What is Scotlands problem with sectarianism?

What is Scotlands problem with sectarianism? Sectarianism is a complicated concept this will be examined more in Chapter Two of this dissertation but can broadly be defined as a movement of religious protest against the social order be it state, institution or society or established religious organisation which results in voluntary separation from such environment to demonstrate the dissonance between what the group perceives as normative in matters of faith and practice and what it experiences as dominant in the social order (Hamm, 1987, p11). Even this definition may seem overly complicated at first glance, but it serves as a good starting point within the context of this dissertation and also succeeds in highlighting the precise nature of the term that will be discussed more in the following chapter. In Scotland, sectarianism has been a problem since Protestantism emerged as a religion in the fifteenth century and was later adopted by Scotland at the time a predominantly Catholic country as its national religion in 1560 . Since then there has been tensions between the two religions which has often resulted in sectarian attitudes. Today, sectarianism is currently described by the mainstream media as shameful fact of Scottish life for generations (Millie, 2009, p224). In 1999, at the Edinburgh festival the problem and its extent were exposed by Scottish composer James Macmillan during a widely reported speech in which he stated: In many walks of life in the workplace, in the professions, in academia, in the media, in politics and in sport anti-Catholicism, even when it is not particularly malign, is as endemic as it is second nature (From Bruce, 2004, p1) Sectarianism and the problems associated with have also been intrinsically linked with one of the biggest football rivalries in the country in its biggest city Glasgow between opposing fans of the two teams Rangers and Celtic. Andrew Millie (p227) reinforces this opinion, stating that: Football in Scotland, and particularly the Old Firm institutions of Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers and the matches between them are inherently defined within the sectarianism problem in Scottish society, mirroring the connection between urban disorder and largely white working class populations that characterises the discourses around the Respect and anti-social behaviour agendas However, despite the writings of authors such as Mille and the claims of Macmillan and other notable and respected sources such as award winning BBC documentary series Panorama -there has been a significant backlash to the idea that sectarianism dominates Scottish society as the media has portrayed it, pioneered largely by Steve Bruce in direct reaction to Macmillans speech. Bruce (pvii) prefaces his seminal text Sectarianism in Scotland with the following message confirming this attitude: This book was born out of the frustration with the dreadful quality of public debate over the importance of religious identity in modern Scotland. James Macmillan is a Catholic and he may be an excellent composer but neither of these facts mean that his views about the salience of sectarianism are well founded; yet, when he delivered his famous August 1999 speech, his claims that Catholics were still victims of serious discrimination were given enormous prominence in the mass media This dissertation aims to investigate the importance of sectarianism in modern Scotland examining differing viewpoints such as those presented by Bruce and Macmillan with particular focus on its importance in the footballing rivalry between Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic (which from now on will simply be referred to as Rangers and Celtic respectively). The dissertation will attempt to answer the following research questions: Would the Old Firm have the support that they do if it were not for an element of sectarianism between the two clubs? How important is the rivalry between the Old Firm to both sets of fans? Is sectarianism in Scotland a result of the Old Firm? Or is the rivalry between the Old Firm simply an outlet for tensions that run deeper through Scottish society? Is age a factor in sectarianism in football? i.e. do younger people (ages 16-20 for example) understand the religious overtones of the rivalry or do they just sing songs and repeat slurs they have heard elsewhere (usually from relatives) to fit in with older supporters who they admire? What is the psychology behind the prominence of sectarianism within the Old Firm? Is it the desire to belong to something, and similar to gang mentality in that respect? In order to answer these questions, the dissertation will undertake a variety of different research from primary and secondary sources. Following Macmillans infamous 1999 speech, the topic of sectarianism has come under intense scrutiny from a variety of academic disciplines such as politics, psychology, theology, and sociology and aspects from each of these fields will be utilised in order to help answer the research questions posed by this dissertation. Key to the dissertation will be writings from authors such as Bruce, Millie, Hamm and McDougal and their theories, thoughts and discourse will underline the basis for the development of research techniques, and these writings will be discussed at length in the literature review chapter which follows this one. The ideas will also establish the theoretical framework in which the investigation will be conducted. Both primary sources such as James Macmillans speech, government documents and the Panorama documentary on the topic and se condary sources such as the texts of Bruce and Millie will be used to establish the The main primary data collected for the investigation in order to answer the research question will be obtained from questionnaires submitted to and semi-structured interviews undertaken with members of each section of the Old Firms rivals. The questionnaires will be designed with the intention of obtaining a large amount of data from each of its subjects e.g. ethnic backgrounds, genders, religious practices and nationalities and therefore hopefully determine the characteristics of those more likely to hold sectarian values than others and the extent that it is prevalent within the two sets of supporters. It is also hoped that other Scottish football fans of different teams may be interviewed in order to gauge their feelings on the subject of the Old Firm and to see if the sectarian feelings are prevalent in football in other areas of the country or whether it is solely consigned to the city of Glasgow. Specifically another huge local derby a local derby is defined by Llamas and Wat t (p224) as a fiercely contested match between local derbies which calls forth deep emotions within supporters of both clubs (Ross, 1999, p42) between Hearts and Hibernian in Edinburgh will be examined to determine if sectarian attitudes dominate that fixture in addition to the Glasgow derby games. Finally, it may be useful to interview a psychologist to determine the characteristics associated with those people who may be associated with organisations such as the Glasgow Old Firm, in order to compare this model sectarian with the data collected from the questionnaires in an attempt to determine the true characteristics of sectarianism in modern Scotland. The dissertation will consist of six chapters. The first chapter (this one) will present an overview and introduction to the subject and propose the research questions which will be investigated during the course of the dissertation; the second chapter will consist of a literature review which will examine important theories regarding the subject; the third chapter will discuss the methodology utilised in order to attempt to answer the research questions posed in the first chapter; the fourth chapter will present the results of the of the research methodology; the fifth chapter will analyse and discuss the implications of the results and seek to determine the answers to the proposed research questions whilst the sixth and final chapter will serve the role of a conclusion chapter, discussing the results, conclusions and methodology incorporated in the dissertation, as well as any potential limitations, improvements and ideas for further study that could perhaps be investigated in the future to further corroborate the results. The next chapter will present a literature review of the topics associated with the dissertation from which the investigation will develop its theoretical framework. It seeks to examine what previous authors and academics have written about the subject and apply this knowledge to this study. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter aims to examine what previous authors have had to say on the subject of sectarianism within Scotland and the Old Firm rivalry with the aim of basing the research model employed in this dissertation within the work on the subject that has already been completed. Research is built on the foundations of the work and findings of earlier researchers and writers in the field, so it is critical to the success of this dissertation that the theories and conventions surrounding the subject matter are fully understood and utilised to create a framework for this dissertation to work within. The general concept of sectarianism will be examined and defined briefly and then the general history of the social movement within Scotland will be looked at, before finally the more specific nature of the movement within football rivalries and the Glaswegian Old Firm mentality will be studied. This final section will form the bulk of the literature review. The majority of the literature review will focus on secondary sources i.e. texts written about the subject from prominent authors associated with it, but primary sources, such as James Macmillans speech and government documents from organisations such as the Scottish Executive, will also be referred to. It is hoped that this review will enable the dissertation to begin its data collection with a complete understanding of the problem and the concepts associated with it. It is first essential to obtain a good grasp of the term sectarianism and to understand the complications associated with it and to develop a definition for use in this dissertation. Hamm (1987, p11) argues that sectarianism has two separate meanings dependent upon whether the term is being used in a sociological or non-sociological discussion. He argues that in a non-sociological context, the term can have pejorative overtones which adherents of such a religious group do not find complimentary and can also denote a type of warfare among religious groups because of their differences. It also refers to esoteric religious beliefs that the established religion would frown upon whilst implying a querulous attitude of intolerance resulting in secession from a larger religious body. Hamm continues (p12) by explaining that the term has a slightly different meaning when used in the sociological sense and that in this context it refers to a particular type of religious organisation that stand s in protest with the idea of dissent as its main notion. He finishes his discussion of the term by offering his definition of it which begins this dissertation and will not be repeated here due to its length which even in its finality still displays the complicated nature of the term. As our study is clearly viewing the term from a sociological standpoint due to the analysis of the footballing rivalry, it is perhaps better to use the ideas from this definition as the basis for the one used in our study. This can be combined with the definitions of other thinkers on and organisations concerned with the subject to devise a suitable term explanation. The Scottish Executive (2006, p5) defines a sectarian in alignment with the Oxford English dictionary (and also notes that it is a very complicated idea) as someone who adheres in a bigoted or narrow minded fashion to a sect or body of persons who have agreed upon particular religious doctrines or practices. Bruce (p4) defines sectarianism as a widespread culture of improperly treating people because of their religion and also states (p5) that within the local context of Britain it normally refers to relations between Protestants and Catholics. A government study on the issue of sectarianism in Glasgow (NFO Social Research, 2003, p5) stated that the term is a pejorative term to describe division bigotry, and discrimination based upon religion, which within the context of Glasgow refers to the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. These are all recent definitions of the term associated with the problem discussed in this dissertation so it makes sense to utilise the definition pr ovided by the NFO Social Research which amalgamates the main points from the other two and is very relevant to this study. It is important to remember though, as per Hamms description of the term, that the reality of the concept is not as simple as this basic definition and its connotations can be a lot more far reaching than those definitions discussed here pertaining specifically to Scotland and the problems surrounding the issue within the country. The problem has been particularly huge in Scotland and in particular Glasgow, with the national television programme Panorama casually stating in 2005 that sectarianism and religious bigotry have long been accepted as part of a way of life in Scotland. The fact that the issue is covered on the national medias flagship documentary programme illustrates the extent of the problem and how large it has become. Before examining the specifics of how sectarianism is rooted in the footballing rivalry of the city, it is first important to understand its origins and development; this will then hopefully aid in discovering an explanation for why it has become so entrenched in and associated with the Old Firm. As mentioned in the introduction, the problem has its origins in the sixteenth century and Scotlands adoption of Protestantism as its national religion despite the majority of the population being of the Catholic persuasion. Sectarian tensions really developed in the 19th century though as a result of the immigration of those who fled Ireland (a traditionally Catholic country) and sought to live and work in Ireland (History of Sectarianism, 2010). Growing urban cities and industries in Scotland offered those Irish with few prospects in wake of the famine a chance to work and provide money for their family and so there was a mass influx during this period. As occurs with many mass displacements of population from a homeland into a new environment, social tensions between the now dominant Protestant demographic and the incoming Irish Catholic population began to emerge and this resulted in the emergence of pockets of Irish populated area. Of particular importance to this study was the manifestation of an Irish diaspora in the poor East End of Glasgow. This led to increased tensions within the city as the Irish and Scottish clashed over job and housing opportunities and it was these pressures that led to the initial development of sectarian attitudes in Glasgow and the rest of Scotland, albeit mainly concentrated in Glasgow. Tensions were at their worst during the inter-war years of 1918 1939 and were exemplified by the existence of a national depression with huge levels of unemployment and fierce competition inflaming an already volatile situation (20th Century Scotland, 2001). This led to ruthless discrimination with sectarian overtones in the labour market, with Orange and Masonic lodges often discriminating against Catholic workers in favour of their Protestant counterparts. This was actively encouraged by the Protestant church within Scotland too. The divide between the two religions spread to become apparent in all aspects of life, with children often attending separate schools based upon religion, different religions lived in different parts of the city, and of course the emergence of the two separate football teams within the city and the great rivalry associated with this. Although the sectarian element has declined since this peak period, it is still perceived as having a major influence on Sc ottish society, as can be seen by the impact of James Macmillans speech and the discourse on the subject it has spurred. Now that a basic understanding of the sectarian problem in Scotland has been achieved it is now necessary to look at the specifics of the concept within the framework of the Old Firm rivalry. Celtic football club was founded in 1888 as a direct focal point for the Irish Catholic immigrant community that had established itself in Glasgows east end (History of Sectarianism) by Brother Walfrid, and even at this early point the rivalry was intense with Walfrid stating his main intention with the foundation of the club was to keep the poor free from the temptations of Protestant soup kitchens and to provide a leisure activity that would save them from apostasy (Armstrong Giullianotti, 2001, p24). Following this declaration of religious intent from the newly formed club and its rapid success in the league Celtic won four league championships over the period 1893-8 Rangers took it upon themselves to become the home grown team to challenge most keenly and successfully the Irishmen of Celt ic. Home grown meant Protestant just as Irish was synonymous with Catholic (Armstrong and Giullianotti, p24). From this point the rivalry between the two clubs progressed alongside their successes and failures, as did the sectarian attitudes associated with both sets of supporters. In the early 1900s, Catholic players began to be asked to leave Rangers upon disclosing their religion, and it was around 1912 that the famous Rangers club policy of not signing Catholic players began to be enforced. Bad blood between the two clubs as a result of sectarian attitudes was registered as early as 1896, but Armstrong and Giullianotti (p25) argue that it was encouraged by management as sectarianism and its accompanying violence was a crowd puller. The anti-Catholic policy was enforced up until the 1980s and meant that Rangers missed out on great players such as Kenny Dalglish and Jim Leighton because of their stubbornness, although they finally relented on the policy when signing Mo Johnston in 1989. Tensions between the two sets of supporters and Protestants and Catholics in general had cooled since their peak during the inter war years too. However, there is still some element of sectarianism present in the support of both teams. It is often cited that sectarian attitudes within the Old Firm are not as extreme as they once were but Callum G. Brown (1997 p196) observes that Scottish national identity has never fully integrated Catholic and Protestant, even in the late twentieth century there is evidence of a religious based ethnic division which confounds a common identity. Brown continues (p198) by stating that Rangers fans tend to identify with Britain and its symbols (such as the union flag) as an act of solidarity with Northern Ireland loyalists; whereas Celtic supporters associate poorly with British symbols of identity and relate strongly with the Irish Republic. This is illustrative of the divide that exists between the two sets of supporters and that there is still a problem between the two. Horne (1995, p10) back this view up, questioning how much meaning there is to the term sectarian in a society with widespread social and cultural interaction and a great deal of intermarriage. However, he does impo rtantly note that Sectarianism is ritualistically conveyed in some football fanzines and football fans still sing sectarian songs and display different symbols of allegiance, but without it being of major significance to the rest of Scotland. It is further reinforced by the history of sectarianism which states that the historical links of some clubs and the traditional ethnic and religious makeup of their supporters have led to them being held as symbols of religious, cultural and political beliefs. Supporters often use chants, songs or banners on match days to express abuse or support towards the Catholic or Protestant faiths or to promote their support for Northern Irish based terrorist groups such as the IRA and UVF. This clearly adds an extra sectarian dimension to the nature of the rivalry that exists between the two sides of the Old Firm; even despite comments that it is not now as fierce as it has been in the past there is clearly still an element of sectarianism involved in the support of each club. The question this dissertation needs to answer though is how inherent and important this is to the supporters of each club. Recent research into the subject is available, due in part to James Macmillans recent speech which served to draw attention to these divisions and provoke discourse on it amongst academic communities. A NFO social research study commissioned in 2003 as a direct result of James Macmillans comments at the Edinburgh festival over the issue of sectarianism within football is perhaps a good starting point for examining the facts regarding the issue in modern Scotland. Essentially, the study found (NFO Social Research, 2003, p57) that the residents of Glasgow felt that sectarianism was still relatively common within the city, and that this mainly took the form of making sectarian jokes with friends, using sectarian terms to describe people, sectarian vandalism, violence, threats and intimidation or harassment were either very or quite common in Glasgow with 66% stating that they felt that sectarian violence occurred regularly within the city. However, interestingly, when questioned about whether they had been a victim of a sectarian attack in the past five years, less than 1% of respondents claimed that they had. The difference between the perception and the reality of the situation can clearly be seen here. This is a viewpoint that is backed up by Bruce (pvii) who states that a number of violent attacks in Glasgow are misreported as sectarian violence due to the medias current obsession with it. Again, this brings into debate the question of how serious the sectarian problem is in Glasgow, and also what specifically defines sectarianism and whether or not it needs to be extreme in its nature to be classified as sectarianism. The Scottish Executive (p5) expands upon this question by stating that within football, it is the actions and words of individuals rather than their beliefs as such that people should be concerned with. This is an important sentence, as it exemplifies the fact that perhaps people who participate in sectarianism within football are not always serious sectarians themselves but are often simply caught up in the atmosphere and gang mentality of the supporters and footballing legacy that they find themselves immersed in as a supporter. The history of sectarianism reinforces this view and the dangers that can be associated with the allowance of so-called casual racism by stating that offensive sectarian language is still used in Scotland on a daily basis with abusive terms such as Hun and Orange bastard being used negatively against Protestants (or those perceived to be) and others such as Fenian and Tim used negatively against Catholics (or those perceived to be). This reinforces religious and racial stereotypes as well as fuelling the divisions and conflict between the denominations and people of no religious denomination. Children commonly use words without any knowledge of their meaning, but with an understanding that these words are a means by which to insult others. The dissertation will attempt to determine the extent of this actual sectarianism during the data collection section of the dissertation and the questionnaire will be designed specifically with this as one of the goals in mind. Liam McDougal (2006) highlights the problems that are associated with defining sectarianism and how this can be applied to the Glaswegian example of the Old Firm in his 2006 article which challenges many of the assumptions made by First Minister at the time Jack McConnell in his high profile attempt to eradicate Scotlands shame of bigotry through an extended awareness campaign. In his article, he states that many supporters of both Rangers and Celtic feel that sectarianism has been all but eradicated within the rivalry and that language highlighted by the government as bigoted is often used regularly in the workplace or other areas of socialising and that it was merely seen as a joke, banter or harmless fun. McDougal cites the example of being called a Fernian or Proddy bastard by colleagues or using the terms themselves was accepted as simply being a Rangers or Celtic fan. He expands upon this by stating that fans view songs such as Billy Boys, the Fields of Athenry and the Sash so ngs traditionally sung by Rangers fans that have been criticised by UEFA and the Scottish Executive for being sectarian are not viewed by either set of supporters as sectarian: people are not bigots because they are singing a certain song they are simply singing along to the song. Critically, McDougal explains that the Executive and UEFA were not being specific enough in their criticism of sectarianism and essentially allowing fans to make their own minds up as to what constituted being sectarian or not hence their decision to decide that many of their songs were not actually sectarian. This highlights the confusion associated with the term again, and this is a factor that the dissertation needs to be aware of when conducting and constructing its questionnaires and analysis, as one persons sectarianism can quite clearly be labelled another mans harmless fun. This can perhaps be accounted for by the inclusion of questionnaires to other football fans asking their feelings on the Old Firm, and through semi structured interviews with psychologist and members of the Old Firm and other football supporters associations. This will be discussed more during the methodology chapter of the dissertation. Another important aspect of his article that is particularly importa nt to this dissertation is the idea that sectarianism is actually not that prevalent in the Old Firm rivalry anymore again this is an idea that will need to be implemented in the design of the questionnaires that will be distributed during the course of this investigation. Promisingly though, McDougals findings were from a study similar to this dissertation in which fans from both sides of the Old Firm were questioned about their views towards sectarianism by University of Edinburgh fellow Dr. Chris McVittie and the success of that research and the NFO social research paper implies that there will be hopefully be similar level of achievement from this study as it will be based on a similar methodology. The insights into footballing mentality and the statistics associated with both sets of supporters are probably the most useful and interesting part of the NFO social research paper in relation to this dissertation though. The statistics (p10) reinforce the stereotypes about each group of supporters, with 74% of those who support Celtic claiming to be Catholic and 67% of those that support Rangers claiming to be Protestant. Again, even if sectarianism is not as prevalent as it once was, these statistics clearly encapsulate that religion still plays a huge part in the Old Firm derby. However, more interesting are some of the comments that emerged from semi-structured interviews with those questioned such as: A lot of violence kicks off because of sectarianism yet a lot of people dont even know what its about! They are just into it for Celtic,Rangers (p11), and It has nothing to do with Catholics and Protestants, its the new religion of Celtic and Rangers (p10). This was later summaris ed in the studies closing arguments by the line: for some the role of football has become so significant that it was actually felt to have replaced religion as the source and focus of sectarian attitudes and behaviour (p56). This idea is further exemplified by the Scottish Executive (p5) who state that the problems of sectarianism exist within the divide between club supporters claiming to be attached to the Protestant and Catholic groups. Again, the use of the word claiming suggests that the sectarianism aspect of the divide is often only implemented as an excuse by those supporters who seek to participate in violence and/or slurs. This is an important aspect of this dissertation and one that will attempt to be examined thoroughly through its course. Importantly, the NFO survey also found that there was no consensus on whether football violence is essentially sectarian in nature, or just simply reminiscent of mindless football hooliganism that exists everywhere. Another important i nterview quote was that the real problem is not sectarianism, but drink. These are both important ideas that need to be examined and discussed during the course of this dissertation. This literature review has enabled the study to gain an insight into the history and complications of the term sectarianism, the application of it in Scotland and to the Old Firm, the complications of the term and its application to the Old Firm in modern Scotland and most importantly to lay the foundations for its own data collection methodology through the examination of previous studies and key theories regarding the topic. The next chapter will now discuss the methodology employed for this dissertations data collection. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY This chapter seeks to discuss and explain the research and data collection methods employed in this dissertation in order to answer the research questions posed in the introductory chapter. It also attempts to provide justification for the methodology used this is important as it gives the findings and recommendations of the dissertation validity and reliability, which are necessary for it be taken seriously in the academic domain. The chapter also discusses the sampling techniques used in the research, the research instruments that were used, the research process, the administration of questionnaires, how data was analysed and what was done to ensure its validity and reliability. The chapter also presents the limitations of the study. First, it is necessary to decide upon a course of research design. Research design illustrates how the data collection has been planned. Essentially, there are two types of research: qualitative and quantitative. This dissertation intends to utilise the questionnaire as the main form of investigative technique in its methodology. The literature review previously conducted in the last chapter will serve as the basis of knowledge relating to the data collection and construction of the questionnaire and the areas of sectarianism that need to be investigated. The questionnaire was chosen as the method of data collection as it was decided that

Mirror for Man - A Logical Conclusion :: Mirror for Man Essays

  Mirror for Man  Ã‚  - A Logical Conclusion Kluckhohn explains the differences and similarities among people of the world as culture. Culture, in this instance, spans a variety of areas. To begin with, culture is the way a person was raised. In addition, it's the values a person was taught. Finally, culture is related to man's biological needs. Habits that a person is taught as a youngster will influence the rest of his life. Societies have a tendency to have distinct habits that their people live by, First, education is one example. To explain, in some areas of the world children are sent to school until they are 18 and in others they are never educated. Second, what people eat is part of their culture. In Italy people eat pasta on the other hand in Israel people eat fallafels. Finally, a person's dress is influenced by which society he lives in. To further explain, in the U.S. women wear anything from dresses to pants, but currently in Iran women wear dresses only and must wear a veil to cover their face. Certain societies have values that influence their people. Different civilizations have distinct social values. First, marriages are treated differently. In the U.S. most women feel that polygamy by a man isn't acceptable. Women feel jealous and furthermore it is illegal. On the other hand, a woman of Koryak, Siberia, would not comprehend how a woman could be so selfish and so unwanting of another woman in the house as to wish to restrict her husband to one mate. Certain countries also have religion while others don't. For example, in the U.S.S.R. atheism is the way of the State; in many Mid-East countries Mohammed is worshipped and the Koran is a sacred book. Third, bigotry is not something people are born with, but are taught. Little children play with anyone regardless of color, sex, or religion. Unfortunatly, adults become jealous or dislike a person, and instead of disliking the individual, they will dislike the individual's race, religion, sex, or anything else they can find to dispise. The adults will then teach the children their bel iefs and the hatred becomes a never ending chain. Similarities are shown by the fact that man has biological functions that can't be ignored. Men of all societies can't ignore nature. To start, all men have the same life cycle. This cycle is that all men are born and all men eventually die.

The American Diet :: essays research papers fc

"You are what you eat", goes a famous saying. And if that is truly the case, then a lot of Americans would appear to be unhealthy, chemically treated, commercially raised slabs of animal flesh. And while that is not a particularly pleasant thought, it is nonetheless an description of the typical American omnivore who survives on the consumption of Big Macs and steak fajitas.But there are individuals who do not follow this American norm and have altered their diets so that they do not consume any meat. These people are vegetarians, and they are the new breed of healthy Americans who refuse to poison themselves with fats, cholesterol, and the other harmful additives that come from meat. And while once thought to be a movement that would never gain much momentum, it has nonetheless moved itself to the forefront of Americans' healthy diets.The word vegetarian, used to describe the diets of people who do not consume animal flesh, was not used until around the mid-1800s. The concept of ve getarianism, however, dates back much further. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras, considered by many to be the father of vegetarianism, encouraged a non-meat diet among his followers as a diet that was the most natural and healthful (Messina 3).A vegetarian diet excludes the consumption of meat, and can be exercised by people for a number of reasons. The largest majority of individuals chose vegetarianism for health related reasons. For example, someone with an ulcer might be prescribed a strict diet of vegetables in order to promote the healing process. Or someone with a dangerously high level of cholesterol might be advised to follow a vegetarian diet to lower his or her fat and cholesterol intake.The immorality of consuming animal flesh is another argument touted by a smaller group of vegetarians. R.G. Frey describes this moral argument for vegetarianism and the effect that meat eating might have on the character of humans:Some people have come to believe and fear that, in the suffering and killing which occurs in commercial farming, we demean ourselves, coarsen our sensitivities, dull our feelings of sympathy with our fellow creatures, and so begin the descent down the slippery slope of torture and death, to a point where it becomes easier for us to contemplate and carry out the torture and killing of human beings. (20)This moral argument for vegetarianism is also noted by John Robbins who states that "the suffering these animals undergo has become so extreme that to partake of food from these creatures is to partake unknowingly of the abject misery that has been their lives"(14).

History of the Korean War :: Korean War Asian History Essays

History of the Korean War The Korean War took place between the years of 1950 and 1953. The cause of the war was that Korea was under Japanese rule ever since the end of the Chinese-Japanese war in 1895. After World War II, in 1945, Korea was freed from Japan. The United States troops occupied the southern part of the country and Russian forces took the north. The very first and main reason we entered the war in Korea was because John Foster Dulles, the future Secretary of State under Dwight Eisenhower, said that it would be best if we entered the war. At the time Dulles was a special advisor to the Secretary of State Acheson. Dulles was in Tokyo when the Koreans staged war. Dulles sent a message to Acheson that if the South Koreans start losing and cannot hold back the North Koreans, they should send in United States forces. He said to do so, "even though this risks Russian counter moves. To sit by while Korea is overrun by unprovoked armed attack would start a disaster chain even leading most probably to Wo rld War III." When Dulles got back to Washington he specified that he meant sending in United States Air and Naval forces only, not troops. Almost immediately after getting word of the invasion, Acheson decided that the United States should put the matter before the United Nations. He then called President Truman and got his approval. Almost fourteen hours after Washington got word of the war there was a conference set up among certain members of the United Nations. The final decision of the United Nations was to give arms and equipment to the R.O.K. army (Republic of Korea). Then they authorized General MacArthur to use his forces and the United States Seventh Fleet, "to stabilize the combat situation". We first entered the war on June 25, 1950 because the United States felt that if Russia's troops would fight for North Korea, we should fight for South Korea. Also, since South Korea had a dictatorship, we wanted to prevent it from becoming communist and remaining a dictatorial form of government. If the communist started conquering many nations they might start a whole empire (the domino effect). In December 1943 the United States, China and Great Britain made a promise to Synyman Rhee during World War II that Korea would be given its independence "in due course" after World War II.

Statistic: Sampling and Research Design

Carlene Reyes 809000173 Question 2: Describe the relationship between research design and sample design Before examining both sample design and research design it is important to be clear about the role and purposes of each design. Research design is a plan for collecting and utilizing data so that desired information can be obtained with sufficient precision or so that a hypothesis can be tested properly. Every type of empirical research has a form of implicit research design.A design is a logical sequence that connects to empirical data to a study’s initial research question and ultimately it, to its conclusion. According to Adam G Bluman in his book Elementary Statistic define research design as a logical plan from getting from here to there, where here may be defined as initial questions to be answered , and there is some conclusion (answers) to these questions . Another text book has described research design as a plan that guides the investigator in the process of collec ting analyzing and interpreting observations.It is a logical method of proof that allows the researcher to draw inreferences concerning causal relations among the variables under investigations (Nachmias andNachmaias 1992 pp. 77-78). Research design can be seen as the â€Å"blue print† for your research, dealing with at least four problems what question to study, what data are relevant, what data to collect and how to analyze the results. As a result research design is more than just a work plan it is what makes social science scientific.In addition there are various forms of research design that can be broken up into both quantitative and qualitative research design. Qualitative research follows a naturalistic paradigm which is based on the idea that reality is not predetermined, but is constructed by the participants in the research (Vishnevsky and Beanlands 2004, p. 235). It aims at exploring the phenomenon in question by focusing on the individuals who experience it, assu ming that it is possible to maximize the understanding of the phenomenon by minimizing the interpersonal distance between the researcher and the participant.Qualitative research in non-experimental, with no dependent or independent variables. The idea is to understand phenomena as a whole. Qualitative research is done â€Å"in the field† and requires ongoing data collection and analysis. The data collection and methodology are flexible, and allow for modifications throughout the research process, gathering subjective data that includes thoughts and perceptions of the participants and the researchers alike.Qualitative research does not choose a representative sample of the population, but only chooses as participants those who have rich experiences in the phenomena of concern, and the sample size is rarely predetermined, because researchers include as many participants as necessary to give an understanding of the phenomena (Vishnevsky and Beanlands, 2004, p. 235). Whereas, in quantitative research the researcher aim is to determines the relationships between one thing (an independent variable) and another (a dependent or outcome variable) in a population.Quantitative research designs are either descriptive (subjects usually measured once) or experimental (subjects measured before and after a treatment). Descriptive studies are also called observational, because you observe the subjects without otherwise intervening. Descriptive research provides answers to the questions of who, what, when, where, and how for example a study measuring various attributes of salespeople, a training program, or a retailing situation.Experimental studies are also known as longitudinal or repeated measures studies, for obvious reasons. They are also referred to as interventions, because you do more than just observe the subjects. However the sample design provides information on the target and final sample sizes, strata definitions and the sample selection methodology. It†™s a relatively small subset selected from a population. Sampling design is a process of selecting a member of a unit for a study in such a way that the unit represents the larger group from which they are selected.Sampling makes possible the study of a large heterogeneous population. There are different forms of sampling design it can be classified as probability sampling and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling is a proportion and such sample is selected from the population by means of some systematic way in which every elements of the population has a chance of being included in the sample. With this research it is more complex its time consuming and more costly.Non probability sample is not a proportion of the population which there is no system in selecting the sample. The selection depends upon the situations no assurance is given that each has a chance of being included as a sample. The first form of probability sampling is Random sampling this type of sampling is one in which everyone in the population of the inquiry has an equal chance of being selected to be included in the sample. Its main advantage of this technique of sampling is that it is easy to understand and it is easy to apply too.Its disadvantage is that it is hard to use with too large a population because of the difficulty encountered in writing the names of the person involved. Another form of sample design is systematic sampling a technique of sampling in which every kth member of a list may be selected to be included. This form of sampling is called interval sampling there is a gap or interval between each selected unit in the sample. Its main advantage is that it is more convenient faster and more economical. Its disadvantage is that if the sample might become biased.Stratified sampling is another form of sampling the process of selecting randomly , samples from different strata of the population used in the study a sample obtained by dividing the population into groups, c alled strata according to the various homogeneous characteristic and then selecting members from each stratum for the sample . Its advantage is that it contributes much to the representative of the sample. Cluster sampling also called multi-stage sampling are used when the population is so big or the geographical area of the research is so large, it is therefore efficient to use.Its disadvantage is that it reduced accuracy or representativeness on the account of the fact that every stage there is a sampling error. Non probability sampling methods into two broad types are accidental and purposive. Most sampling methods are purposive in nature because we usually approach the sampling problem with a specific plan in mind. The most important distinctions among these types of sampling methods are the ones between the different types of purposive sampling approaches. In purposive sampling, researchers sample with a purpose in mind.We usually would have one or more specific predefined grou ps we are seeking. Accidental sampling is where the first set of available appropriate sample are used. To conclude research design function is to ensure evidence obtained enables us to answer the initial question as unambiguously as possible. Thus, we need to ask what kind of evidence is needed to answer these questions. Research design is thus equated with both qualitative designs whereas sample design is equated with both probability and non probability sampling. Sampling design involves taking a proportion of the population to do your research project.

Citizens Identities in Public Documents

Contained herein is an article critique regarding exposure of private information through digitization projects that allow unrestricted public access.The analysis will specifically deal with John Harney’s Protecting Citizens Identities in Public Documents that highlights how a County document preservation department dealt with the issue of protecting public information effectively.In the understanding that exposing private data such as social security, bank account numbers and title deed, the Maricoba County Recorder embarked on an elaborative process of scanning and removing all the sensitive information from documents without diluting usefulness.The County’s efforts are important considering the dangers of exposing such data to other people. Indeed, the exposure would make it easy for phishers to collect information that is later used for identity theft. Harney’s article is therefore an important eye-opener that it is possible for society to utilize new technol ogies effectively without posing dangers to individuals’ private lives. Maricoba County’s processes should therefore be regarded as best practices in digitization field.This is especially because members of the public would be more supportive of such projects and therefore be more willing to volunteer donations and propositions. Such collaboration would help in the process of digitizing the millions, maybe billions, of documents and information whose digitization would improve public awareness on past and current issues affective respective society.In addition, the end of public’s phobia of digitization and privacy will indeed be help in motivating technology makers in improving ways of improving security features further. John Harney’s Protecting Citizens Identities in Public Documents is in this regard an important contribution to the debate of digitization and information security.ReferencesHarney, J. (2008). Protecting Citizens Identities in Public Do cuments. Retrieved March    3, 2009, from http://www.infonomics-digital.com/infonomics/20080304/?pg=60

Professional Value in Ethics and Islam

BUS240: Professional Work Values in Islam Instructor: Dr. Hisham Adam Group Names: Yousef Al Khamis Khalid Al Dabbous Hamad Al Sayegh Mohammad Jamal Professional Work Values Introduction Religion plays an important role in the development of work and professional ethics the world over. All religions, Christianity, Islam, and Hindu among others all inform on work, work values and work ethics in an effort to promote harmony, togetherness, tolerance and hard work. They also advocate for such good practices to ensure cooperation in employer employee relations at the work place.Such religious teachings are entrenched and supported by most constitutions around the world. The Quran and its teachings play an important role in the development of a Muslim. The Quran guides the way of life, it gives insight into relations between brothers, kin, employees and their employers, the individual and the state, and the Muslim and non-Muslims. This holy book above all gives insight into life as Allah w ished. Discussion The Quran gives life lessons on employees and employers.It gives teachings on values required at the work place; some of these values include trust, humility, loyalty, hard work, fairness, justice, kindness, and charity among others. Trust refers to the belief in the strength of truth coming from a person other than yourself. The workplace is akin to a second home for most people in adulthood. Relations form that either strengthen or destroy this environment. Relations built on trust have a positive impact on the work environment and result in success while relations formed with distrust merely lead to frustration and losses.Trust comes alongside truth. With truth, employees and employers have an easier time working together. The Quran puts truthfulness and honesty as some of the best traits that a professional Muslim should possess. They imply that a true Muslim should be fearful of the almighty and true through his actions and words. It goes ahead to say that fai thfulness is directly related to righteousness. In addition to this, all Muslims will be judged and held accountable for their actions whilst on earth.Concerning work and business, it indicates that a good businessperson is one who is honest; hence, he is put in the same category as the prophets. Honesty supersedes respect. An honest boss is one that communicates effectively with his employees and lets them know of the goings in the company. Such an action begets an equivalent reaction from employees hence creating a cordial work relationship between them. All Muslims are supposed to be charitable. Charity here refers to spending what Allah has given an individual usually in the form of resources, monies, energy, talents and possessions for the good of other people.Charity fosters a relationship between man and other men. It also promotes a relationship with the almighty. In modern day, the most common include helping the needy through corporate social relations; avoiding hurting pe ople and helping strangers find their way. Many companies in the world today engage in philanthropic activities, helping the needy, children, the elderly and the poor in fulfillment of their obligation as human beings to Allah. The Quran also advocates for hard work. Hard work for any Muslim is a mandatory exercise.In one of Prophet Mohammed’s quotations, he refers to hard work as an obligation. He goes ahead and explains that it is better for an individual to carry his own firewood than have a friend do it for him. Hard work is linked directly to honesty in which the Quran indicates that it is not moral for one to beg. It directs the Muslims to work and creates a belief that one would receive a better reward for working hard. It asks them to desist from deceiving others, hoarding goods and begging and instead work hard.Dignity and honor are attached to income acquired in a rightful manner whereas sources of unearned monies are revered against; such as betting and playing cha nce games. Forgiveness is a highly cherished trait for professional Muslims. A Muslim is bound to accept an apology from a fellow Muslim not unless such an apology has been given dishonestly by the one offering it. More often than not, relations are destroyed within the workplace. It is often best to seek forgiveness from a fellow employee than engage in constant battle.Forgiveness ensures cooperation is maintained whereas hatred brings forth inconsistency and outright bias leading to losses. Good conduct to others. This trait requires that an individual wish for the best for his Muslim brother. This is a two-way concept where an individual wishes good tidings for his friends just as he would wish to have done to him. In an employee-employer working environment, many employees do not have a desire to see their friends excel. As a result, many of them work to ensure their friends fail and are fired.Maintaining good conduct towards others ensures cooperation and in turn ensures mutual success. Organisational culture refers to the behavior of human beings as being part of an organisation as well as the meaning that they attach to different actions in that environment. Culture is a combination of several things including norms, values, symbols, beliefs and habits among other things that are shared by a people. Organisational culture is also a pattern of behavioral traits and behavior that is taught to members of an organisation to promote co-existence and harmonious living.Such cultures define the appropriate behavior for different situations and environment. An organisational culture affects the way individuals interact with each other in the organisation, how they interact with the customers and stakeholders and have a role in creating a good or bad image for the organisation. Such Muslim professional values revolve around oneness. They represent a constant need to create a good employee-employee and employee employer working relation that ultimately bring succe ss. The Quran is particular in creating equity among individuals working together.Contemporary organisations are composed of individuals from a wide range of religious backgrounds. Professional ethics as stipulated in the Quran do not only apply to the Muslims but may be used by any other person regardless of his religious inclination. Entrenching such traits into the organisational culture will go forth to create a lasting bond (Mats 2002) among employees characterized by cooperation and trust. In addition, it will withdraw elements of doubt and foster trust among employees for the mutual benefit of the company.Conclusion The Quran gives a huge list of ethical traits that a Muslim ought to possess in his day-to-day life. These traits form the basis of any Muslim life. These traits are universal in that, people regardless of their religious inclination may use them. Their use in modern day organisations to inform on organisational culture is widely acknowledged, and appreciated. Mod ern day organisations are multicultural and such traits would be great to bridge this cultural gap and bring harmony to the organisation.