Comfort and Gods Glory Essay

In the decision to discuss two topics included within this reflection paper I have been led to discuss two doctrines that are close to all Christians. The comfort of God and the glory of God are the two doctrines that I have focused on over the last several weeks. The comfort of God has touched me at times over the course of my life however, never as much as it has over the last year. I wish to praise the glory of God as directed within the bible to show how God has worked in my life. The Comfort of God  Theological Definition The comfort of God can be best represent and defined by 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 which states: â€Å"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too†. (NIV) However, Webster’s dictionary defines comfort as â€Å"to give strength and hope to† and â€Å"to ease the grief or trouble of† (Webster’s, 2013) Biblical Foundation  The Bible provides many references to God’s comfort as stated in Psalms 18:2 â€Å"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower†. (NIV) Even though the word comfort isn’t contained in the passage just knowing that God is your strength and rock is enough. Psalms 138:7 states â€Å"though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me: you shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me†. (NIV) Practical Application  Over the course of my career as a law enforcement officer, I have found myself seeking comfort in some way or another. I have involved myself with discussions with fellow officers and have sought guidance from counselors and other professional sources. However, I have found no sense of comfort that compares to the bible and the comfort that religion brings me. I have learned over the course of my career that God is in control. He has a plan for all of us and comforts us when we stray from that path. When I speak of Gods comfort I think of a video that I watched on YouTube recently. The video was a speech given by Admiral Lee of the United State Coast Guard. Admiral Lee talks about the red tape that prevents him and all military personal from comforting soldiers on the battlefield. He states that he is unable at times to give guidance to those struggling for hope. I’m not a type of person who wants to force my faith and beliefs on a person. But much like Admiral Lee I have had the opportunity to be there when someone is reaching out. To give them comfort with Gods preachings and to give them a bible so they can find hope and comfort within its pages. I have for years during my tenure as a police officer carried a bible in my police vehicle. I also carry small pocket bibles purchased at my own expense. I throughout the years have never had anyone refuse one of my bibles. However, I have arrested people who have already got one of them. The Glory of God Theological Definition The glory of God is the beauty of his spirit. It is not his physical beauty however; it is his beauty that emanates from his character. God’s glory is His splendor, his majesty. The glory of God is his character and his divine nature; it is the very essence of his presence. Biblical Foundation The glory of God is referenced early in the bible Exodus 24: 15-17 states â€Å"Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mt. Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel†. (NIV) The glory of god is used figuratively for God himself. Moses said to God himself in Exodus 33: 18-22 â€Å"Please show me your glory. Then he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you . . . You cannot see my face; for no man shall see me and live. And the Lord said, here is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. So shall it be, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by†. (NIV) Practical Applicati on How do we practically apply Gods glory to our everyday life? God calls us to glorify him in all we do. I do not proclaim to live a life without sin, as most Christians would agree. I don’t just do kind things to others with hopes of cancelling out the sins that I have done. However, I try to reach out into the community in the way in which I believe God wants me to. My career is a hard one and it takes a hard person to be a police officer. I have been accused of many things by people whom are upset and don’t understand. It’s easy to stand on the side of the road and observe a group of police officer at a tragic vehicle accident and get the wrong impression. I have seen officers who begin to joke around and are smiling. Now I agree the place and time for a joke is not at a car accident where someone has lost his or her life. However, it is a coping method that a lot of officers use to deal with a high stress situations. Are they living up to the glory of God? Probably not, however, they are performing their jobs to the best of their ability. The bible tells us we are not to commit murder, so how do I explain to my children that I had to take a life in the performance of my duties? How do I express to them that I am here to glorify God when I have broken one of the commandments? I don’t know the answer, but I do know that I try to live my life in a manner that allows me to glorify Him. I don’t believe that just worshiping God in church and singing hymns is enough. I believe that we need to try to preach to those who haven’t heard the Gospel and we need to live our lives praising him and living in his example. Conclusion I have progressed in my Christian studies and have focused on the things that I can do to both glorify God and to provide the comfort of God to others. You never know when the moments will be presented to you to affect the life of another, but I’m prepared. I can tell story after story to describe how I have attempted to accomplish these things, but I don’t want to place emphasis on them. God knows the good things I have done in my career and he knows the bad things. I will continue to study his word and build my house in heaven as to speak. Good deeds will not secure your place in heaven. The only way to God is through Jesus Christ. I have allowed Christ to fill my heart and I can build my home in heaven by the good deeds to which I do here. I can learn by Admiral Lee’s advice and example. I don’t have to stand and shout to someone in need. I only need to hand them the tool they need to find hope and Gods glory. I only need to whisper to them â€Å"read this†.

At universities and colleges Essay

In today’s society, a large number of the students in universities and colleges have less physical exercise than ever before and hardly go out of the campus to have some social activities. Many people argue that students pay more attention to the study than their health which may because they[SQQ1] do not get enough financial support. As to this problem, I hold the opinion that sports and social activities are just the same significant as classes and libraries and receiving equal financial support can have many benefits though it still has some shortages[SQQ2]. In what follows, I will illustrate my point of view. First of all, today’s students need to face more challenges which means they specially should have a better body[SQQ3] to fight for their future. Enough sports and social activities can help them become healthy not only physically but also mentally. As we can see, some of the students in universities choose to end their own lives because of their pressure on scores or other things and we can easily find most of these students hardly do exercise and even never go out to do social activities such as volunteer work. If this part of the students can regard sports and social activities quite important, they may have a healthier psychology and may not end their own life[SQQ4]. Secondly, if the universities can give sports and activities equal financial support as classes and libraries and build up enough gyms and exercise areas, it can be more convenient for students to keep fit. Because of the schools’ support, the students do not need to go out of the school to do social activities and they can find more chances in school campus like joining the school’s Red Cross to visit the local welfare center for children. Also, the increasing sports place can even bring students the convenience to do any sports any time they like. However, it can still have several disadvantages. For example, the schools  may have less money than before to support students’ study which means the school may invite less famous professors from all over the world to make speech for students. In conclusion, I hold the view that sports and social activities should be regarded as important as classes and libraries and should also get the same large amount of financial support which can help the students have a healthy body physically and mentally. These two facto

Good will definition Essay

An account that can be found in the assets portion of a company’s balance sheet. Goodwill can often arise when one company is purchased by another company. In an acquisition, the amount paid for the company over book value usually accounts for the target firm’s intangible assets. Goodwill is seen as an intangible asset on the balance sheet because it is not a physical asset like buildings or equipment. Goodwill typically reflects the value of intangible assets such as a strong brand name, good customer relations, good employee relations and any patents or proprietary technology. Method: There are three methods of valuation of goodwill of the firm; 1. Average Profits Method 2. Super Profits Method 3. Capitalisation Method 1. Average Profits Method: This method of goodwill valuation takes the average profit of previous years as its basis. This average profit is multiplied by the number of purchases made in that year. Goodwill = Average Profit x Number of Purchases in the year Before calculating the average profits the following adjustments should be made in the profits of the firm: a. Any abnormal profits should be deducted from the net profits of that year. b. Any abnormal loss should be added back to the net profits of that year. c. Non-operating incomes eg. Income from investments etc should be deducted from the net profits of that year. Example: An Ltd agreed to buy the business of B Ltd. For that purpose Goodwill is to be valued at three years purchase of Average Profits of last five years. The profits of B Ltd. for the last five years are: Year| Profit/Loss ($)| 2005 | 10,000,000| 2006| 12,250,000| 2007| 7,450,000| 2008| 2,450,000 (Loss)| 2009| 12,400,000| Following additional information is available: 1. In the year 2008 the company suffered a loss of $1,000,500 due to fire in the factory. 2. In the year 2009 the company earned an income from investments outside the business $ 4,500,250. Solution: Total profits earned in the past five years= 10,000,000 + 12,250,000 + 7,450,000 – 2,450,000 + 12,400,000 = $ 39,650,000 Total Profits after adjustments = $ 39,650,000 + $ 1,000,500 – $ 4,500,250=$ 36,150,250 Average Profits= $ 36,150,250à ·5=$ 7,230,050 Goodwill = $ 7,230,050Ãâ€"3=$ 21,690,150 Thus A Ltd would pay $ 21,690,150 as the price of Goodwill earned by B Ltd. 2. Super profits method: Super profit refers to a situation where in the actual profit is higher than what is expected. Under this method, Goodwill = super profit x number of years’ purchase Steps for calculating Goodwill under this method are given below: i) Normal Profits = Capital Invested X Normal rate of return/100 ii) Super Profits = Actual Profits – Normal Profits iii) Goodwill = Super Profits x No. of years purchased For example, the capital employed as shown by the books of ABC Ltd is $ 50,000,000. And the normal rate of return is 10 %. Goodwill is to be calculated on the basis of 3 years purchase of super profits of the last four years. Profits for the last four years are: Year| Profit/Loss ($)| 2005 | 10,000,000| 2006| 12,250,000| 2007| 7,450,000| 2008| 5,400,000| Total profits for the last four years = 10,000,000 + 12,250,000 + 7,450,000 + 5,400,000 = $35,100,000 Average Profits = 35,100,000 / 4 = $ 8,775,000 Normal Profits = 50,000,000 X 10/100 = $ 5,000,000 Super Profits = Average/ Actual Profits − Normal Profits = 8,775,000 − 5,000,000 = $ 3,775,000 Goodwill = 3,775,000 Ãâ€" 3 = $ 11,325,000 3. Capitalisation Method: There are two ways of calculating Goodwill under this method: (i) Capitalisation of Average Profits Method (ii) Capitalisation of Super Profits Method (i) Capitalisation of Average Profits Method: As per this method, Goodwill = Capitalized Value the firm – Net Assets Capitalized Value of the firm = Average Profit x 100/ Normal Rate of Return Net Assets = Total Assets – External Liabilities For example a firm earns $40,000 as its average profits. The normal rate of rteturn is 10%. Total assets of the firm are $1,000,000 and its total external liabilities are $ 500,000. To calculate the amount of goodwill: Total capitalized value of the firm = 40,000 Ãâ€" 100/10 = 400,000 Capital Employed = 1,000,000 − 500,000 = 500,000 Goodwill = 500,000 − 400,000 = 100,000 (ii)Capitalisation of Super Profits: Under this method, goodwill is calculated as: Goodwill = Super Profit x 100/Normal Rate of Return For example ABC Ltd earns a profit of $ 50,000 by employing a capital of $ 200,000, The normal rate of return of a firm is 20%. To calculate Goodwill: Normal Profits = 200,000 Ãâ€" 20/100 =$ 40,000 Super profits = 50,000 − 40,000 = $10,000 Goodwill = 10,000 Ãâ€" 100 / 20 = $50,000 Partial Goodwill Method In the partial goodwill method, goodwill is calculated as the difference between the purchase consideration paid and the acquirer’s share of the fair value of the net identifiable assets. In partial goodwill method, only the acquirer’s share of the goodwill is recognized. Goodwill under full goodwill method exceeds goodwill under partial goodwill method by the non-controlling interest share of the goodwill. Partial goodwill method is not allowed under US GAAP but it is allowed as an option under IFRS (besides the full goodwill method). Goodwill under partial goodwill method differs from goodwill under full goodwill method only in situations in which investment by the acquirer is less than 100%. Example Let’s follow the same example that we discussed in full goodwill method. Company A acquired 75% shareholding in Company B for $20 million. Book value of net identifiable assets of Company B is $14 million. The fair value of Company B’s asset is the same as their book value except accounts receivables which are impaired by $1 million. Book value of assets is $54 million while book value of liabilities is $40 million. The purchase consideration is the cash paid to acquire 75% ownership and it equals $20 million. Fair value of net identifiable assets is $13 million ($54 million book value minus $1 million on account if impairment in accounts receivable minus liabilities of $40 million). The acquirer’s share of the net identifiable assets equals 75% of $13 million which equals $9.75 million. Goodwill is hence $20 million minus $9.75 which equals $10.25 million. Company A will pass the following journal entry to record the business combination. Goodwill| $10.25 M| | Assets| $53 M| | Liabilities| | $40 M| Cash| | $20 M| Non-Controlling Interest| | $3.25 M| Non-controlling interest is calculated as 25% of fair value of net identifiable assets. It equals $3.25 ($13 million multiplied by 0.25). It can also be arrived at the balancing figure: (goodwill under full goodwill method + assets acquired − liabilities assumed − cash paid). Total goodwill under full goodwill method was $13.67 and non-controlling interest was $6.67 million. The difference is non-controlling interest in case of partial goodwill is only because in partial goodwill method the non-controlling interest share of goodwill is not recorded which equals $3.42 million (0.25 of ($26.67 minus $13 million)). Weighted average profit method This method of goodwill evaluation can be explained as a modified side of the he average profit method. This method involves the relevant number of weights, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4 multiples profit of each year so as to find out value product. The total of products is thereafter divided by the total of weights so as to calculate the weighted average profits. Goodwill = Weighted Average Profits x No. of years Purchase Weighted Average Profit = Total of Products of Profits/ Total of Weights EXAMPLE The profit of X Ltd. for the last five years and the corresponding weights are as follows. Calculate the value of goodwill on the basis of 3 years’ purchase of the weighted average profit. Solution: Weighted Average Profit = Rs. 21, 30,000 à · 15 = Rs. 1, 42,000. Value of Goodwill = 3 years’ purchase of weighted average profit: Rs. 1, 42,000 x 3 = Rs. 4, 26,000

My role in the family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My role in the family - Essay Example As such, my family has seen me develop into a caring person, who looks at the rest of the world as part of a larger family, such that the family’s needs to have its interest put first for the benefit of all. In addition to this family environment, the warm and caring environment has created in me a strong sense of interest in other people so that I understand them better and try to get along with them, which appears to be more of an outgoing character trait in me. As a result, the warm cocoon created by the family has developed a socially well-rounded girl capable of interacting with anyone in the society without problems. My family has contributed to my personality by ensuring that everyone in the family has a role to play in everyday activities or duties. In the family duties, everyone is assigned a task that he/she must fulfill before a given time. Moreover, in collective duties, we all work together towards a common goal, while in the individual tasks each one of the famil y members runs his or her own duty. Thus, my family has seen me grow substantially towards responsibilities in a way that could not have happened in their absence as it has allowed me to enjoy in partaking my duties. As a result, I am a responsible person who does not wait for other people to do things for me, but I instead take care of my own business.In addition, another way in which my family has developed my personality is through the entire family led by my parents to handle our share of problems collectively.

Case studye Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Studye - Case Study Example Despite all this, there are a few among the numerous African countries that have managed to achieve a rather stable economic and social standing that is quite exemplary in the eyes of the other nations. South Africa, Morocco and Angola are some of the states looked up to within Africa for their economic prowess. Growth and development which is much sought after by each and every state cannot only be achieved through economic growth and power. A combination of factors is necessary towards achieving development. For this paper focus will be placed upon Botswana as a case study, a Southern African independent state that has experienced stable and constant growth over the years. Lewin (2011) describes Botswana’s economy as one of the most successful in the world, he terms is as remarkable considering that just after staining independence Botswana was not seen as a powerful state. Despite its limitations as a sparsely populated, landlocked country with little arid land, Botswana has overcome numerous setbacks and issues to improve its economic state and to stand out as an African country with great potential. Without focusing only on its economic strength, Botswana is a country that has enjoyed a stable democracy for a long period of time, political stability is crucial in the development of a state. Numerous states that are considered to be economically wealthy always seem to become victims of ‘the resource curse’ States with resources are prone to abuse of power from leaders and generally bad governance, somehow Botswana has managed to avoid such obstacles probably because of the small population and the homogeneity of the cultures and tribes within the country. Aside from good policy and good governance Botswana has also made a major effort to invest in education and to implement ways to curb money laundering which can

Trading in prophet Mohammed age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trading in prophet Mohammed age - Essay Example Mecca was not an oasis city so there was no significant agricultural trade going on. Foodstuffs and other agricultural products are imported from other places, some in Arabia and some from Syria. The trade has been depicted excellently by Muhammad’s life. Early in his career, he has dabbled in trade himself and was particularly good at it. The story is particularly enlightening. Muhammad found himself employed by a wealthy merchant, Khadija who eventually proposed marriage after a fruitful business relationship. Muhammad’s stint as a manager of Khadija’s caravan, earned for him a reputation as hard-working, modest and trustworthy, with many people calling him, al-Amin (the Trustworthy) as a result. (Jackson 2006, p. 3) Muhammad’s experience demonstrated the fact that people, with the right attitude and character could easily thrive in trading and enjoy financial success. After Muhammad and Khadija got married, they were said to have became business partner s and have continued trading successfully. Muhammad, though born to minor nobility, was actually poor because he was orphaned at a very early age. His rise and accumulation of wealth was not entirely out of divine intervention nor an isolated case. There were ample opportunities in trading and many citizens have enriched themselves by taking advantage of them, including women like Muhammad’s wife. ... For a trader, this is an excellent opportunity. The pilgrims needed food, shelter, clothing, among other necessities and luxuries. Organized caravans would carry these kinds of goods from other trading centers like Yemen, Syria and as far as India and Africa. These latter two locations were excellent sources of luxury goods that are quite in demand in Mecca – slaves, ivory, spices. Then, there were the so-called pilgrim fairs, wherein traders sold goods to pilgrims and visitors. Crone (2004) wrote that Mecca became a major market as scholars occasionally mentioned Hudhalis, Kinanis and others selling camels, sheep, slaves and numerous other commodities while Umayya was said to have sold imports on the lower part of the city. (p. 179) In addition, trade has also brought foreign merchants to Arabia as Byzantine and Jewish traders were said to have travelled to Mecca actively selling their wares. The religion variable is further reinforced by the fact that many pilgrim stations i n Arabia had experienced drastic commercial transformations as well. Crone has sufficiently explained this, citing the financial success of cities like Mina, Ukaz, Arafa, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz. (p. 175) In addition, the religious cult that emerged has drawn people from all over that by the latter part of the sixth century, Mecca became a major shrine in Arabia and perhaps the Middle East. Commercial activity flourished further because the cult created a peaceful and stable community that was very conducive to business. Mecca became an important haram in which violence and bloodshed are prohibited. (Donner 2010, p. 35) Traders can come and practice actively without the fear of being molested

Any sub topic of Microeconomics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Any sub topic of Microeconomics - Term Paper Example Economic Theories: The Chinese government involved itself in following the policy of debt and deficits and so the fiscal policies went unrecognized. Limited foreign and domestic borrowing took place during the period of 1979 to 1993. The year 2007 witnessed a rise in government debt. The financial crisis around the globe prompted China to take expansionary fiscal policies which resulted in fiscal deficits. In the seven year period during 2001 to 2007, the Chinese economy witnessed a rising growth curve, while the fiscal policies withdrew stimulus at the same time. It witnessed closing of the output gap. The way for the prudent fiscal policy was laid by the shift in fiscal policy. The significance of the fiscal policy lies in rebalancing the growth tendency towards domestic demand and service production. The growth possibilities in the short run can get stimulated by the direct spending of the government. Monetary Policy Fixed interest rate regimes act to be the constraints in operati on of the monetary policies. China initially suffered from poor financial system and weak institutions catering the economy. The inefficient functioning of the system led the authorities to revalue the currency compared to the dollar, in 2005. The currency maintained the stability level, and the value was set by the functioning of the market. The economy can find itself prone from macroeconomic shocks if it maintains a low level of inflation. The concerned authorities depended upon the monetary policies to control food prices. The strengthening of the effective exchange rate was witnessed by the appreciation of the currency of the country. Policies on Trade Concerned authorities were created within the country, which took care of the policies on trade and other policies related to anti-dumping and other issues. The restructuring process paved the way for creation of new trade policies under the state agencies. The policies of trade and foreign direct investment coupled to penetrate into the global platform for China. The transparency in the policies was improved by taking appropriate steps. The policies were drawn to be in line with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The barriers to trade were withdrawn and regulations were reduced so as to enable free flow of goods. The steps laid the foundation stone for China, to set benchmarks on the global arena in terms of contribution to the world’s imports and exports. Chinese economy tried to follow the characteristics of an open economy and so took steps to smoothen the way for trade policies. The constraints on foreign investments were withdrawn and offered fast liberalization to suppliers from foreign countries. The forecasts made by some leading authorities across the world estimates the economy to grow at over 10%, under the anticipation that turbulence in the European region will lack the capability to shed the effects on China. The potential of China as forecasted by reliable agencies takes into account both the ups and downs of the country. According to the forecasts the country is expected to meet the targeted growth rate. The rise in consumer prices and that of inflation will not be a sustaining situation. The market may weaken, but will definitely not collapse. Relation with the book The article shows the pillars of emergence for an economy

Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde as Variations of the Outlaw Couple on Essay

Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde as Variations of the Outlaw Couple on the Run Story - Essay Example Thus, films of the same genre were perceived differently by the viewers. One example of this the way viewers perceive Bonnie and Clyde and Breathless in two different contexts given the tone developed by the movie. While the director, Arthur Penn infused both tragedy and comedy in the movie, Bonnie, and Clyde, Breathless’s director, Jean-Luc Godard explored only the element of tragedy in this movie. In this paper, we attempt to compare both the movies in the way they were differently presented by the viewers while belonging to the same sub-genre.The Outlaw Couple on the Run is a sub-genre often associated with crime movies. This sub-genre became popular in the 1990s with movies such as Bonnie and Clyde. Even though this genre existed earlier with movies such as They Live by the Night and Gun Crazy but the name was coined after Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde. A movie is classified in the sub-genre of outlaw couple on the run when it has three elements namely, outlaws, co uple and being on the road (Cook, 122). The couples within the outlaw movies break social order and construct their own order. Though they are not sincere towards their government or towards another entity, they have a sense of belonging and responsibility towards their partners. Thus, the couples in such movies do not fit in dictates of the society and for this reason; they are shunned by the society. However, since they are the protagonist of the movie, the viewers accept them with their faults and are even willing to support them despite the crimes they have committed.One element that makes such movies so popular is the majestic landscape presented in the movie. As the couples take to the road, they explore the different parts of the country and this increases the appeal of the movies for the audience.

Personal Essay about Cause of College Drop-outs

Personal about Cause of College Drop-outs - Essay Example literate as a result of several communal perceptions about education, religious cultures, peer influence, financial status, mental value of education, job status and medical attributed factors and geographical locations. This document focuses on the factors that keep people out of school. School is a place wheel people go to acquire education. Many communities in Africa South America and Asia countries have been left behind development wise because of lack of education value due to the communities’ traditions as well as cultural points of view (Leonhardt, 15). These communities concentrate more on the economic activities that was passed on to them by their forefathers for survival. The communities do not embrace technological changes and its influence to human activities and survival. As a result, many children in these communities drop out of school after the second phase of education curriculum which is the primary school system, to carry on their family businesses. the Bahai community of Lesotho in southern Africa and the Maasai and Samburu communities in Eastern Africa are among the communities where children drop out of school and shift to pastoralism activities. In these communities, pastoralism is the basic act of survival as the communities believe tha t their forefathers survived as a result of pastoralism. ‘Andy Blevins was a student at Radford University who made a big decision big decision in life as a result of financial setbacks but end up regretting in future’(Leonhardt, 15). College dropout boom presents a case that explains the reasons why many college students tend to drop out of school without fully completing the degree or diploma course. Many students in college drop out of school due to the idea that they can as well survive without the college degree certificate. This is the perception that Andy Blevins had when he dropped out of school while pursuing his college degree. Many college students find it normal to drop out of school

Disney vs. Imane Boudlal Essay Example for Free

Disney vs. Imane Boudlal Essay Disneyland vs. Imane Boudlal HISTORY Disneyland is very large 160 acre amusement park located in Anaheim CA. Disneyland was created by Walt Disney on July 17, 1955, Walt Disney wanted to create a magical place where parents with children could go to the same place and have just as much fun as their children. Walt Disney had the vision that he wanted Disneyland to be like a fantasy land where dreams could come to life. Disneyland is a 17. 5 million dollar magic kingdom. Even though the park was a very expensive project, â€Å"I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible, because dreams offer too little collateral† said Walt Disney. Since Disney was a very expensive project, Walt Disney had some support from his own television show on ABC; it was called Walt Disney’s Disneyland. The TV series offered sneak peeks about the future Disneyland project before it was even finished. It took a full year of hard work to finish the project. Disneyland is well-known for having a strict employee dress code called â€Å"the Disney look†. This dress code was introduced to new employees in 1955 prior to the amusement park opening. Disneyland also calls their employees â€Å"cast members† in order to keep the magical theme going. The Disney look has changed over time, but yet also remained true to offering wholesome family entertainment in one of the world’s top vacation destination. To work at Disneyland, the potential cast member must first agree and understand the policy prior to being hired.

The Disability Representation In The Media

The Disability Representation In The Media My personal reasons for choosing this dissertation topic stem from an interest in how media representations shape the attitudes of wider society. I feel it is important to note that I am writing as a non-disabled student with the view that disability studies and research should not just be the interests of disabled people. Issues of inequality and social injustice need to be considered by all members of society, while ensuring that the views, definitions and experiences of the particular group remain central to the discussion. It has been made apparent that the voices of disabled people have been absent from discussion because of the assumption that they need others to speak them and decide on their needs (Barton, 1993). Dominant views of disability dictate that it is a personal problem of the individual, based on biological impairment. However, I strongly advocate a social model of disability which emphasises that oppression and discrimination by society is the cause of experiences of disability. I plan to make this my main approach in writing my dissertation. Barton (1996, pg. 5) describes disability studies within the field of Sociology as an emancipatory project and argues that the fundamental question we must ask ourselves is whether the sociological imagination contributes to the benefit of disabled people (original emphasis) I believe that any research which aims to illuminate the prejudices implicit in cultural representations of disability, are necessary pursuits and it is vital to seriously consider the reasoning behind research projects as well as the ultimate impact they are aimed to have on particular groups. There has been many publications regarding disability and media representation in recent times which highlights that disability, impairment and disabled people are being frequently misrepresented in the mass media. Research has also suggested that such media representations have an alarming affect on the attitudes of the public. This issue can be divided into three key areas, the use of disability stereotypes, the use of specific language and images of disability and the under-representation of people with impairments working within the mass media. Pressures from disabled activists and legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005 have brought this issue onto the agenda and worked to improve the rights of disabled people. An increasing awareness of the issues has resulted. However, the extent of this awareness is debatable as there is still much work to be done in tackling the negative and disempowering portrayals within the media and the current views of society. It is clear that the media has not made sufficient changes and therefore this issue remains extremely relevant. My aim is to explore the representations of disabled people to see whether any changes have been made. 1.3.3 Can Disability be represented positively? It is safe to say that the majority of media depictions of Disability and impairment are incorrect and exclude people with impairments from participation within media production. During my search for literature on the issue of disability and the media, I found that a substantial amount of studies were very critical of the media and focus only on negative stereotypical portrayals with an inclusion of recommendations for their demise. An example which I plan to use in my literature review chapter is Barnes (1992) disabling imagery and the media which ambitiously attempts to deal with all aspects of the media in misrepresenting disability. Despite such an extensive collection of studies in this area, there is very little literature which focuses on the representation of disability by disabled people themselves. It could be argued that there are not enough media sources which involve disabled people of which to analyse. However very recently I am pleasantly surprised to see that there ar e a few emerging. Notable examples include the Channel 4 mockumentary Cast Offs in which six characters with different impairments live together on an island. The show highlights many disability issues and challenges stereotypes of disability. Themes include sexuality, disabled identity and the exclusion of disabled actors and actresses from television (Wilde, 2009). Other media sources which feature disabled people include, Britains Missing Top Model and Dancing on Wheels. Although this is a step in the right direction, the inclusion of individuals with impairments on TV has been restricted mainly to reality TV which offers little insight into the lives of disabled people; instead they are centred on strength and achievement despite the individuals impairment rather than a celebration of disabled identities. The new American musical drama Glee has considered disability issues within its plot lines, this included the use of wheel chairs during a performance in order to educate the a ble-bodied performers on the importance of considering the needs of wheel chair user Artie and the difficulty in getting around the high school from his perspective because of the lack of ramps and accessible doors. Unfortunately however, the character of Artie is played by a non-wheel chair user and so any positive aspects of disability representation in the show are practically reversed by the exclusion of disabled actors and actresses from participating. 1.3.4 The Sun and Ouch! I wanted to choose two online sources for my study which were imposing in terms of disability representation and portrayal. Tabloid newspapers are notorious for depicting various groups inaccurately and producing sensationalised media in order to sell newspapers. The Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper which is among the highest in circulation in the world (The Newspaper Marketing Agency, 2010). The use of disablist language is common in tabloid newspapers and often in the broadsheets too. Reports regularly provide distorted representations of the experience of disability and focus on stereotypical assumptions (Barnes, 1991). This topic will be expanded further in chapter three. I chose The Sun because of its popularity in the UK and because tabloid news is a major source of information for the general public, I will be using articles from The Sun online website. After selecting a tabloid source for my study I began searching for an online source which involved the self-representation o f disabled people, I dismissed many websites because they were charity based, political in nature, or simply provided information and advice for disabled people without necessarily being based on the views and experiences of this group. Examples of websites I considered include Radar and Disability Now. I chose Ouch! because it is not centred on disability politics and aims to reflect the lives and experiences of disabled people (See Ouch! 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/about.shtml). The website consists of articles, blogs, podcasts as well as other features. The writers and contributors are not concerned with political correctness but seek to offer insights into the topics that are important to disabled people and those with a stakehold in disability such as family and friends. To ensure that representations and portrayals of disability are suitable, the Ouch! team are disabled themselves. My first impressions of the website and its content were that it is very humour based and do es not take itself too seriously. It is friendly, accessible and taps into the ordinary, everyday experiences of disability. This is why I decided it would be a suitable source for comparison with a more mainstream media source. 1.4 Structuring my Dissertation My dissertation will consist of six key sections. The first is my introduction which will outline the topic of study, along with my reasons for choosing it and my aims. Chapter two will historicise disability using the work of Barnes (1991, 1996, and 1997). Chapter three will discuss the existing literature which relates to my topic, this will include studies of media representation and disability, a discussion of the political models of disability and the key terms involved in the debate. In chapter four I will discuss my methods of research, including how I selected my sources and an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of my chosen method of content analysis. I will also consider any ethical implications of the study in this chapter. Chapter five will be my most important section, in this I will present and discuss my findings. The final chapter (chapter six) will be focused on my concluding the study. It will relate my findings to the objectives presented in the introducti on and the issues raised in my literature review. It will also include a reflection of my chosen methodology and a summary of the dissertation. 2.0 The History of Disability In order to understand the representations and societal perceptions of disability today, it is necessary to study a history of Disability. The attitudes and practices of the past have a vital influence on present day beliefs. Barnes (1997) argues that the lives of Disabled people in history have been overlooked in favour of an emphasis on medical perspectives and it is clear that many disabled people experience exclusion from mainstream society. This is evident in such areas as employment, in which 45% of disabled people of working age are excluded from. It has been found also that disabled people tend to have lower earnings, with disabled men earning on average  £1.50 less per hour than non-disabled men (Hyde, 2001). As a result, many disabled people live in poverty or are at risk of poverty. Discrimination can also be seen within the education system welfare, housing, leisure and environment and planning. The evidence that disabled people experience sever economic deprivation and social disadvantage is overwhelming and no longer in dispute, whether it be from the governments own commissioned research, from research institutes and academics or from disabled people themselves. (Oliver, 2003, pg. 312). Historically, people with impairments have long been oppressed and marginalised. Hostile treatment, pity and ignorance are common disabling experiences. Barnes (1997 and 1991) claims that perceptions of disability are rooted in ancient Greek and Roman history, he discusses how the cultures of the western world are based on the achievements of the ancient Greeks who built their existence on slavery. Greek society was extremely violent, male dominated and prone to war. They had a strong value for physical and mental strength and any weaknesses and flaws were not tolerated. Such a concern for perfection meant that the infanticide of sick and disabled children was very common. In Greek philosophy, the gods and goddesses were idealised representations of perfect humanity (Dutton cited in Barnes, 1997, pg 13). The only god who was physically imperfect was Hephaestus, this Greek God was rejected by his parents because of his grotesque appearance and labelled a cripple by his wife Aphrodite who committed adultery with a more aesthetically pleasing lover. This mythology is significant as it is a clear source of the links made between impairment and sexuality today as many of us assume that disabled people are unable or do not want to have a sex life. When the Romans conquered Greece and expanded their empire, the values of strength, individualism and able-bodiedness were inherited with it. The Romans also advocated the infanticide of weak children and ridiculed people who acquired impairment during their life course. Many roman games involved using individuals with impairment as comedy acts for the amusement of others. Although both the Greeks and Romans attempted to develop treatments for impairments, they were reserved mainly for those with power and wealth (Garland, 1995). Another foundation of our thoughts and beliefs of disability can be found in the western religions of Christianity and Judaism. Religion in ancient societies viewed disability as anti-religious and a reflection of sin or immoral behaviour. Barnes cites many references from religious texts which imply that impairment is a consequence of bad behaviour. For example, in Deuteronomy (27-27) it states that immorality will be punished by blindness. In contrast to Greek and roman society, the Jewish faith opposed infanticide and encouraged its members to care for the less fortunate this is also a feature of subsequent religions stemming from the Judaism, such as Islam and Christianity. People with impairments were accepted by the community, but as objects of neediness and charity. This was a key feature of Christianity. Consequently, they were viewed only in terms of their impairment and treated as incomplete human beings in need of sympathy (Barnes, 1997). During the Middle Ages disability was associated with evil and superstition and people with impairments were treated with extreme hostility. Children born with impairments were believed to of been sent by the devil as a result of parents involvement in witchcraft and other black arts. This association with evil was very strongly held in Britain during this time and was reflected in art and literature, Shakespeares Richard III is a good illustration of this, Richard is portrayed as physically and mentally deformed despite having no physical impairment. He is destined to only be successful as a villain which perpetuates the negative stereotype of impairment and evil. Just as in the ancient world, disabled people were ridiculed during the middle ages in many forms. Analyses of joke books from this time reveal that impairments such as insanity and idiocy were used as sources of humour. Many individuals with visible impairments were displayed as objects of entertainment (Barnes, 1997). The 18th and 19th century saw the transition from agricultural subsistence to factory production during the industrial revolution and urbanisation process. This brought with it a decline in religious authority and the growth of science and rationality. The development of utilitarian philosophy which emphasised the importance of pleasing the majority at the expense of minority groups created a new found value for individuality and progress. These developments provided justification for the beliefs and practices of the past and can be cited as a starting point for the disability issues which are visible today. These include the development and prioritisation of a medical model of Disability, in which the body and impairment are viewed in individualistic terms rather than social, cultural and political. The institutional prejudice and discrimination of people with impairments in everyday social life is a second issue of Disability theorists. The popularity of eugenic ideas during the mi d twentieth century and the murder of thousands of disabled people, as well as other oppressed minority groups during the second world war is another significant point in modern history and many scientists still advocate Social Darwinist ideals and view human imperfections (both physical and mental) as a societal threat, a threat that needs to be eradicated (Barnes, 1996). The rise of the disability movement in the 1960s saw the development of the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS), the establishment of such organisations and the activism of disabled people resulted in a re-classification of disability as distinct from impairment and social in nature as opposed to medical (Barnes, 1997). Disability became defined as the disadvantages caused by social institutions and environments which effectively exclude people from participation (UPIAS, 1976). This was later adapted by other organisations such as the British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) and the Disabled Peoples International (DPI) (Barnes, 1997). Eventually, this new understanding of disability became known as the Social Model of Disability (Oliver, 1996a). Disability theory will be discussed further in my literature review (Chapter 3) with an analysis of both the medical and social models of Disability. 3.0 Literature Review 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Disability and Impairment: Key terms in the debate Disability is difficult to conceptualise because of its multi-dimensional and complex nature. The term can be used in many different contexts and from different perspectives which means there is little consensus on its definition (Altman, 2001). Classifications associated with a medical model of disability are based on a distinction between impairment disability and handicap impairment is defined as functional limitations to do with the body, disability is when an individual cannot function normally because if this impairment, and handicap refers to an inability to participate in social life (Oliver, 1990). The main problem with such classifications is that the individual impairment is considered to be the most important factor and reinforces an individual definition in which functional limitations predominate. Thus, disability is viewed in terms of an individuals personal inability to function (Barton, 1993 pg. 237). This model has had a powerful influence in shaping not just social policy, but societal attitudes and behavior. In reality, many disabled people have rejected this understanding of disability. Instead disability refers to failures in the structural environment to meet the needs of all individuals. The Disabled Peoples International (1981) put forward the following definition which better fits the views of disabled people. Impairment is the functional limitation within the individual caused by physical, mental or sensory impairment. Disability is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the normal life of the community on an equal level with others due to physical and social barriers. In relation to my content analysis research, I will be looking to identify how disability is conceptualised and the type of language used both in The Sun and Ouch! 3.3 The Language of Disability The first and most important thing to remember about discussions of language and disability is that they arise because disabled people experience discrimination daily and are denied the same rights and opportunities as the rest of the population. Apart from the fact that words can be deeply hurtful to disabled individuals, they have power and are used extensively to justify oppression (Barnes, 1993, pg 8). The power of language is a significant topic of discussion in the area of disability studies. While we assume that the primary purpose of language is to aid communication, Oliver (1994, pg. 4) argues that it is also about politics, domination and control and I am inclined to agree. The development of language is not based on consensus of meaning but rather through the ability of some groups to force their meaning and understanding of others. This form of cultural domination is visible in many forms, the imposition of the spoken word on deaf people and sexist language directed at women are both suitable examples (Oliver, 1989, pg.1). The misconceptions that society has of disability are caused as well reinforced by the use of disablist language. Many of the abusive terms directed at disabled people are well circulated and familiar to most of the population. moron cripple spastic idiot mong dwarf midget lunatic the list is endless (Clark and Marsh, 2002). This kind of terminology has t he power to promote prejudice and discrimination against disabled people. As mentioned in the previous section (3.2) the DPI re-defined impairment and disability in line with the reality that disability is rooted in social injustice. This means that the language used by both the media and wider society ought to reflect a social model of disability in which society discriminates against those who do not conform to the ideals of an able-bodied society. Disablist language such as the disabled or people with disabilities are unacceptable yet commonly used by the press and the population generally. Individuals do not have disabilities, they have impairments. Phrases such as the disabled objectify the individual and impose a particular label on their identity which is based solely on their impairment. Disabled people as opposed to people with disabilities is more appropriate as it implies that the disability belongs to society, whereas the latter makes it the property of the person (Barne s, 1991 and 1992). Within the British press, the aforementioned terms, particularly cripple and handicap are used regularly. This is usually within a sentimental and patronising context. For example stories in which disabled individuals display bravery despite of their disability or handicap or instances where individuals have made personal scarifies to help a disabled individual or group. These generally involve the use of emotive language, such as wheelchair bound afflicted sufferer victim and so on (Barnes, 1991). To summarise, much of the language that is used in discussions of disability are based on an individualistic/medical understanding of the nature of disability. They are not developed from the experiences of disabled people, but rather from the perceptions of others. While conducting my study I will be interested to see which kinds of terminology and language are used in the newspaper articles from my sample. 3.4 Disability Theory: the Medical model and the Social model The medical model of disability has formed the basis of commonsense assumptions and beliefs about the nature of disability. This perspective focuses on the individual and his or her impairment. It imposes a presumption of biological or physiological inferiority upon disabled persons (Hahn, 1985). Medical views attribute physical and intellectual impairments as constituting disability, while denying its social and political nature. Oliver (1983 and 1996a) prefers the term individual model and argues that medicalisation is one element of this, along with psychological aspects. Medical accounts amount to a personal tragedy theory of disability (Oliver, 1990 and Finkelstein, 1980) in which disability simply happens to individuals and is personal to them, it implies that any difficulties are a direct result of impairments (Finkelstein, 1993) this forms the basis of everyday beliefs. In terms of rehabilitation, emphasis has been placed on functional limitations of an individual and attempt s to find ways of preventing, curing or (failing these) caring for disabled people (Marks cited in Williams, 2001 pg 125). As mentioned throughout this dissertation, this way of understanding disability has been heavily criticised by disabled people and disability has been re-conceptualised as a social and political problem through the work of disabled groups in the 1960s (Barnes, 1997). Disability theory has roughly been divided into American and British contributions. I will briefly outline the work of American sociologists, however I am more concerned with the work of British authors as it better relates to my dissertation and its theoretical standpoint. American writers during the 1960s challenged the idea that individual medical conditions or impairments were the cause of disability. Goffman (1963) discuses the role of stigma in spoiling (pg. 15) a persons social identity, one of the forms of stigma he identifies derives from physical abnormalities. He also identifies that disability is socially constructed and concludes that the attitudes of professional contributes to experiences of disability. St one (cited in Barnes, 1997) argues that the social construction of disability is based on the power of the sate in restricting welfare to those who require it. The importance of work and production in industrialised society has meant that those who are unable to participate are in need of assistance from the state, who along with medical professionals, are able to define disability as an individual problem and determine the level of access to welfare and other state services. Other writers, notably Albrecht (cited in Barnes, 1997) point out that disability has been controlled and transformed into commercial enterprise (pg. 6) he claims that societies produce different forms of illness, impairment and disability. The ways in which these are interpreted is dependent on economic factors he argues. American functionalist/interactionist accounts of disability are derivative of Parsonian ideas and focus on the role of being sick which is expected of disabled people and considered to be a form of deviance (Oliver, 1996b). The liberal values that exist in an industrial (and post- industrial) society place importance on personal responsibility and a strong work ethic, deviancy is created when an individual is unable to conform to these ideals. Writers have also argued that people with impairments are dependent on medical professionals who assist in the psychological accommodation of a disabled identity (pg. 21) and provide rehabilitation. The main criticisms made of the American tradition are that they over look the significance of social and economic factors central to experiences of disability. They also fail to take into account the perspectives of disabled people themselves, both these points form the main focus of British writers which I will turn to next. British theorists have been much more critical in their assessments of disability and have explicitly expressed their arguments about the oppression, prejudice and discrimination that many disabled people encounter on a routine basis. A number of writers have approached disability in society through a materialist or Marxist analysis, focusing on economic and political factors. Others have highlighted the importance of the subjective experiences of disability and the role of culture. References have been made to the importance of gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality and other social factors which shape individual understandings of disability (Barnes, 1997). Theorists who use a materialist framework claim that oppression is caused by economic structures. The lives of disabled people have little value in a capitalist society as they are deemed unable to contribute to economic and social life (Riddell, 1996). Finkelstein (1980) identifies three phases in history with regard to societal re action to impairment . In the first, pre-industrial phase people with impairments were not excluded from economic life and the notion of disability did not exist. This was because work was subsistence based and aimed at providing basic food and amenities for survival. Communities needed all the labour they could get from its members (Barnes and Mercer, 2003). The second phase was that of industrial capitalism during the 19th century, both Oliver (1990) and Finkelstein (1980) argue that during this time Disability developed along side capitalist production and free market enterprise. The rise of factory production and the intense levels of speed and control involved meant that disabled workers were not welcome in the work place. Processes of urbanisation created fragmented communities and weakened family networks. The growth of towns and cities to house the work force were geographically and structurally inadequate for disabled people and contributed to their segregation from wider s ociety and the introduction of residential institutions (Barnes and Mercer, 2003). For Finkelstein, it was at this point that people with impairments became a distinctly oppressed group, he argues that in phase the use of technology and the activism of disabled people will end oppression and disability will cease to be viewed in individualistic or medical terms (Barnes, 1997). Perhaps the growth of the internet and websites like BBC Ouch! mark the beginning of this phase. Oliver (1990) also discusses capitalism and disability, he applies Marxist ideas about the power of ideology to argue that the values which form the basis of social practice and culture conceptualised disability as a personal tragedy and aided the development of the individual model. Critics of Finkelstein and Olivers materialist analyses of disability argue that they over look the individual experiences of disability, rather than treat disabled people as a homogenous group. The social model needs to be reconceptualised with this in mind and from a postmodernist perspective which recognises diversity (Shakespeare, 1994, Morris, 1991, Crow, 1992). These writers discuss the prejudiced attitudes towards disabled people through culture, as material explanations fall short in explaining why discrimination exists and how disablist culture produces it. *incomplete* 3.5 Media representation of Disability and effects on the audience The stereotypical portrayal of disabled people within popular culture is one of the most significant factors contributing to the discrimination of disabled people. Hunt (1966) argues that disabled people represent an other in society and pose a threat to the able-bodied values entrenched in its structure. He describes this threat as being divided into five forms, as unfortunate, useless, different, oppressed and sick (pg. 146). Disabled people are considered unfortunate because of the belief that they are unable to lead a full life. They are useless because they cannot contribute economically, different because they do not conform to normal expectations of a human being and marked out as members of a minority group (pg. 150). Finally, they are oppressed and sick because they do not fit in, for the able-bodied, normal world we are representations of many of the things they most fear- tragedy, loss, dark and the unknown contact with us throws up in peoples faces the fact of sickness an d death in the world (pg. 155-156). Hunts arguments about the way disability is understood in western culture are applicable today in studying the misconceptions which are reproduced by the media. As discussed in Chapter Two, such misconceptions stem from the beliefs and practices of the past and have become firmly ingrained within society. Disablist attitudes become normalised through a process of social learning (Barnes, 1991) however, the extent and nature of this process is open to debate and many argue that there is no real way of knowing how he media influences perception. There have been many studies which have investigated the cultural portrayals of disability, some examples follow. 3.5.1 Disabling imagery and the media by Colin Barnes. The focus of this study is the portrayal of disabled people in the media and its stereotypical nature. Using secondary data from the content analysis studies of various organizations, Barnes (1992) identifies several stereotypes of disabled people produced within the media. These are: the disabled person as pitiable and pathetic as an object of violence as sinister and evil as atmosphere or curio as super cripple as an object of ridicule as their own worst enemy as a burden as sexually abnormal , as incapable of participating in community life and as normal (Barnes, 1992, pg 3). Rather than focus on particular aspects of the media, Barnes chose to study all aspects of the media, including the press, radio, television, books and so on. He argues that media depictions of disability contribute to experiences of discrimination in a significant way. He goes on to reiterate that the poverty experienced by disabled people cannot be explained by the traditional model which suggests individua l physical or intellectual limitations to be the root cause. It is caused by reactive environments and disabling barriers. Thus disability refers to a complex system of social constraints imposed on disabled people by a highly discriminatory society (Barnes, 1992, pg. 5). As mentioned in Chapter T7wo, stereotypical assumptions about disability stem from the beliefs and practices of earlier times, they are embedded in the very structure of society and are expressed in all institutions- ed

Circle of Gold Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Earthly things can be very expensive, but love from a family is priceless, it is expressed in the following passage. By the end of the last hundred pages I’ve read (103-201) in Candy Dawson Boyd’s Circle of Gold, Mattie finally realizes this, as does the readers. Mattie gives her mom a golden pin for mother’s day, which she goes by any means to get, just to bring her family back together. Mattie was a smart â€Å"A† student from Brooklyn, New York. Her only brother and twin brother Matthew is an artist that likes to draw and paint. She lives with her mom and brother, she used to live with her dad but he is deceased. One day, on his way from work some drunk drives hit his car and killed him. That day changed their lives forever. When her father left them, he took a part of everybody with him. Mattie and Mathew were only eleven years old when a lost their father, what a horrible loss, and at such a time that you understand how those things work, and you have feelings, one of the many prime times in your life that you need a father. As a result of this great loss, their family became dysfunctional, nobody cleans the house, her mother is never there because she leaves to work early, and comes home really late, and the kids have to make their own dinner. When her father left the family couldn’t take it, they just fell apart, now her mother is always angry and never smiles. It is unusual to me how all this corruption can be caused by 1 man alone, I mean ...

Personal Narrative- Converting to Judaism :: Personal Narrative Writing

Personal Narrative- Converting to Judaism One day in grade five, I decided to find myself. Most people are not "lost" when they are eleven years old, but in my own naà ¯ve, inexperienced world, I needed a change. My teacher was the indirect cause of this awakening. She was Jewish and opened our closed WASP-y minds to a whole new world of Judaism. We explored the Jewish holidays, learned about the Holocaust, and watched Fiddler on the Roof. This brief yet fascinating view into the world of another religion captured my attention and compelled me to investigate further. I hungrily searched for books on Judaism and bombarded my teacher and my two classmates who were half-Jewish with questions. I decided, after careful (or so I thought) deliberations, that I wanted to convert to Judaism. I did not (and still do not) know why Judaism intrigued me so. Perhaps their high degree of suffering as a people seemed romantic to me. On the other hand, maybe it had to do with the fact that my religion (as my more Roman friends are quick to point out) does not seem to have any clear and decisive beliefs. It could have been the fact that Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and are still waiting for the Messiah to appear, which seemed to be a good reason as to why there was so much wrong with the world. Whatever it was, it drew me in and launched me into a world of discovery and discouragement. One Day, after my teacher had taken us to Mount Allison to see Fiddler On The Roof, I sat at the supper table and calmly announced my intention to covert to Judaism. I caught the glance that passed between my parents and was perceptive enough to understand what it meant. "Yeah, right." But my parents are supportive and told me that it was my decision and that they had never forced any particular beliefs onto us and they were not going to start now. So I marched to my room and got out the dictionary. Kosher (ko’shc r), adj. 1. Judaism 2. Fit or allowed to be eaten or used, according to the dietary or ceremonial laws. The next night I went grocery shopping with my father and was excited to see the jar of kosher pickles sitting on the shelf. I do not like pickles and I did not even know why they were kosher, but how could I not take advantage of a wonderful opportunity to prove to my parents that I was serious about converting.

Narcissism as Liberation and Deep Play: Notes on a Balinese Cockfight E

Comparing Susan Douglas' Narcissism as Liberation and Clifford Greetz's Deep Play: Notes on a Balinese Cockfight The method used by Susan Douglas in her essay â€Å"Narcissism as Liberation† to describe the way a particular event to practice might have a deeper meaning seems to differ somewhat with that used by Clifford Greetz in â€Å"Deep Play: Notes on a Balinese Cockfight†. In the former, the author concentrates on the method which would be best described as â€Å"direct approach†. In her explanations of the themes behind different advertising practices and their implied meanings she makes it sound as though the ones responsible for the advertisements infuse these subliminal messages on purpose into the context. She describes the play on women’s feelings to cow them into thinking that they are never the ideal and should always be working to perfect their bodies (using the advertiser’s products) is an intentional subliminal message that is infused into every commercial advertisement is done because that method seems to be effective. She stresses that the media and corporations have shaped...

“A Rose for Emily”: Emily Grierson Essay

Emily Grierson from William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† couldn’t accept death; she just could not believe it when those around her, particularly her loved ones, passed away. Emily’s denial of death has many causes and consequences. When her father died, it took three days and the intervention of the people of Jefferson for her to give up the body because she refused to believe he was dead. When the townspeople attempted to offer their condolences to Emily, as Faulkner says, â€Å"she told them her father was not dead. † After she murdered Homer to keep him near her, she didn’t, in her life accept his death and continued to have unnatural relations with his lifeless corpse. Even ten years after the death of Colonel Sartoris, she denied his death because she had no concept of the passing of time. She refused to acknowledge the passing of her loved ones; it stands to reason that she would not acknowledge the passing of time. Her ignorance towards the passage of time has a lot to do with her denial of death. When the Board of Alderman visited Emily to ask her to pay taxes, she exemplifies her denial of time by repeating, â€Å"See Colonel Sartoris† despite the fact that he had been dead for many years. Emily didn’t seem to realize just how much time had passed since she had last laid eyes on colonel Sartoris. This was probably mostly caused by the ostracism of the townspeople. Being an outcast from society probably not only made it hard for Emily to keep track of time, but also probably took a toll on her sanity. The isolation wasn’t the only contributing factor toward Emily’s failing mental health. Insanity also ran in her family. She had a great aunt, Old Lady Wyatt who is referred to by Faulkner as having â€Å"finally gone completely out of her mind† and many critics speculate that her father may also have been out of his right mind. Many critics, such as Eric Knickerbocker believe that his relationship with Emily was incestuous. Emily’s genetic insanity was probably the cause of her isolation and her trouble with accepting death. In Emily’s mind, probably also caused by her genetic madness, murder is permissible because she view’s death as an extension of life. In her eyes, she hasn’t done anything wrong. She murdered Homer because he was going to leave her. She wanted to keep her Homer near her forever and he was planning on jilting her. She continued to have unnatural relations with his lifeless corpse, even long after his body had decayed because she didn’t understand or couldn’t accept that Homer was dead. Emily dies alone, in her house that almost no one, except Tobe ever enters. All her life, she was excluded from society, jilted by her only potential groom, plagued with insanity and trapped in her own denial of death. Emily’s entire life was very sad the consequences of her refusal of death were numerous. Faulkner does an excellent job at linking society, death, and insanity in his macabre southern gothic tale of Emily Grierson, a woman who was not right in the head. Works Cited Faulkner, William. â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † American Studies @ The University of Virginia. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. . Faulkner, William. â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † American Studies @ The University of Virginia. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. . Knickerbocker, Eric. â€Å"William Faulkner: The Faded Rose of Emily. † Mr. Renaissance: Spiritual and Philosophic Reflections. 13 Mar. 2003. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. . claims that Emily’s relationship with her father is incestuous.

Marketing Plan Of Toyota Essay

Executive Summary A company of automobiles named Toyota Motor Corporation owned by Australia has a very vast range of cars. There is a part of manufacturing in the industry named as prius car is one of the best hybrid coactions drivers which are best drivers in the environment of today. It also creates a competitive atmosphere between other businesses due to the provision of best  fuel system. In the beginning of the report about the introduction and the background of company is explained. There is a current analysis about the different products, environment and competition of Toyota’s operation. An analysis named as SWOT is conducted to tell about the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of any business and its environment. The objectives and the strategies can be recognized on the bases of these important factors and complicated issues. For the improvement of the product quality, some plans are thought for the finishing of counsel. For the illustration of the position and the perfo rmance of any product, the presented report has different types of graph of company. Introduction In the world ranking of car manufacturing, Toyota Company has a distinct position in manufacturing and distribution. Good performance and presentation of company is due to the well planned system of company. The company gain many alcove of market with the help of many notable features. One cannot explain the whole construction about the operation of the company. It is also considered as monopoly. This company is one biggest company of Car freighting in the world. Especially in DC, s, the strategies of differentiation presents this company as monopolist almost. Along with it, this system also has some features of oligopoly. The presence of squint competitors like GM is also one of the reasons of this fact. Toyota is eager to see the performance of its rivals and want to confirm its leadership through their actions. Toyota Motor Corporation is also manufacturing minivans, passenger vans, diversion and sports automobiles throughout the world. There are 45 manufacturing companies and 12 foundry of Toyota officially attached in Japan. From the year of 2010, this corporation is doing work on its program of deliberately global vision. Policies like good’s recycling and posture of pro-environment are also illustrated by this program. It also has a new idea to give latest and new chances to the markets of Asia by giving them respect. It also has a goal of getting 35% of automobiles by Spout of the newly  established markets. In the markets of Asia, it’s the ides of the Toyota Company to give honor to the different people from different communities. And spout the newly developed markets to have almost 35% of automobiles. There is need of local production of the automobiles for local customization. Toyota has an honor of becoming the first manufacturing organization in the year of 1990. The main focus of Toyota Company for establishing local markets is on Europe, Asia and North America. On the bases of cost efficiencies, Toyota has responded very fast by pass through the regional and trade hurdles. Toyota laid more stress on its reputation and image. In America, the cost of Toyota products is not affordable. But customer depends and trusts on the product of Toyota so it is completing its journey successfully. Toyota Company gain first rank in the year of 2007 as well as in the year of 2008 in the sailing of cars. There are two distinct duties on Toyota. Due to its hybrid products and items, Toyota is going ahead in competition. Although eco-friendly consumers are asking for newly established brands it is the aim of Toyota to produce new models with advance technology. Another opportunity of Toyota is to make unused market for youth. A motivating revolution is introduced by Scion. There are some indicators like product designing, product marketing and credit help will considered as a great chance in future. The large population of china has identified and the purchasing power and business of Toyota increased. In this way it’s easy for china to establish its main office in china. Due to the economic development in South America, it increases the purchase of full size Toyota’s trucks. Full sized SUV of Toyota is demanded increasingly in Middle East. This is the result of appreciation of Toyota. According its efficient export system, Toyota is acting. Among the total 500 companies, Toyota is the 5th best company. In international strategies, Toyota is become successful. There is many strategies made by Toyota. There is a clear concept of production, marketing and supply. The important and compulsory key points of Toyota are its production as well as improvement system. The concepts which make the company strong are Kaizen and new themes of many areas. To establish the chain or link of supply, management of inventory, capabilities of production and planning method there is a system of TPS (Toyota production system). For the domination of Toyota upon all around  the Toyota industry TPS make it powerful. Basically, Toyota was firstly established in Japan and soon spread its root all around the world. There is no doubt about the domination of Toyota all around the world. There are some targets of Toyota like establishment of long term growth, for making the friendly relations with people, society and whole environment. Toyota is also providing the chances of employment in America. To achieve the higher place in international market, mostly common issues like social, economic and cultural give permission to place equity. Strategic Plan and focus For the overall affects for the planning for Toyota, there are three main points for our focus. They are as follows, Mission Statement of the Company Prosperous and developed society with the help of automobiles is the aim of Toyota Corporation. For this purpose, the company is struggling for a developed and growths for long period for harmonize with all the important aspects, the prominent atmosphere, international bargain, homegrown communities and international stake holders. The Goals of the Company The every model which is sold in the market, the company gives offer about the alternation of hybrid. In this way company achieve its goal of sailing 1 million of hybrid automobiles within a year. And company was succeeding by achieving this goal in the year of 2012. In the year of 2011, in six different fields, Toyota Company is improving its plans. The fields are like changes in energy and climate, air quality, substance concerned, resources utilization and recycling and social cooperation. In the decreasing carbon dioxide company is playing vital role. By seeing the values of fuel economy, the company believed in doing combine actions. Core Competencies and Competitive Advantages For getting a better economic sustainable position, company is working with  the help of international market. Company is started to invest in different kinds of strategies so that the company can get its targets with the help of latest technology. Company is full with the experts so they do research on all the aspects which are the fact that keep this company on the top. There is a large network of its distributions which help it to reach on the top. Situation Analysis We can give the credit to internal environment which have the ability of high efficiency and ranking of quality. The companies which are famous in competition, it give them greater importance and top class management. For the understanding the whole position of company, we can use an analysis named SWOT which have the capacity of examine the advantages as well as disadvantages of company. And at last show the full situation of company. SWOT Analysis of Toyota We can refer advantages and disadvantages of any company as its internal factors because these have a large effect on company. On the other hand chances and threats are considered as outside aspects of company. Basic Strengths of Toyota Innovative culture One of the best companies of innovation in the world is Toyota. It has a powerful custom about the innovations which are constant. Kanban, Kaizen, and TQM systems were firstly introduced in world market by Toyota this company also sell hybrid automobiles as well as famous for mass-production. Brand reputation which has the valued about $30 billion The most valued and costly brand of automobile is Toyota. This brand is successful due to its friendly environmentally, durable and safe cars. These automobiles are wholesaled countries that number near about 170 of the world. Industry is considered as a leader in production and sales Lean manufacturing and total quality management are such reforms which are  firstly used by Toyota for the procedure of manufacture. For a shorter duration, company does practice and had a very low manufacturing as well as production cost throughout the world. Many companies try to replicate the system of manufacturing which is used by Toyota but Toyota is still most profitable company throughout the world. Portfolio of a Strong brand Recently, 70 different models of car are sold by Toyota. This become the reason of awareness among people about this brand and also become a source of satisfaction for its clients. Prius and Corolla are the most important models of Toyota. Toyota is the leading green cars development It is the thinking of Toyota Company that today environmental friendly cars become need. In the terms of CO2 emissions and fuel-efficiency for a car consumer become well-aware. And a very few companies can compete with Toyota in sell of hybrid automobiles. In 170 countries of world, in global organization, it has a powerful international rank. In 1997 Toyota’s sells was 131,511 million yen and growth rate was 29.3%. It has an effective image on the bases of quality, environmental friendly and customized range. It is leader of industry in terms of manufacturing and production. With the help of lean approaches of manufacturing like just-in-time manufacturing, quality management etc. In all strong markets like US, China and EMEA Toyota is become 2nd largest producing company of automobiles. It has a diversified range of production. There are highly targeted markets. Company is producing vehicles for public as well as private customers. For fulfilling the needs of clients, company s using different marketing techniques. It is the brand which is also said as household brand. Weaknesses of Toyota Large-scale recalls For the last few decades, Toyota is a large-scale automobiles industry. In the years of 2009-2010 company sell 9 million cars and in the year of 2010 its sell reached at 7.43 million. Such recall may cause for affecting the  company financially and also affect its brands. Toyota has a low presence in the weak market Toyota’s major markets are in US, Europe and Japan, and it also establishing it’s a branch in china and India. But there are small percentage total sales of Toyota in India and China. In China, Toyota finds it difficult to compete with General Motors because of the poor automobiles in China. GM has large shares. Opportunities of Toyota Positive attitude towards â€Å"green† vehicles. Users of Toyota are well aware of the air contamination created by the cars. The carbon dioxide is emitted in large quantities which create intensity in the greenhouse which are causing all these kind of pollution. So consumer become conscious and wants to buy cars like hybrid and electric cars because these cars reduce CO2. Increasing fuel prices. Due to the high price of fuel, Toyota is shifting to efficient cars instead of hybrid cars. The needs of the people are changing Toyota satisfies different changing needs and tastes of people by offering new models and have an access over a wide group of customers Acquisition and growth   In the past, Toyota has succeeded in acquiring other companies and has grown new assets skills and also had access to the new market. Innovation It is the company which firstly produces marketable mass and hybrid gas electric vehicles such as Prius model. It is built on the R&D and innovative technologies. Due to rise in fuel prices, clients are looking for any other source for fewer prices and guzzling cars. New models of Toyota i.e. Aygo model by Toyota is for the aggressions of segmentation. Toyota doesn’t want to take a share in youth market. Production of fuel efficient cars is beneficial; they have fewer effects on environment. For producing new cars for social and institutional demands, the cars like electric cars and hybrid fuels have the impacts on setting. Toyota’s (Eco-VAS) becomes helpful in the procedure of construction, usage and discarding as well. In the fresh markets similar to India, Russia and china there is global increase continuously due to high population and demand. Threats of Toyota Falling fuel prices Because of the mining of more shale gas, it is clearly seen that in future fuel prices will drop. This is the reason that there is less attraction of consumers towards fuel-efficient hybrid and electric cars. These are main group for Prius model of Toyota. New standards for emission Presented by govt. these innovative and latest emissions become clearer engine for investment we can say that if there is more investment then Toyota’s profit becomes less. Rising raw material prices. For any automobile company the rise in the raw material price is very essential for manufacturing of automobiles. Higher price leads to higher cost and less profit is the main ingredient for raw material of Toyota. 1. Intense competition. In any type of business, competition always takes place. Same case is with Toyota. Volkswagen group and GM are always big rivals for Toyota. 2. Natural disasters.   In Japan, Thailand, China and Indonesia there is the facility of manufacturing by Toyota. All the countries are the subjects for all types of natural calamities which can disturb the Toyota’s amount of sell. 3. Appreciating yen exchange rate. Foreign countries are the big source of Toyota’s revenues. All the profit is converted in yen. And the profit of Toyota becomes less due to exchange rate of appreciating yen. Car Industry Analysis For creating a competitive environment in industry, company can put its advantages and chances. Usually, for the wide presence in international market, product line is really useful. By entering in the newly established markets like china and Europe, one can get it also. If we notice the previous history, Toyota took more attention on the markets such as Japan and America, but there is a need of making more plans. Sustainable development is achieved by Toyota cooperation. For the harmful effects of  global warming and fossil fuels, Toyota has a market named as Toyota’s hybrid. This technology can also be helpful for company to sell it to other firms. Toyota Company analysis In the exportation of cars, in the creation of automobiles, best quality and achieving its target, Toyota Company is one of the best companies of world the company give the best return of people’s money in the form of best quality car and make the client luxurious .they always try to give the best value of the money of their clients instead of their rival companies. So, this is one of the big reason for Toyota as a good company in DC, s. This company always tries to achieve sustainable growth and decreasing the pollution from this earth. Customer Analysis Customers of Toyota are rich, poor and diverse. They lived all around the world. Toyota always tries to keep in mind the demands and range of all type of clients belongs to upper as well as lower class. They have all types of automobiles like small sport car, big family automobiles, trucks and vans also. Toyota has the customers from different age groups, areas, incomes, social as well as cultural class. For the satisfaction of their wants, people go to Toyota. There are also vehicles for low income people according to their range as well as size. Independent and aloof people have also verity of cars accord to their need. Many organizations also want a vehicle for giving the facility of convene to their employees. So, this is the case in which the purchaser of the product is not the user of that product. There is enlargement in the exposure of a product when any person buys any product of company. Companies awake awareness among the people about the product through ads, newsletters, websites, and other sources of information. Books and seminars also provide the chance to Toyota for earn income. Where People Purchase There is a vast network of retailers throughout the world and Toyota sale its products with the help of it. There are some specific models of automobiles  which a customer can buy directly from the Toyota factories. Toyota also gives the facility to its customers by giving them opportunity of online shopping. Most of the advertising activities are also done online. Online shopping and ads keep the papers away from wasting and client can easily buy any automobile easily. There is also a toll-free number of Toyota for direct contact. So customers from all across the world can easily access to the all kind of production of company. When People Purchase Anyone can buy the company’s product in the whole year. Except some models, all the other cars are available on Toyota company whole year. Driving licence is compulsory for buying a car in many countries. Some people want to buy a new car as old one is not able to use or want to try a new model. Why do People Purchase? Due to unique and special nature of Toyota, customer prefers it on other companies. Cars meet all the needs of the clients offered by Toyota. Company want to maintain its standard. The company offer fewer amounts than others. Toyota also takes great care about the safety of driver. When green light turned on, there is a distinct call to driver to alert him .new hybrid product also have the facility of buying and changing the car. Why Potential Customers Don’t Purchase According to the census of Toyota there is large amount of potential people who don’t want to buy a car. Company is filled like the people like this. Nowadays there is a large amount of automobile industries. Some people reject the car for no significant reason. This is due to the reason of class, social status, like and dislike .there is no high requirements of Toyota. So the clients are free to buy car from rivals. Business environment Business environment is made by two words i.e. business and environment. In economic view, all the actions or activities done by the person for earning profit, buying of goods are known as business. Surrounding of us is known as environment. So, we come to know that the conditions of nature, which one cannot control like famines, floods, and economic, social and natural affects, are known as business environment. There are two parts of business environment which are internal and external environment. Internal environment This type of environment based upon the company’s basic elements. Important and vital requirements of internal structure are skilled staff, policies and relations with humans. We can have the example of Toyota. There is strong relationship, skilled staff; experienced specialists show the internal environment. External environment All the actions about trade are taken under the external environment. Technological, political and legal factors affect it. there are also two sub division of the external environment. They are macro and micro. Micro environment: the successfulness of any market depends upon tit communication and transportation with its clients. Top level of managing, departments of finance, research, and channel partners are the forces which have the ability to affect the company. Macro environment: -in 2000 company of Toyota felt the changes occurred by the macro environment. The company Toyota takes full benefits of producing the first hybrid vehicle named Toyota Prius. Five Forces Analysis In the operating industry, there are five Porter’s forces which are organized for forcing the company. The business will not be attractive if profit  becomes low. New entrant’s threats, rival’s threats and substitute products threats are the three such forces which affect our analysis. Toyota also started its business in US market. When Toyota Company started business in US it has 95% shares and produces only three types of cars. Japanese market was 100 times smaller than the market of US. There is strong and high position of US in market. Toyota, Honda and Nissan are three different types of automobiles of Japanese company. These companies took 4 decades for establishing themselves in the international market. Bargaining power of suppliers Weak buyers can make problems regarding the product. In US and Japan the company is doing hard work for establishment. And want to start business of automobile here. The supply of class material is supplied from a big network. In the term of company it explores the weakness of customers. Due to labor and raw material, the company is earning profit. Entry There are many hurdles like economic, financial, social and governmental. After World War 2, the laws about the ministry and trade were not in favor of Toyota. At that time there were no hurdles for US in exporting. The low business was an open advantage for Japanese companies. For efficient sale, new entry of shares is required. Buyers’ Bargaining Power The manufacturing companies in US have the ability of vertical integration as they were enjoying the power of it. The supply companies are companies of manufacturing. We take the example of molar. That is supplying parts of motors. But in Japan companies which supply parts of motors has a share in the administration. It is totally different from US. The dealers were fragment in both countries. Toyota purchase large amount from parts companies. By the right of information from internet, user bargain. Substitute products threats In U.S. and Japan, there is transportation system. The value of special amount is high due to its close substitute. Rivalry Competition between rivals in the production of car is very complex. Although the output of the market was very low but it was enlarging day by day. From the year of 1970, there is tough competition between rival companies there is rivalry on price as well as on other things. In price competition the price of product included and in non-price competition there is marginal as well as fixed cost are added. Competition call also is increased through differentiation opportunity. One basic thing of increasing rivalry between all the companies is the manufacturing of cars, truck, and SUV’s.

Physiognomy Theory Essay

Physiognomy also known as the Arts and Sciences of the face, dates back to Aristotle’s era. This philosophy was first used by the Greek and spread to places as far as Asia and the Middle East within a short period of time. It became very popular especially in Asia, where people would use this to determine people’s suitability for jobs and important government positions. The number of important people such as Emperors, successful professionals and government officials that believed in this theory also helped the rapid spread of physiognomy throughout the continents. Back then, most people were convinced that this so called science could not only determine their personality as well as their fate but also help them make better choices in life. Physiognomy claims that an individual’s character, destiny and the ability to perform certain tasks in life, can be defined by studying his facial features. Studies done throughout time have failed to back up this theory, conf irming that physiognomy is just another pseudoscience. Physiognomy and its uses and definition have changed overtime according to people’s needs. Figuring out the traits and behavioral trends of people was not enough; so physiognomy experts then argued that people’s characteristics had a connection with the signs of the zodiac. As the numbers of followers of Physiognomy grew, so did the demand for physiognomists, or face readers as they were called, turning this philosophy into a profitable worldwide business. After many years, physiognomy was revived and it is now used and believed to work efficiently to determine criminal tendencies in people. Physiognomy became more credible to people, when a U.S. judge backed up the theory after observing the facial features of those that appeared in his court. Physiognomy, is the study of facial features that allows philosophers to determine an individual’s traits and flaws. This theory supposedly ascertains different factors in someone’s life, such as moral values, self control, social and criminal tendencies. People’s abilities are also things that are supposedly defined by reading the facial aspects of an individual. It is also believed that this theory predicts the fate of people by studying certain parts of the face as the eyes, mouth and nose . Skin color, hair type, voice, forehead lines and certain body parts are considered when evaluating an individual. The shape of someone’s skull, or the way that the soft tissue sits on it, can also say something about the character and true identity of the person being evaluated. The theory of physiognomy has been tested many times since its discovery, thousands of years ago. However, none of the experiments done to prove it have been successful. The deficiency of scientific evidence to verify the theory, is the reason why physiognomy is considered a philosophy rather than science. Most studies done by advocates of this philosophy, have and still do lack an explanation of how and why the theory works. Supporters of physiognomy have taken advantage of certain circumstances in which someone’s facial traits help determine a condition. Some genetic diseases for example have specific facial features which help diagnose the illness. Down’s syndrome and DeLange syndrome are good examples of these diseases. Supporters of this theory often compare these diseases to physiognomy as a way to prove the theory. Just like Down’s syndrome and Delange syndrome are used as evidence of this pseudo- science, so are many other similar conditions. The studies done by non-advocates of this theory have proved that a person’s character and behavior cannot be defined by examining the facial features. Studies have shown that a relation between facial traits and someone’s personality does not exist. There are many factors that are scientifically proven to have influence over the development of an individual’s personality and temperament during their lifetime. Several studies with people of all ages and from different backgrounds have stated various reasons that in the long run shape someone’s character. The way that a child is raised, his parents’ traits and flaws and the people that he is surrounded by have an impact on personality. Culture and different ethnic backgrounds are also factors that have an effect on someone’s personality and the person that they grow up to be later on in life. Personal experiences and certain events with emotional value for a person are among the causes that influence an individual’s character, mentality, social and emotional life. Bibliography â€Å"Physiognomy – LoveToKnow 1911.† 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica – Free Online. 6 Oct. 2006. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. . â€Å"Introduction to Physiognomy – Face Reading the Facial Features.† A Human Face. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. .