The Dawn of Ancient Greek Heroism

The unwitting defeat of Leonidas and the thousands of Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae has confounded the minds of many historians and has compelled them to deduce any possible logical explanation.Sparta was a superpower at the time of ancient Greece. The Greek historian Xenophon, stated that it â€Å"had the greatest power of any Greek community but also one of the smallest populations† (Powell, 2001, p. 218).The Spartan society was known for its patriotism, and courage in war.1 The way of education of the society was unique for Sparta, where it emphasized the development of the physique thru compulsory military training for both boys and girls at a very early age.2 This intensely strict mandate has produced the psychology of dying rather than defeat at war.3 The outstanding accomplishment that was born out of this way of living was a supreme military. Sparta seemed unconquerable with a population who would choose death over loss at battle and a military feared by other polis. The strength of heart of the Spartans, however, was put to the test during the famous Battle of Thermopylae.King Leonidas lead an army of 4000 to defend the straits of Thermopylae from the attacking Persians. They fought courageously, giving big losses to the army of Persian emperor Xerxes but suffered defeat when a Greek traitor told Xerxes of an alternative trail to attack the Spartans. Upon knowing this treachery, Leonidas sent away most of his army and faced the Persians with the remaining 300. Leonidas and his army fought with all courage and died as heroes.4That point of Greek history was arguably â€Å"Spartan’s finest hour† (Caltredge, 2002) and became an outstanding source of inspiration to poets and literary figures who tried to immortalize that event. Francois Rene de Chateaubriand (Bernard 2003) described the event, thus:I cannot describe the confused feelings which overpowered me. The hill at whose foot I stood was, then, the hill of the citadel of Sparta†¦. I dismounted, and ran all the way up the hill of the citadel. As I reached the top, the sun was rising behind the Menelaian hills. What a beautiful spectacle! But how melancholy! †¦ I stood motionless, in a kind stupor. A mixture of admiration and grief checked my steps and my thoughts; the silence round me was profound. Wishing, at least, to make echo speak in a spot where the human voice is no longer heard, I shouted with all my might, â€Å"Leonidas!† No ruin repeated this great name, and Sparta herself seemed to have forgotten it. (p. 1)Herodotus attributed that courageous decision of Leonidas and his army to die to the fulfillment of the oracle at Delphi, where Sparta would decide to sacrifice its king or to suffer the obliteration of the whole city.5 However, it would be unreasonable to always accept the truth of the oracle since it is only a conjecture, an alternative explanation to the fiasco caused by man’s wrong decision-making so he may n ot be blamed.6 In order not to attribute events to the supernatural, one must therefore, peruse the history book again, look for the most possible and grave explanation, and find the reasons that would satisfy logic.One can look at two things: the form of government and the way of life. These are mutually inclusive ideas however these are looked upon as factors that would affect the standards of morality of society. The Greek historian Theopompus sees democracy, the political system of Sparta, as a way leading â€Å"to luxury and dissolute living, and luxury is thoroughly corrupting† (Flower, 1994, p.79), assuming this is true for Sparta, democracy would not explain the heroism of Leonidas and his army.The Spartan way of life however, revolves around the education of its young to become the warriors that could protect its city. Therefore, the education of the Spartan society would explain the rationale behind this tragic decision.   Every man in Sparta underwent rigorous ph ysical training, and in this process, patriotism was being built. The decision to die for society was being taught along the process. When one sees death better to taste than defeat, it would become easy to die and accept the reality of dying. For this society, it is scornful to be a coward and glorious to die at the battlefield.Caltredge (2002) cited in his article:Spartan wives and mothers were not shrieking violets. They openly berated and chastised any hint of cowardice in their sons. They wept tears of pain if their son or husband came back safe but defeated from battle, tears of joy if he died in a winning cause.The Spartan way of educating their citizens that the way to glory is thru death at battle has driven Leonidas and his men to carry on fighting until death, because only then can they show that indeed, it is glorious to die for a good cause rather than be defeated.Notes1 See Pomeroy (1999, p.132).2 See Starr (1965, p. 258) for a detailed description of the education of men; Caltredge (2002) for the description of the education of women.3 See Caltredge (2002).4 See Platts (1865, p. 258).5 See Hodkinson (1994).6 See the footnote on Dyer (1894, p.52).ReferencesBernard, A. (2003 Spring). Common Place Book: Ruins.American Scholar, 72(2), 1.Cartledge, P. (2002 August). To Die For? Paul Cartledge Sees Ancient Spartan Society and Its Fierce Code of Honour as Something Still Relevant Today. History Today, 52(20), 1.Dyer, L. (1894). Studies of the Gods in Greece at Certain Sanctuaries Recently Excavated: Being Eight Lectures Given in 1980 at the Lowell Institute. New York: Macmillan and Co.Flower, M. (1994). Theopompus of Chios.New York: Oxford University Press.Hodkinson, S. (1994). The Shadow of Sparta.New York: Routledge.Pomeroy, S. (1999). Ancient Greece: A Political, Social andCultural History. New York: Oxford University Press.Platts, J. (1826). A New Universal Biography.London: Sherwood, Jones, and Co.Starr, C. (1965). A History of the Ancient World.N ew York: Oxford University Press.

The traditional British seaside resort is in the danger of extinction

What do I think of as the traditional British seaside resort? Crowded beaches, with screaming children, buckets and spades, candy floss and donkey rides. A holiday by the sea has been a traditional break from the bustling city life since the 1840's, before which it was exclusive to the middle and upper classes. People could escape from their working lives- to experience the fresh air and relaxed atmosphere in places such as Bournemouth and Brighton. Blackpool also was a definite traditional seaside resort. After the railway arrived in 1846, Blackpool became an easily accessible destination only an hour or so from the smoggy cities such as Manchester and Bolton. With the arrival of cars and coaches Blackpool became even more thriving; by 1980 it was attracting over a million visitors every year. The 11km of white sandy beach was one attraction along with the famous tower, the pleasure beach and the piers. Another resort which shared this huge popularity, even with the royals, was Southend on Sea. From the 1800's onwards it was a popular destination for the tourists, with the beach, the amusement arcades and the longest pleasure pier in the world. It's within close proximity to London, and with the railway being built in 1854 it became even more accessible, throughout the 20th centaury its popularity continued with working and middle class day trippers and in the 1960's and 1970's the bank holiday invasions began. However these two resorts, along with many others have been hit by decline over the last few decades. They have been overtaken by tourists moving further from home. Cheap package holidays to destinations in the sun have proved too much of a temptation and today as many Britons take their main holiday abroad as do within Britain. The general public are choosing more adventurous holidays, further a field, they are much more aware of the possibilities they have through advertising and travel agencies. Also today's wealthier population have taken to spending their money to pamper themselves, which so often involves lounging in the guaranteed sunshine of the Mediterranean or some other foreign destination. The number of visitors spending time and money at Blackpool has fallen dramatically over the last 30 years. Families have stopped visiting and the tourists are falling into the ranks of â€Å"clubbers† and old age pensioners. The clubbers are bringing with them disruption, noise, violence, drugs and a general feeling of unrest and disturbance, this in turn is deterring the old age pensioners visiting, who are trying to find some peace and quiet and enjoy romantic strolls along the shore. This has caused the halt of the cash flowing into the area, so hotels are downgrading to hostels and restaurants are being replaced with fast-food joints. The beach has become littered and not desirable for children to play on. The social status of Southend on Sea has plummeted noticeably through the ages; the once fashionable resort has changed to the tacky stereotypical seaside resort. With the influx of Mods and Rockers â€Å"coming off the trains and having to have their shoe laces and belts confiscated by the police to restrict the violence†. Since the decline of the resort it has also become the â€Å"dumping ground† for refugees. Southend has an estimate of 6-7000 Kosovan refugees and 3-4000 Londoners sent down by social services. The reputation of the refugees has led to a further decline and an even more dramatic drop in visitors. The only visitors it now receives are the occasional day trippers- conceding to only do day trips as they don't like â€Å"the sound of the place at night†. However, the seaside resort is not in total decline, over the last few years the government has made a stand and the regeneration process is underway in many areas. They are attempting to bring the resorts back onto their feet. â€Å"We have turned our backs on our heritage in a lot of these places, and many fell into decay. But now, people are rediscovering the rich history associated with the seaside holiday resorts† (Steve Hayler, of Canterbury Church university college) Local towns, local councils and businesses are cleaning up beaches, improving facilities and rejuvenating traditional attractions. This year a record number of the UK's beaches were awarded the â€Å"blue flag† for meeting exacting standards of cleanliness and management demanded by the European clean-up scheme. 7 beaches made the grade, compared to 41 last year. Hopefully this is attracting people back to the beaches. Some areas are taking more drastic measures e. g. Newquay and Bournemouth with the prospect of building an artificial reef that would guarantee bigger waves. This would boost the already booming trend of surfers flocking to the beaches to catch the waves. This year an expected 100,000 are expected to turn up at the annual â€Å"Rip Curl Newquay Boardmasters festival†. Blackpool is considering a complete change in image. To transform the Lancashire town into a British version of Las Vegas. â€Å"We see huge opportunity; we want to see a year-round resort with year-round jobs that can be the centre of a larger regenerated Blackpool† (Alan Cazill the economic development officer at Blackpool Council). However some resorts are taking the more conventional route, just trying to improve on what they've got. For example Brighton's west pier ravaged by fire, was for decades a ghostly remnant of the past slowly falling into the sea. As part of the refurbishment, the underwater supports have been shored up and the decaying pier is floodlit at night. True the â€Å"Traditional† British seaside resort may be in danger of extinction, but in no way is the new and different seaside resort dying out its only just getting started. Despite the lure of foreign climate and the growth of cheap package holidays, this year for the first time in long time Britons are choosing once more for the pebbly shores close to home. The number of people heading for the seaside for four nights or more- 30 million a year- is the same as in 1965. Some 110 million day-trippers also make for the coast each year. In conclusion: has the British seaside resort come to the end of the line? Do people only want the guaranteed sun found in Europe and other countries? Or do people look for more in a beach holiday. Seaside may never return to how they were, but that does not mean they will die out, they may return in a brand new regenerated new fashion.

Analysis

Analysis tunny style of writing. It helps to relax and raises mood. Sophie Kinsellas books are an excellent sample of chick 11t Actually, chick 11t genre Is a kind of Informal substyle of belles-letters style. The main feature of the style in which Sophie works is subject oriented toa women. In her work. she covers a wide range of pressing issues such as Issues of modern womanhood, relationship Issues, often humorously and lightheartedly. Our text under consideration taken from Sophie Kinsellas book Twenties Girl is nota typical chick lit novel, in the narration is added some element of fantasy, which Is not typical for this genre. However, this element Is necessary for the concept of the plot. Twenties Girl follows the story of Lara, niece toa millionaire guy called Bill Lington who runs a successful coffee chain all over the world. Lara is an rdinary twenty-something business-lady who works at a head-hunting company she set up with her best friend Natalie, right until she decides to disappear, leaving her In the lurch, not having the slightest clue what to do or how to run the company all alone. To make things even worse, her mother has anxiety problems, she just broke up with her boyfriend Josh and to top It all, she has to attend her great-aunts funeral as well. At the funeral of Sadie Lancaster (Laras great-aunt) where the whole family gathered were no flowers or even a photo of the deceased. And at this moment Sadie appears as a ghost but as it turns out, only Lara can see and hear her, no one else. Action of the extract under discussion takes place nowadays In London at the funeral of Sadie Lancaster, where people are not interested in her life while she was alive. came to see her out in the last journey. Her relatives, who look like a celebrity magazine come to life did not express any regret about her death. No flowers, no lovely smell, no singing this proposal, the author shows us the oppressive silence. Guilty silence among the people, who did not even knchN what she liked to do. Shes wearing a cardigan In the picture. Maybe she knitted It. Maybe she liked knitting. Each of them was just waiting for the end of it all. Laras cousin texting on her mobile and keeps looking at her watch, Uncle Bill sprawled on the chair and aunt Trudy, who gives a sudden click ot the tongue ,remem ¶ered about the photo only after a vicars question. I believe, that this passage conve ys the root Idea: emotional state of the main character. Lara, who came at the funeral of a stranger, who, nevertheless, was one of her relative. The second main point of this extract is the idea of disunity In the Lancasters family: they were not only Indifferent to the destiny of their relative, moreover they did not regret about her death. This text, from the logical point of view. can be roughly divided into two parts. The first part begins with Laras interior monologue describing her feelings caused by the need to come to the funeral and the narration shows us relatives came to the funeral and describes their manner of ehavior, thereby implying the atmosphere of indifference that prevailed at the tuneral. The second part describes the key, in my opinion, moment in the plot ot the moment when Lara heard a voice that belonged to her great-aunt, Sadie Lancaster. All characters described by the author look bright and vividly, as if you take part in occurring events. Characters of secondary characters such as Uncle Bill, his wife Trudy and their daughter Diamant are transmitted through their actions. Obviously, the main Character is Lara. The author leads narration from her face, and thereby allows us to penetrate into her inner world. Tautology Ð’Â «my whole entire life, used in Laras words when she thought about feelings of depression because of the funeral, characterizes her as a very emotional girl, but at the same time, she seems very sane, when she tries to convince herself that the voice she heard Just a fgment of her imagination. The second main character of this text can be called aunt Sadies ghost. The author introduces her first description through the photo made in the last years of her life. The author uses hyperbole Her face is folded over a million lines and the metaphor her hair is a translucent puff of candy floss to show how old was this woman. It is impossible to characterize Sadies character proceeding only from this extract. I think in the further course of the narrative author will describe it more detail. The general atmosphere of the extract under analysis causes mixed feelings. Heavvy atmosphere of the funeral mixed with unexpected turn of plot in a quite mystical way and a little bit comical moment when Lara talking to a ghost of her reat-aunt denies her existence- all this creates a mixed feeling, which makes us interested in the further development of the events. Acquaintance with this extract became a discovery for me. Kinsellas writing is something that I absolutely adore you cant help clinging to every word she says, every word she puts down on paper its amazing. She writes with such ease and depth that she can attract her readers from the very first page. In my opinion, this text is wonderfully witty, laugh-out-loud funny and highly emotional at the same time.

World History. The age of discovery and industrialization Essay

World History. The age of discovery and industrialization - Essay Example The resultant of this exploration was the Columbian exchange which was characterized by exchange of animals, cultural integration and the slave trade between Americans and Afro-Eurasians. As the Europeans explored the coastal shores of Africa and Asia, they took Africans as slave servants in their country. In brief, the discovery age, was a period that the Western countries venture into new territories which led to the discovery of new lands, cultures and economic activities. Another phase of western development was marked by a period of cultural development I the European culture. One of the features of this period was the invention of the printing press, which formed a transition from the early age of script writing to printing. The impact of this transition was that a new avenue to edit and author new books including the bible was developed. Protestant churches came into being after splitting of Catholicism and the people now had an option to form new denominations without being r estricted into a single religious domain. With the availability of printing media, scientific facts were documented and the 17th century became an era of scientific revolution in World History. Another turning point of the world history is the establishment of political set ups that started in the 17th century in western countries. During this period, absolute monarchies ruled by kings came into existence in France and this culture became widespread in the German and in the central Europe. This kind of culture accorded a lot of power to the king and he became the absolute ruler with the responsibility of guarding the welfare of the people. In the eighteenth century, the Russian empire came into being after the Peter 1 introduced autocracy and later adopted the European governing system. The spread of well-defined political structures of European countries to other countries marked a new beginning in the history of the world. Early Modern Period as a period of great economic exchange but not great cultural change The early modern period is perceived more of a period of economic exchange rather than a time of cultural integration. Economic exchange refers to the exchange of valuables and goods across the territory that was common during the middle of the discovery age. During the discovery period, the western countries set out to find new markets where they could obtain spice goods such as coffee and tea and in the long run discovered productive lands and rich coastal shores where business was suitable. In addition, they engaged in the slave trade to acquire a free source of labor in their field in the effort of maximizing their profits. The period of cultural exchange refers to the post-discovery age when the western countries had already started to settle in foreign lands and there was need to learn new cultures to enhance business and communication. The start of the monarch was the beginning of cultural integration in which most countries decided started the culture of kingship that originated in the central Europe. In the better part of the discovery age, the communities engaged with little exchange of cultural values, but later cultural influence was impacted due to the enhanced interaction as the business grew stronger in these foreign lands. For instance, the formation of the Kiswahili language in Kenya coasts was meant to facilitate business between the Bantu and Arabs and Portuguese. There is a significant difference between cultural exchange and economic exchange as relates to the historical development of the world. While economic exchange refers to the material trade between different cultures, cultural exchange

Psychological profile on Hannibal lector and Buffalo Bill Essay

Psychological profile on Hannibal lector and Buffalo Bill - Essay Example Nevertheless, based on first hand information gathered by the authors biographer David Sexton, it is learnt that the character of Hannibal Lecter was based on that of William Coyne, a notorious serial killer who terrorized American society in the 1930s. In this context, one can claim that Lecters profile belongs to the Psychopath category. This assessment also makes sense when one considers the childhood history of Lecter. It should be noted that the novel The Silence of the Lambs does not delve into his childhood history. It is the fourth and fifth books of the sequel, namely Hannibal and Hannibal Rising, that provide greater detail about his early life. Nevertheless, since the underlying theme and the authorship of all these books are the same, one can arrive at the approximate profile of Lecter by cross referencing material from these novels and films. Although the brilliance of his mind was evident from the beginning and something that he was born with, his anti-social tendencies developed as a result of severely traumatic experiences in the past. In his early years in Lithuania, he witnessed the traumatic death and consumption of his sister Mischa, whom he had loved very much. This incident had left profound would on his psyche, which would turn him into a remorseless, cannibalistic psychopath. The adage â€Å"take the help of a thief to catch a thief† fits so aptly in the case of psychopaths as well. In the movie The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling, a rookie FBI trainee, takes the help of Hannibal Lecter, who is in police custody, to identify and track down another serial killer with the name â€Å"Buffalo Bill†. While both Lecter and Buffalo Bill are psychopathic serial killers, the latter seems to be more indiscriminate and brutal in performing his crimes. The other distinction between the two is that Buffalo Bill is not shown to be cannibalistic, but Lecter clearly is. Buffalo Bill, whose real name is Jame

The Performance of the U.S. Economy Today Essay

The Performance of the U.S. Economy Today - Essay Example The main reason for the slow economic growth of the economy is lack of responsibility and initiatives taken by the government in reducing the expenditure. While considering the GDP rate of the country it is experienced that the overall economy should be rated as B grade. The rate of GDP decreased during the first quarter, it decreased to 0.2 and then it recovered in the second and the third quarter. The decrease in the oil prices facilitated the people to spend more which mainly accounts for two third of the gross domestic product. The government took initiatives in raising the GDP of the economy by reducing the total government spending which includes local, state and federal expenditure. The spending decreased from 39% to 35%.The decline in government spending led to the increase in GDP. The main reason behind grading the economy as B is that the economy is not performing effectively and efficiently, the corporations and the owners of the company or the businessman have become greedy, cautious and myopic. The investors instead of holding the cash for future they are engaged in hoarding the cash and utilizing the cash for short term profitability (Collins, 2015). The export and import function of the economy did not prosper. After the recovery of the financial crisis it is observed that the changes in case of both export and import are comparatively less. This resulted in the increase of trade deficit. The FED justified and explained that the labor and the market condition of the economy are improving as compared to the previous years. Although the number of investors increased during the period of recession but the amount of investment by the investors are decreasing with the due course of time. Therefore the level of investment failed to contribute towards the growth of the economy. The consumer spending is mainly measured in

The Arguments and Propels for Disciplining New Media Research Paper

The Arguments and Propels for Disciplining New Media - Research Paper Example Cinematic critic Lev Manovich has analysed the techniques of digital cinema and has argued that contemporary digital cinema is marked by the pre-cinematic movement of image techniques which shows a return to earlier cinematic methods. Contemporary digital cinema seems to be characterised by interactive narrative (Manovich, 1996). Manovich, however, claims that the digital media helps to present narratives in a new way yet considering the discussion of the central focus of digital media, narratives according to Manovich is far from the essential elements of digital storytelling (Manovich, 1996). Digital cinema seems to have redefined the identity of cinema as with digital cinema, simulation of all real events could be done without necessitating real physical space events to occur and be recorded within photographic limitations. Cinema has been seeing what is widely called a digital revolution in which the computer is used more extensively to create fictional forms and moving images in a specialised manner. According to Manovich, the essence of cinema is in ‘recording and storing visible data in a material form’ (Manovich, 1996). Just like a computer, a film camera records cinematic data onto a film and the film projector reads it as the computer is controlled by a program and records input data. To show the essential similarities between the cinematic process and the recording of data in a computer, Manovich has claimed that digital cinema thrives on these similarities as in case of cinematic techniques; distinct mages are recorded in celluloid strips whereas, in case of the computer, data is stored electronically in the form of a binary code.

Explain the Asian Migration Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Explain the Asian Migration Hypothesis - Essay Example pothesis indicates that even in those days, the population still exhibited genetic diversity—a thought that was previously non-existent (Faragher et al, 2011). According to this Asian Migration Hypothesis, the ancestors of Native Americans who were headed to the new world for greener pastures spent a considerable amount of time on Beringia—a landmass that existed during the glacial maximum extending from Northeastern Serbia to Western Alaska. Spending approximately 15000 years in this place, these would-be founders of the New World underwent a natural biological process that would genetically differentiate them with their Asian sisters (Raffet, 2007). Genetically speaking, these immigrants stayed long enough in Beringia for certain genetic mutations to accumulate. These newly accumulated mutations—referred to as clades in genetics, naturally differed with that of their Asian sisters and hence the dilemma on their origin. After stagnating at Beringia, this hypothesis indicates that entry to the New World was a rather swift than a gradual process (Raffet, 2007). Further analysis indicates that after this stagnation, the movement of these ancestors was bi-directional with some going back to Northeast Asia while others moved forward to the Americas from Beringia. Thus,the of flow gene between Siberia and the North American Arctic was bi-directional (Faragher et al,

Economics Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics Assignment 2 - Essay Example One cannot ignore the importance of alleviation of income inequality to achieve long term economic growth. The standard of living of a country is often measured by the per capita GDP. It will not be wise to think GDP per capita to be the measure of personal income. If the economic theories are taken into account, then per capita GDP will be same as per capita GDI (Gross Domestic Income). The goods as well as the services produced in a certain country and brought to the market have some price. Some experts regard GDP as the price of the total output. The GDP can be calculated in the following ways. Cumulative figure of all income within an economy or the total spending made by all the participating agents within the same economy is referred to as GDP. Both the spending and the income will roughly be the same. It should be kept in king that Gross Domestic product and Gross National product is not the same thing. The market value of the goods as well as services produced within a partic ular time period by the residents of a particular country is regarded as the GNP. It allocates the production based on the ownership. Three approaches can be used in order to determine the GDP. They are- the income approach, the product approach and the expenditure approach. The product also called as the output approach sums the total produced within the economy in order to attain the value of GDP. The expenditure approach assumes that the products produced must be bought by someone and so the total value of the product must be matched by the total expenditure of the people in purchasing things (Wesselink, Bakkes, Best, Hinterberger, and Brink, 2007). The last approach takes into consideration that the value of the products must be equal to the incomes of the factors of production. It determines the value of GDP by calculating the sum of the income of the producers. Inflation rate: Inflation is defined as the continuous or sustained rise in the general level of price. It can also b e defined as continuous reduction in the value of money. The movement in the general price level is referred to as inflation. The rise in the price level must continue over longer period than a day, week or a month (Makinen, 2003, p. 2). Some of the factors that lead to inflation are rise in the costs of imported materials, the costs of labour to rise and the high rate of indirect tax from the part of the government. In cases where the rise in the general price level is caused by increase in the level of wages as well as raw materials are regarded as cost push inflation. With rises in the costs of production the firms tend to raise the prices of the products so that they can gain the same amount of profits. This is a situation of cost push inflation. The cost push inflation is frequent when the level of employment is on the downward sloping curve. If left uncontrolled inflation will move from the initial stage towards the stage that can be harmful. Therefore it is necessary to contr ol inflation before it gains strength. An inflation of stronger intensity is much difficult to control than the mild one. It should be kept in mind that that it is not possible to control hyperinflation. The changes in the price level of goods and services purchased by the households are measured by Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI can be calculated as the ratio of updated cost and price of the base period multiplied by 100. Unemployment rate: Unemployment takes place when people are short of jobs but are actively looking for

Hebrew and Islamic Mythology Essay Example for Free

Hebrew and Islamic Mythology Essay While science and religion are notorious for their contentious and often violently contrasting relationship, they bear much in common in their agenda. Both set out to provide explanations for the world’s mysteries. And as such, they also share a large hand of unanswered questions. Perhaps chief among them, the question of the earth’s creation, and by extension, man’s ascension to awareness, is one with very few empirical explanations. And in an absence of any conclusive evidence, theories abound from all camps. A common thread in history’s chapters, myths regarding the Earth’s conception provide insight into the lives and cultures of their respective societies. In western society, the Judeo-Christian anecdote is easily the most well-known. This story is the primary creationist mythology for many monotheistic sects. Herein, God creates the earth in six days, with man arriving on the last. On the seventh day, the omnipotent rests and thus, delivers man the Sabbath. However, in the centuries that preceded the inflection point where monotheism began to take popular hold, polytheistic idolaters provided the most commonly held ideas about the earth’s origin. One of the earliest examples of the literate and elaborated nature that these myths could take on comes from the rich tapestry of Greek mythology. The Greeks were idol-worshippers who had developed a complex and extremely colorful cast of gods. Though not omnipotent like the Judeo-Christian almighty, these gods were believed to possess real and considerable power over the lives of their human subjects. The Greek myth of creation is an exposition of that relationship. It was believed that, prior to earth, there was nothing but darkness. And amid this darkness, the only object was a black-winged bird called Nyx. This bird, alone in the void, was impregnated by the wind. (Note the parallel to the immaculate conception of Christ. ). As a result of this cosmic union, she yielded a golden egg, which she proceeded to roost upon for many thousands of years. Eventually, this egg hatched and the god of love, Eros, sprang forth. Just as Eros was born, so too were his siblings, whom he was given the honor of naming. They were the upper and lower halves of his shell, which rose to the air and sank to the ground respectively. They became the sky and the earth. Eros called them Uranus and Gaia and blessed them with love. This love resulted in children and grandchildren who would blossom into twisted, war-bent gods whose better judgment would be often blinded by a hopeless quest for power. A first-generation child of Gaia and Uranus, Kronus took a wife in Rhea and produced many children, whom he grew to fear immensely. Kronus, a problem-solver by nature, swallowed his children while they were still infants, thus preventing what he considered to be the inevitable threat of usurpation. The youngest of his sons, however, was also the most beloved to Rhea so she deceived her husband into consuming a rock in the child’s place. This youngest child, Zeus, would grow strong in manhood and ultimately bring to realization Kronus’ greatest fear. Zeus liberated his brothers and sisters from his father’s malicious and all-consuming grasp. Then he led them to revolution, waging a war against the tyrannical god. In their victory, they turned their benevolent attention to the great creations of Nyx. The gods began to populate Uranus with the stars thus creating space. They began to furnish Gaia with life, thus birthing nature. After creating the appropriate backdrop, the gods recognized that the earth was correct excepting its want for animals and humans. Zeus set to the task his sons Prometheus and Epimetheus, whose names translate literally to mean forethought and afterthought. This provides some interesting insight, perhaps, into the Greek perspective about man’s intellectual capacity and eventual self-awareness. In addition, it offers literal details about the unique abilities and idiosyncrasies that mark the species which populate the earth. When assigned to the job of designing creatures, the brothers were given a variety of gifts to offer their creations. While Epimetheus set upon the task of creating the animals and awarding them all with gifts, Prometheus carefully sculpted man to be in the image of the gods. (Again, man’s definition as being in the image of god holds much in common with Judeo-Christian creationism). When he completed his task, he found that Epimetheus had given away all the gifts, leaving humankind with the shaft. Prometheus sought to rectify the matter by stealing a trace of fire from the setting sun and giving it to man. When Zeus awoke to find man in possession of that which was to belong only to the gods, he was furious. He punished Prometheus to an eternity stapled to a tree, having his liver chewed on by vultures. But the damage was done. Man had been created and given the power of fire. There is a great deal more to Greek mythology, as with the bible. The role of the gods takes on a wide array of purposes, gradually divining all of man’s vices and virtues. But in the story of the earth’s creation alone, there is much illumination. The Greek legend begins to tell part of the story of Greek culture insofar as it offers some true self-examination. In this story of violence, deception and a natural tendency toward roguishness, the Greeks provide a piercing look into a psyche long since perished from the world. Surviving with far greater ideological intensity are those creation myths driving modern faith. The traditional structure of the dominant monotheistic faiths incorporates a narrative regarding the creation of earth and man into its formative doctrines. Herein is typically contained an originating explanation for the relationship between god, man, heaven and earth that provides grounding for the entirety of the faith’s sacred text. This is a fundamental commonality between the texts of the Hebrew Bible and the Holy Qur’an, both of which dedicate significant portions of their second chapters to delineating the story of the first man. It is striking to compare the passages concerning the creation of the first man as they appear in the two texts. Though today Judaism and Islam function almost as antecedents to one another, with their practitioners often viewing their respective texts as placing them into diametric and practical opposition of one another, these passages provide evidence of their common derivation. The creation myths of the two religions suggest that their political, social and cultural differences today may stem from the nuances therein, which had the effect of placing their interests in close confines with one another while arming them with divergent perspectives on how best to achieve said interests. The details surrounding God’s deliverance of Adam to the Garden are essentially the same according to the two texts, but the wording of each calls for closer speculation. In Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible, God follows his work of creating the heaven and the earth by creating man: â€Å"Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.. † (Gen. 2:7) From here is taken a substantial assumption in the Judeo-Christian faith which proceeds from it, that man is created in the image and likeness of God. The breath of God, this passage indicates, circulates in the body of every man, suggesting a responsibility to godliness for all of us. The Qur’an, in its recognition of the same deliverance to the Garden, paints a different image in acknowledgment of God’s endowment of life. In keeping with a prominent thematic impulse of the Qur’an, convicting its readers to note the distinction in fates for believers and nonbelievers, the phrase depicting Adam’s creation is posed with a similar connotation: â€Å"How do you deny Allah and you were dead and He gave you life? Again He will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to Him. † (Koran, 2:28) This is a passage which demands not just belief in the creationist role of Allah but also a devotion to eradicating or combating non-belief. More explicitly and ideologically pertinent though, it carries with it a description of the process of reincarnation. Man, in this passage, is described as an entity being fully at the mercy of God within the bonds of the creator-to-created relationship. And where the berth into God’s image, held in the Hebrew Bible, ultimately predisposed man to divine immortality, this infinitude is represented differently in Islam. The overtones of reincarnation here suggest that man is not considered to be made in the image of God, nor even an element of the earth as also implied by Genesis 2:7, but is a soul perpetually disposed to take forms according to the will of Allah. This does not necessarily indicate a fundamental difference in the dispositions of the gods in question, Yahweh and Allah in the bible and Qur’an respectively. In Genesis, there is an articulated statement regarding God’s willingness and right, as creator, to snuff out his subject for transgression of his law. At the time, this law was constituted summarily of one directive in which â€Å"the LORD God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. †(Gen. 2:16-17) These foreboding words are those which assured our mortality on an earth characterized as the forum for exile from the Garden. The air which god breathed into us through Adam’s nostrils would, as God promised, be the price paid for partaking of the fruit. This fall from the grace of godly immortality would define the nature of man’s life-cycle, and by extension, theoretical concepts such as time and space and spiritual assumptions about death and the afterlife. God’s proposition to Allah as depicted in the Qur’an is not endowed with the same consequence, perhaps a product of the initial divergence between the two texts with regard to the fundamental construct of man in relation to his god: â€Å"And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish and do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust. † (Koran, 2:35) The fall from grace is described quite differently here, with man incurring no such threat as explicit as a certain death. This is a condition already possessed of man in the passage concerning his formation. It is not a punishment but a state of being given grounded in man’s relationship to Allah. Original sin is still a common element to the doctrines of the two faiths, but its consequences appear as quite different actually. In the Hebrew Bible, the serpent is a creature which plays the role of deceiver and, by metaphorical extension, the antithetical and fundamentally evil counterpart to God’s unchanging benevolence. This is contrasted by the Qur’an’s direct address of a Satan figure, a development affirming its composition as having occurred at a far later date than that of Genesis: â€Å"But the Shaitan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time. † (Koran, 2:36) A punishment dealt herein concerns man’s occupation of earth as a home, with God endowing it only a finite capacity to host mortal life. Again, the contrast between the implications to man’s punishment for Original Sin in the two texts can be traced to the contrast in man’s assumed composition. In the Hebrew Bible, God punished Eve and her offspring to a perpetuity of painful childbearing â€Å"and unto Adam He said: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. † (Gen. 3:17) In this passage, a fundamental difference in perspective is illuminated, that man’s lot, to toil on the land, is a punishment profoundly connected to his violation of God’s will and his organic relationship to the soil. Where the Garden of Eden was a sanctuary at Adam’s disposal, the Earth would be his responsibility and his shackles. His mortality would be profoundly chained to his capacity to manage the earth. Where Islam casts its subjects as inhabitants of a land inevitably bound to eventually leave them to resource-deprived oblivion, Judaism confines its followers to a eternity of suffering knowledge of the earth’s hard reality. God tells Adam of this fate as being a mixed blessing, with the knowledge equally capable of delivering him to pain and pleasure, â€Å" for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. † (Gen. 3:5) In a way, this is a complete fulfillment of man’s emulation of the creator-image just as it is the downfall from godliness. Indeed, the serpent cavorts Eve by telling her that she and Adam will be endowed with knowledge and fortitude, and be gods themselves. In exchange for this transgression, god casts man without guidance into the desert abyss. This is contrasted by the denouement of original sin in the Qur’an, where Allah casts his children out but does so under the auspices of mercy: â€Å"We said: Go forth from this (state) all; so surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve. † (Koran, 2:38) Here, God reaffirms his commitment to man even in his failing, offering him an unconditional love as sanctuary for the pain and suffering of the land. The intricacies that differentiate the two texts offer a useful set of variations on a creation story that is highly associated with the evolution of monotheism. Particularly, the mutual centrality of the texts on man’s role and purpose in the earth’s creation and the heaven’s sanctity illustrates the capacity of each to elucidate its pursuant culture’s views on God’s divine plan for humanity. Bibliography: Fahs, Sophia Lyon, Spoerl, Dorothy T. Beginnings: Earth, Sky, Life, Death. Beacon Press. Boston. 1965. Freund, Philip. Myths of Creation. Washington Square Press, Inc. New York City. 1965. Koran Text. (1997 edition). The Holy Qur’an. University of Virginia: Online Book Initiative. Online at http://etext. virginia. edu/etcbin/toccer-new2? id=HolKora. sgmimages=images/modengdata=/texts/english/modeng/parsedtag=publicpart=teiHeader Masoretic Text. (JPS 1917 Edition). A Hebrew-English Bible. Mechon Mamre. Online at http://www. mechon-mamre. org/p/pt/pt0. htm

Business And Cultural Environment Of Syria Economics Essay

Business And Cultural Environment Of Syria Economics Essay Syria (officially the Syrian Arab Republic) is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest. Syria has been governed by the Baath Party since 1963, although actual power is concentrated to the presidency and a narrow grouping of military and political strongmen (Wikipedia, 2010). Moreover, the nature in Syria is distinctly diversified. It contains seashores, mountains, forests, dessert, rivers, caves, natural and artificial lakes, and a lot summer resorts. All this along with the diversity in the antiques, the ancient cities with its markets, khans and old domiciles, the handicrafts and the traditional industries contribute to formulate a unique attracting compound tourism product. Analysis of Syria Business Environment Cultural Environment in Syria Languages Arabic is the official language, spoken by 89% of the population, while 6% speak Kurdish, 3% Armenian and 2% other languages. Otherwise, English and French are spoken in business circles (Arabic German Consulting, 1999). Ethnic groups Syrians are an overall indigenous Levantine people, closely related to their immediate neighbors such as Lebanses, Palestinians, and Jordanians. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history; they are in fact largely a blend of the various Aramaic speaking Syriac groups indigenous to the region who were Arabized when Muslim. Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula arrived and settled following the Arab expansion. Religions The overwhelming majority of the Syrian population is Sunni Muslim. Other Muslims which include: Ismailis, Shiites, and Alawites. Of the non-Muslims in Syria, most are Christians, primarily Greek and Armenian Orthodox. Religious minorities include Druze, who follows a religion related to Islam, and a community of approximately 1000 Jews. Syria has 70% Sunni Muslim, 12% Christians (almost is Orthodox and Greek Catholic) and 18% other minority groups including Jews and Druzes (Arabic German Consulting, 1999). Syria Culture Syria is a traditional society with a long cultural history. Importance is placed on family, religion, education and self discipline and respect. The Syrians taste for the traditional arts is expressed in dancing such as the al-Samah, the Dabkeh in all their variations and the sword dance. Marriage ceremonies and the birth of children are occasions for the lively demonstration of folk customs (Advameg, Inc., 2010). Traditional Houses of the Old Cities in Damascus, Aleppo and the other Syrian cities are preserved and traditionally the living quarters are arranged around one or more courtyards, typically with a fountain in the middle supplied by spring water, and decorated with citrus trees, grape vines, and flowers. Political and Legal Environment in Syria The Syria government hopes to attract new investment in the tourism, natural gas, and service sectors to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil and agriculture. Syria has begun to institute economic reforms aimed at liberalizing most markets, but reform thus far has been slow and ad hoc. For ideological reasons, privatization of government enterprises is still not widespread, but is in its initial stage for port operations, power generation, and air transport. Almost sectors are open for private investment except for cotton mills, land telecommunications, and bottled water. Syria has made progress in easing its heavy foreign debt burden through bilateral rescheduling deals with its key creditors in Europe, most importantly Russia, Germany, and France. Syria has also settled its debt with Iran and the World Bank. Syria and Poland reached an agreement by which Syria would pay $27 million out of the total $261.7 million debt in December 2004. Moreover, in January 2005, Russia forgave 73% of Syrias $14.5 billion outstanding debt and in June 2008, Russias parliament ratified the agreement. In 2007, Syria and Romania reached an agreement by which Syria will pay 35% of the $118.1 million debt. In May 2008, Syria settled all the debt it owed to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Economic Environment in Syria Syria is a developing country with an economy based on agriculture, oil, industry, and tourism. However, Syrias economy faces serious challenges and impediments to growth, which including: a large and poorly performing public sector; declining rates of oil production; widening non-oil deficit; wide scale corruption; weak financial and capital markets and high rates of unemployment tied to a high population growth rate. Furthermore, Syria currently is subject to U.S. economic sanctions under the Syria Accountability Act, which prohibits or restricts the export and re-export of most U.S. products to Syria (World Harvest Now, 2002). Source: (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 1999). Moreover, the IMF recently projected real GDP growth at 3.9% in 2009 from close to 6% in 2008. The two main pillars of the Syrian economy used to be agriculture and oil, which together accounted for about one-half of GDP. Agriculture, for example, accounted for about 25% of GDP and employed 25% of the total labour force. On the other hand, higher crude oil prices countered declining oil production and led to higher budgetary and export receipts (Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, 2010). The Nature of Advantage Advantage in the context of International Trade Theory can be classified into five categories and defined: 1) Natural advantage by means of climate, soil and etc; 2) Acquired advantage through the processing of one of the basic factors of land, labour and etc; 3) Comparative advantage against another nations endowment of assets; 4) Country size as a proxy for the range of natural factors such as climate, soil, minerals and etc,; 5) Factor proportions that suggest their optimum utilisation in production (Daniels, J. D., Radebaugh, L. H. Sullivan, D. P., 2010). According to Daniels, Radebaugh and Sullivan (2004) framework, the evolution of International Trade Theory is depicted as below: Apart from Porters Competitive Advantage of Nations theory, I have chosen to relate Product Life Cycle theory and Factor Proportions theory. Raymond Vernons International Product Life Cycle Theory Raymond Vernon (1966) International product life cycle (PLC) theory of trade states that the location of production of certain kinds of products shifts as they go through their life cycles, which consists of four stages: Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline (Daniels, et al. 2004, pp. 153). Therefore, the business environment in Syria would relate to figure (C) less developed countries. Heckscher-Ohlin Factor Proportions Theory Heckscher-Ohlin Factor Proportions theory suggests that each country has important factor endowments and as a result will tend to export products which make use of factors that are abundant there. The country will tend to import products that are locally scarce (Chacholiades, M., 2006). Justification of Foreign Investment Opportunities in Syria Although a government decree prohibits confiscation of foreign investments, there are no safeguards against nationalization of property. In principle the judicial system upholds the obligations of contracts but in practice decisions are subject to outside pressures. In addition, poor infrastructure, power outages, lack of financial services, and complex foreign exchange regulations have all contributed to Syrias failure to attract significant amounts of foreign investment. 4 major pieces of legislation have been passed to encourage foreign investment (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2010). The most significant foreign investment in Syria had been in gas and oil. In 1990, 12 foreign oil firms had operations in Syria but until mid-2002, only 5 remained: Shell, Total-Fina-Elf, Mol (Hungary), INA-Naftaplin (Croatia) and Conoco. Other foreign investors included Mitsubishi, Samsung, Mobil, Nestle, and Prince Walid Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia. Foreign investment is complicated by Syrian requirements of import and export licenses on every item imported and then re-exported, no matter the value, and with US sanctions on supplying Syria any dual use items such as computers, oil exploration equipment (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2010). Summary of Syria current Foreign Investment using Porters Diamond of National Competitiveness form Source: (Porter, 1990) According to Porter (1990), there are four principal attributes of a countrys economic system that together shape the environment in which local companies compete. Another research by Dunning (1993) found that there are secondary attributes that contributes to the extended form of the model. The secondary attributes are identified as the role of chance, the role of government and multi-national business activities. Relating to foreign investment opportunities into Syria, the 4 principal attributes are: Factor conditions would be land, labor, capital, educational level of workforce and quality of infrastructure. The education scenario in Syria has developed since the last few decades. There are about 97% of the children in Syria avail the primary education and the literacy rate of the children in Syria is over 90%. 87% of the male population in Syria is literate. The literacy rate among the women in Syria range to 73.9%. Demand conditions would be the governments efforts in spending to develop more into the international trading industry. Tourism is one of the most dynamic activities in the country. The government has adopted a new vision for tourism, with plans to make it a pillar of the national economy. Acquired skills should make it possible to advance to a new stage of development, with new hotels and leisure equipment that meet demand for elitist, cultural tourism. The countrys middle-level hotel infrastructure is insufficient and in any case outdated and there is not much in the way of leisure facilities, aside from services offered at luxury hot (animaweb.org). The countrys transport infrastructure needs to be developed, upgraded, and modernized. Syria should invest the equivalent of US$ 523 million for development of its eastern regions over the next five years (From 2006 to 2010), nearly LBP17 billion ($323 million USD) in investments in the Hassake area and LBP10.2 billion in the region of Deir Al-Zor area. Recommendations for Syrias International Trade Strategy In conclusion, I conclude my research based on SWOT Analysis as below: SWOT Analysis Strengths Syrias chief exports are petroleum, textiles, food, live animals, and manufactured goods which are exported to Germany (which received 21% of exports in 1999), Italy (12%), France (10%), Saudi Arabia (9%), and Turkey (8%). Syrias main import products are machinery, food and live animals, transport equipment, and chemicals. Tourism is one of the most dynamic activities in the country. Syria Ministry of Tourism proposed 33 project ideas to foreign investors, 13 initiatives were contracted, worth $600 billion USD and for the first time hotel management companies were authorized to enter Syria: Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Royal, and Accor (animaweb.org). Weaknesses Some basic commodities, such as bread, continue to be heavily subsidized, and social services are provided for nominal charges. The subsidies are becoming harder to sustain as the gap between consumption and production continues to increase. Syria has a population of approximately 21 million people, and Syrian Government figures place the population growth rate at 2.37%, with 65% of the population under the age of 35 and more than 40% under the age of 15. Every year, approximately 200,000 people enter the labor market. According to Syrian Government statistics, in 2009 the unemployment rate was 12.6%. Opportunities According to International Monetary Fund, because of the discovery of large oil fields, Syrias foreign trade volume has immensely increased over the last 3 decades. During this period, exports have grown from US$203 million in 1970 to US$4.8 billion in 2000, while imports have risen from US$360 million in 1970 to US$3.5 billion in 2000 (Advameg, Inc., 2010). The services sector also offers many investment opportunities. Ongoing reforms, in particular in the financial sector, reflect the commitment of Syrian authorities to carry out a vast modernization program and a new legal framework for privatization that will ease market access (animaweb.org). The banking and insurance sectors have been opened to private and foreign operators. In information technologies, the countrys telecom and internet grids will be extended and new operators, in particular on the web, are expected to propose new services and content (animaweb.org). Threats Water and energy are among the issues that sprit all over the agriculture sector. Another difficulty the agricultural sector suffered from is the governments decision to liberalize the prices of fertilizers, which have increased between 100% and 400%. Drought was an alarming problem in 2008; however, the drought situation slightly improved in 2009. Wheat and barley production about doubled in 2009 compared to 2008. In spite of that, the livelihoods of up to 1 million agricultural workers have been threatened. Syria has been on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism since the lists inception in 1979. Because of its continuing support and safe haven for terrorist organizations, Syria is subject to legislatively mandated penalties, including export sanctions and ineligibility to receive most forms of U.S. aid or to purchase U.S. military equipment (Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, 2010). (Word: 2,124 words, including heading title, diagram and table)

Counseling Psychology :: Graduate Admissions Essays

Counseling Psychology    When I began my studies at the University of Northern Iowa, I had an interest in the field of psychology, but I was not yet sure that I wanted to pursue a career in that area. The classes that I consequently took and the professors that taught them solidified my desire to receive a degree in psychology.    Interacting with my professors as a teacher's assistant and research assistant gave me a chance to discover at a more personal level what psychology is all about. Although I am seeking a M.A. in General Psychology at this time, I do have specific goals for my future. I hope to continue my education past the M.A. and receive a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, counseling individuals and eventually acquiring a teaching position with a college or university.    I am currently doing research in the area of Cognitive Psychology with Dr. Jack Yates, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, University of Northern Iowa. This research is related to how people conceptualize concrete and abstract terms, but my research interests vary widely. Other research interests include gender differences in the workplace and how socialization affects stereotypic gender roles among the sexes.    I have qualified for the dean's list three of the last four semesters, currently carry a 3.59 junior/senior GPA and a 3.75 GPA in my major. I also have been accepted into Psi Chi and belong to the Psychology Club on campus.    I expect that graduate work at the University of Somewhere will be demanding, challenging, and exciting, and I look forward to attending a program of this sort. During my time in graduate school I expect to receive the opportunity to learn, grow, and evolve as a person and a psychologist.

The True Cost of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay -- PTSD Es

In 2010, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cost the government about $1.3 billion (United States of America 17). This is an enormous amount of money, but it hasn’t even been helping veterans. Many vets aren’t finishing treatment but continue to receive disability checks from the Veterans Health Administration, abbreviated to VHA. Not only this, but some veterans are faking their way into the system and evading the diagnosis process by coming up with an tall tale. It is on the Veteran’s Affairs (VA) to determine whether these stories are fake (Department of Veterans’ Affairs), which is many times impossible to regulate. New laws that are being passed that make it easier for veterans to receive disability checks are not helping this problem either (Brown and Thompson 43). The government is spending too much money on a system that is failing our veterans; the public should not have to pay when the money is going to waste on misdiagnosis, fa iling treatment, and unjust laws. PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, is an anxiety disorder. It affects people that have experienced, witnessed, or were confronted with a life threatening event. It can cause flashbacks, depression, nightmares, and change of mood. Other common symptoms of PTSD are difficulty sleeping, anger outbursts, decreased interest in activities, avoidance of people and places that can trigger a memory, and inability to recall part of the trauma. Symptoms can occur right after the incident but also much later in life. Other common occurrences with PTSD are depression, suicide, and alcohol or drug abuse (FAQs about PTSD). Treatment can last from three months to sometimes longer than 4 years. Treatment types are exposure therapy, using me... ...Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. . United States of America. Congress of The United States. Congressional Budget Office. The Veterans Health Administration’s Treatment of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Recent Combat Veterans. Congressional Budget Office, Feb. 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. Wood, David. "Iraq, Afghanistan War Veterans Struggle With Combat Trauma."The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 July 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. . "The human cost our veterans are paying.." The human costs our veterans are paying. Expedition Balance, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. .

Enzymes in Brewing Industry :: essays papers

Enzymes in Brewing Industry Bioengineering Research Paper Enzymes are catalysts or proteins that are produced by a living cell, but in process are independent of the cell itself. There are two types of enzymes i.e 1) Cell Independent enzymes 2) Non-enzymic enzymes Enzymes are long chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. They exist in all living cells, usually controlling the metabolic process whereby nutrients are converted into energy. Enzymes are also catalyst, this mean that enzymes can speed up chemical processes that would normally move very slowly. Enzymes unfortunately don’t last forever they have limited stability or lifespan when they have completed their function in the chemical reaction. Science shows that enzymes work on raw material. Fruit, cereal, milk, beer or wood are some typical products for enzymatic conversion. Enzymes are specific, they usually break down or synthesize one particular compound, and in some cases enzymes limit their actions to specific bonds in the compound with in which they react. An example gluconases is one of the many enzymes used in beer brewing. This enzyme is used in industrial applications of brewing beer and is a very efficient catalyst. It breaks down the wheat and converts the carbohydrates into sugars that speed up the reaction in the aspect of the beer’s fermentation. Enzymes need certain types of conditions to operate, these conditions are usually mild in the areas of temperature and acidity. Many enzymes function around 30Â º- 70Â ºC and their acidity are usually around neutral(ph 7). Enzymes are very important to industrial processes, enzymes they are energy saving and also protect the lifespan of equipment used in processes and also having to buy special equipment resistant to heat, pressure or corrosion. Industrial enzymes can be produced in an ecological way, one of the main ways enzymes can be produced industrially is to culture enzymes in vats. Man has been exploiting enzymes in nature unknowingly for centuries. Also for thousands of years the beer brewing processes of many countries has relied heavily on barley malt. In this period of time barley was malted without brewers understanding what happen to the barley during the malting process. The idea back then was good beer couldn’t be made without malted barley. The unknown

Models of Organized Crimeexecutive Summary

Models of Organized Crime Executive Summary Jennifer Peel CJA/384 November 26, 2012 Marco Faggione Models of Organized Crime Executive Summary Within the criminal justice field there are two different types of organizations and those organizations are bureaucratic and patron-client organizations. This paper will discuss the several assorted reasons why and how the bureaucratic and patron-client organizations are different. The patron-client organization chooses to break the law. On the other hand, the bureaucratic organizations are those that are there to enforce it.Although there are many differences between these two organizations, they also have commonalities. This paper will address so many more ways that make these two unique types of organizations different. The Patron-client Organization A patron-client organization is an assembly of criminal individuals who swapped data and assembled a successful system between the main bosses and important political figures. The patron-clien t organization is typically organized using a hierarchy system which consists of one boss, an underboss, an advisor, captains, and members.The main boss hands down commands to the underboss. The underboss relates the information to captains, who also has lackeys to do the dirty work. All members of a patron-client organization must go through prior initiation. Moreover, patron-client organizations are similar to a very close family in the top tier. The patron-client appears to recruit solely within their group. They tend to identify members with a common factor for recruitment. All members may be of the same ethnic group, family or other common factor.When it comes to the lower level, with the members, that tightness spreads out some. With this allowance of a somewhat spider web manner, there is a better chance of elusiveness when it come to the head figures. This way, the main bosses are able to evade apprehension as well as initial detection form the justice system. The organizati on is then able to continue daily operations with no issues (Lyman, 2007). When it comes to the patron-client organization control is a special problem ecause of the amount of people in the organization and the length of communication of commands have to travel. So the inability to establish command oversight with the leaders in management with the members in the lower tiers is a large problem (â€Å"Florida International University†, 2007). Something that this group provides is economic aid and protection from outside influences that their clients may be facing. While the group is providing this service, the client will repay the organization with such things like intangible items like loyalty to the organization in the future and esteem.The patrons of the organization will act as power brokers for their clients and the rest of society. The Bureaucratic Organization Bureaucratic organizations are more official consisting of hard guidelines, protocols, practices, and procedur es. This is unlike the patron-client organization because without administrative approval, the low ranked members may not make any decisions. Called the red tape rule, administration must process the formal documentation before processing all major decisions.Unlike the patron-client organization, which the lower level members can make small decisions without any approval as long as it benefits the organization. If there are no benefits to the organization, the member will receive some sort of punishment. A bureaucratic organization, blames financial troubles solely on the administrations whereas in a patron-client organization, holding everyone financially responsible and involving all members in the success or failure of the organization (WeeKoh, 2009). The SimilaritiesAll criminal organization models consist of comparisons and contrasts but the main purpose is to benefit law enforcement, researchers, society, and professionals with a better understanding of how criminal organizati ons develop domestically and internationally. Professional psychologists, sociologists, and criminologist’s base models on corroborating studies, data, facts, and creditable arguments collected. The information that presented focuses on organizational structure, function and reason, participants, and clients.In addition, each model incorporates detail specific unique features. The models presented are tools that provide answers to questions, offer an explanation to why individuals engage in illegal activity, how criminal organizations develop, and why most criminal organizations are successful. These are just a few of the similarities that exist (Lyman, 2007). Although it appears there are more similarities in both the bureaucratic and patron-client organizations such as their involvement in both legitimate and illegitimate means of business.Both parties hide behind legitimate businesses to cover alternative means of business opportunities, and both parties follow a structure d and strictly regulated organization with various levels of power. The Differences The main difference between the two organizations is the shared opportunities and contributions to the organization. The patron-client appears to welcome the input and contributions of each member which gives each member the sense of pride and empowerment as a group that is lacking with the bureaucratic organization.Failure in the bureaucratic organization is blamed on the negligence of those in charge, not in the failure as a group which would be the perception of the patron-client organization. The differences between bureaucratic and patron-client organizations are visible as bureaucratic deals with offices that do things by the law. They do not take extensive training in customer service and do not concentrate on being nice. The offices that are being referred to are government offices such as Welfare, DMV, and Section 8.In contrast, patron-client facilities are offices or places that focus upon pleasing their clients because if they don’t, the patron will go to another facility to get their needs met. This brings us to the similarities and differences of the models of organized crime. These types of models are exceedingly important to understanding organized crime as each provides a wide-range of valuable information. Models just like theories can present what environmental locations are more likely to show signs of developmental progress of criminal organizations than other sites.This in return can be extremely useful in many ways as it allows law enforcement the ability to implement methods that will deter, prevent, detect, and apprehend individuals involved with illegal organizations and operations. Furthermore, law enforcement can educate society on crime prevention methods, and establish numerous anti-crime and awareness programs, such as neighborhood watch (Lyman, 2007). After carefully researching the patron-client and bureaucratic organization, one clearly c an see that legal and illegal organizations have one main purpose to profit.Each organization has numerous similarities and differences, but structuring both in such a fashion that there is always someone who is in charge of maintaining the organizations success. Models just like theories provide useful information to law enforcement, society, and professionals. Consider these models as tools that allow law enforcement and society an opportunity to protect assets while detecting, preventing, apprehending, and deterring the individual wrongdoer or a highly developed criminal organization.References Florida International University. (2007). Retrieved from http://chua2. fiu. edu/faculty/byrnesj/organizedweek1-1. htm Lyman, M. D. , & Potter, G. W. (2007). Organized crime (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. WeeKoh. (2009). Bureaucratic organization. Retrieved from http://weekoh. wordpress. com/2009/02/28/briefly-identify-the-main-features-of-bureaucratic-organizati ons-why-has-bureaucracy-been-accused-of-wiping-out-the-individual-responsibility-of-the-employee/

Why Was Stormont Dissolved in 1972?

Why was Stormont Dissolved in 1972? Eighty- seven years have passed and partition within Ireland still remains the island’s defining feature. Since the six county country of Northern Ireland was formed under the umbrella organisation of the United Kingdom in 1921, Northern Ireland has experienced two periods of its history that are so extreme in their differences. For the first fifty or so years of Northern Ireland’s existence the situation between both sides of the community, the Protestants and the Catholics was peaceful and there was very little hostility or violence between them. Northern Ireland was essentially governed by peaceful co- existence as the government at Stormont ruled with relative ease. However, towards the late 1960s, the history of Northern Ireland changed, as what was to become the darkest period in the country’s short history, ‘the Troubles’, ensued between the Protestant and Catholic sides of the community and threatened to destroy Northern Ireland. In a period that lasted around thirty years, Northern Ireland became a war zone, characterised by bombings, shootings and sectarian violence as the two communities fought to defend their beliefs and protect one another from the so- called ‘other side’. However it is the first three years of ‘the Troubles’, from 1969- 1972 and the dissolution off Stormont that will be the focus of this essay. The dissolution off Stormont in 1972 ended fifty years of Home Rule in the province and led to over two decades of Direct Rule from Westminster. But why was Stormont dissolved in 1972? In this essay I will answer this question but it is important to note that there is no single reason why. The dissolution off Stormont was a multi- causal event brought about, by what I see, as five key causes; the failures of the Unionist Government to reform and control security; the formation of the Provisional IRA (PIRA) and its escalation of violence; Internment and the subsequent PIRA backlash; the formation of the UDA and its systematic killing programme and finally Bloody Sunday and its aftermath. The failures of the unionist government’s to provide sufficient reform, satisfying to both sides and their failure to control the security situation within Northern Ireland from 1969- 1972 was an important factor in the eventual dissolution of Stormont in 1972. During the latter part of Terence O’Neill’s premiership the failure of unionism was on the cards, even then, as his attempted ‘five oint programme’ of reforms was greeted with scepticism by both unionists and nationalists â€Å"and the Paisleyites were fired by what was seen as a concession to militant pressure†¦while others- as events demonstrated- saw only a mixture of weakness and begrudgery. [1] In February 1969, O’Neill’s failure to secure an indisputable mandate showed that the collapse of unionism was beginning to develop because as he suggested, â€Å"old prejudices were too strong for people to break out of the mould of sectarian politics once and for all,†[ 2] His successor James Chichester- Clark inherited what was a difficult situation, that became worse during the marching season of 1969. The failure of the unionist government to successfully control security and the devastating riots, which spread to Belfast following the annual Apprentice Boy’s demonstration in Derry in August, showed just how incapable they were of protecting the people of Northern Ireland and forced Chichester- Clark to request the support of the British army. This was a humiliation, and it underlined the failure of the Stormont administration to deal with either the political or the policing challenges of the popular uprising that was occurring: the decision added a military dimension to the complete financial dependence of the regime on London, and thus paved the way for direct rule. [3]The army was a last desperate measure and although welcomed by Catholics at the beginning, the GOC Lieutenant- general Sir Ian Freeland warned that â€Å"the Honeymoon period between troops and local people is likely to be short lived†. [4] Indeed it was as Catholics lost faith in the army’s ability to protect them, due to â€Å"the failure to ban the 1970 Orange parades, and the massive arms search and curfew of the Lower Falls Road† and directed their support towards the increasingly more militant PIRA. 5] By bringing in the British army, the Unionist Government aroused â€Å"great fear and passion†¦and many Catholics believed that the Unionists had neither the will nor the capacity to make the changes the British Government proposed†, therefore alienating the Nationalist community and gave fuel to the PIRA’s rise because of its inability to bring in reforms that would have a positive affect on them. 6] Together with an inability of the unionist party to rule itself, as a â€Å"vote of no confidence by the Unionist Party executive in the Government’s law and order policies† illustrated in 1970, these factors showed the weak and futile nature of the unionist Government. Further more, alongside later factors which will be discusse d later in the essay, such as Internment, these unionist failures helped to pave the way for Stormont to be dissolved in 1972. The formation of PIRA in 1970 proved to be a major downfall of Stormont. The nationalist community left alienated and feeling unsafe under the Stormont administration increasingly turned their support to Sean MacStiofain and the PIRA and its military policies allowing it to gain momentum in its aims, â€Å"to provide all possible assistance to’ or people’ in the North, left defenceless against the violence of ‘sectarian bigots† and free the Irish people from British rule. [7] The strategy of PIRA was in three phases, designed to eventually bring about the eventual overthrow of British rule in Northern Ireland. Phase one was of a purely defensive nature, avoiding confrontation with the army and â€Å"providing material, financial and training assistance for Northern PIRA units. †[8] â€Å"As soon as it became feasible and practical, the Provisional IRA would move from a purely defensive position to a phase of ‘combined defence and retaliation. †[9] The final phase, therefore, was â€Å"launching an all- out offensive action against the ‘British occupation system’. †[10] The PIRA came into action after Orange Order parades in June 1970, which Catholics saw as a â€Å"demonstration of Protestant power†. 11] The riots which followed saw the killing of five Protestants by the PIRA. Unfortunately for the people of Northern Ireland, the Falls Road curfew imposed by the Chichester- Clark government following this PIRA involvement only served to increase the paramilitary movement’s support base and lose support for the British army and it led to the escalation of violence within the province. The PIRA’s â€Å"campaign was stepped up from the bombing of economic targets to attacks on British army personnel† and on February 6th 1971 the first member of the regular British army was killed. 12] The violence only escalated further during 1971, as the Stormont administration struggled to cope with the unprecedented ferocity of the PIRA’s violence. â€Å"By July 55 people had died violently; In the first seven months of 1971 there were over 300 explosions and 320 shooting incidents†, which heaped an enormous amount of pressure upon Stormont, that it ultimately was not able to cope with and as we will see later in the essay this led brain Faulkner to undertake what became one of the defining nails in the coffin of Stormont, the introduction of ’Internment’. 13] The aspect that strikes you the most about Internment is the scale on which it was a failure, not to mention just how bias it was. It was a major blunder by the Unionist Government under Brian Faulkner â€Å"because it failed to bring about the seizure of the leading members of the Provisional IRA† simply because it lacked the necessary and relevant intelligence that was needed. â€Å"Internment was entirely one- sided. No attempt was made to arrest loyalist suspects despite the UVF’s record of violence†¦There was not a single person on the army’s list of 452 names who was not an anti- partionist. [14] The result of Internment â€Å"was massive alienation among the minority, and mounting enthusiasm for the PIRA. It exacerbated the levels of political violence within the region as â€Å"from 1 January to 8 August 1971, thirty- four people had been killed†¦but from the introduction of Internment until the end of the year139 people died as a result of political violence. †[15] Internment also underpinned the SDLP’s boycott of Stormont, and therefore destroyed Faulkne r’s very tentative move towards power- sharing. 16] It was a world- wide disaster for unionism. It portrayed unionism as being sectarian and bias and brought the collapse of Stormont into its home straight as PIRA lashed out against it with a ruthless offensive. â€Å"During August 1971 there were 131 bomb attacks, 196 in September and 117 in October. It seemed that the PIRA was making a concerted attempt to destroy Northern Ireland’s economy, with the short- term aim of drawing the security forces away from Catholic enclaves and the long- term objective of forcing Britain to abandon the region. [17] It seemed to be working as the economy was only rising by one percent in 1971 and British opinion was that it was willing to ditch Northern Ireland. The PIRA were it seemed successfully bringing about the British withdrawal from the region. The protestant reaction to this enormous offensive being carried out by the PIRA was to fight fire with fire, as they formed their ow n paramilitary group, the ‘Ulster Defence Association’ (UDA). The formation of the UDA in September 1971 was the crystallisation of the fears of working- class Protestants, who believed that the threat which the PIRA posed was too great and was not being dealt with by Stormont or Westminster. Instead they saw both governments as giving in to Nationalist pressure and giving them too many concessions. Just like Republican paramilitarism, â€Å"the growth of loyalist paramilitarism was related to the increasing levels of violence and the perception that the security forces could not contain violent republicanism. [18] The Unionist community did not feel safe or protected by the Unionist Government under Faulkner, and like Nationalists sought protection from a paramilitary organisation that could fight the PIRA. At the same time, however, the UDA’s formation served to add to the already hostile situation that was raging within Northern Ireland and as a result put another nail into the coffin of the Stormont administration. By now Direct Rul e was inevitable, and it was a question of when not if it would be introduced. The UDA’s formation and systematic outbreak of violence did nothing but heighten the tension between the Protestant and Catholic sides of the religious divide. â€Å"The UDA’s long- term aim was the ‘DEFENCE of ULSTER against ALL who would destroy her’; its short- term aims were the ‘restoration of law and order to every street in N. Ireland,’ to ‘prevent further disintegration of our society,’ and to ‘begin rebuilding our Community both materially and spiritually. †[19]Throughout late 1971 and 1972, when it killed over one hundred Catholics, who were seen as being disloyal to Northern Ireland, the UDA, along with around another forty loyalist paramilitary groups carried out unplanned and usually spontaneous and unjustified attacks upon Catholics in a response to the IRA’s campaign of violence. As a result the violence within the province reached an all time high heading into 1972, widely considered to be the wo rst year of ‘the Troubles’. This violence came to a head on the 30th January 1972, or ‘Bloody Sunday’ as it is known. It was this day and its aftermath that would become the final nail in the coffin of the Stormont administration. By the end of 1971 Northern Ireland was in danger of disintegrating into a state of anarchy due to the failures and â€Å"break- up of the traditional unionist party, the alienation of the SDLP, and the growth of the PIRA and the Protestant paramilitaries. [20] With Northern Ireland entirely reliant upon the security forces of the British Government in 1972, the reality of just how committed it was in the province was beginning to hit Britain. â€Å"The events of Bloody Sunday brought home both the extent of this involvement and the price being paid. †[21] After thirteen people were shot dead by the army in the Bogside area, Nationalist and Catholic Ireland exploded with anger. For the first time, the South ecame emotionally involved in the crisis occurring in the North and indeed it became occasionally violent (the British embassy in Dublin was burnt down on 5th February 1972). The PIRA and the Official IRA (OIRA) began a violent and bloody bombing campaign in both Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, as it bombed â€Å"the officers’ mess of the 16th Parachute Brigade at Aldershot on 23rd February 1972† as well as the crowded Abercorn restaurant in Belfast on 4th March 1972, one of the cruellest of many violent incidents that took place in the country. 22] Such incidents, proved to be the final straw for the British Government, after what had been a disastrous three years for both Stormont and Westminster. Northern Ireland was a war zone, incapable of ruling itself and Britain recognised this, declaring an end to Home Rule on 24th March 1972. Alvin Jackson asks the question, ‘Why did Stormont fail? and although the question might seem irrelevant given what precedes it, it is still important to sum up just why it happen ed and what the main causes were. In his book ‘Ireland 1798- 1998: Politics and War’, Jackson concludes that â€Å"in terms of proximate causes, Stormont failed because it was no longer compatible with the exigencies of British policy , and because it showed no signs of being able to cope with the street violence and organized terror. In the longer term, it had been unable to represent any other than Unionist opinion, and had been at best grudging towards Catholic aspirations. †[23] The Stormont administration under Unionism was quite simply incapable of organising its own security, as its decision to request the support of the British army in 1969 showed, and it was entirely one –sided, as policies such as Internment showed (a policy that had a massive part to play in the failure of torment. Along with these causes, the rise of the UDA and other loyalist paramilitaries and the events of ‘Bloody Sunday’ contributed largely to its failing, by creating more political violence and alienating the Nationalist community further. However, perhaps, â€Å"the underlying cause†¦was Irish Nationalism. †[24] Thomas Hennessey writes that â€Å"the single most disastrous decision that produced the next two and a half decades of conflict was the decision of the PIRA’s Army Council in January 1970 to begin a war- their war- against the British state. [25] In many ways, Hennessey is totally correct, for had it not been for the bombings and killings of the PIRA within Northern Ireland, then Stormont may well have survived because it would not have had to rule a country that was virtually in a civil war, a country that was in effect untenable. ———————– [1] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998:Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p373 [2] Diarmaid Ferriter, ‘The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000’ (Profile Books Ltd. Great Britain, 2004) p620 [3] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p374 [4] Jonathan Bardon, ‘A History of Ulster’ (The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992) p672 [5] Thomas Hennessey, ‘A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p174 [6] Hen ry Kelly, ‘How Stormont Fell’ in John Magee, ‘Northern Ireland: Crisis and Conflict’ (Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, London, 1974 ) p121 [7] Thomas Hennessey, ‘A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p173 [8] Ibid p173 9] Ibid p173 [10] Ibidp173 [11] John Whyte, ‘Interpreting Northern Ireland’ (Oxford University Press, New York, 1990) p31 [12] Thomas Hennessey, ‘A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p175 [13] Ibid p193 14] Jonathan Bardon, ‘A History of Ulster’ (The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992) p682 [15] Patrick Buckland, ‘A History of Northern Ireland’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1981) p156 [16] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p376 [17] Jonathan Bardon, ‘A History of Ulster’ (The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992) p685 [18] Thomas Hennessey, à ¢â‚¬ËœA History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p201 [19] Ibid p201 20] Patrick Buckland, ‘A History of Northern Ireland’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1981) p156 [21] Ibid p156 [22] Ibid p157 [23] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p376 [24] Thomas Hennessey, ‘Northern Ireland: The Origins of the Troubles’ (Gill and Macmillan Ltd, Dublin, 2005) p385 [25] Ibid p394

Correlation between Employees’ Job Satisfaction and Demographic Variables

An Analysis of the Correlation between Employees' Job Satisfaction and Demographic Variables Over the last decades, Job satisfaction has been identified as the major research traditions in organizational psychology. Job satisfaction can significantly influence the company as Job satisfaction can positively affect employee commitment and working performance, which will determine the overall success and development of the company (Feinting, 2000).Empirical research has shown that there are certain variables which may play an important role in mediating Job satisfaction in the oracle. The factors affecting employee Job satisfaction include the personal traits of individuals, Job scope, and organization characteristics. (Gilson and Derrick, 1998). The study of the relationship between length of service and Job satisfaction variables remains among the most promising of these studies (Kirk, 2003). Other demographic variables to consider include age, gender and nationality.Several studies ( e. G. , Betel and Brenner, 1986; Creighton, 1977; Wilting, Arnold, and Conrad, 1978; Gomez-Mejia, 1983; Griffin and Bateman, 1986) indicated that these demographic rabbles (gender, age, education, length of service and nationality) affect work values, which are related to Job satisfaction and commitment to a certain extent. There are also studies that tackled the issue from another perspective, which reported that there is a correlation between Job satisfaction and performance (Herbert, Amasser, Peterson & Capable, 1957).According to Bedpan, Ferris and Kumar (1992), age and Job satisfaction are positively related because an older employee will be able to hold a higher position and obtain a higher salary since they are more experienced, thus aging them more satisfied than younger employee. Besides age, the correlation between gender differences and Job satisfaction have also been widely studied. Witt and Nee (1992) suggested that there is no correlation between the gender differences and the Job satisfaction.In addition, Kirk (2003) has also proposed that there will be significant relationship between the length of service and Job satisfaction, but there is no conclusive evidence that a longer length of service means a higher Job satisfaction. The present study aimed to investigate the degree to which employees' anemographic variables are related to their level of Job satisfaction at work. Based on the literature review, it was hypothesized that age is positively related to Job satisfaction among the employees.Similarly, it was also hypothesized that the length of service is also positively correlated with Job satisfaction. From the research examined, it was anticipated that gender difference and nationality does not have any correlation with Job satisfaction. Methods Participants A total number of 30 employees, who are currently working in the marketing apartment of an international company called Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, took part in the s urvey conducted for the purpose of the research.Out of these 30 participants, 50% of them were men with the remaining 50% were female. The sample has an age range from 18 to 48 years old with a mean age of 29. 63 (SD = 9. 13). In term of nationality, there were 15 Australians, 5 Singapore, 5 New Zealand, 2 Irish, 1 South African, 1 German and 1 English. All participants completed the questionnaire voluntarily with no remuneration. Materials The questionnaire consisted of two parts: The Job Satisfactory Survey and a Demographic Data Sheet.The 3-item Job Satisfactory Survey was constructed to measure the overall Job satisfaction of the participants. It was designed to assess their level of Job satisfaction towards three areas: their Job, scope of work and working in the current organization. The participants were asked to rate their overall level of Job satisfaction based on the three questions on a 7-point Liker scale from 1 (Extremely Dissatisfied) to 7 (Extremely Satisfied). Theref ore, the total scores for the three questions could theoretically range from a minimum score of 3 to a maximum score of 21 .A Demographic Data Sheet was also included in the questionnaire to obtain basic profile information such as gender, age, nationality and length of service from the participants. Procedure All the 30 participants were instructed to gather outside an enclosed meeting room on a Friday evening where they were provided with a set of questionnaire. Each participant was given a maximum time of 15 minutes to complete the survey in the eating room and only one participant was allowed to enter at a time so as to ensure that there would be no distraction.At the end of the session, the questionnaires were collected and placed in a sealed envelope to ensure that all information provided were kept confidential. None of the questionnaires were left uncompleted, thus ensuring the validity of all data collected. The data was being computed and analyzed using the Statistical Pac kage for Social Scientists (SPAS, standard version 19, 2011). Results The results of the analysis of the correlation between the employees' overall Job distraction and demographic variables (length of service, age, gender, nationality) are presented in Table 1.The internal consistency of the 3-item Job Satisfactory Survey was an excellent reliability of 0. 87 in Cockroach's alpha test.