Is Television a Good or Bad Influence? Essay

In the year of 1926 a man called John Lougie Baird had invented something that has become part of the day-to-day lifestyle of nearly everyone. He had successfully tested it in a laboratory in late 1925 and unveiled with much fanfare in London in early 1926, and later mechanical television was quickly usurped by electronical television. Over the years television has developed greatly, going from black and white to coloured and ranging greatly in size. From portable and hand held televisions to widescreen and flat widescreen televisions, there is a choice to suit everyone. The most recent additions to this can vary from VCR’s to DVD’s to play stations and other games consoles. Also there are numerous networks, which you can choose from, such as ITV digital, cable, sky digital, etc. In this world today, there are people out there that think television is fantastic and that there is nothing out there that could spoil a nice, quiet night in, with a nice warm cup of coffee with their feet up in front of the television while there are others who don’t feel so strongly. They would rather smash that cup of coffee off the television. If you think that’s very extreme, think again, because there are people today that think television is the worst invention ever. There are some people with a point of view that television is a good influence. They think this because they think that television teaches children to be creative which is shown in documentaries and educational programmes. Maybe so, but do these people realise that the more time they spend watching television, the more time they’re taking out of their own social life and the more closer they are to becoming addicted to it. Do they know that two out of three network prime time shows illustrate some sort of sexual situation or dilemma between a couple, according to a study released in February 1999, by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, showed that only three percent of sitcoms discussed any of the risks and responsibilities associated with sex drugs and violence. Do they also know that foul language has increased on these shows and words absent on television ten years ago are now cropping up in more commonly in the scripts of characters on soaps and on every network? Would you want your children to grow up using bad language as part of their everyday speech? No definitely not I would ponder, If you ask my opinion, I would say that yes, television does teach children to be creative, but not in a good sense. With television progressing at this rate and filling up with more violence, sex and strong language which is easily accessed, these circumstances can be avoided by ensuring that children take part in more sports such as football, swimming, running, cycling and lots of others and watch less television. Also do you think that a, elderly person would watch a film happily that consists of a lot of violence and strong language? Television could that very strong impact on the elderly if maybe they watch too much of it. It could deprive them of their social life and watching too much television could lead an old woman or man into a deep depression, which could have very serious and, maybe even fatal consequences such as laziness and lack of exercise. Other views are that television s a bad influence especially on the younger generation maybe because there is too much violence and bad language which could have an affect on them and also on older people as they may cause offence, Maybe people think that living in this world means you are inclined anyway to seeing and hearing all this violence and bad language. There are views that it keeps children out of trouble and other views that it discourages play in younger children but they think that they are better off keeping their children inside than letting them out all the time and having a better chance of getting into trouble. I personally think that television is a bad influence on people of all ages. Violence on television affects children negatively, according to psychological research. The three major effects of seeing violence on television are that children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, children may be more fearful of the world around them and children may be more likely to behave in aggressive ways towards others. It is a fact that the average American child will have watched one hundred thousand acts of television, including eight thousand depictions of murder, by the time he or she finishes sixth grade, which is approximately thirteen years old. If you think wall to wall violence on television has no effect, why would you imagine that one-minute adverts in the breaks do have an effect and may pursued you to buy something? We live in an era where both parents are often working and children have more unsupervised time they mainly use this time to watch television. It is necessary that time is made for the younger generation to keep up with their day to day experiences, including while they are at school, if they attend school. Studies have shown that children’s television shows contain about twenty violent acts each hour. They also showed that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place for cold and heartless people. In 1960, a man embarked on a landmark longitudinal study of over eight hundred eight-year-olds. He found that children who watched many hours of violent television tended to be more aggressive in the playground and the classroom. The same man checked back with these students eleven and twenty two years later. He found out that the aggressive eight-year-olds grew up to be aggressive nineteen-and thirty year-olds, with greater troubles – including domestic violence and more traffic tickets – than their less aggressive counterparts who did not watch as much television. And the researchers found that even if a child is not aggressive at the age of eight, but watches substantial amounts of violent programming, he or she tends to be more aggressive at nineteen than his or her peers who didn’t watch violent T.V. This just goes to show that television does have an affect on children at a young age, if not at that present time, and then it would take place in the future. Television also has effects on teenagers. A new study concludes that teenagers who watch more than an hour of television a day are more likely to be violent in later years. They are more likely to watch T.V if there is something on that interests them, no matter what the context, and most of these people have TV’s in their bedrooms which make it possible to watch TV to all hours, so their parents don’t have a say in what they watch really. Soaps like Coronation Street and Eastenders show young adults becoming pregnant and sometimes stealing cars and taking drugs and it all seems so easy and normal which could resort to some of these young adults taking part in doing these actions themselves and thinking that this is normal. For the elderly, television can most definitely have a bad influence. For example if an elderly woman sat and watched T.V all day, she could become sick, if she is not having her proper day to day exercise could lead to stiffness and aching joints. It could also cause stress if maybe a man seen the troubles in the news, such as the events of September 11th 2001 where two hijacked aircrafts were flew into the world trade centres of New York which caused the loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of the buildings themselves it could worry them and make them think that they should be out there doing something about it. That very day many people joined the US army as a result of television influencing them to do so. Also the United States are in another complication with Iraq over biological weapons the stories which are being stated on the news are very motivating and provoking and would make you feel that something has to be done about these problems. So television has become a bad influence to young children but also it has become a tool really for alerting the world of what is going but also advertising and provoking to adults and the elderly.

Human Development Paper Essay

The life span perspective of human development is made up of different theories of how a human develops from birth to death. Though there are many theories to show this there are only three that best explain human growth and development through the human life span. They are Psychoanalytic Theory, Social Learning Theory, and Cognitive theory. Psychoanalytic theory was originally develop by Sigmund Freud, who theorized that development occurred in five stages. The stages were characterized by sexual pleasure on a particular part of the body during each stage. The stages consisted of oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stage. The oral stages was thought to happen between birt-1year which consist of sensual pleasures of the lips, tongue, and gums, where baby are stimulated when feeding. The anal stage is thought to take place during 1-3 years. This consisted of sensual pleasure from the anus where babies are toilet trained. The phallic stage happens between years three trough six in which the sensual pleasure is the penis and girls wonder why they don’t have one. Latency is from six to eleven years in which it’s not considered a stage really but sexual need and desires have not quit formed so the child focuses on school and other things. Genital stage is thought to start in adolescents and carry on through the adulthood life. In this stage the child seeks out sexual pleasure and satisfaction. There are many environmental factors can effect theses stages of development. If the child lives in a third world country they may not have access to food and provisions as easily as other countries children do. This can affect how the child will trust others and whether or not the child will remain in a mode of survival instinct. The second theory is Social Learning Theory which was formed by Albert  Bandura. Albert Bandura theorized that humans learn by observe other people. This theory suggest that we model ourselves after the people we observe. Though perception of what is witnessed can be interpreted differently. Environment factors such as an abusive home environment could effect on how a child deals with aggression if a child witnesses a father hitting their mother they might in turn see themselves as their father and show more aggression towards others, or be very passive aggressive like the mother. As said earlier each child has their own interpretation of what they observe. The most famous theorist for Cognitive theory was Jean Piaget. The theory was believed that thought shaped are attitude, beliefs, and behaviors. James Piaget formed four stages which describe how human development occurs and changes with thought. The four stages are Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal operational. Sensorimotor takes place between birth and 2 years of age. In this stage the child develops their motor abilities and senses to better understand the world around them. The preoperational stage takes place between the ages of two and six years of age. During this stage the child thinks magically or egocentric causing the child to view the world from their own perspective. The concrete operational stage take place between the ages of six to eleven years of age. During this stage children apply logical operations to interpret their experiences. Their thinking is limited to what they can see, hear, feel and experience. Formal operational takes place from 12 years through adulthood. During this stage the adolescents and adults think about abstracts and hypothesis. During the different stages environmental effects can vary for instance a vacuum could be a dragon to a child in the preoperational stage. In conclusion the three stages that influence the life span of Human growth and development are Psychoanalytic Theory, Social Learning Theory, and Cognitive theory. Each one shows different views on how human development can take place. Each one has unique environmental aspects that can affect the growth and development of a human. Through these theories one can look back through someone’s development and understand what was effective in helping healthy development and what was ineffective or should be avoided to prevent unhealthy development.

Lean management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Lean management - Essay Example r strategy assists firms to get rid of the issues associated with excessive inventory, which is very common with the traditional make to stock strategy. Dell Computers is an example of a corporation that employs the MTO production strategy. The Assemble to Order (ATO) is also a business production strategy by which quick actions are taken on orders placed by customers, and these products are customizable to a certain extent. Under this production strategy, the basic parts of the products are already built but not assembled yet. Once the customer places an order, these parts are assembled quickly to deliver products that are customized to the buyer’s specifications. It is to be noted that the ATO strategy is a hybrid between the make-to-order strategy and the make-to-stock strategy. Finally, the Make to Stock (MTS) is a traditional business strategy used by organizations to match production with consumer demand forecasts. Under this strategy, particular stock levels are maintained to meet the forecasted demand levels. This business production strategy can be efficient only if the product demand is forecasted accurately. However, inaccurate demand forecasts would end up in financial losses resulting from excessive inventory or stockouts. Fleuren, H., Hertog, D & Kort, P. (2006). Operations Research Proceedings 2004: Selected Papers of the Annual International Conference of the German Operations Research Society. US: Springer Science & Business

Cultural Significance Associated with Interior Designs Essay

Cultural Significance Associated with Interior Designs - Essay Example It is the process of shaping the experience of interior space, through the manipulation of spatial volume as well as surface treatment. Interior design draws on aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, and product design in addition to traditional decoration. It is a creative practice analyzing programmatic information, establishes a conceptual direction, refines the design direction, and produces graphic communication and construction documents. The principle of interior design varies region to region as the difference of their cultural uniqueness. It intensely involves a strong belief system as part of the cultural significance that distinguishes its originality. Fang Sui in China, Vastu Shatra in India are live instances from the occidental nations while we can take the example of Gothic mode of aesthetics in design in western context. As interior design is closely associated with the field of Architecture, it is a blend of technological input in the flavor of aesthetics in the construction field. The quintessential aspect of interior design in case of cultural significance is the thematic expression of the graphic visualization. Interior designers may perform various activities, it primarily attaches to particular cult of tastes. Therefore, it cannot set a pattern of uniform principles as a profession. Its function includes research and analyzes client's goals and requirements, along with the developing the design documents, drawings and diagrams that outline those needs and to formulate the preliminary space plans and the two- and three-dimensional design concept studies and sketches that integrate the client's needs based on knowledge of interior design principles and theories of human behavior. It further focuses the conformity of preliminary space plans and design concepts are considered safe, functional, aesthetically appropriate, in addition to confirming that these elements meet all public health, safety and welfare requirements, including code, accessibility, environmental and sustainability guidelines. Among the priority of this job, we need to select colors, materials and finish the design concept to meet socio-psychological, functional, maintenance, life-cycle performance, environmental and safety requirements. The furniture, fixtures, equipment and millwork that are aligned with the design concept, including layout drawings and detailed product description are in need to collaborate with allied design professionals. They provide additional consulting services for the design project, including, but not limited to, architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers, in addition to various specialty consultants retained for the design project. Hence, there lies the integration of Interior Design as an independent discipline in the academics. SPECIALIZATION IN INTERIOR DESIGNING Interior designers can specialize in a particular interior design discipline, such as residential and commercial design, with some developing expertise within a niche design area such as

Sickle cell anemia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sickle cell anemia - Research Paper Example This paper briefly analyses various characteristics of Sickle cell anemia. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Anemia is a condition in which the number of red cells in blood decreases beyond certain limits. It can occur because of lack of hemoglobin and defective functioning of hemoglobin. Sickle cells contain sickle hemoglobin or hemoglobin S which is causing Sickle cell anemia. The changes in the shape of red blood cells are referred as sickling in medical terms. Sickle shaped means the shaping of red blood cells in the form of a crescent. Normally blood cells are disc shaped and therefore it can move quickly through the blood. However, when it attains the shape of a crescent, mobility of these cells would be decreased. (Kids health: Sickle Cell Anemia, 2011) Sickling can affect the normal functioning of the cells in different ways. It can reduce the flexibility of the cells and thereby various complications can occur to the patient. Life expectancy of the Sickle cell anemia patients has found to be comparatively lower to that of the normal people. Sickle cell anemia is usually appearing at the childhood itself. In areas where malaria is common, Sickle cell anemia found to be more common. In other words, a connection between Sickle cell anemia and malaria cannot be ruled out. ... It should be noted that normal life span of red blood cells is about 120 days. If red cells die within 10 to 20 days from its production, it is evident that the normal number of red cells cannot be sustained in blood. It is difficult for bone marrow to supply enough red cells based on the demand created by the untimely death of red cells. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS If both parents have the sickle cell trait, the chance that a child will have sickle cell disease is 25%. If one parent is carrying the trait and the other actually has disease, the odds increase to 50% that their child will inherit the disease (Sickle cell anemia: patient education, 2011) Sickle cell anemia normally occurs when a child gets two sickle cell genes from his parents. If the child gets the defective gene or hemoglobin from one parent and normal hemoglobin from the other parent, he may develop sickle cell trait. However, such people may not show the symptoms of this disease. Symptoms of Sickle cell anemia may not appear until a child becomes four months old. Unusual pain lasting from hours to days is the major symptom of Sickle cell anemia. In some cases, the pain might be extended for many years. Pain can affect the entire body. â€Å"Abdominal pain, Bone pain, Breathlessness, Delayed growth and puberty, Fatigue, Fever, Paleness, Rapid heart rate, Ulcers on the lower legs, jaundice, Chest pain, Excessive thirst, Frequent urination, Painful and prolonged erection, Poor eyesight, Strokes, Skin ulcers† (Sickle cell anemia, 2011) etc are the major symptoms of Sickle cell anemia. DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA â€Å"Complete blood count (CBC) test, Hemoglobin electrophoresis, Sickle cell test† (Sickle cell anemia, 2011) etc are some of the

Dangerous Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dangerous Method - Essay Example Conclusion 5. Work cited Dangerous Method Introduction Dangerous Method is a historical movie based on a non-fiction book â€Å"A Most Dangerous Method† written by Kerr John in 1993. It is a drama by genre, produced and directed by David Cronenberg in 2011. Christopher Hampton adapted the screenplay from his stage play, The Talking Cure cast in 2002. The starring of the movie includes Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Vigo Mortensen, and Vincent Cassel. The movie is an early 20th century story, and the storyline revolves around Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung, Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein,Vigo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud, Vincent Cassel as Otto Gross and Sarah Gadon as Emmah Jung. A Dangerous method is a movie based on a book. In relation to three books, this paper will present how the passionate relationship Carl Jung had with Sigmund Freud eventually resulted to psychoanalysis. Movie overview In the movie Sabina Spielren is a young woman from Russia, who suffers fro m hysteria related to psychological problems. The woman had experienced a difficult past and her psychological problems link to her childhood where she had a violent father. The young woman is however, highly ambitious and intelligent and aspires to be a Doctor and a psychiatrist in the future. On arrival in Switzerland from Russia, Dr. Carl Jung based in a Zurich hospital takes her in and hospitalizes her (Kerr 14). Dr Jung has just started using a talking cure method of dealing with psychological problems, designed by Dr Sigmund Freud. He decides to use it on Sabina. Freud becomes Jung’s mentor, and they develop a father-son relationship. Freud is proud of Jung and sees him as a likely successor of his work. With time as Dr Jung talks to Sabina, he discovers that her condition associates with her childhood experiences with her father. As a child, she felt humiliated and sexual aroused when her short-tempered father took off all her clothes and spanked her. Her mother was al so unfaithful to her father, and she felt her father’s abuse was a way to release her anger (Freud 25). The knowledge that she did not deserve such a punishment, together with the abuse that humiliated her, worsened her condition. Doctor Jung also discovers that Sabina comes from an affluent Jewish family in Russia, which managed to educate her well. Sabina has ambitions to study medicine and become a psychiatric doctor. The head of hospital together with Dr Jung recognize her intelligence, and allow her to use their equipments to learn. She assists them in experiments on psychoanalysis and learns a lot about psychological problems (Kerr 32). As Sabina’s awareness becomes sharp, Dr Jung finds a liking for her and sees her as a kind person who has a unique perspective in life. The two get attracted to each other, and as the attraction grows, Dr Jung finds it difficult to resist the idea of having an affair with a patient. He also sees it as breaking of medical taboos, w hich condemn the act of having sex with a patient. Dr. Jung is a married to an aristocratic wife, Emmah Jung, and he is guilty but devoted to her at the same time. Eventually they fall in love and Sabina loses her virginity to Dr Jung. In their affair, Jung starts the habit of spanking Sabina. They become so close to each other, and Dr Jung becomes an advisor to her dissertation. As time goes by, Dr. Jung and Dr. Freud disagree and become rivals. Dr. Jung’s comments that the talking cure can only detect the psychological problem and not cure it, fuels this rivalry. Dr Jung names the method psychoanalysis, but Freud thinks that using O to make it psychoanalysis is better (Kerr 64). Finally, Dr Jung attempts to break off from the relationship and decides to revert it to the

Dramatic action, genres and styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dramatic action, genres and styles - Essay Example Lewis is more interested in the experiences people had with guns more than she is about political attitude people show towards them. The set is moderate just a work area, a light, and a seat enhance the stage. A couple of picture casings are taken out of a cardboard box every now and then, and an upstage entryway is marginally aired out, giving a fragment of light. That ever-so-slight light from the entryway is unpleasant and feels typical of discovering light toward the end of a dull passage. Maybe that is the proposition: to infer trust for Lewis that she may inevitably be free from her individual story of enthusiasm and melancholy. On the other hand maybe it holds a more noteworthy centrality: to recommend that despite the fact that the voices of those on the far left and far right of weapon control laws are the voices that are frequently noted, the individuals who are in the middle of the lions share may can some way or another be heard and arrangements can be found. Villa unmistakably presents Lewis words, â€Å"We have a problem with guns in America.† The issue is we ridiculously like them." Like the m, abhor them, or feel some place in the middle of, weapon control is an issue that has more than one side. With a second demonstration that permits the gathering of people to impart their musings and stories, this show is encouraging a quite required dialog. During the climax of the play, Lewis does reveal how it is a fascinating and frequently excruciating adventure through gun culture — an anodyne expression that covers the numerous shades of subtlety in how Americans feel about firearms. The vicinity of Lewis herself and our dawning acknowledgment of exactly how difficult some of these stories will be, joined with Villas pliable (yet frequently funny) persona as the course for one ladys existence with weapons includes a passionate measurement that I think wouldnt be there without both of

Case study Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study Example Question 8: What did Rein A J regard in an eBay auction as the equivalent of the fall of the hammer in a traditional auction; and what is the significance of each (2 marks) The fall of the hammer in a traditional auction is complete when the auctioneer announces its completion by the fall of the hammer or in other customary manner-and until any such announcement is made any bidder may retract his or her bid. The equivalent of the fall of the hammer in an eBay auction is the automatic close of bidding at a fixed time and the generation of an eBay advice headed "won" appear to have been accepted by the parties to an eBay auction. Question 9: Why was an order for specific performance of the contract appropriate in this case (2 marks) An order for specific performance of the contract was appropriate because of two reasons: 1) the Wirraway was not at the time in flying condition, and 2) the plane was in a hangar owned by a third party. Question 10: Why was the final order not made in this hearing (1 mark) It was ruled that a binding contract was formed between the plaintiff3 and the defendant4 and that it should be specifically enforced.5 Further, the two parties would be given a chance to reach agreement on the precise nature of the agreement. Question 11: Why was the matter heard in the Supreme Court (4 marks) This matter was heard in the Supreme Court because the defendant kept appealing to higher courts when the decisions in lower courts were against him (i.e., not in his favour). TOTAL 30 Marks Course Profile for: LAWS11030, 2009 Term Two - Page 7 Part B McMuffins Ltd is a fast food company. Yesterday, before work had started, an argument arose between three kitchen hands: Tom, Dick and Harry. Over the weekend, Tom had offered to sell his... An order for specific performance of the contract was appropriate because of two reasons: 1) the Wirraway was not at the time in flying condition, and 2) the plane was in a hangar owned by a third party. It was ruled that a binding contract was formed between the plaintiff3 and the defendant4 and that it should be specifically enforced.5 Further, the two parties would be given a chance to reach agreement on the precise nature of the agreement. McMuffins Ltd is a fast food company. Yesterday, before work had started, an argument arose between three kitchen hands: Tom, Dick and Harry. Over the weekend, Tom had offered to sell his motorbike to Dick for $5000. Dick said this was far too much but he would pay $4000. Tom refused. Before Tom left for work this morning Dick phoned to say he would buy the motorbike for $5000 but Tom said he had already sold it to Harry for $4,500. It was not a good day for Dick: he was one of the six employees of McMuffins Ltd that

General Muslim Religion Essay Example for Free

General Muslim Religion Essay Islam is the world’s second great monotheistic religion (Armstrong, 2002). Islam, an Arabic word, comes from a root word meaning commitment or surrender: hence the foundation of Islam is submission to the will of the Only God, Allah. The word ‘Muslim’ also itself means ‘one who lives his life according to Allah’s will (Esposito, 2002). Allah also has laid down the five pillars of foundations of Islam which are: 1. Confession of faith (shahada): the basic idea of Islam which is submission to Allah’s will 2. Prayer (salat): An exercise done five times daily to remember Allah’s influence in a Muslim’s life 3. Fasting (Roza): In the month of Ramadan for a month 4. Almsgiving (Zakat): Annually by rich Muslims at the rate of 21/2% of wealth 5. Pilgrimage (hajj): Once in a lifetime What holidays or events are important to your religion and why? The Muslims follow the Islamic calendar which is based on the position of the moon and their holidays fall accordingly to it. This includes 1. New Year which for them is the first day of Hijra (migration) when we celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s departure from Mecca to Medina in AD622 2. 12th Rabi-ul-awwal that is the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) 3. Shab-e-Baraat (night of forgiveness): In preparation of Ramadan, Muslims seek to forgive old grievances against each other and beg for mercy from their Lord 4. Lailat-ul-Qadr (night of power) when the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet. It takes place on the 27th of Ramadan. 5. Eid-ul-Fitr which takes place after Ramadan and is like Christmas to the Muslims 6. Hajj: The pilgrimage which constitutes the fifth pillar of Islam is one of the most important events in the Muslim calendar and takes place in the month of Hajj 7. Eid-ul-Azha: Another Christmas type celebration which celebrates the end of the Meccan pilgrimage and animal sacrifices are made during the three days How does your group handle conflict? What are some examples of conflict? If there are criminal or family conflicts, they can be resolved through Islamic courts which decide the cases according to Shariah or the Islamic law. These are practiced in almost al Muslim countries though such Shariah courts are disallowed in western countries and over there Muslims must follow the law of the country they are residents of. One of Britain’s MPs recently suggested that Shariah courts be allowed in Britain also but this created uproar by non-Muslims who were afraid of Islamization. Other then that, if the solution of an issue is not mentioned in the Quran or its explanation is murky, knowledgeable Islamic scholars gather together to find an answer to a certain problem and it then becomes a rule of the Shariah. This practice has been prescribed by Allah to keep Islam updated with emerging problems in this fast changing world. What is the focus of your religion? The focus of Islam for Muslims is again submission to Allah’s will. This can be done through reading, understanding and following the word of God, which Muslims believe to be the Holy Quran. They should also follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) called the Sunnah and only then can they live the life of a true and complete Muslim. For the Western world though, the focus of Islam has always been its fascist beliefs and what they consider to be its outdated traditions, not understanding that there is only a minority of Muslims who distort the name of Islam by interpreting it so harshly. Who are your current leaders? Who are leaders of the past? Like most religions, Muslims have also had pious men of God lead them by example. There have been a total of 124000 prophets sent by Allah though the Quran only mentions 25 of them. The first prophet was Hazrat Adam and the final and undoubtedly the greatest prophet was our last prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Allah revealed in the Quran that no more prophets shall come after the Holy Prophet (PBUH). After the prophets, came numerous Caliphs or religious leaders. Currently, tough there are learned Islamic scholars in the Muslim world; there are no leader as such. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the words of Allah was the Seal of the Prophets. How do your members participate and what is expected? All Muslim males are required to congregate in a mosque for the five daily prayers, especially the afternoon Friday prayers (Clark, 2003). For Muslim women, assembly in mosques is not mandatory. Other then that, all Muslims are required to uphold the basic principles of Islam by fulfilling all their obligations. Are there any special requirements, such as fasting, personal sacrifice? Fasting is the third pillar of Islam and without fasting, a Muslim is incomplete. It is prescribed for Muslims in the form of a month long abstinence from food and drink, accompanied by intense devotional activity. Physical relations and swear words are also prohibited to be performed or uttered. Similarly, smoking, losing temper, telling lies and all negative activities are also discouraged. Fasting, as is made clear by Allah, is not to be taken as self torture but mainly a way for Muslims to learn about patience, fortitude and self sacrifice and also to realize the plight of the needy and poor. During Eid-ul-Azha, Muslims are also required to sacrifice goats in God’s way and share the meat with the poor. Where do you see your religion in 25 years? What changes have occurred recently? Keeping in mind the fast growing popularity of Islam, I see Islam in 25 years, as the world’s largest religion. This is because as the concept of religion is dying in the west and more churches are being converted to museums and restaurants, Muslims, now more than ever are embracing their faith with a greater fervency and non-Muslims are also converting to Islam which they accept as a complete way of life and not just a religion. Muslims have now grown more receptive to Western ideas and Ijtehad or consensus helps keep Islam updated with the modern world. How has the modern world changed the direction and or movement of your religion? The recent of War on Terror, which often tends to depict Islam as a rigid and extremist religion has resulted in more Muslims delving deeper to understand their religion (Lewis, 2004). This has led to increased knowledge of Islam and a growing number of Muslims defending their faith as actually a very flexible one. My religion’s name has been besmirched by a few misguided individuals who believe suicide bombings and terrorist activities are completely acceptable in the eyes of God which is not at all the case. Islam’s very basis is peace. Are there any other validated forms of the religion practiced? What are some of the factors that have contributed to changes in ideas or customs? The Muslim sect is predominantly divided into Sunnis (around 80%) and Shiahs. The major difference between them is the way in which divine guidance is discovered. Sunni Muslims take their stand on the consensus of the community making known the Sunna (Holy Prophet’s example) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Shiah Muslims look instead to inspired teachers and Imams who are descendents of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Other sects include the Aghakhanis who are followers of the Aga Khan who considers himself a spiritual leader sent by God. His followers believe the five pillars of Islam to be non-mandatory, preferring to give charity to the poor instead. They don’t share the Muslim taboo associated with drinking. Many believe theses changes have occurred due to undue influence of the West. Other sects are the Qadianis and Bohris. Conclusion Muslims all over the world follows a religion known as Islam which is a monotheistic religion. The word Islam means to submit oneself to god. There are almost 2 billion Muslims around the world practicing the teaching of Islam making it the second largest religion of the world. The follows the teachings of Prophet Mohammad on whom a holy book Quran was revealed. The faith of a Muslim is based on five pillars of Islam that are tauheed, salaat, zakat, hajj, and fasting. References Book Armstrong. (2002). Islam: A Short History. Esposito, J. L. (2002). What everyone needs to Know about Islam. Clark. (2003). Islam for Dummies. Lewis. (2004). The Crisis of Islam.

Absalom Absalom and Love Essay Example for Free

Absalom Absalom and Love Essay Many of the novels we have read this semester contain prevailing themes that provide insight into American society. One of these themes that we have closely examined throughout the semester is a person’s right to love. Love is undoubtedly a powerful force in one’s life. As we have seen through our readings, however, this force is often obstructed by the need to conform to social standards. Whether or not a couple is ALLOWED to be in love says a lot about what is socially acceptable for that particular area and time period. Although love is technically a right given to all, American Literature shows how it is often denied by social standards and therefore ceases to exist. William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! tells Rosa Coldfield’s version of how Thomas Sutpen was the demise of her and her family. As the story progresses, it becomes known that Thomas’s son, Henry, kills Charles Bon to prevent him from marrying his sister, Judith. One would infer that Henry’s reason for his desperate need to prevent their marriage was because Charles was their half-brother, and therefore their marriage would be considered incest. We come to find out, however, that this is not exactly the case. In Chapter 8, in response to whether or not Judith will marry Bon she says â€Å"Yes. I have decided. Brother or not, I have decided. I will. I will (283). † As the chapter progresses, however, Quentin and Shreve accept that â€Å"it’s the miscegenation, not the incest, which (they) can’t bear (285). †In this case, two socially unaccepted taboos prevent Judith from pursuing her relationship with Bon. The fact that it is worse in the eyes of her family that Judith may be marrying a man with black blood than a man who is her relative, however, says a lot about how strong racial prejudices were in the south during the 1800s. Judith’s right to love Bon is forcefully obstructed by social norms, and is a perfect example of Southern culture during that time period. Another instance of love being obstructed by social standards is seen in F.  Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, a resident of West Egg and a symbol of new wealth, falls in love with Daisy, a resident of East Egg and a symbol of established wealth. Daisy and her husband, Tom, are described to have lived in â€Å"†¦a rather distinguished secret society (17)† to which members of old money had often tried and failed to become a part of. Throughout the novel, it is clear that Daisy had married Tom for his â€Å"†¦person and his position (151)† rather than for love. Yet when Daisy finally accepts that she had never loved Tom and was currently in love with Gatsby, the class divides remain too prevalent for her to pursue a relationship with Gatsby. Tom quotes â€Å" Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white (130). † From this quote and the happenings throughout the novel, the force obstructing the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy is the social condemnation of new money marrying old money. The Great Gatsby shows how in our society, is often difficult for people of different economic backgrounds to pursue a relationship. T. S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is an examination of a typical man’s psychological struggle to express himself emotionally and conform to social standards. Throughout the poem, the narrator shows insecurity in almost everything he does, fearing that his moves will be frowned upon. He says â€Å"There will be time, there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet† and often asks â€Å"Do I dare?  Ã¢â‚¬  and thinks about what â€Å"they will say. † His insecurity prevails in an encounter with what seems to be a woman he loves. He seems afraid that the woman will deny him because of his balding hair and thin composure, and thinks about what he should say in order to impress the woman; â€Å"And how should I then presume? How should I begin? † In the end the narrator concludes that â€Å" It is impossible to say just what I mean,† and he drifts into a fairytale by the sea until â€Å"human voice wake us, and we drown. † Eliot’s poem is an example of a man’s love for a woman being obstructed by his own need to conform to what is socially acceptable of a man. He refuses to open up and share with the woman his feelings in fear that he will be mocked and denied. â€Å"The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock† shows the struggles of maintaining masculinity, and the fear a man has of loosing his composure. While the last stories had similar circumstances and outcomes, love doesn’t always have to be between a man and a woman, and social norms aren’t always successful at obstructing love’s powerful force. In Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, the love shared between Huck and Jim leads to a powerful revelation in Huck’s life and a groundbreaking relationship considering the South’s intrusive social standards. When Huck begins his journey with Jim, he is overcome by an instilled guilt for assisting in the runaway of Miss Watson’s slave. Huck says â€Å" It would get all around, Huck Finn helped a nigger get to his freedom; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame (226). †As their adventure progresses, however, Huck begins to realize how much he enjoys Jim’s company, slave or not; â€Å" But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him, just the other kind (227). † Huck struggles internally with this realization, but cannot get over the feeling in his heart telling him to keep Jim around. Finally, Huck decides that he would not turn in Jim, and that he would go to Hell if that were what it meant. In this instance, Huck valiantly goes against what is socially acceptable, and the force of love prevails. Huck and Jim remain friends even though it is extremely frowned upon. Although love is a freedom, one can see how easily and often this freedom is taken away due to what is acceptable in the eyes of others. The circumstances involved in the obstruction of love shows a lot about the society in which these characters live, and the values held by the people who lived there.