that are used to soften the reality of what are being communicated to a given listener or reader. They are a universal feature of language usage since all cultures typically use them to talk about things they find terrifying, for example war, sickness, and death. Euphemisms are powerful linguistic tools that are embedded so deeply in our language that few of us, even those who pride themselves on being 2 plainspoken, ever get through a day without using them (Rawson, 1981:1). The need for euphemism is both social and emotional, as it allows discussion of touchy or taboo subjects (such as sex, personal appearances or religion) without enraging, outraging, or upsetting other people, and acts as a pressure valve whilst maintaining the appearance of civility. Also, euphemisms are highly important expressive means of any language and are frequently used in everyday life. They make the speech more expressive, vivid, and colorful. This makes the euphemisms adapt speech to different situations. Thus euphemisms help people to fit to the proper context and to express ideas clearly. All these euphemisms appeared naturally in the process of everyday usage. People instinctively try to avoid the word not to offend or to hurt ones feelings. So euphemisms are synonyms that aim at producing a deliberately mild effect. When people use them in proper situations, it means that they care about other people. As Holder (2003) puts it, Euphemism is the language of evasion, prudery and deceit, but euphemisms also help us to cope with troublesome situations, and many of them are a source of laughter. As euphemistic expressions evolve in the course of time and new euphemisms emerge to replace the old ones, they also help to keep the language diversity alive. Similarly, euphemisms are used to express taboos, as we feel, on some instinctual level, that the euphemism keeps us at safe distance from the taboo itself. Another use of euphemisms is to elevate the status of something (e.g., using 3 educator for teacher, attorney for lawyer); but in general, euphemisms are used to express what is socially difficult to express in direct terms. Euphemisms are formed based on four devices, as proposed by Warren (1992). The first device is word formation, in which the words are formed by compounding, blends, acronym, derivation, and onomatopoeia. The second device is phonemic modification. Below this term, the euphemisms are formed by modifying their phonetics. The third device is loan words, which are words from other languages. The last device is semantic innovation. In this case, a word or a phrase can be consider as a euphemism when its meaning no longer refer to their literal meaning, but the euphemism intended meaning. The fact that many euphemism words or phrases cannot be predicted from their formations (specifically in the semantic innovation device) makes language more complicated for the learner of English. Such formations are often particularly difficult to understand because the learner hears a string of words, which they know very well, but which in formation do not make any sense. It is common knowledge that in order to provide an adequate translation, the translator must be able to sense nuances in the semantics of both the source-language and target-language texts. English euphemism words or phrases are of great interest to the researcher in this respect because they possess quite a number of semantic, grammatical and stylistic peculiarities, sometimes making their accurate translation into Indonesian difficult. Obviously, such semantic peculiarities of English euphemisms must have influenced the process of their translation into the Indonesian language. 4 Therefore, to be able to obtain valid data, the researcher used a novel entitled The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy and its translated version, Puncak Ketakutan, as the source of data. It was chosen because Tom Clancy is a novelist who always set a thriller genre and put military and political circumstances in which euphemistic expressions usually appear. Finally, in this research, the study is meant to show to the reader that euphemisms in The Sum of All Fears are translated into euphemisms, non-euphemisms, or they are not translated into both forms, in the sense that they are deleted or are kept in their original forms. To do as such, the researcher also identified several kinds of strategy applied in translating them. Then, it can be concluded that the result of this research will show whether the translations of euphemisms change the meanings or not. 1.2 Scope of the study This study is focusing on two significant focuses. The first is English euphemisms, in this context, the words and phrases. The second is the Indonesian equivalent of translated form. The area in which the problem will focus is in the novel The Sum of All Fears, written by Tom Clancy. 1.3 Research Questions There are one main research question and two sub-problems when developing this study. The main research question is how the euphemisms in The Sum of All Fears are translated. The sub-problems following the main research 5 questions are What kinds of strategies do the translator use in translating euphemisms in the novel? and Does the translation of euphemisms affect the meanings? 1.4 Purpose of the Study The aim in this study is to answer the main problem, the way euphemisms in The Sum of All Fears are translated. Also, the sub-purposes of the research are to identify the strategies occurred in the translation of euphemisms in the novel and to find out whether or not the translated euphemisms affect the meanings. 1.5 Time and Place of the Study The research was held within five months, which was from March 2007 to July 2007. The study is a written-data research that is not tied to a certain place. 1.6 Significance of the Study By carrying out this research, the results of this research are expected to enrich the study of translation and to be advantageous for the writer to obtain a deeper understanding about translation area. Furthermore, this research will possibly add a valuable input concerning the translation of euphemism. Not only that, this research is also meant to enlarge the horizon for English Department students who wish for a more understanding about the area. 6 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Studies on Translation Translation typically has been used to transfer written or spoken SL texts to equivalent written or spoken TL texts. In general, the purpose of translation is to reproduce various kinds of texts-including religious, literary, scientific, and philosophical texts-in another language and thus making them available to wider readers. If language were just a classification for a set of general or universal concepts, it would be easy to translate from an SL to a TL. Furthermore, under the circumstances the process of learning a second language would be much easier than it actually is. In this regard, Culler (1976) believes that languages are not nomenclatures and the concepts of one language may differ radically from those of another, since each language articulates or organizes the world differently, and languages do not simply name categories; they articulate their own (p.21-2). Translation is an activity comprising the interpretation of the meaning of a text in one language the source text and the production, in another language, of a new, equivalent text the target text, or translation. Traditionally, translation has been a human activity, although attempts have been made to automate and computerize the translation of natural-language texts machine 7 translation or to use computers as an aid to translation computer-assisted translation. The goal of translation is to establish a relation of equivalence of intent between the source and target texts (that is to say, to ensure that both texts communicate the same message), while taking into account a number of constraints. These constraints include context, the rules of grammar of both languages, their writing conventions, their idioms, and the like. In the process of translating, there are some principles that must be attained by translators. Duff (1989) summarizes them as meaning, form, register, source language influence, style and clarity, and idioms. These principles of translation keep hold on the most essential part in the process of translation, which is the meaning. As formulated above, the goal of translation is to link the same message in, yet, different form. Therefore, it should reflect accurately the meaning of the original text. The form is also significant after the meaning because of the aspect of the ordering of words and ideas. Register, in the other hand, indicates the levels of formality in a given context (say, the business letter). Register the follows by source language influence, which involve the translators thoughts and choice of words. Same with the others, the style and clarity and idioms aspects cannot be left behind since they also share the same significance part with each other during the translat ion process. The translation process, whether it is for translation or interpreting, can be described simply as decoding the meaning of the source text, and re-encoding this meaning in the target language. To decode the meaning of a text the translator 8 must first identify its component translation units, that is to say the segments of the text to be treated as a cognitive unit. A translation unit may be a word, a phrase or even one or more sentences. Behind this seemingly simple procedure lies a complex cognitive operation. To decode the complete meaning of the source text, the translator must consciously and methodically interpret and analyse all its features. This process requires thorough knowledge of the grammar, semantics, syntax, idioms and the like of the source language, as well as the culture of its speakers. The translator needs the same in-depth knowledge to re-encode the meaning in the target language. In fact, often translators knowledge of the target language is more important, and needs to be deeper, than their knowledge of the source language. For this reason, most translators translate into a language of which they are native speakers. In addition, knowledge of the subject matter being discussed is essential. In recent years studies in cognitive linguistics have been able to provide valuable insights into the cognitive process of translation. 2.1.1 Translation strategies, methods and procedures The translation strategy as defines by Loescher (1991:8) is a potentially conscious procedure for solving a problem faced in translating a text, or any segment of it. As stated in this definition, the notion of consciousness is significant in distinguishing strategies which are used by the learners or translators. Taking into account the process and product of translation, Jaaskelainen (2005) divides strategies into two major categories; some strategies relate to 9 what happens to texts and other strategies relate to what happens in the process. Product-related strategies, as Jaaskelainen (2005:15) writes, involves the basic tasks of choosing the SL text and developing a method to translate it. However, she maintains that process-related strategies are a set of (loosely formulated) rules or principles which a translator uses to reach the goals determined by the translating situation (p.16). Meanwhile, Newmark (1988) mentions the difference between translation methods and translation procedures. He writes that, while translation methods relate to whole texts, translation procedures are used for sentences and the smaller units of language (1998: 81). He goes on to refer to the following methods of translation: (1) word-for-word translation, in which the SL word order is preserved and the words translated singly by their most common meanings and out of context, (2) literal translation, in which the SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest TL equivalents, but the lexical words are again translated singly and out of context, (3) faithful translation, which attempts to produce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures, (4) semantic translation, which differs from faithful translation only in as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text, (5) adaptation, which is the fre est form of translation and is used mainly for plays (comedies) and poetry; in the state that the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved. Here, the SL culture is converted to the TL culture and the text is rewritten, (6) free translation, which produces the TL text without the style, form, or content of the 10 original, (7) idiomatic translation, which reproduces the message of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original, and (8) communicative translation, which attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership. Thoroughly, Newmark puts forward the following translation procedures that he proposes. They are: (1) transference, which is the process of transferring an SL word to a TL text. It includes transliteration and is the same as what Harvey (2000:5) named transcription, (2) naturalization, which adapts the SL word first to the normal pronunciation, then to the normal morphology of the TL, (3) cultural equivalent, which means replacing a cultural word in the SL with a TL one. Note that Newmark stated that they are not accurate (1988:83), (4) functional equivalent, which requires the use of a culture-neutral word, (5) descriptive equivalent, (6) componential analysis, in which the translator compares an SL word with a TL word which has a similar meaning but is not an obvious one-to-one equivalent, by demonstrating first their common and then their differing sense components, (7) synonymy, which has the sense that the form is a near to TL equivalent, (8) through-translation, which is the li teral translation of common collocations, names of organizations and components of compounds. It can also be called calque or loan translation, (9) shifts or transpositions, which involves a change in the grammar from SL to TL, for instance, the change from singular to plural, the change required when a specific 11 SL structure does not exist in the TL, the change of an SL verb to a TL word, the change of an SL noun group to a TL noun and so forth, (10) modulation, which occurs when the translator reproduces the message of the original text in the TL text in conformity with the current norms of the TL, since the SL and the TL may appear dissimilar in terms of perspective, (11) recognized translation, which occurs when the translator normally uses the official or the generally accepted translation of any institutional term, (12) compensation, which occurs when loss of meaning in one part of a sentence is compensated in another part, (13) paraphrase, (14) couplets, which occurs when the translator combines two different procedures, (15) notes, which are additional information in a translation. Notes can appear in the form of footnotes. Other different translating procedures are depicted by Nida (1964: 241-47). They are as follow: (1) technical procedures, which is the analysis of the source and target languages and a through study of the source language text before making attempts translate it, and making judgments of the semantic and syntactic approximations, and (2) organizational procedures, in which a constant reevaluation of the attempt made; contrasting it with the existing available translations of the same text done by other translators, and checking the texts communicative effectiveness by asking the target language readers to evaluate its accuracy and effectiveness and studying their reactions. 2.1.2 Equivalence in Translation The comparison of texts in different languages inevitably involves a theory of equivalence. Equivalence can be said to be the central issue in translation 12 although its definition, relevance, and applicability within the field of translation theory have caused heated controversy, and many different theories of the concept of equivalence have been elaborated within this field in the past fifty years. Among the theorists who stated their theories of equivalence are Nida, Catford, and Baker. Nida argued that there are two different types of equivalence, namely formal equivalence-which in the second edition by Nida and Taber (1982) is referred to as formal correspondence-and dynamic equivalence. Formal correspondence focuses attention on the message itself, in both form and content, unlike dynamic equivalence which is based upon the principle of equivalent effect (1964: 159). In the second edition (1982) or their work, the two theorists provide a more detailed explanation of each type of equivalence. One can easily see that Nida is in favour of the application of dynamic equivalence, as a more effective translation procedure. This is perfectly understandable if we take into account the context of the situation in which Nida was dealing with the translation phenomenon, that is to say, his translation of the Bible. Thus, the product of the translation process, that is the text in the TL, must have the same impact on the different readers it was addressing. Only in Nida and Tabers edition is it clearly stated that dynamic equivalence in translation is far more than mere correct communication of information (ibid.: 25). Despite using a linguistic approach to translation, Nida is much more interested in the message of the text or, in other words, in its semantic quality. 13 He therefore strives to make sure that this message remains clear in the target text. While, Catfords approach to translation equivalence clearly differs from that adopted by Nida since Catford had a preference for a more linguistic-based approach to translation and this approach is based on the linguistic work of Firth and Halliday. His main contribution in the field of translation theory is the introduction of the concepts of types and shifts of translation. Catford proposed very broad types of translation in terms of three criteria, which are the extent of translation (full translation vs partial translation), the grammatical rank at which the translation equivalence is established (rank-bound translation vs. unbounded translation), and the levels of language involved in translation (total translation vs. restricted translation). However, Catfords definition of textual equivalence is rather circular and his theorys reliance on bilingual informants is hopelessly inadequate. It can be said that the translation process cannot simply be reduced to a linguistic exercise, as claimed by Catford, since there are also other factors, such as textual, cultural and situational aspects, which should be taken into consideration when translating. In other words, linguistics is not the only discipline which enables people to carry out a translation, since translating involves different cultures and different situations at the same time and they do not always match from one language to another. In another point of view, new adjectives have been assigned to the notion of equivalence (grammatical, textual, pragmatic equivalence, and several 14 others) and made their appearance in the plethora of recent works in this field. An extremely interesting discussion of the notion of equivalence can be found in Baker (1992) who seems to offer a more detailed list of conditions upon which the concept of equivalence can be defined. She explores the notion of equivalence at different levels, in relation to the translation process, including all different aspects of translation and hence putting together the linguistic and the communicative approach. She distinguishes between four equivalences. First is equivalence that can appear at word level and above word level, when translating from one language into another. Second is grammatical equivalence, when referring to the diversity of grammatical categories across languages. She notes that grammatical rules may vary across languages and this may pose some problems in terms of finding a direct correspondence in the TL. Third is textual equivalence, when referring to the equivalence between a SL text and a TL text in terms of information and cohesion. Texture is a very important feature in translation since it provides useful guidelines for the comprehension and analysis of the ST which can help the translator in his or her attempt to produce a cohesive and coherent text for the TC audience in a specific context. It is up to the translator to decide whether or not to maintain the cohesive ties as well as the coherence of the SL text. His or her decision will be guided by three main f actors, that is, the target audience, the purpose of the translation and the text type. The last is pragmatic equivalence, when referring to implicatures and strategies of avoidance during the translation process. Implicature is not about 15 what is explicitly said but what is implied. Therefore, the translator needs to work out implied meanings in translation in order to get the ST message across. The role of the translator is to recreate the authors intention in another culture in such a way that enables the TC reader to understand it clearly. The notion of equivalence is undoubtedly one of the most problematic and controversial areas in the field of translation theory. The term has caused, and it seems quite probable that it will continue to cause, heated debates within the field of translation studies. This term has been analyzed, evaluated and extensively discussed from different points of view and has been approached from many different perspectives. The first discussions of the notion of equivalence in translation initiated the further elaboration of the term by contemporary theorists. Even the brief outline of the issue given above indicates its importance within the framework of the theoretical reflection on translation. The difficulty in defining equivalence seems to result in the impossibility of having a universal approach to this notion. 2.2. Studies on Euphemisms These terms give us ways of talking about the evaluative content of language, which is that part which doesnt describe a thing in the world, but rather expresses the speakers attitude towards it. As said by Blackaby (2002), a euphemism is a word or phrase that replaces another and that is considered less offensive or less vulgar than the word or phrase it replaces. The idea comes from a Greek word, euphemismos, which fundamentally means good speech. 16 Euphemisms, as defined by Holder (2003), involve the use of mild or vague expressions to substitute for blunt precision or disagreeable truths or concepts. They sometimes involve substituting an inoffensive, or even a pleasant term, for one more explicit, thereby veneering the truth by using kind words in order to avoid particular embarrassment or obscure negative connotation. According to Allan Burridge, a euphemism is used as an alternative to a dispreferred expression, in order to avoid possible loss of face; either ones own face or, through giving offence, that of the audience, or of some third party. In fact, many euphemisms are alternatives for expressions the speaker or writer would simply prefer not to use in executing a particular communicative intention on a given occasion. There are at least three areas, as said by Blackaby, in which to be careful about using euphemisms. First is the area in which the language related to sexuality and what might be called lavatory (potty) talk. Second is the area in which the language that involves softer words substituted for swearing or cursing. The last is the area in which the language that substitutes for profanity profaning Gods name, since the very first area that is considered in using euphemistic expressions was certainly religious. Almost every culture develops its own way of saying certain things in a better way. Every generation and every culture develop their own euphemisms. It is believed that the use of euphemisms reflect peoples psychological world. Based on this account, Huang (2005) states four main causes from the origin of euphemisms. The first is taboo subject. Because euphemisms originated from 17 primitive society, people believed that language was not merely a symbol but also with magic power. It could bring them misfortunes as well as fortunes, mentioning a certain names ran the risk of being punished, so they usually avoided these taboos. The second is the elegancy. To seek beauty is one of humans natures, consequently whenever they deal with some inelegant physiological phenomena in communication, people tend to avoid vulgarism so as to achieve elegance. These euphemisms are usually concerning part of body, copulation, pregnancy, menstruation, and excretions. The third thing is politeness. In communication, people usually followed such rules as appropriateness, generosity, praise, modesty, similarity and sympathy, so people often use indirect expressions to achieve politeness. Such euphemisms are usually concerning job, appearance, or character. And the last cause is disguise. People often use euphemisms to disguise something in the other fields of life. Such euphemisms a re usually used in politics, economy, or war. As being stated above, one of the causes of euphemistic expressions is the deal with taboos. Taboos exist in all known cultures and they change in the course of time. Hundreds of euphemisms have emerged to replace pejorative and objectionable words. However, euphemisms dont necessarily have to deal with taboos. In modern usage euphemisms are often mainly concerned with politeness. In certain situations using euphemisms instead of saying things directly is considered more tactful. For example, employees can be hired and fired, but perhaps it would be more tactful to talk about dehiring instead of firing them. Furthermore, Euphemisms are widely used in the language of commerce and 18 industry. Military jargon also contains euphemistic expressions. We may find these euphemisms are created to make the military actions less guilty for the soldiers. Of course, there are some euphemisms referred to sex, because verbal taboos are generally related with e.g. sex, death and basic biological functions. The function of euphemism is to protect the speaker/writer, hearer/reader, or all of the above from possible effrontery and offence. This offence may occur in the broaching of a religion or death topic or by mentioning subject matter to which one party involved may be sensitive. In order for communication to progress smoothly and without conflict, accommodations are continually, and often subconsciously, made. Euphemism is the language that might be misleading, but euphemisms may also help people to deal with troublesome, embarrassing and uncomfortable situations. It helps people to turn their face away from direct connection with those things that are morally barred. Euphemisms can also make the dialogue sound more poetic, of higher class, or more proper. Of course, in contemporary literature, many words or phrases once referred to by euphemistic expressions are now described in a more straightforward manner. Interpretation varies according to context, i.e. whether the speaker means the term to be euphemistic, and the hearer interprets it in that light (Warren, 1992). With euphemism being so entwined with context, however, classification of a term as euphemistic becomes difficult. For this reason, Allen and Burridge (1991:21) suggest the hypothetical context of being polite to a casual acquaintance of the opposite sex in a formal situation in a middle class environment as one in which a euphemism is likely to be used in place of a 19 dispreferred alternative. To maintain a constant standard in defining terms as euphemistic during the current study, this pragmatic context will be used. It should be remembered, however, that even within this context objective euphemism classification is a grey area, and judgements may differ from person to person. 2.2.1. Classification of Euphemisms According to Cumming (2003), euphemistic expressions can be classified based on phonological (sound) and semantic (meaning). The phonological area have seven sub-categories: (1) remodellings, (2) clippings and abbreviations, (3) foreign words, (4) abstractions, (5) indirections, (6) longer words, (7) technical terms. In the other hand, the semantic area has five sub-categories: (1) metaphor, which means a word or a phrase to refer to something that it isnt, implying a similarity between the word or phrase used and the thing described, (2) metonymy, which is a word or phrase that replaces another and uses of a single characteristic to identify a more complex entity, (3) circumlocution, which refers to a roundabout way of talking, (4) hyperbole, which is a word or phrase that replaces another that usually extremely exaggerated or extravagant, and (5) understatement, which is a word or phrase that replaces another where a lesser expression is used than what would be expected. These categories from Cumming are based on conventional euphemistic expressions. The conventional euphemistic expressions are the words which sole purpose is to make reference to a taboo topic in a polite way. This category has more to do with politeness and social norms than the speakers actual 20 feelings. This is very different with the general euphemistic expressions, which are the ways of describing a situation, event or thing which convey an attitude towards it. Meanwhile, Joseph M. Williams as noted in Neaman Silver (1983) suggests five general semantic processes by means of which euphemisms are created. First is by borrowing words from other language in which the terms are less freighted with negative associations. Second is by widening. When a specific term becomes too painful or vivid, the words are moved up in the ladder of abstraction. Sometimes, in addition to widening, the words are divided to the negative connotations of a single direct term between two or more words. Third is by semantic shift. This is the substitution of the whole, or a similar generality, for the specific part we do not choose to discuss. Fourth is by metaphorical transfer, the comparison of things of one order to things of another. The last is by phonetic distortion, which is divided into other nine sub-categories: (1) abbreviation, (2) apocopation (shortening or omitting the last syllable), (3) initialing, (4) backforming, (5) reduplication, (6) phonetic disto rtion, (7) blend

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Racism :: essays research papers

It's one of the most explosive topics around and one that people rarely greet with sincerity. Everywhere you go, and everywhere you look, there is always somebody different. Imagine walking down the street and having people stare at you or call you names, or talk behind your back, just because your skin is a different color, or your of a different religion. We all seem to ask our selves the same question over and over, why do people do this? But unfortunately racism is almost impossible to stop. There will always be egotistic people who considers their race to be better then that of other’s. The novel I read is about a Jewish girl by the name of Judith who begins to experience the cruelty of racism at the age of seven. The two boys that live across the street from Judith were always mean to her. They said that because she was Jewish she wasn’t allowed on their side of the street. And if they ever saw her on their lawn they would beat her up. She had no friends at school or in her neighborhood except one girl by the name of Rachel, who was also Jewish. The problem was that Rachel lived in America, and Judith lived in Canada, other then summer camp they couldn’t see each other. The next summer Judith met a Jewish boy by the name of Ori, who also lived in America. She felt as though they were soul mates. Several years went by, and Judith and Ori moved to Israel together. They got a small, one bedroom apartment and began University. Not long after, they began to drift apart from each other. She packed up all her stuff and decided to move to London. Then she met a guy by the name of James. He wasn’t Jewish, but Judith really liked him. She knew that her parents would never approve of him, but she didn’t care. It didn’t matter to her the fact that he wasn’t. But once her parent’s found out about James they gave her an ultimatum. Either she moves back home to Toronto, or goes back to Jerusalem. Since she didn’t have time for a job and her parent’s refused to pay her bills, she had no other choice but to go back to Jerusalem. Her dreams were shattered, and she was left empty handed. What staggered me the most about this book was the information I came across in the second chapter.

Alfarabi And Aristotle: The Four Causes And The Four Stages Of The Doc

Alfarabi and Aristotle: The Four Causes and The Four Stages of The Doctrine of The Intelligence Alfarabi was raised as a young boy in Baghdad. His early life was spent studying the art of linguistics, philosophy, and logic. His teachers were Syrian Christians experts in Greek philosophy. He studied Aristotle and Plato in detail, and it became evident in his later writings that they were a strong influence on him. He became quite a prolific writer, and he wrote more than 100 works, many of which have unfortunately been lost including his a lot of his commentaries on Aristotle. He was one of the earliest Islamic thinkers to transmit to the world of his time the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle. He is considered by many to be the founder of an authentic philosophy. His writings created a lot of support, debate, and controversy. He contributed materials on the proof of the existence of the First Principle, and on the theory of emanation, as well as the theory of knowledge, in addition to his commentaries on Greek philosophers. The Greek influence is clearly present in his works, especially with his Opinions of the Inhabitants of a Virtuous City, where he laid down a philosophical, religious, and social system for the humanity at large; a system that sought to break barriers and facilitate relations among people and nations. This work sounded very similar to the work presented by Plato in Plato's Republic. They both took into consideration the matter of city/state, who was to govern, who was to be governed, how this governing was to take place, how it was to be enforced, and so on. It also appears clear that he was influenced greatly by Aristotle. This influence is present in his "Doctrine of the Intellect". The Doctrine of the intellect was Alfarabi's approach to giving his own interpretation to the intellect. There are strong similarities between Alfarabi's Doctrine of the Intellect and Aristotle's "Four Causes". Needless to say that they each are comprised of four stages, but the stages seem very similar, they seem to be representative of one another, almost to the point of defining one another. It will be demonstrated that Alfarabi used Aristotle's "Four Causes" to derive and support the Doctrine of the Intellect. Alfarabi draws off of Ar... ... of Alfarabi, then it is clear that there was a strong Aristotelianism influence on Alfarabi. This is evident in several of the writings such as in his mentions of the four senses, intellect in potentiality, intellect in actuality, acquired intellect, and with the agent intellect. There are several other writings that are credited to Alfarabi that were based on Plato and Aristotle, so there is no real reason to assume that these writings were not those of Alfarabi. It appears that Alfarabi uses the basic principles of Aristotle and has applied them to his principles of the Doctrine of the Intellect in order to rationalize his philosophy. Alfarabi was a philosopher that grabbed new ideas and harnessed them with some of the greatest philosophical minds known to man. He took Aristotle to a new level, doesn't any true philosopher? He embodied the thoughts of previous minds, and united them with his own and became a very powerful influence on Islamic philosophy. It is clear that Aristotle was used to develop his Doctrine of the Intellect. The similarities, the context, and the rational are too similar to belong to anyone else. Alfarabi And Aristotle: The Four Causes And The Four Stages Of The Doc Alfarabi and Aristotle: The Four Causes and The Four Stages of The Doctrine of The Intelligence Alfarabi was raised as a young boy in Baghdad. His early life was spent studying the art of linguistics, philosophy, and logic. His teachers were Syrian Christians experts in Greek philosophy. He studied Aristotle and Plato in detail, and it became evident in his later writings that they were a strong influence on him. He became quite a prolific writer, and he wrote more than 100 works, many of which have unfortunately been lost including his a lot of his commentaries on Aristotle. He was one of the earliest Islamic thinkers to transmit to the world of his time the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle. He is considered by many to be the founder of an authentic philosophy. His writings created a lot of support, debate, and controversy. He contributed materials on the proof of the existence of the First Principle, and on the theory of emanation, as well as the theory of knowledge, in addition to his commentaries on Greek philosophers. The Greek influence is clearly present in his works, especially with his Opinions of the Inhabitants of a Virtuous City, where he laid down a philosophical, religious, and social system for the humanity at large; a system that sought to break barriers and facilitate relations among people and nations. This work sounded very similar to the work presented by Plato in Plato's Republic. They both took into consideration the matter of city/state, who was to govern, who was to be governed, how this governing was to take place, how it was to be enforced, and so on. It also appears clear that he was influenced greatly by Aristotle. This influence is present in his "Doctrine of the Intellect". The Doctrine of the intellect was Alfarabi's approach to giving his own interpretation to the intellect. There are strong similarities between Alfarabi's Doctrine of the Intellect and Aristotle's "Four Causes". Needless to say that they each are comprised of four stages, but the stages seem very similar, they seem to be representative of one another, almost to the point of defining one another. It will be demonstrated that Alfarabi used Aristotle's "Four Causes" to derive and support the Doctrine of the Intellect. Alfarabi draws off of Ar... ... of Alfarabi, then it is clear that there was a strong Aristotelianism influence on Alfarabi. This is evident in several of the writings such as in his mentions of the four senses, intellect in potentiality, intellect in actuality, acquired intellect, and with the agent intellect. There are several other writings that are credited to Alfarabi that were based on Plato and Aristotle, so there is no real reason to assume that these writings were not those of Alfarabi. It appears that Alfarabi uses the basic principles of Aristotle and has applied them to his principles of the Doctrine of the Intellect in order to rationalize his philosophy. Alfarabi was a philosopher that grabbed new ideas and harnessed them with some of the greatest philosophical minds known to man. He took Aristotle to a new level, doesn't any true philosopher? He embodied the thoughts of previous minds, and united them with his own and became a very powerful influence on Islamic philosophy. It is clear that Aristotle was used to develop his Doctrine of the Intellect. The similarities, the context, and the rational are too similar to belong to anyone else.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Drug Laws Essay -- Drugs

1. In 1988, Father Greg Boyle made a commitment to help at-risk gang members’ change their criminal ways. Through program he developed, Homeboy Industries, gang members were offered legal jobs in order to become functional members of society. Father Greg felt that if these gang-affiliated individuals could have some alternate opportunity, they could turn their life around and end their criminal behavior. Since 1988, Father Greg has enhanced and re-developed the structure of the program, but it has definitely been a success story for many Los Angeles gang members. Father Greg was right. The control theory suggests that if individuals are raised in good morals and granted opportunities and legal paths to success (external controls), they will develop the internal controls that they use to avoid criminal behavior (Traub & Little, 1999, p. 303). Walter Reckless took the â€Å"control theory† and developed it a little further, presenting the â€Å"containment theory†. He insists that there are external and internal containments that either push or pull an individual to commit crime. An individual must be given boundaries and moral limits in order to process their desires in acceptable ways. In order to develop these limits, they must have a connection with the influential group, but the lack there of will push them into criminal behavior. Additionally, the individual must develop positive awareness and esteem (Traub & Little, 1999, p. 307). The gang members that have joined Homeboy industries, like many other gang members, have been missing a large portion of both internal and external containments. Through their own confessions they recognize that they had hard lives growing up and the gang scene was where they found a second family... ...How An Athlete's Death Led To Shoddy Drug Laws. NPR. 20 June 2011. Radio. Stamper, N. Interview by Amy Goodman. Citing Failed War on Drugs, Former Seattle Police Chief Calls for Legalization of Marijuana and All Drugs. Democracy Now. 30 March 2009. Radio. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999).Theories of deviance (5th ed.). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999). The Current State of Differential Association Theory. Theories of deviance (5th ed., pp. 261- 285). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999). A Non-Causal Explanation: Containment Theory. Theories of deviance (5th ed., pp. 306-311). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999). A Control Theory of Delinquency. Theories of deviance (5th ed., pp. 312-325). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Outline Muslim teachings on wealth and poverty Essay

Poverty: a state of being poor the status of having no money to take care of yourself and the basic needs of life such as, food, clothing and housing. Muslims believes poverty to be as a test to mankind form god. There are different types of evil and suffering which cause poverty such as: ? Moral evil ? actions done by humans which cause suffering. ?Natural evil ? things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans e.g. earthquakes. (I will explain it in the following paragraphs) When god created the earth he also made a being called Adam (pbuh) to take care of it, Allah order the angles to bow down to Adam (pbuh) (humans are superior to the angles as they have free will-which is why they can be vice-regents- but they are inferior because their free will means they can sin) means they can sin) all Angels except one ignorant Satan (iblis) refused to follow Allah’s commands to bow down to Adam so Allah rejected him and throw him out of the heavens. However Allah allowed Satan to do mischief and disrupt mankind form worshiping Allah until the last day then Satan shall be sent to hell and those who were tempted by his evil shall follow him into the fire. Muslims believe that suffering is a test from god. But if there faith stays strong and they lead a good and devote themselves to Allah they shall rewarded with eternity paradise. â€Å"be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your toil, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere calamity, ‘to god we belong and to him shall we return† Muslims believe that the way to succeed and pass the test is to help those who suffer such as the floods in Bangladesh through Muslim charities such as Muslim hands, Islamic relief e.c.t. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said: ‘Poverty can lead to Kuffar (ungratefulness)’. This is because a deprived human being may feel that his Lord is being unjust on him, but a human being cannot understand that this life is a test from Allah and the real life is the life hereafter. What does Islam say about Zakat & Charity Wealth in the English dictionary is defined as, having huge sum of money or possession, riches, state of being well off. In Islam whatever wealth you posses is regarded as a trust from Allah (God). You are not free to do what you want with your wealth, as you will be accounted for how you release it. Islam teaches that wealth is something given by god for the benefit of humanity and there for it should be shared. ‘Then (on the day of judgement) you will certainly be questioned about all the favours you enjoyed.’ (102:8) According to Islam, the wealth you posses does not show your superiority, neither or nor does it give you distinction or make you a part of honoured class. The one who posses the riches of Faith is the one who is wealthiest in the sight of Allah, not the one who posses material riches. Islam says that there is nothing wrong to posses wealth, as long as you earn it in the right (halal/lawful) way and discharge it in the right (halal/lawful) way. Islam has given guideline for the ways of life which mainly concentrates on the earning and use of wealth. Earning and spending is essential for living, but we do not live only for this. We have a greater purpose in life. Everything in Islam is for the benefit of mankind. The main principle of Islam aim to establishing a just society wherein everybody will behave responsibly and honestly, and not as cunning people who fight for as big share of something as possible without regard for honesty, truth and responsibility. Islam has given rules for earning wealth which all Muslims should abide by. Muslims must follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah: 1) Any earnings from the production, sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks are unlawful, as are earnings from gambling, lotteries and from interest (riba) transactions (5:90-91, 2:275). 2) Earning by falsehood, deceit, fraud, theft, robbery and burglary is unlawful. Deceitful acquisition of orphans’ property has been particularly banned ( 2;188, 4:2, 6:152, 7:85, 83:1-5). 3) Smuggling and the artificial creation of shortages are unlawful (3:180, 9:34-35) 4) Earning from brothels and from such other practises which are harmful to society are also unlawful. Islam strikes to the root of evil and wants to establish a just and fair society. A Muslim must earn his living in halal ways and he should always bear in mind that what ever he does, it is known to Allah. He will be accountable for his actions on the day of judgement. He cannot hide anything from Almighty Allah. Unlawful outgoings are also not allowed in Islam. It does not at all benefit a Muslim to spend money irresponsibly. Over-spending and waste are strongly discouraged (7:31, 17:26, 19:27, 25:68) What is Zakat Zakah (welfare contribution) is the third pillar of Islam. The Arabic word Zakah means â€Å"to purify or cleanse†. Zakah is to be paid once a year on savings at the rate of two and a half percent. This rate applies to cash, bank savings, gold and silver and silver jewellery. The rate for cattle and agricultural produce is different. Payment of Zakah is a means of keeping our wealth clear of greed and selfishness. SCHEDULE OF ZAKAH Wealth on which zakah is payable Amount which determines the payment of zakah (nisab) Rate of zakah 1 Agricultural produce 5 Awsuq (653 kg) per harvest * 5 per cent produce in case of irrigated land; 10 per cent of produce from rain-fed land. 2 Gold, silver, ornaments of gold and silver of gold and silver 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver * 2.5 per cent of value 3 Cash in hand or at the Bank Value of 595 grams of silver * 2.5 per cent of amount 4 Trading goods Value of 595 grams of silver * 2.5 per cent value of goods 5 Cows and buffaloes 30 in numbers For every 30, one- year old; for every 40, one 2- year old 6 Goats and sheep 40 in number One for first 40; two for 120; there for 300; one more for every 100 7 Produce of mines Any quantities Per cent of value of produce 8 Camels 5 in number A up to 24, one sheep or goat for each five camels B 25-35, one 1-year-old she-camel C 36-45, one 2-year-oldshe-camel D 46-60, one 3-year-oldshe-camel E 61-75, 4-year-old she-camel F 76-90, two 2-year-old she-camel G 91-120, two 3-year-old she-camel H 121 or more, one 2-year-old she-camel for each additional 40, or one 3-year-old she-camel for each additional 50 * Fiqhuz zakah It also encourages us to be honest in our dealings, earnings and outgoings (spending money). Zakah is a compulsory act in Islam it is not charity or tax. Charity is optional and taxes are used by states for any purpose, but zakah is only allowed to be spent in certain places such as helping the poor, even for needy or travellers in need and for the cause of Allah. Zakah is a form of ibadah. Ibadah (Arabic) the word meaning worship or obedience. It can be done in any activity in life, if they it is done to please Allah and Allah alone. We all so pay zakah to gain Allah’s favour. Zakah is a way of contributing our excess wealth with those who are less fortunate then our selves. Truly we our selves do not own the wealth it belongs to Allah. He is the real owner of the wealth and mankind, we have to fulfil Allah’s commands by paying zakah as an obligatory it is a part of ibadah. Zakah is a basic principle of Islam, based on social welfare and the fair distribution of wealth . In addition to zakah, Muslim are encouraged in the Quran to make voluntary contributions to help the poor and needy, and for other social purposes. These voluntary contributions are called Sadaqa (charity). Through zakah, rich share their wealth with the poor. Zakaah al-Fitr Zakaah al-Fitr is the name given to charity, which is distributed at the end of the fast of Ramadan. Zakaah al-Fitr is a duty, which is Waajib on every Muslim, whether male or female, minor or adult as long as he/she has the means to do so. Ibn `Umar reported, â€Å"that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory on every slave, freeman, male, female, young and old among the Muslims; one Saa` of dried dates or one Saa` of barely.† The head of the household may pay the required amount for the other members. The significant role played by Zakaah in the circulation of wealth within the Islamic society is also played by the Zakaah al-Fitr. However, in the case of Zakaah al-Fitr, each individual is required to calculate how much charity is due from himself and his dependents and go into the community in order to find those who deserve such charity. Thus, Zakaah al-Fitr plays a very important role in the development of the bonds of community. The rich are obliged to come in direct contact with the poor, and the poor are put in contact with the extremely poor. This contact between the various levels of society helps to build real bonds of brotherhood and love within the Islamic community and trains those who have, to be generous to those who do not have. The main purpose of Zakaah al-Fitr is to provide those who fasted with the means of making up for their errors during the month of fasting. Zakaah al-Fitr also provides the poor with a means with which they can celebrate the festival of breaking the fast (`Eid al-Fitr) along with the rest of the Muslims. Ibn Abbaas reported, â€Å"The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory so that those who fasted may be purified of their idle deeds and shameful talk (committed during Ramadaan) and so that the poor may be fed. Whoever gives it before Salaah will have it accepted as Zakaah, while he who gives it after the Salaah has given Sadaqah.† The goal of Zakaah al-Fitr is to make Believers more aware of Allah. By making them give up some of their wealth, through this the believers are taught the higher moral characteristics of generosity, compassion (sympathy for the unfortunate), gratitude to God and the righteousness. But, since Islaam does not neglect man’s material need, part of the goal of Zakaah al-Fitr is the economic well-being of the poorer members of society. Zakaah al-Fitr is only Waajib for a particular period of time. If one misses the time period without a good reason, he has sinned and can not make it up. This form of charity becomes obligatory from sunset on the last day of fasting and remains obligatory until the beginning of Salaah al-‘Eid’ (i.e. shortly after sunrise on the following day). However, it can be paid prior to the above mentioned period, as many of the Sahaabah (companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to pay Zakaah al-Fitr a couple days before the `Eid. Naafi reported, â€Å"That the Prophet’s companion Ibn `Umar used to give it to those who would accept it and the people used to give it a day or two before the `Eid.† Ibn `Umar reported, â€Å"that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) order that it (Zakaah al-Fitr) be given before people go to make the Salaah (al-‘Eid).† And Ibn `Abbaas reported, â€Å"That the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, â€Å"Whoever gives it before the Salaah will have it accepted as Zakaah, while he who gives it after the Salaah (will not, for it will only be considered as) ordinary charity.† Therefore, one who forgets to pay this Zakaah al-Fitr on time should do so as soon as possible even though it will not be counted as Zakaah al-Fitr. The amount of Zakaah is the same for everyone regardless of their different income brackets. The minimum amount is one Saa` (two handfuls) of food, grain or dried fruit for each member of the family. This calculation is based on Ibn `Umar’s report, † that the Prophet(sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) made Zakaah al-Fitr compulsory and payable by a Saa` of dried dates or a Saa` of barley.† The Sahaabee, Abu SA`eed al-Khudree said, â€Å"In the Prophet’s time, we used to give it (Zakaah al-Fitr) as a Saa` of food, dried dates, barley, raisins or dried cheese.† Aqiqah The word ‘Aqeeqah’ means the â€Å"the hair of the forehead†. It also means the animal that is sacrificed after the birth of a child. Some people call it â€Å"Nusukiyah or Dhabihah†. The purpose of ‘Aqiqah is to give thanks to Allah, to express happiness on the birth of a child, and to announce the birth so that people know to whom the child belongs. ‘Aqiqah is a highly recommended Sunnah (scholars). According to other scholars it is wajib (mandatory). The proper time for ‘Aqiqah is the 7th day (or after), counting from the day of the birth of the child. Parents or grandparents should perform ‘Aqiqah for their children or grandchildren. In some traditions it is said that one should sacrifice two lambs for a boy and one for a girl. But it is not required. One can sacrifice even one for the boy. Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – sacrificed one lamb for Hasan and for Husain. The meat of the animal should be divided like the sacrificial meat at Eidul Adha, one third for the poor, one third for friends and one third for the family. One can also give all the meat to the poor and needy people. Children are Allah’s gift. We should be thankful to Him and we should take good care of them. From the beginning we should pay attention to their Islamic upbringing and education. Parents should be a good role model for their children and they should also make sure that their children are learning right values, have right teachers and good friends. Someone rightly said that children are like sponges. They absorb whatever they see. It is very important that we give them the right message. We should also be careful about what they watch on TV and Internet. In Arabic the word â€Å"‘Aqiq† is also used for a precious stone. One can also say that ‘Aqiqah is a ceremony that helps us realize the preciousness of our children. Salman bin ‘AamirAd-Dabbi narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said, â€Å"Aqiqah is to be offered for a newly born boy, so slaughter (an animal) for him, and relieve him of his suffering.† It is Sunnah to slaughter 2 (or 1) animals for a boy, and 1 for a girl. This meat is then to be shared with all the people in the community. At the time of the prophet meat was scarce. So eating and distributing meat became a special way of celebrating the birth of a baby. Giving something of the wealth over which Allah has given us temporary custody is a critical part of our deen. The Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Man yatasaddaqa bi ‘idli tamratin min kasbin tayyibin – wa laa yaqbalu Allahu illa at-tayyib – fa inna Allaha yaqbaluhaa bi yameenihi thumma yurbeehaa li saahibihaa kamaa yurbiy ahadukum falwahu hattaa takoona mithla al-jabali.† â€Å"Whoever gives in charity the value of a single date from pure earnings – and Allah accepts nothing but the pure – verily Allah receives it with his right hand then he makes it grow like the way one of you causes a dowry to grow until it becomes like a mountain.†(Translation) Muslim & Bukhari Sadaqa The meaning of sadaqa is the giving of wealth to another as an act of worship and seeking to come closer to Allah Most High. It is an effective barrier between the giver and evil. It repels trials and hardships and prevents an awful death. All of this is only by the permission of Allah and the giving of sadaqa is the cause which Allah has attached to these benefits. It is also used allegorically to refer to all acts of â€Å"giving† and kindness other than those involving wealth such as giving the greeting, smiling in your brother’s face, seeking to solve a problem between two others for no gain to yourself, being attentive to your spouse in your bed and other actions. As the hadith says, giving of your wealth to another while physically between you and another human is an action received directly by Allah Most High. This has also been mentioned in the Qur’an: â€Å"A lam ta’lamoo anna Allaha huwa yaqbalu at-taubata ‘an ‘ibaadihi wa ya’khudhu as-sadaqaati wa anna Allaha huwa at-tawaabu ar-raheem.† â€Å"Did you not know that Allah is the One who accepts repentence from his slaves and takes their charities and that Allah is the ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.† (Translation) At-Tauba:104 Generally, the best way to give sadaqa is in secret, although it can also be done publicly. Sometimes it is actually better to give publicly if that will encourage others to follow suit and increase the amount of giving among the Muslims. Because the Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Whoever starts a good practice will get its reward and the reward of all those who do it after him without that decreasing his reward in the least and whoever starts a bad practice will get its sin and the sin of all those who do it after him without that diminishing their sin in the least.† Allah said: â€Å"In tubdoo as-sadaqaati ta ni’immaa hiya wa in tukhfoohaa wa tu’toohaa al-fuqaraa’a fa huwa khairun lakum wa yukaffiru ‘ankum min sayyi’aatikum wa Allahu bimaa ta’maloona khabeerun.† â€Å"If you show your charitibal giving that is just fine and if you conceal it and give it to the needy that is better for you and it will expiate for you some of your bad deeds and Allah is fully aware of all that you do.† Al-Baqara:271 While giving may seem like a growing of one’s wealth and putting it in a savings account or lending it out for interest may seem like an increase in one’s wealth, the really it is quite the opposite. Allah said: â€Å"Yamhaqu Allahu ar-ribaa wa yurbiy as-sadaqaati wa Allahu laa yuhibbu kulla kaffaarin atheemin.† â€Å"Allah obliterates interest and causes charity to grow and Allah does not love every one of those extreme in disbelief and extreme in sin.† Al-Baqara:276 Sadaqa, to be acceptable must be an act done for the sake of Allah with consciousness that what is being given is not truly â€Å"yours† or something you have earned or deserved. Rather, it is the sustenance (rizq) of Allah and His favor upon you and something which Allah has simply made you the temporary custodian (mustakhlaf) over. It was possessed by others before you and will be possessed by others after you. When one has this consciousness, then they will realize that the receiver is actually giving them a great gift and a great help by allowing them to worship and come close to Allah in this way – and not the other way around. So Muslims of understanding will never humiliate or belittle those to whom they give nor feel that they have done them a favor or that the receivers â€Å"owe† them anything like the ignorant and disbelieving do. If one does these things, it shows that their sadaqa is not genuine and it is invalidated and does them no good with Allah no matter how big and generous it may be. Allah said: â€Å"Yaa ayyuhaa alladhina aamanoo laa tubtiloo sadaqaatikum bi al-manni wa al-adhaa ka alladhiy yunfiqu maalahu ri’aa’a an-naasi wa laa yu’minu bi Allahi wa al-yaumi al-aakhiri.† â€Å"O, you who believe do not invalidate your charities with claims of generosity and harmfulness like the one who spends his wealth for the people to see but doesn’t believe in Allah and in the Last Day.† Al-Baqara:264 Islam encourages the giving of charity, but does not encourage the taking of charity let alone asking for it. Since there are always among us those who need assistance, this means that it is obligatory upon those with the means to look for places to put their sadaqa such those in need never need to ask and seek their help. The Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Al-yadu al-‘ulyaa khairun min al-yadi as-suflaa wa ibda’ bi man ta’oolu wa khairu as-sadaqa maa kaana ‘an dhahri ghinaa wa man yasta’fif ya’iffuhu Allahu wa man yastighni yughnihi Allahu.† â€Å"The upper hand is superior to the lower hand. Start with those for whom you are responsible. The best charity is the one which leaves you free of need. Whoever abstains, Allah will dignify them and whoever maintains self-sufficiency, Allah will make them self-sufficient.† Al-Bukhari Sadaqa is one of the seven things which will get you shade in the Throne of Allah on the terrifying day of al-mahshar when there is no shade except for the shade of Allah. In the hadith: â€Å"Saba’atun yudhilluhum Allahu fiy dhillihi yauma laa dhilla illa dhilluhu†¦ wa rajulun tasaddaqa bi sadaqatin fa ikhfaahaa hattaa laa ta’lamu shimaaluhu maa tunfiqu yameenuhu† â€Å"Seven who Allahu will shade in His shade on the day when there is no shade except His shade†¦ and a man who gave something in charity secretly such that his left hand did not know what his right hand had given.† Muslim & Bukhari Before you think that your property is little or that you need to receive and not give, remember your standing before Allah. If two Muslims have a little and cling to it thinking â€Å"I have only a little†, then they will get no good deed from their wealth with which to face Allah. If the same two people give something of their minor wealth and, because Muslims are giving they also receive, they may end up with the same or more sustenance but also have a good deed with which to face Allah Most High. Giving is win-win situation! On that day, we will need everything possible to help us. Do not neglect any opportunity to send something forward for that day. Even a tiny act of giving could be the critical item which determines your fate in the eternal hereafter. The Prophet (sas) said: â€Å"Maa minkum min ahadin illa sayukallimuhu Allahu laisa bainahu wa bainahu turjumaan. Fa yandhuru aimana minhu falaa yaraa illa maa qaddama wa yandhuru ash’ama minhu falaa yaraa illa maa qaddam wa yandhuru baina yadaihi falaa yaraa illa an-naara tilqaa’a wajhihi fa ittaqoo an-naara wa lau bi shiqqi tamratin.† â€Å"There is not one single one of you but that Allah will speak to him with no interpreter between them. He will look to his right and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look to his left and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look in front of him and see nothing but the fire facing him. So beware of the fire – even if with just half a date.† Muslim & Bukhari Sadaqh e jariyah To spend in the path of Allah Ta’ala by way of helping the Deen of Allah is highly creditable and rewarding. Reward gained through sadaqh e jariyah attains continues reward even after our death. Indeed fortunate are those who have gained such tremendous benefits and Insha Allah will succeed in the hereafter. Some of the common contributions made in this respect are: donations towards the Masjid, building of Madrassahs, printing of Namaz, Yaseen Shareef, Durood and Salaam booklets etc. Undoubtedly these projects are required and should be encouraged because it benefits Islam. â€Å"Hazrath Abu Hurairah (RadiAllahAnho) has reported the messenger of Allah has said, â€Å"Among the actions and good deeds for which a believer will continue to receive reward, after his death, are knowledge which he taught and spread, a good son whom he left behind, or a copy of the Qur’an which he left as a legacy, or a mosque which he erected, or a house which he built for the traveller, or a stream which he caused to flow, or a Sadaqah which he gave from his property when he was alive and well, for which he will continue to receive reward after his death.† The above hadith indicates various ways to attain the reward of Sadaqa e Jariyah, and building a House of Allah Ta’ala is indeed one of the best form of Sadaqa-e-Jariyah. Riba/intrest Riba (Usury and Interest): According to Quran and Sunnah Riba (Usury) is of two major kinds: Riba An-Nasia – Interest on lent money Riba Al-Fadl – Taking a superior thing of the same kind of goods by giving more of the same kind of goods of inferior quality, eg, dates of superior quality for dates of inferior quality in great amounts. The definition of Interest, the literal meaning of interest or Al-Riba as it is used in the Arabic language means to excess or increase. In the Islamic terminology interest means effortless profit or that profit which comes free from compensation or that extra earning obtained that is free of exchange. Riba has been described as a loan with the condition that the borrower will return to the lender more than and better than the quantity borrowed. Due to the trend of interest money is going from the poor to the rich, whereas the rich are supposed to give money to the poor. Consequently, the rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer. Islam completely prohibits interest as it clearly states in the Quran: â€Å"O you who believe, do not take interest, doubling and quadrupling, and keep your duty to Allah, so that you may proper.† Conclusion Overall, I feel that it is a fact of life that poverty exists and no being can deny this fact and say that there is no poverty in the world. As Allah has created poverty he has also created enough wealth to support the poor, and needy. Allah has gave wealth to some people and poverty to some both are a test from god, the one who is likely to succeed is the one who gives his extra wealth to the needy if he is wealthy or the one who is patient and keeps faith in god if he is poor. The system of usury has been introduced in to the world but Islam says whoever restrains from usury and earns and spends his wealth loyally to Islam and pays zakah will indeed succeed in the next life.   

Monday, September 16, 2019

Marketing of Service †Restaurant Chain Essay

With the rise in disposable income, dining outside has become a staple part of the modern world. This has been a phenomenon of most of the cities across the continent. The beautiful and pristine continent of Africa is no exception with the spurt of the cities and the settlements from the outside countries. An interesting cradle of development in the continent is the country of South Africa. As the standard of living of most South Africans has risen over the last decade, eating out has become a popular leisure activity. According to Statistics South Africa, restaurants and coffee shops are steadily growing their businesses year on year. Take-away also did well, with businesses growing at an annual rate of around 15%. These increases were in spite of rising interest rates. In recent years, this market has grown and more restaurants have opened – offering a wide variety and an improving quality of food. So, while the market offers plenty of opportunity for a small business, it also demands quality and preferably a special or different offering. We, at Golden Restaurants , in our explorations to roll out across the seas , couldn’t help overlook this burgeoning market. Hence, going ahead with our vision of taking our Flagship Restaurant Brand ‘The Golden Bowl’ to the International Market, we have thought of setting our eyes on the Africa’s , the beautiful South Africa to begin with . Being in the Indian Restaurant Market for quite sometime and having burnt our kitchens to serve clients from different classes , particularly , the rich and the creamy , we would like to conjure our expertise in positioning ourselves as a class apart and an amphitheatre for the Rich and the Super Rich Indian South Africans . This document provides a peek into the South African Indian Market and our strategy to market and promote the experience of Dining in a different way to the Rich Indian populace. Introduction Setting up a restaurant means first deciding what type of food to serve. South Africa has plenty of ‘traditional’ dishes of its own, and has long been a fertile market for cuisines from India, Italy, Greece, France, China and Japan. This exposure has grown in the last decade, and will continue as the country has become home to thousands from other African countries. Knowing our expertise in the Indian Cuisines, we plan to target High-earning individuals or families of the large Indian Diaspora with plenty of disposable income but not much time as well as dual-income family groups and the Flux of Indian Tourists to the country. Though there are a sizeable number of Indian Restaurants, around 40, located in the Indian strongholds like Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria catering to the different strata of the diaspora, we intend to focus ourselves on the niche rich segment and provide an enriching experience with differentiated Service Value Addition. We plan to start with Johannesburg, as our strategic location , it being a hotspot of Indian settlement and also one of the wealtiest cities of the country . We would like to offer our guests a dining experience like no other. A unique, interactive dining experience creating memorable moments with family and friends or the corporate honchos. From the time the first piece of bread is dipped and the last piece of dessert is savored, you’ll be graced with the time to discover new things about people you thought you knew. And, those you’re getting to know. The emphasis would be on the first impressions and the power of contrast, simplified but exhaustive dining, an engagement of the senses and a choreographed ambience. The pick of the cuisines of the four corners of India would be on offer and the Indian exotic feel would be the main forte. Indian Diaspora in South Africa The history of the Indian diaspora in South Africa is a fascinating saga of almost a hundred & forty years. Indian South Africans are people of Indian descent living in South Africa and mostly live in and around the city of Durban, making it ‘the largest ‘Indian’ city outside India’. Many Indians in South Africa are descendents of migrants from colonial India (South Asia) during late 19th-century through early 20th-century. At other times Indians were subsumed in the broader geographical category â€Å"Asians†, including persons originating in present-day Iran and parts of the small Chinese community. The modern South African Indian community is largely descended from Indians who arrived in South Africa from 1860 onwards. The first 342 of these came on board the Truro from Madras, followed by the Belvedere from Calcutta. They were transported as ndentured laborers to work on the sugarcane plantations of Natal Colony, and, in total, approximately 150,000 Indians arrived as indentured laborers over a period of 5 decades, later also as indentured coal miners and railway construction workers. The indentured laborers tended to speak Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, and the majority were Hindu with Christians and Muslims among them. The remaining Indian immigration was from passenger Indians, comprising traders, and others who migrated to South Africa shortly after the indentured labourers, paid for their own fares and travelled as British Subjects. These immigrant Indians who became traders were from varying religious backgrounds, some being Hindu and some being Muslims from Gujarat (including Memons and Surtis), later joined by Kokanis, and Urdu speakers from Uttar Pradesh. . There was also a significant number of Gujarati Hindus in this group. Indian traders were sometimes referred to as â€Å"Arab traders† because of their dress, as large numbers of them were Muslim. Passenger Indians, who initially operated in Durban, expanded inland, to the South African Republic (Transvaal), establishing communities in settlements on the main road between Johannesburg and Durban. Natal’s Indian traders rapidly displaced small white shop owners in trade with other Indians, and with black Africans, causing resentment among white businesses. | Population, Regional & Linguistic Distribution The South African Indian origin community currently numbers around 1. 15 million and constitutes about 2. 5% of South Africa’s total population of 45. 45 million. About 80% of the Indian community lives in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, about 15% in the Gauteng (previously Transvaal) area and the remaining 5% in the Cape Town area. In KwaZulu-Natal, the major concentration of the Indian population is in Durban. The largest concentrations of Indian settlement are at Chatsworth, Phoenix, Tongaat and Stanger in the Durban Coastal area, which covers approximately 500,000 of the Indian origin community. Pietermaritzburg – noted for its link with Mahatma Gandhi – has a community of approximately 200,000. Smaller inland towns in KwaZulu Natal such as Ladysmith, Newcastle, Dundee and Glencoe make up the bulk of the remaining Indian population. In the Gauteng area, the Indian community is largely concentrated around Lenasia outside Johannesburg and Laudium and other suburbs outside Pretoria. There are also smaller groups in towns in the Eastern Cape and other provinces. Settlement of Indian origin people in a particular area, as with other South African peoples, came about as a result of the Group Areas Act that forced racial division into particular designated areas. According to the figures provided by the Department of Education and Culture, in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, the linguistic break-up of the Indian community is as follows: Tamil 51%, Hindi 30%, Gujarati 7%, Telugu 6%, Urdu 5% and others 1%. Starting a restaurant in South Africa Product is a key element in the overall market offering. Marketing-mix planning begins with formulating an offering that brings value to target customers. This offering becomes the basis upon which the company builds profitable relationships with customers. A company’s market offering often includes both tangible goods and services. Each component can be a minor or a major part of the total offer. At one extreme, the offer may consist of a pure tangible good, such as soap. Toothpaste, or salt—no services accompanying the product. At the other extreme are pure services, for which the offer consists primarily of a service. Examples include a doctor’s exam or financial services. Between these two extremes, however, many goods-and-services combinations are possible, the best examples is â€Å"Restaurant†. A restaurant is an ideal case of a product meets services story and the success of the greater concept as a whole depends on the combined successes or excellence of the entire gamut of offerings right from the food served to the services rendered to the ambience offered. We are not just offering our core Product with an elite Service but we blend it with a rich dining experience, one that would linger on for quite sometime. Now that we have identified the country, learnt about the population and have good statistical information which support the opening of an Indian Restaurant in South Africa, let’s put on the Thinking Hat and do some Brainstorming like a marketers. We have the vast South African Market which is more or less a mixed kind of market with heterogeneous culture. So, at first we need to identify our target market and position our pro-ser-exp (product served in a unique manner to give an experience of lifetime) by the process of S. T. P (i. e. Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning)