Imperial Structures of Egypt and Israel Essay Example for Free

Imperial Structures of Egypt and Israel Essay AP World History Comparative Essay: Imperial Structures of Egypt and Israel The richness and consistency of the annual Nile River flood, combined with isolation due to the deserts of the east and west, are leading factors into why Egypt is one of the world’s great civilizations. On the other hand, Israel’s strategic location has played an important role in world history, despite its small size and lack of resources. Although the imperial structures of Ancient Egypt and Israel have historical similarities in political and social hierarchy such as a monarchic systems of government and grave respect for their women, they have distinct differences that distinguish them from each other such as religion and their beliefs. In political hierarchies, both Ancient Egypt and Imperial Israel relied on their monarchy to maintain order within their civilizations. Egypt’s growing population led to a more complex political organization, making imperial structures way more complex also. The political hierarchy of Egypt consisted of a Divine Kingship, where the kings were called pharaohs, which is another word for â€Å"palace†. Israel’s political structures and strategies were remarkably similar to the agrarian state of Egypt which was ruled by an elite. A religious leader by the name of Samuel recognized the need for a strong central authority so he anointed a man by the name of Saul to become the first king of Israel. Israel and Egypt both had a monarchy that was respected within their civilization. Although women were not permitted to inherit property or initiate a divorce in Israel, they were greatly respected and had a strong influence over their husbands and the imperial structures that made up their community. In social hierarchy, both the women of Egypt and Israel were an essential part of the civilization. In Egypt women could indeed own and inherit property and dissolve their relationship if they pleased to do so. In both civilizations the women were treated with respect and played significant roles that impacted everyone. The women were like the trustworthy consultant to their partner, no matter the legal rights and social freedom granted. Israel and Egypt have distinct differences in their belief system. Egypt was polytheistic, believing in many gods diverse in origin and nature. The gods were depicted with animal heads and others with human bodies. The Egyptians also believed in the afterlife and that everything was a recurring cycle. This very reason is why the Egyptians created sacred tombs for their deceased deities. They would place the belongings of the deceased in the tombs with them in belief that they would need it in the afterlife. In contrast, Israel is monotheistic, believing in a single divine entity. The Israelites were forced to migrate to Egypt due to famine in Canaan. When they arrived they were captured and enslaved. They were later led out of captivity by Moses, an Israelite with connections to the Egyptian royal family. Moses persuaded the pharaoh to release his people and he let them go. During their migration back it is recorded that the Israelites entered into a pact with their god, Yahweh. Yahweh promised the Israelites that they would be his â€Å"Chosen People† if they promised to worship him exclusively. This is why the Israelites believe in only one god. With that being said, the imperial structures of Ancient Egypt and Israel were indeed very much alike and made up of similar components. Each society respected and valued their women and had productive imperial structures such as their sophisticated systems of government. Even after being enslaved in Egypt and conjoined with the Egyptians and their religious views many of the people found a way to stay true to their one god and kept their faith after being exposed to the Egyptians many goddesses and gods and that is what I love most about the Israelites.

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Functionalist And Conflict Theory Sociology Essay

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Functionalist And Conflict Theory Sociology Essay Social and cultural theories are often used when studying and applying knowledge to sports. The theories in society often provide a framework for asking research questions, interpreting information and being able to uncover the deeper meanings and stories that are associated with sports, they also enable citizens in the society to become more informed so that we can apply what we have learned from the research and being able to apply it in the world that we live in. Theories also enable people to see things in new angles and perspectives and give us the ability to make informed decisions about sports and how sports participation can be used in our lives, communities, families and societies. The six main theories used in sport have many points and can overlap with each other but only two are going to be discussed in this study. The two theories chosen to compare are functionalist theory and conflict theory. Functionalist theory is a macro sociological theory that is based on the characteristics of social patterns, structures, social systems and institutions such as family, education, religion, leisure, the economy, media, politics and sport. If all these social institutions are organized and co-operate with one another around a set of core values functionalist theorists assume that the entire social system will function properly and efficiently. Society in functionalism has a view that it is an organized system of interrelated parts that are held together by shared values and established social arrangements that help maintain the system in being in a state of equilibrium and balance. When sociologists use functionalist theory they split it into two parts, the first concept of interdependent parts is all of the social institutions (media, religion, sports, politics and economics) and how they are linked together. In the tradition of Talcott Parsons and his conception of functional imperatives (goal attainment, adaptation, latency and integration) functionalists argue that there are four basic system needs for any society in sports (team, clubs etc) to run smoothly and that everyone will benefit. The four principles are Adaptation In order to survive in a society it is essential that members learn to adapt to changes in the social structure and culture. Another important element to survival is the emphasis on being physically fit as it is required for most sports. Goal Attainment This is the motivation of individuals to achieve societys goals through socially accepted means. Sport is preoccupied with tracking the success and failures of its participants however it also teaches participants that if they work hard enough it will lead to victory meaning success. Integration Sport promotes social connections between people and gives them the opportunity to co-operate with each other in a group and a community. It also provides a feeling of social identification as well as a source of personal identity. The society must keep itself together. Latency (pattern maintenance and tension management) Each system must maintain itself in a possible state of equilibrium for as long as it can without any outside disruptive influences. Many forms of pattern maintenance are provided by sport primarily through participation where the participants are taught to accept an authority structure that is well defined for example athletes knowing that referees have the authority over them to make sure they stick to the rules of the sport. Functionalist theory in sport generally leads to the conclusion that it is popular in society because it can maintain the values of character that help to preserve stability and order in social life. Functionalist theory also supports sporting policies that help and recommend the growth of competitive sport programmes, developing coaching education programmes, in the case of youth sport there is an establishment on criminal bureau checks and qualification checks on coaches before working with younger children. The theory also supports the establishment of training centres for elite athletes so they can maintain their top-level performance and making sure to have increased surveillance and drug testing so they are able to supervise and control the actions of athletes by preventing those taking drugs so they cant cheat their way to attaining a better sporting performance. People in society who have positions of power tend to favour functionalist theory as it is based on the assumption that society is organised for benefiting the people in that society of equality and that in any dramatic way it should not be changed. While functionalist theory is a popular approach it does have some weaknesses. The weaknesses of functionalist theory is that it tends to lead to exaggerated accounts of positive consequences of sports and sports participation however it mistakenly assumes that there are no conflicts of interests between the different citizen groups in society such as women, people with disabilities, racial groups and people who are economically poor in society yet it doesnt recognise that sport can privilege or disadvantage people more than others. The theory also ignores the powerful historical and economic factors that have influenced social events and social relationships. Functionalist theory is centered on the idea that there is a consensus in the values and norms of society and that social institutions found within a society are integrated and function together. In contrast conflict theory looks at the role of power and the inequality found throughout society and how sport is shaped by these economic forces and used by people with economical power to increase their influence and wealth. Conflict theory is based on the ideas of Karl Marx (1818 1883) which rose to importance during the 1970s because of the growing disenchantment with functionalist theory. This theory of Karl Marx views sports as being built on the foundations of economic power. In societys that are capitalistic you see that relationships and social arrangements are organised around wealth, money and economic power for example in the United States its easy to point out the owners of the sport teams as they are benefiting financially from the expense of elite athletes, the coaches that work alongside the athletes and the spectators who watch the sport. Like functionalist theory conflict theory is based on the assumption that society is like a social system however conflict theory focuses on the needs of capital rather than the general system needs. Theorists of conflict theory explain that a society which is capitalist will not be able to survive and grow without exploiting any workers for the sake of boosting financial profits; they also suggest that if radical changes are to be concluded in sport and society by prevailing justice and fairness they need to identify the negative consequences that sport has. Once these changes are made sport will become a source of creative energy, expression and physical well-being. People who live in capitalist economies are generally not comfortable with the assumptions and conclusions of conflict theory because they say it has a negative effect and does not fit into their ideas about society and sport as they feel uneasy with the conclusions of calling for radical change in the current organisat ion and structure that they already have. Much of conflict theory is directed at sports which are dominated by spectators. Conflict theorists if they had the choice they would increase the control that athletes and other sporting participants have to promote sport at local community level so that it benefits all classes of people rather than just all elite athletes. Meaning the working class would have more influence of sport than the rich class giving them more motivation for participation and eliminating profits. Many conflict theorists favour players unions that confront pro-team owners and are supporting organisations that help to guard against public tax money being used to benefit wealthy people. Ideally any public resources would be used to help aid sponsoring sports that are designed to improve physical fitness, political awareness and include placing the element of fun into activities. Conflict theorists (Leonard 1980; Rigauer2004) would also campaign for athletes at all levels to have representation with making dec isions about sport in organisations so Olympians would be able to vote on policy questions that concerned the staging of the Olympic Games. Conflict theory also has three major weaknesses. The first weakness is that the theory tends to ignore the possibility that sport in capitalist societies can and may involve experiences that give individuals and groups power. Conflict theorists talk about how sport is organised to maximise the control that wealthy people have over other members in a capitalist society. The conflict theory approach doesnt acknowledge that sport can take many forms of serving interests in the have-not society and denies that any participation in sport can be a personal creative and liberating experience that will inspire members of society to make economic changes that will help to promote equality in exiting capitalist societies. Secondly conflict theory ignores the importance of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age and many other factors when it comes to explaining how people want to identify themselves, how they relate to other members in the society and how they organise the social world in whi ch they live. Often its leading people to overlook the possibility that inequalities and power in any society are based on factors other than economic and social class differences. Thirdly the theory assumes that all aspects of social life are determined economically and is shaped by the needs of having capital in society and profit motive. Theorists of conflict theory focus on the assumptions that of economic factors when studying sport however they tend to overlook participation and recreational port for healthy living. Functionalist theory and conflict theory both focus on the needs of society and how sport can relate to the satisfaction of the system needs. The theories dont inform us about sport in everyday life and the ways in which people are active agents who are participating in the processes of sports and societies that are organised and changed. They both also ignore that sport and social constructions emerge in peoples everyday life when they struggle to decide what is important and how they are going to collect organisation in their lives.

Feminism in Jane Austen Essay -- essays research papers

Feminism in Jane Austen "I often wonder how you can find time for what you do, in addition to the care of the house; and how good Mrs. West could have written such books and collected so many hard works, with all her family cares, is still more a matter of astonishment! Composition seems to me impossible with a head full of joints of mutton and doses of rhubarb." -- Jane Austen, letter of September 8 1816 to Cassandra "I will only add in justice to men, that though to the larger and more trifling part of the sex, imbecility in females is a great enhancement of their personal charms, there is a portion of them too reasonable and too well informed themselves to desire any thing more in woman than ignorance." -- Northanger Abbey "...when a young lady professes to be of a different opinion from her friends, it is only a prelude to something worse. -- She begins by saying that she is determined to think for herself, and she is determined to act for herself -- and then it is all over with her" -- the character of Mrs. Stanhope in chapter 6 of Maria Edgeworth's Belinda [Here basically "friends"="family"] Jane Austen a feminist? That has not been the traditional view (in 1870, Anthony Trollope declared that "Throughout all her works, a sweet lesson of homely household womanly virtue is ever being taught"), but once the question has been asked (which it was not, until relatively recently), it is not hard to see some feminist tendencies. Of course, Jane Austen is not a simple ideologue -- when a character in a Jane Austen novel makes a broad statement that seems to stand up for women in general, this is actually usually done by an unsympathetic character (such as Isabella Thorpe in Northanger Abbey or Mrs. Elton in Emma), and is not meant to be taken seriously. In Pride and Prejudice the main example is Caroline Bingley's statement to Darcy that "Eliza Bennet is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own, and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art." Here Caroline Bingley is "undervaluing" Elizabeth, and Darcy sees through her easily. Conversely, Henry Tilney's teasing remarks on the subject of women during the walk from Bath to Beechen Cliff in Northanger Abbey are no... ...in my life which had not something to say upon woman's inconstancy. ... But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men." Anne Elliot: "Perhaps I shall. -- Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything." Northanger Abbey not only contains the "Defence of the Novel", but what has seemed to me to be a strong statement -- Catherine Morland's faux-naà ¯f declaration: "But history, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in... I read it a little as a duty, but it tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page; the men so good-for-nothing, and hardly any women at all -- it is very tiresome." Here the last sentence is as succinct a summary as one could wish of the objections of feminist historiography, social history, and/or the Annales school to the traditional "Great Man" theory of history. (See also Jane Austen's own farcical History of England.)

Newborn Dried Blood Spot Screening (NBS) Essay -- Newborn screening p

Introduction Newborn Dried Blood Spot Screening (NBS) is the most widespread application of screening technology to identify infants with certain genetic, metabolic, and endocrine disorders. Several drops of blood are taken from the baby’s heel and placed on a ï ¬ lter paper card. Many countries are considering the expansion of their new- born bloodspot screening programs. As a public health intervention, NBS has greatly improved the lives of thousands of affected children. Yet despite the fact that newborn screening has saved the lives of thousands of children and help many more from lasting disability, previous experience has shown that screening can be costly and cause a-dverse psychological effects, such as anxiety, stress, guilt, social stigma, reduced self-esteem, and social, insurance and employment discrimination. Specifically concerning children, a request for screening creates legal concerns and raises ethical questions for the health care provider. In this review, we highligh t the major ethical and social challenges currently facing each facet of newborn screening. Background : Newborn screening (NBS) tests have been designed to identify infants with severe disorders that are relatively prevalent and treatable (or controllable) and it consists of taking a few drops of blood from a baby’s heel in the first week of life and testing it for a list of disorders. Newborn screening began In the United States and most countries in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s after Dr. Robert Guthrie developed a simple blood test for phenylketonuria (PKU) ( Baily & H. Murray, 2008). PKU leads to mental retardation, but can be effectively treated by early detection and continued adherence to a special diet. Until the late 1990s, screeni... ...creening for early detection of disease, the need for evidence. Clin Chim Acta. 315, 5-15 Miller. F, Robert. J, Z. Hayeems. R (2009), Genetic& ethics, Questioning the Consensus: Managing Carrier Status Results Generated Newborn Screening, American Journal of Public Health, 99,210-215 Rothwell. E, A. Anderson. R, J. Burbank. M, J. Goldenberg. A, Lewis. M, Stark. A, Wong. B, R. Botkin. B (2011). Concerns of Newborn Blood Screening Advisory Committee Members Regarding Storage and Use of Residual Newborn Screening Blood Spots, American Journal of Public Health, 101, 2111-2116 Tarini. B, Goldenberg.A (2014), Ethical Issues with Newborn Screening in the Genomics Era. Ethics of Newborn Screening, 1 , 381-393. Vanderburg. S, Verwei.M (2012), Maintaining Trust in Newborn Screening : Compliance and Informed Consent in the Netherlands, Hastings Center Report, 41-47.

Borgmann’s Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life :: Philosophy Religion Essays

Borgmann’s Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate Borgmann’s theory of focal things in application to Tai Chi, as well as propose the opposition to it with an exercise machine as a device in the context of Borgmann’s Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life. In addition, I will try to argue that the resolution to the bifurcation between things and devices is a specific kind of equilibrium. First, Tai Chi, the old Chinese art that is a culmination of martial art and a form of exercise for both body and mind, fits into Borgmann’s definition of a focal thing. He states that focal things are â€Å"inconspicuous and humble,† â€Å"scattered and of yesterday,† and they â€Å"flourish at the margins of public attention,† (199). Tai Chi is humble, in that its chief focus is not self-defense, but a fortification of the body’s general well-being. It is inconspicuous because it is not something that people boast about, and it is not something which is as widely known of; while at the same time being something which is practiced by many, in small groups, or in privacy, or at hours during which the technological world is quiet. Thus, it is also scattered, as it is practiced by people al lover the world, and in the most mundane of times and places. Tai Chi is of yesterday, as it is an art which has its origins hundreds of years ago, and only t hose who have come to a maturity of thought within them see the true value in it and have the patience to do it. The practice is not glamorized by the entertainment industry, and is not a high point of controversial debate. It is not in the focus of the media, and so it is at the margins of public attention. Also, Borgmann goes further to say that things â€Å"neither rival nor deny technology,† and that they â€Å"attain a new splendor in today’s technological context,† (200). So too, the art of Tai Chi does not impose a new system of rules for technology to function under, and so does not rival it. It has no statement to the negativity of technology, in which it does not deny it. The practice â€Å"attains a new splendor in today’s technological context,† in that it provides respite from a technologically stressful existence, and promotes one’s well-being (200).

Tyco International Limited

I would like to start by saying that Tyco International Ltd. is a diversified manufacturing and service company that organizes its businesses into five segments such as (1) Fire and security segment, (2) Electronics, (3) Healthcare, (4) Engineering products, and (5) Plastics and Adhesives. The company is much diversified and thus does not depend on only one industry trends and fluctuations. The segments provide the revenue for the company is similar proportions.Prior to present all the pertinent information in the table please take a look at the following definitions:a) Price earnings ratio The ratio of a stock price to its company's annual earnings per share.b) Earnings per share is the total earnings divided by total common shares outstanding. The annual reports of Tyco already have EPS.c) Dividend yield is the dividends paid per share divided by the stock’s price of Tyco International.d) Common stock share price is the market price of stock determined by the supply and dema nd of that stock’s interactions.As one can see the Tyco international financial did change over a period of 5 years. Still, from the table above, one is able to see that the dividend yield had grown for years 1999 to 2003, while the price and EPS had been rather volatile.I recommend a buy strategy of Tyco international for the following reasons:1. Financials. The financials of Tyco international over the period of 5 years had shown gradual increase in terms of total assets. The company showed an increase in P/E ratio which means that investors are willing to pay more for a dollar of earnings than before. The company despite some financial challenges of 2002 and 2003, paid out the same fixed dividend which means that the company was certain about its future growth and had enough resources to pay the dividend despite short term difficulties.2. Stock price increases. One could see stock price of Tyco increase over the past 4 years with year 5 (2003) being the only exception. Pri or to 1999, Tyco experienced several stock splits that marked corporate unprecedented growth.3. Analysts’ opinion. Regardless of what one might think about analysts’ opinion , it is vital too remember that they quite often move the market. If enough people believe that the company should be bought the stock price will increase. Currently the major analysts, seen at www.finance.yahoo.com or multexinvestor.com recommend â€Å"strong buy† of Tyco. One has to understand that the analysts are paid for making educated guesses and giving advises to the general populace.These analysts spend days on analyzing companies, so there is some credibility in their words. By the way, considering the opinion of other, more competent individuals and using it for one’s own decisions, is about â€Å"follow the leader† strategy used by many mutual funds, investors or just companies. There are people in the market who could move stock prices with their words and own acti ons. In our case the analysts’ opinion was only used for the information purposes to see whether or not it differs much from what other pieces of information tell us about Tyco International.4. Industry data. Tyco International is seen as over performing the industry in many respects.   Being an industry leader, together with other reasons, Tyco International is a ‘buy’ target. Being a part of the conglomerates industry, Tyco engages in 5 different segments that do not correlate with each other. Therefore, Tyco appears to be a hedged company that cannot be easily hit by a decline in one industry that Tyco covers. Such industry specifics of Tyco International contribute to Tyco’s beta below the market (

Poverty in America Essay

Many people want to blame the government and their short comings for the reasons that affect their upward mobility, but indigent people must fully evaluate their negative decisions, and their consequences, that have made poverty a perpetuating cycle in not only their lives, but their children’s. Chiefly, bad decisions like, teen pregnancy, lack of education and complacency keeps poverty revolving, currently, and for future generations. The government does have an obligation to help the poor and needy in America, but as individuals, people have an obligation to help themselves in their own pursuit of happiness and success. To help end poverty, people should assess the issues of the generation before, so that the next generation has a better future. .To begin with, one of the major causes of poverty is a person’s decision to drop out of school. Timothy Eagan, a correspondent with the New York Times, reported in his journal article, â€Å"No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle†, that a man in his fifties with a college degree is expected to make 81 percent more than a man without one. Years prior to it was 52 percent. Without education people are more susceptible to undesirable lifestyles then those who graduate. Besides the dilemma of having no education, dropouts face a number of challenges that could have possibly been avoided if they had decided to finish schooling. First, the non- graduate has challenges obtaining employment, consequently, they engage in criminal activity. As a result of criminal activity, non-graduates tend to end up in the penal system, and are then stigmatized against future employment. With the job market being so scarce and work wages so low, those with no diploma or degree will have no chance of coming out of poverty. In addition, low income people are often eligible for assistance, such as reduced cost housing, food stamps, child care and insurance. These programs are managed by the state, and the amount of assistance and how it is supplied varies according to income and family size . Though these programs are meant to help temporarily, poor people decide to become comfortable with not having to do too much. Government assistance helps, but it also allows people to make a choice to become lazy and unwilling to work. They then, find ways to scheme the system and boast about it. The government may not offer a lot per individual, but something to be thought about is this, if more â€Å"needy† people used government assistance programs for what they were set in place for, instead of robbing it, there would be more money allocated for those needed it, instead of those who are just used to having it. An indigent person becoming complacent with what they are given keeps them right where they are. Finally, the revolving door that most perpetuates poverty is a teens decision to have a baby. Babies having babies before they have education and experience put their children at risk of having the same hardships they’ve had to endure . Once a child has a child they are then faced with financial, emotional and physical limitations that they have not been able to yet master themselves. The fathers of these babies are often absent and in most cases too young to provide for a child, which leaves the mother looking to welfare as a means for support. When babies arrive mothers are forced to put everything, including school, on hold. And because child care is an ongoing job, young mommies don’t make to college until later on in life, if at all. Once teen pregnancy rates are lowered, a drastic change will be noticed in the poverty rates. In the journal article, Class Matters, David Leonhardt, a correspondent for the New York Times, interviewed Any Blevins, a southwest Virginia native. Blevins stated, a decade after the fac,t that the biggest decision he regrets, was not going to college. All because he was complacent with what he had at the time. He now has a child and a wife that he can barely support. Even with having a high school diploma and waiting to have his son, Lucas, at more appropriate age, Blevins now sees how his decisions in the past have greatly impacted his present and his family’s future. More parents need to make their children aware of how bad choices at an early age, will affect them later on in life, if their hope is for their children to do better than they did. Everyone makes mistakes, but some have such a profound impact that they effect the generations to come.