EDU 636 DB 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EDU 636 DB 3 - Essay Example The biggest advantage of e-learning is that the person who is receiving the training can schedule the classes according to the student’s schedule. An e-learning classroom is self-paced, and the student does not need to turn in assignments according to a schedule, (N. A., N. D.). There are also many disadvantages to an e-learning environment. One of the biggest disadvantages is that students who are not motivated will not complete the course on time, and students often a feel isolated because there is not traditional and unique learning experience, (N. A., N. D.). Students who begin to feel isolated at the lack of intercommunication with the learning environment may become lonely, and begin to fall behind because the student became unmotivated to complete assignments on time. Computer-based training is a way for students to earn a college degree while online. Just like e-learning computer-based training has many advantages, and disadvantages. Some of the advantages, and disadva ntages of a computer-based training program can be similar to the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. The biggest advantage of computer-based training is the lower costs involved for students when students enroll in a computer-based training course. Also, assignments and classes can be scheduled around the students person schedule. However, assignments usually have a deadline.

Impacts Of Mass Tourism On Ecotourism Sites Tourism Essay

Impacts Of Mass Tourism On Ecotourism Sites Tourism Essay This essay will mainly deal with the social, economic and environmental impacts of mass tourism on ecotourism taking into consideration that ecotourism can be seen as a form of mass tourism (As Weaver (2001: 112) says, ecotourism can be and usually is a variant of mass tourism.). It will begin by examining ecotourism looking at what ecotourism is and some examples of ecotourism sites such as Couran Cove Island Resort and Boondall Wetlands Reserve in Queensland, Australia. It will then move onto mass tourism again looking at what defines mass tourism and looking into areas that are considered to be mass tourism sites such as Benidorm and Mallorca in Spain. This will then move onto the impacts of mass tourism on ecotourism taking into account the social, economic and environmental impacts, drawing examples from the case studies above in Spain and Australia. Then it will briefly examine ecotourism as a form of mass tourism as stated by Weaver (2001). The most common definition of ecotourism is that it is a nature-based tourism and a form of sustainable tourism ecologically, socio-culturally and economically (Font Buckley, 2001: 32; Weaver, 2001: 105; Lim McAleer, 2005: 1431) and also as Ceballos-Lascurà ¡in 1996 (cited in Scheyvens 2002: 71) says Ecotourism is environmentally responsible, enlightening travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations. The International Ecotourism Society has six main principles for ecotourists (this is the term this essay will use for tourists visiting ecotourism sites throughout the essay). These include: Minimizing impact on the environment Gain environmental and cultural awareness of the site to help respect and conserve the site. Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. Provide direct financial benefits for conservation. Provide economic benefits to the host locals. Raise sensitivity to host countries political, environmental and social climate. (The International Ecotourism Society, 2010) Ecotourism can be divided into hard and soft-ecotourism. Hard ecotourism generally does not impact as much negatively on the environment as it tends to deal with tourists who are aware of the importance of sustainability, visits tend to be prolonged visits so the tourists actively engage in conserving the environment and respect the environment in which they are visiting (Weaver Lawton, 2002: 362). According to the International Ecotourism Society (2006: 4), In Europe: 20%-30% of travelers are aware of needs values of sustainable tourism. 10%-20% of travelers look for green options. 5%-10% of travelers demand green holidays. Soft ecotourism, which is the type of ecotourism that is most associated with mass tourism, is when tourists have a level of understanding of sustainability but are not as committed to actively participating in being sustainable and so do not respect the area they are visiting as much (Weaver Lawton, 2002: 363). Visits tend to be once-off day trips resulting in groups of people arriving by bus, which could happen a few times a day. These short term visits could potentially be more harmful, as the tourists may not have as much of an awareness or interest in protecting the environment they are visiting and may not be as careful as they should be they could cause physical damage, by stepping on plant species, which could in turn reduce biodiversity, which is harmful to an ecosystem. In the case of Queensland, Australia, it could be argued that it is a soft-ecotourism site, taking a figure from Lim and McAleer (2005: 1433) seen below, overnight visitors have fluctuated between 1995 an d 2000 however, in the case of intra and interstate visitors they have increased since 1995. The fact that the figure deals with overnight visitors, could be seen as a short-term stay, which coincides with soft ecotourism activity. Figure 1: Visitor arrivals in Queensland. (Source: Ibid: 1433) Examples of ecotourism sites include Couran Cove Island Resort, Boondall Wetlands Reserve Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia. Mass tourism can be defined as a quantitative notion, based on the proportion of the volume of the population participating in tourism or on the volume of tourist activity Burkart Medlik 1974 (cited in Bramwell, 2004: 7). Coming into the notion of mass tourism is the concept of the 3Ss Sun, Sea and Sand holidays. Spain became the most popular area for tourism by the 1990s there was a need to develop new products and promote new destinations (DeCleir, 2010). Mass tourism can also be associated with winter sports taking the Alps for example, which will be discussed later on in the essay. Mass tourism can tend to increase the pressure on the environment due to the large tourist volumes, which is not unlike soft ecotourism. Examples of areas that experience mass tourism are Benidorm and Mallorca in Spain and the winter sports in the Alps. Benidorm, a fishing village in Spain, so it could be deemed an ecotourism site, has seen considerable mass tourism effects The demands of mass tou rism have turned this place into a monster of an urban resort with high rise hotels, a shopping mall, bars (Schindler and Mindjov, p.1). Mass tourism can be seen to have an impact on ecotourism sites also. The three main areas where mass tourism has an effect on ecotourism are socially, economically and environmentally. Firstly, this essay will examine the economic impacts of mass tourism on ecotourism sites drawing examples from Spain. As can be seen from Table 1, tourism contributions to Spains Gross Domestic Product has increased significantly from 2000 to 2007, increasing by à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬38,995 in seven years. Table 1: Tourism Contribution to Spanish GDP. (Source: Spanish Statistics Institute, Tourism Satellite Account of Spain (cited in Spanish Tourism in Figures 2009: 8). Tourism is an economic generator, not only do the host destination benefit from the amount of money coming in from the tourists but also, the fact that the site is a tourist site, creates employment in the area. As Lim and McAleer (2005: 1432) says, For many countries and regions, tourism represents one of the few opportunities for local development, employment and revenue generation. However, regions can develop an over-dependency on tourism in relation to GDP. Taking the Maldives for example, 80% of their GDP comes from tourism (DeClair, 2010). This over-dependence on tourism can result in the tourism industry in the region declining. Another impact of mass tourism is environmental. Environmental impacts include: sustainability preservation and conservation, physical damage which can result in a reduction of biodiversity and visual impact, and pollution. Taking the effect winter sports in the Alps as mentioned earlier, as an example The Alps could be considered to be an ecotourism site as it is a natural area, however it could be argued that it has not really been very beneficial at having a low impact on its environment through extensive tourism mass tourism. The winter sports that take place on the Alps have done a lot of damage to the mountains in terms of loss of biodiversity. For example, there have been reports that the black grouse population has declined and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has suggested that this decline is linked to the spread of winter sports (Patthey et al., 2008: 2). In the Couran Cove Island Resort, they have measures in place to protect their environ ment from tourists, for example, they have put into place a re-vegetation and rehabilitation program which they hope will help conserve existing vegetation and integrated within this program they hope to provide education to the local community about the fragile ecosystem (Lim and McAleer, 2005: 1433). They have also built eco-cabins that are built on stumps, the idea being that the surrounding environment can be left undisturbed and yet the tourists can still see the habitats in their natural environment (ibid: 1434). Mass tourism can cause congestion in an ecotourism site during peak seasons this could result in pollution of an area and visual degradation. In the case of the economic and environmental, these two impacts can be linked together. If a ecotourism site is getting a lot of tourists, then they are taking in revenue. The more money generated from tourism, the more the money that can go back into the conservation and preservation the sustainability of the area. In the case of social impacts on a site, as Hall and Lew (2009: 180) say, the development of the tourism industry can contribute broadly to changes in the quality of life, social structure and social organization of destination communities. These social impacts can be both positive and negative. Generally, however, the host residents are prepared to put up with the negative impacts as the positive ones are so desirable (DeCleir, 2010). Employment, although mainly an economic impact, can also be a social impact. With employment, comes the need for education and upskilling, which can be seen as a personal social benefit. When a person has a job, they are getting a regular income and so will feel safer in knowing that they can meet their basic needs (Hall and Lew, 2009: 180). In addition to this, when people have more money, they can go out and socialise with their friends or meet new people. Acculturation (when two cultures are in contact over a long period of time, there is a danger o f them becoming similar (DeCleir, 2010)), can become a problem in a tourist area, which could eventually lead to the loss of an original culture of the area. This can lead to a reduction in diversity the loss of cultural identity can affect host destinations local people, especially the elderly, as they may lose the traditional ways of life that they grew up with, which could affect their sense of security in where they live. According to Weaver (2001:104) ecotourism as both a reality and an ideal can logically be conceived as a form of mass tourism Although mass tourism can have an effect on ecotourism, ecotourism can be seen as a form of mass tourism. Soft ecotourism in particular is more often associated with mass tourism as shorter, more intensive trips are considered more damaging than longer trips as, as said at the beginning of this essay, visits tend to be once off day-trips, with loaded tour buses arriving with groups of people to visit a site all in one day; whereas with longer trips, the tourists are less likely to stay or impact upon a site all day continuously. Mass tourism can have both positive and negative effects on ecotourism sites. Positive impacts include, an increase in popularity of a site which will lead to more revenue being created which can in turn be reinvested back into the conservation of the site. Negative impacts of mass tourism tend to outweigh the positive impacts; some negative impacts include, physical impact the damage that can be done to the site, its attractiveness and reduction of biodiversity, for example, the winter sports in the Alps increased congestion during peak seasons and seasonality for example, in Greece, most hotels are closed for six months of the year (DeCleir, 2010). All of the above effects can be separated into three categories of impacts social, economic and environmental, which have all been dealt with in this essay.

Homeland Security :: Terrorist Attacks Terrorism

Homeland Security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we pause to think about all that has happened in years past, we truly are lucky. The purpose of this paper is to define and give detailed information about Homeland Security in the United States. I hope to inform people as to why we constantly live in fear. I will give detailed information about what the government is doing to solve this problem. Also I will give possible solutions to our current predicament, based on extensive research and knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homeland Security is a relatively new agency that was created by the president, because of the terrorist attacks on America. President George W. Bush vows to never let an attack happen to America again. Therefore he created the office or agency, of Homeland Security. This group is backed by director of this group is ex-senator Tom Ridge. George W. Bush specifically appointed him. This group watches Americans and the world extremely closely (Security, a top priority in new budget). The mission statement of this group is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur (Homeland Security Actions). The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for securing our nation's borders and transportation systems, they manage who and what enters our homeland and work to prevent the entry of terrorists and the instruments of terrorism while ensuring the speedy flow of legitimate traffic (White House Online). Many dubious terrorist groups and organizations are under a microscopic viewpoint from the group of Homeland Security. Terrorist attacks on America have sparked a national fear that many people face daily. People live in fear for a variety of reasons. Scores of Americans fear traveling abroad, flying, and people of Middle Eastern decent (The Attack on America: September 11, 2001). There is unfairness towards people of the Islam religion, and people who are of Middle Eastern decent. This is wrong. Just because a strong-minded group of people attacked innocent civilians to prove a political point and spark fear in millions does not mean we should discriminate on those people. But because of these attacks on America there have been many different security changes made, in the hopes to improve our safety. Such as at airports, the military was placed as security in the airports. This was the first time that the military could be placed in airports.

Fair Play Means Using Sport to Make a Better World Essay

To be successful in sport, you need to have the right attitude. Honesty, dignity, fair play, respect, teamwork, commitment and courage are essential to lead a memorable sporting performance. All of these indispensible values can be summed up in the term ‘fair play’. Through various sporting events, the values of fair play can be put into practice in order to help make the world a better place. Hence, sport can be powerful by allowing young aspiring athletes to emulate their role models when playing in the spirit of fair play. Many people define fair play as abiding by the rules of the game and to accept defeat. However, this not only the case when it come to fair play. Fair play is a complex notion that comprises and embodies a number of other values that are fundamental not only to sport but also to everyday life. Respect, friendship, team spirit, fair competition, sport without doping, respect for written and unwritten rules such as equality, integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence and joy, are the building blocks of fair play that can be experienced and learnt both on and off the field. Sport is very influential in today’s world as it unites and brings many people together regardless of their gender, race and ethnicity. Therefore, promoting fair play through sport can surely be a tool that ultimately will help to create awareness and leads to a better social world. Fair play in different kinds of sport can be emulated through: Playing Fair: Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, however it brings no pleasure and satisfaction. Playing fair requires courage and character. Fair play always has its rewards, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns respect, while cheating only brings shame. Sporting individuals must remember that it is only a game and games are pointless unless played fairly. Playing to win but accepting defeat with dignity: Winning is the object of playing any game. Never set out to lose. If athletes or players do not play to win, you are cheating your opponents, deceiving those who are watching, and also fooling oneself. Never give up against stronger opponents but never relent against weaker ones. It is an insult to any opponent to play at less than full strength. Play to win, until the final whistle. However, it is difficult to win all the time. You win some and you lose some. Learning to lose graciously is the way forward and do not seek excuses for defeat. Genuine reasons will always be self-evident. Congratulating the winners with good grace is also another form of fair play. After a loss one must be determined to do better next time. Good losers will eventually earn more respect than bad winners. Observing the Laws of the Game: All games need rules to guide them in order to protect and safeguard the athletes taking part. Without rules, there would be chaos. The rules of in various sports are simple and easy to learn. As an athlete or player, understanding the game better will make you a better player. It is equally important to understand the spirit of the rules. They are designed to make the game fun to play and fun to watch. By sticking to the rules, the game will be more enjoyable and appreciated. Respecting opponents, team-mates, referees, officials and spectators: Fair Play means putting forward the value of respect. Without opponents there can be no game. Everyone has the same rights, including the right to be respected. Teammates are colleagues and they form a team in which all members are equal. Referees are there to maintain discipline and Fair Play. Sporting people must accept their decisions without arguing, and help them to enable all participants to have a more enjoyable game. Officials are also part of the game and must be respected accordingly. Spectators give the game its life and generate an atmosphere. They want to see the game played fairly, but must also behave fairly by respecting themselves and the other sets of supporters. Promoting the interests of the Game: The value of different kinds of sport always needs everybody’s help to maintain its greatness. Think of the game’s interests before your own. Think how your actions may affect the image of the game. Talk about the positive things in the game. Encouraging other people to watch and play fairly is also positive for the game in context. Honouring those who defend the Game’s good reputation: The good name of sports such as football has survived because the vast majority of people who love the game are honest and fair. Sometimes somebody does something exceptional that deserves our special recognition. Players should be honoured and their fine example should be publicised. This encourages others to act in the same way. Thus, helping to promote football’s image by publicising its good deeds. Rejecting corruption, drugs, racism, violence, gambling and other dangers to sport: Sports’ huge popularity sometimes makes it vulnerable to negative outside interests. Athletes and players should watch out for attempts to tempt them into cheating or using performance-enhancing drugs. Drugs have no place in sport or in society as a whole. On the other hand such athletes should help to kick drugs and out of the world of sports. Hence, all players must treat everyone else equally, regardless of their religion, race, sex or national origin. Showing zero tolerance for gambling on games in which you participate is also another type of fair play, especially nowadays that gambling activities are on the increase. It negatively affects one’s ability to perform and creates the appearance of a conflict of interests. Helping others to resist corrupting pressures: In some instances, athletes or players may hear that teammates or other people they know are being tempted to cheat in some way or otherwise engage in behaviour deemed unacceptable. These people need one’s help in order to give them the strength to resist the temptation. Reminding them of their commitment to their teammates and to the sport itself is essential. Denouncing those who attempt to discredit sport: Individuals must not be ashamed to stand up to anybody who is trying to make others cheat or engage in other unacceptable behaviour. It is better to expose them and have them removed before they can do any further damage. It is equally dishonest to go along with a dishonest act. They must denounce those misguided persons who are trying to spoil the true value of sport before they can persuade somebody else to say yes. Different kinds of sport, especially Football, have an incredible power, which can be used to make this world a better place in which everyone can live. Using this powerful platform can help to promote peace, equality, health and education for everyone. Furthermore, fair play allows making the game better, taking it to the world, and fostering a better world. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games said: ‘The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.’ Competition can be severe but you should always first look for joy when practicing any sports. You should never forget about the play even in the heat of the fight. Fair play, which is an essential and central part of successful involvement, promotion and development in both sport and life, can teach people tolerance and respect for others. It allows them to integrate into society and create a sense of teamwork. Fair play in sport is capable of giving hope, pride and identity, and it is able to unite where nationalities, politics, religions and cultures often divide. Cooperation in the spirit of fair play delivers even greater results than pure gamesmanship in all walks of life. It plays a key role, the role of a catalyst in today’s society as a means of improving quality of life and human wellbeing. In the history of sport there have been many athletes, from great and celebrated champions to lesser-known competitors, who lived and competed in the spirit of fair play. All of them were individuals with different characters but they must also all have had something in common. Their exemplary behaviour and heroic acts have shaped their environment and contributed to the enhancement of social wellbeing. Their stories tell us a lot about what we could do to build a better world. As an example of such sportsmanship, World and Olympic Champion pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka (Athletics, Russia, Fair Play Trophy for action) in 1995 he helped his South-African rival, Okkert Brits, on two occasions by lending him his equipment. Firstly, on 3 July after learning that Brits equipment had not arrived at the Paris Grand Prix, Bubka offered him his poles so that he could compete. Again, on 9 September at the IAAF Grand Prix Final in Munich, Bubka repeated his generous act. This time, however, it cost him victory as Brits vaulted a winning 5.95 m while Bubka’s final jump was just under at 5.90 m. This example teaches us that fair play is not a theory. Fair play is an attitude that manifests itself in behaviour. Whenever we act in the spirit of fair play we contribute to building a peaceful and better world. Values such as respect, friendship, tolerance and solidarity are the building blocks of fair play and can easily be expressed in the interactions of everyday life.

My Summer at Choate Rosemary Hall

This summer at Choate Rosemary Hall was the best summer that I have ever had so far. The classes were challenging but also exiting at the same time. I really love the classes there because the number of student per one teacher is very small so the teachers give pay more attention toward you. Also, the student gets to know each other more so they can work together better. One of my favorite classes during the summer was Anatomy and physiology because we had a lot of hands on experience with dissection. My favorite dissection in the class is when we get to dissect and explore the anatomy and physiology of a rodent’s body because it was the longest and interesting dissection that we had during the summer program. When we finish with the dissection, our teacher takes a picture of our dissection and sends it to us and we had to label it. Another project that I like about Anatomy and Physiology is the owl pellet. We had to put back together a scattered rodent skeleton together and it was very time consuming. Other than the classes I also like the dorm life was. At home my parent do everything for me but at Choate I had to do everything myself, which made me feel like an adult. Every morning I had to wake up by myself and go to breakfast. My Favorite part about dorm life is laundry. My friend and I always wash our cloths together to save some money and we would just sit in the laundry room talking to each other about each other cultures. One time I forgot my highlighter in my pocket during washing so all of my cloths was ruin. The mistake of putting a highlighter in my pocket turns out really cool because it made one of my shirts really pretty so everyone said that I was the best mistake that I’ve ever made. Choate’s campus was big. On the first day of class I wanted to change my schedule and didn’t know anywhere to go to so I had to run around the campus trying to find the summer program office for almost an hour. Every day I have only 30 minutes for lunch because one of my classes was on the other side of the campus and it would take me 10 minutes to walk there. I think my favorite building at Choate is Hill House because that is my dorm, the dining hall, and it’s also the place that my friend and I hang out before study hours. Hill House has an air conditioned lounge that no one knows. Therefore, it was our secret hideout and our hanging spot. Also every Saturday we held a movie night at Hill House because checks in is at 11 p. m. My favorite part about this summer is spending time with friends that I had made during the program. In the beginning I didn’t know anybody else other than the Memphis Prep scholars so I stayed with them. After the first week I start to know more people so I hang out with other people. We would go to the movie almost every Wednesday because we had nothing to do. Sometime we would go to the library to read mangas and books because some of us had to finish our summer reading list. Usually after we go to the library we would go to the candy shop down the street from the library to get ice-cream. Sometime we would skip dinner at Choate’s dining hall and have dinner at a restaurant that is next to the candy shop. The one thing that I hate the most about this summer program is saying good bye. On the last week of the program we eat dinner together at a restaurant every night or ordering Chinese food, trying to spend as much time with each other as possible. Also, on the last mall trip we would try to buy things to gift each other so that we will remember each other. On the night of the Last Dance we went the basement and talked to each other and signed each other shirts and journals. The last day of the summer program was the hardest day for me because all of my friends were leaving. We cry every time someone is leaving and we would stand there watch them leave and by the end of the day all of my tears were dried up. Attending Choate’s summer program is the best thing that had happened to me. The classes and teachers were great. The campus was big and it made me feel like I’m in college. I had made a lot of new friends that I will never forget. Choate summer program is also life changing for me because I learn how to be independent from my parents and do things on my own. It had expanded my knowledge in Anatomy and Physiology. I also learn that there are a lot of opportunities out there waiting for you to take it and you have to work hard to achieve it. The best opportunity that I had taken this year is to apply for Memphis PREP because without them I wouldn’t know about Choate Rosemary Hall or any other boarding school.

Piggys Demise essays

Piggy's Demise essays "Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didnt you? Im part of you? Close, close, close! Im the reason why its no go? Why things are what they are?" In William Goldings novel, Lord of the Flies, one particular theme is consistent throughout the novel. It shows how evil acts as a destructive force in which it is carried out on the island in reference to Piggys traits. In relation to this theme, Piggys character plays an important role within the novel. We can look at: Piggys glasses as being a deterioration of his hope, Jacks hatred for Piggy showing this corrupt force, and the death of Piggy portraying the savageness broken out everywhere on the island, to The destruction of Piggys glasses seems to be of a pattern which Jack carries out throughout the novel. This signifies Piggys gradual deterioration of hope. In chapter two, Jack roughly grabs Piggys glasses to start a fire. His specs-use them as burning glasses, Piggy was surrounded before he could back away. Here-Let me go! His voice rose to a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face. Mind out! Give em back! I can hardly see!... ( p.52-53 ) . The fire catches and blazes uncontrollably, nearly killing the boys. The fire foreshadows and symbolizes future hatred and the current evil against Piggy and soon the island. Also, in chapter four, when Piggy criticizes the hunter, Jack viciously slaps him, breaking one of the lens from his glasses. You would, would you? Fatty! Ralph made a step foreword and Jack smacked Piggys head. Piggys glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror: My specs! ( p. 89 ). Now Piggy has an even worse handicap: he is one lens short. Once again, Jack has managed ...

Internet Security Fraud essays

Internet Security Fraud essays The internet has played a major roll in the development of business and domestic industries. It is an everyday element in each and everyones lives. Through chat, surfing, shopping and banking. But society has now been confronted with the issue of security, primarily security in relation to internet banking. As most people know internet banking is a service provided which enables banking to take place in the comfort of our homes. It has revolutionised the way banking is performed. It is well noted that security is a number one priority in carrying out these objectives, as internet banking deals with a lot of financial information which if in the case where the information may escape, great consequences may result. This issue targets most of todays society as the majority engage in online transactions be it banking, chatting or shopping. The implementation of effective security measures provides users with peace of mind and a sense of trust in completing online transactions. To assist with this, the thorough education of users in the areas of security, risks and precautions in relation to the use of internet banking must be carried out to ensure that the most effective and safe procedure is being completed. The main target of online fraudsters is internet banking this issue will be discussed throughout the report. 2.1.1 Internet banking is an everyday bank with a virtual nature which is available to customers 24 hours 7 days a week. Internet banking provides services that banks offer such has the transfer of money from two separate accounts, viewing of account balances and other transactions in the comfort of your home. Internet banking is provided by the majority of major banks in the form of a webpage which lists users accounts and provides a vast variety of options and actions to be carried out while being secure. All customers of major ban ...

Perkins Loan Forgiveness How Does it Work

Perkins Loan Forgiveness How Does it Work SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When you take out a loan, the expectation is that you'll pay back all the money you've borrowed (plus interest, of course). It usually takes pretty catastrophic circumstances for a federal student loan to be canceled, like your school shutting down before you can get your degree. The Perkins loan program is different, in a good way - it offers loan forgiveness/cancellation in a wide variety of other, happier circumstances. In an effort to encourage graduates to pursue certain public service careers, the loan program offers loan forgiveness, or cancellation, to borrowers in certain professions. If you have a Perkins loan and enter one of the fields I outline below, you could have up to 100% of your loan canceled. Read on to learn more about cancellation eligibility the loan cancellation process! How Does Perkins Loan Cancellation Work? If you decide you'd like to work in public service after you graduate from college, you can apply to get your Perkins loans canceled at a specific rate on an annual basis. The exact public service jobs eligible for cancellation will be discussed in the next section. If you work at a particular job for a long enough period, you could get up to 100% of your loans canceled. The chart below outlines the annual rates of loan cancellation for almost all eligible borrowers; you'll notice that 5 years of working = 100% loan cancellation. You'll note in the next section, however, that not all professions qualify borrowers for 5 full years of loan cancellation rates. Annual cancellation rates for VISTA/Peace Corps volunteers are slightly different: 15% for the first and second years, and 20% for the third and fourth years, for a total of 70% maximum cancellation. Year Worked % of Loan Canceled First Year 15 Second Year 15 Third Year 20 Fourth Year 20 Fifth Year 30 If you're working at a job that would qualify you for loan forgiveness, your school should defer your loans. This means that interest won't accrue and you won't have to make monthly payments before your loan undergoes cancellation. Then, if you apply for loan cancellation and are approved, your loans will be forgiven at the rates described above. All in all, it's pretty simple! Eligibility: When Do You Qualify for Forgiveness? There are many different professions and career paths that qualify for Perkins loan cancellation. Although you may not know exactly what you want to do when you graduate, you might have an idea of what jobs might (or might not) be congruent with your professional goals and interests. Hopefully, the following information will help you decide whether it's right for you to pursue a cancellation-eligible path. The following chart outlines all post-graduation jobs you could take in order to qualify for loan cancellation. Most are eligible for 100% cancellation, if you work at that job long enough (refer to the chart I posted in the previous section for annual rates of cancellation). The best thing to do if you have any questions about this chart would be to contact your school's loan office or loan servicer. Cancellation Condition Amount Forgiven Borrower’s total and permanent disability or death 100% Bankruptcy (rare; bankruptcy court would have to rule that repayment is an undue hardship) 100% Closed school (before student could complete program of study) 100% Service in the US armed forces in a hostile fire or imminent danger pay area Up to 50% if service ended before 8/14/2008 Up to 100% if service began on or after 8/14/2008 Full-time firefighter* Up to 100% Full-time law enforcement or corrections officer Up to 100% Full-time nurse or medical technician Up to 100% VISTA or Peace Corps Volunteer Up to 70% Librarian with a master’s degree working in a Title-I eligible elementary or secondary school or in a public library setting serving Title-I eligible schools* Up to 100% Full-time attorney employed in a federal public or community defender organization* Up to 100% Full-time employee of a public or nonprofit child- or family-services agency providing services to high-risk children and their families from low-income communities Up to 100% Full-time staff member in the education component of a Head Start program Up to 100% Full-time staff member in a pre-k or child care program that is licensed or regulated by a state* Up to 100% Full-time qualified professional provider of early intervention services for the disabled Up to 100% Full-time speech pathologist with a master’s degree working in a Title-I eligible elementary school or secondary school* Up to 100% Full-time special education teacher of children with disabilities in a public or other nonprofit elementary or secondary school Up to 100% Full-time teacher of math, science, foreign languages, bilingual education, or other fields designated as teacher shortage areas Up to 100% Full-time special education teacher of children with disabilities in an educational service agency* Up to 100% Full-time teacher in a designated educational service agency serving students from low-income families* Up to 100% Full-time faculty member at a tribal college or university* Up to 100% *For service that includes 8/14/2008, or began on or after that date. How Do You Apply for Perkins Loan Forgiveness? Have you gone through the above chart, and come to the conclusion that you may be eligible for Perkins loan cancellation at some point? That's great news! The process through which you actually apply for loan cancellation is pretty simple, but it requires you maintain a good channel of communication with your school. Perkins loans may be government-backed, but your Perkins loan lender will actually be your school, not the federal government. If you want to get your loan forgiven, and you think you're eligible based on the eligibility circumstances described above, you have to apply for cancellation with your school. You should get annual forms for loan cancellation from the school where your Perkins loan was received; check in with your school's student loan or financial aid office about when and how to get these forms. After you graduate, you should contact your school at the beginning and end of each year to notify them about where, and in what subject area, you are working. This is important because you don't want to end up with any unpleasant surprises; if you thought you were working a job that you believed would qualify you for loan forgiveness, but didn't check in to confirm with your lender, you might find that you don't actually qualify. If you take away one piece of advice from this section, it's that you should actively communicate with your school about how and when you can arrange Perkins loan cancellation. As with most things in life, open communication with your school is the best policy when it comes to arranging for loan cancellation. How to Make the Most of Your Perkins Loans Perkins loans come with a lot of built-in perks, which obviously include options for cancellation. Even if you're not sure whether you'll pursue a cancellation-eligible career in public service, you can still take steps to make the most of your Perkins loans. They don't accrue interest while you're in school, and the 5% interest rate is competitive (especially when compared to many private loans, with interest rates closer to 10%). In order to take advantage of the Perkins loan program, you just need to think ahead! Here are some tips and strategies to help you do just that. By your senior year, ask yourself whether it's likely that you'll end up working a cancellation-eligible job. If you think you'll hold any of the positions described in the big chart above within the next 8-10 years, consider how long you'd be willing to work in that position to get part or all of your loans canceled. Estimate how much Perkins loan debt you'll actually graduate with. If you'll graduate with a larger amount of Perkins loan debt, it might be a financially savvy option to seek out a cancellation-eligible position, even if you only cancel 15-30%. If your Perkins loan debt is relatively small, and you're not interested in a public service job or career, it might not be worth it to you to work a cancellation-eligible job post-graduation. Are you already on track to become a teacher, librarian, health care professional, or attorney? Even if your long-term career goals don’t involve working in a non-profit or public agency, starting off in a loan cancellation-eligible position could save you a lot of money in the long run (depending on your debt and, of course, professional interests and aspirations). Don't consolidate your Perkins loans. If you think you might qualify someday for loan cancellation, don't consolidate your Perkins loans - you'll lose loan cancellation options. If you're fairly certain you won't ever qualify for cancellation, and you can consolidate at a better interest rate, it might be a good financial move. Is working in public service a good fit for your long-term goals, both professional and financial? It's important to weight the pros and cons. What's Next? Perkins loan cancellation sounds pretty great, right? Learn more about Perkins loans and how to get one here. Even if you don't qualify for a Perkins loan, there are other federal student aid programs that could help you pay for school. Check out our guides on Pell Grants, Direct Unsubsidized loans, and Direct Subsidized loans. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Entreprise Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entreprise Information Systems - Essay Example In business there are different types of organizations depending on the type of business that is offered. It is always good for a business leader to have a look at the forms of business organization and find out the best organization. The types of the business organizations can be the sole proprietorship, partnership and the business of corporation. For one to find out the best business organization, he or she can find it by the kind of tax offered in the business, the legal issues that are in the business, and the personal and financial concerns that are in the business. The sole proprietorship can be a one person working in a business and this is the most form of business in the world. In the sole proprietorship, there are both the advantages and disadvantages which affect the business either directly and indirectly. For example, one of the advantages is that the capital or the start up cost needed for one to start up a business is very easier. On the other side, the form of business has unlimited liability and there is limited life in the business. In the partnership form of business, two or more people are involved in the business. The business can be either small or be larger and it may include the accounting firms. In the partnership, there are still categories like the general and the limited liability business. Its advantage is that the business is very easy to form while it has unlimited liability. The third form of business is the corporation type of business. This is a business that is limited in number which gives a legal business motive. The business form has an unlimited life that is very commercial while the business has so many business regulations t hat offend most of the business leaders and workers. These are activities that are mainly created in order to achieve a certain goal or organizational specific. They are achieved by working on a number of operations that happen within the business. While working on the operations to find

Schindlers List Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Schindlers List - Movie Review Example World War II has just begun and Polish army has been torn apart by Germany. Oskar Schindler, brilliantly portrayed by Liam Neeson, is a sadly unsuccessful businessman who arrives in Crakow hoping he may make use of the sudden increase in free manpower resulting from the population of the concentration camps, to set up a manufacturing unit for direct supply of goods to the German Army. Schindler is a member of the Nazi league, and is well aware of the right strings to pull and the right pockets to contribute to. Schindler soon gets around to acquiring a factory for production of army kits as is his plan. Ben Kingsley plays Itzhak Stern, "a man with the face and manner of a Talmudic scholar" (Steven Zaillian, Schindler's List) who is a functionary in the local Judenrat (Jewish Council) with contacts in the Jewish business community in the Ghetto. On his insistence, they agree to loan Schindler the money he needs. And in return they get a small share of products produced by the new company for trade on the black market. Work begins in Schindler's factory. Stern takes care of the matters of administration. In a well thought move, he suggests to Schindler that it would make more sense for the fledgling factory to depend on Jewish manpower as opposed to Poles. One of the benefits of work in Schindler's factory is that the employees are allowed outside the ghetto. Now Stern, in his capacity, ensures that as many of them as possible are reported as "essential" to the Nazi bureaucracy. In a subtle shade, we come to know that although Schindler is aware of what is going on, he does not try t o curb this. A very visible influence of the pre war take on the economics of successful business activity is evident in the portrayal of the running of Schindler's factory. The choice of workers also displays this influence, given the preference for Jews. This is a consequence of the pretty convenient fact that Jews are paid less, resulting in savings for the factory, although as the movie progresses, it becomes quite evident that profit making took second priority in the mind of at least one of the two men. In a fresh angle to the exploitative labor practices, the Jews themselves are paid nothing; all the wages go to the Reich. The movie gives us a fresh and at times depressing insight into the atrocious living conditions of the people. The Jews in the camps, as in the town are subjected to all kinds of torturous treatment. This is very well highlighted in one scene where Schindler enters a hotel, with a very suggestive sign saying ""No Jews or Dogs Allowed". Another very appealing scene shows the initial roll call and checkup of the inmates where they are paraded naked, man, woman and child alike. In some editions of the movie, this scene has been removed. Following airing of a largely uncut edition of the movie on NBC, Tom Coburn, then a congressman, stated that by airing the film, NBC had brought television "to an all-time low, with full-frontal nudity, violence and profanity", adding that airing the film was an insult to "decent-minded individuals everywhere"(Associated Press). Under fire from fellow Republicans as well as from Democrats, Coburn apologized for his outrage. Such insights have served in creating awareness in the people about the objectionable conditions brought about by war and its ravages. Politically these incidences, as has the war itself,

Homo Sexual- Rogerian Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Homo Sexual- Rogerian Argument - Essay Example Critic’s view: In the paper written by (Smith), child adoption by homosexual couples has been favored. (Smith) has made an extremely biased approach to speak in favor of child adoption by the homosexual couples. This can be estimated from the fact that he refers to the conceptions against child adoption by homosexual couples as myths and those in favor of child adoption by homosexual couples as facts. Smith says that it is nothing but a myth that children raised in homosexual couples may become homosexual themselves. Smith also refers to it as a myth that children raised in homosexual family systems may be harassed by their peers and be put into social exclusion. He says that children have a habit of making fun of one another for any reason. Children are made fun of for being short, tall, skinny or obese. He says that if a child does not grow in a homosexual family system does not mean that he/she will not be made fun of by the peers. However, there is a lot of difference betw een the harassment offered for any reason and that offered for being a part of a homosexual family. A child may be obese or skinny for a short period of time, but his/her association with the homosexual family remains a source of embarrassment for the whole of his/her life. Smith denies the fact that every child requires both male and female parents. â€Å"Children without homes have neither a mother nor a father as role models. And children get their role models from many places besides their parents. These include grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, friends, and neighbors† (Smith 4). Justification against the points raised by critics: Environment that cultivates in the home of homosexuals may be extremely harmful to the psychology of the children. The child may remain intact from the effects of his/her homosexual parents’ sexuality, though the child is quite likely to adopt a life style in which monogamy is discouraged, and extremely risky sexual behavior preva ils. Gays assume a very high verisimilitude of acquiring the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) as compared to heterosexual couples. A vast majority of cases in which people acquire this deadly disease happens through wrongful sexual practices. Gayism and lesbianism is the primary source of the spread of AIDS around the world. If either or both of the homosexual parents suffer from AIDS, the children are exposed to the threat of acquiring AIDS. There is a parenting equation that is conducive for the accurate psychological and physiological development of children. This parenting equation lays down respective roles and responsibilities for parents from both the genders. According to the equation, every child requires two parents that belong to opposite genders. Every child requires a male parent and a female parent. The male parent or the father plays the role of sperm donor to make the child gain birth, and later plays the role of bread earner for the whole family. Contr ary to that, the female parent or the mother plays the role of making the baby and giving birth to him/her, and later assumes the responsibility of the child’s psychological and physiological nurturing at home. She makes best use of the money earned by the father and spends it in such a way that is beneficial for the whole family as well as the children. Healthy development of a child requires bo

Napoleon in egypt and his effect on education , newspaper ,edition, Essay

Napoleon in egypt and his effect on education , newspaper ,edition, military - Essay Example t the months Alexander spent in Egypt, from late October 332 till April 331, marked a psychological turning-point in his life." By right of conquest Alexander "became simultaneously god and king, incarnation and son of Ra and Osiris; he was Horus the Golden One, the mighty prince, beloved of Amen, King of Upper and Lower Egypt."2 Previously, in Macedonia, rumours of Alexander being the son of a God had circulated. His mother claimed his father was Zeus-Ammon and it was said that he had a ring as a token of this paternity. However, it was in Egypt for the first time "he learnt that he was in truth a god, and the son of a god. Greek tradition distinguished sharply between the two; Egypt did not."3 He was not merely the son of a God but a God. Over two millennia later another rising military and imperial star, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt. Like Alexander before him, Napoleon, for a host of diverse reasons, both personal and political, opportunistic and strategic, turned his eyes to the Nile delta. The campaign is regarded as one of his first defeats. However, while it may have been a failure militarily, and was followed by Bonaparte becoming First Consul, then Emperor, and it had profound consequences on European history beyond the military and strategic. The months Napoleon spent in Egypt cannot be described as a psychological turning-point in his life, as they were for Alexander. However, the fact of the matter is that, Napoleon departed for Egypt as a leading military leader and returned a candidate for Emperor. Militarily, the campaign was a defeat. The Army of Italy was shipped to Egypt and campaigned along the Nile. It won some battles and it lost some battles. Ultimately, Nelson destroyed the French fleet in Aboukir Bay and left the army stranded in Egypt. At this point Napoleon returned to France where he became First Consul. Critics argue he abandoned his army in Egypt. His advocates claim he returned to the seat of government to rescue the

Global financing and exchange rate mechanisms Essay

Global financing and exchange rate mechanisms - Essay Example Big Mac was specifically under consideration because it was the only chain present in almost every country and have an affordable price, that can be dealt with an average income individual (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). BIG MAC THEORY: Mc Donald’s best selling product is Big Mac. While hanging out with friends, or for lunch or dinner, people order mouth watering Big Mac with accessories. Big Mac Theory is a theory named to make this product, the most profiting product around the globe. The theory that stabilizes the Big Mac profit is the relationship between currencies, the United States Dollar (USD) with other foreign currencies at current exchange rates. Fed, an economist calls this exchange rate theory a game of achieving with currency rates. Big Mac theory tells us that the original exchange rate that is a nominal exchange rate was adjusted for the ratio of different prices to local prices that allows economists to compare the purchasing power of different currencies (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). To make it clearer PPP Purchasing Power Parity of foreign currencies is measured by the use of Big Mac Theory. Local currency is used for price comparison and will convert it into USD. The country in which Big Mac price in terms of USD is supposedly be higher, it is considered to have an overvalue in comparison to U.S. dollars. Opposite to this if the estimated price in terms of USD is low then it is an undervalued currency. Globally it is considered to be a consistent price around the globe. This theory is referred as Purchasing Power Parity (Kennedy, 2006). Other then Purchasing Power Parity, many factors are there to put influence on the price of Big Mac. Factors other than PPP are labor cost, rent, and other surcharges, which later are added while fixing the final price but that only affects the local consumers and have no relation with McDonald’s head institution. If the exchange rates are allowed to fluctuate, the currency value will establish and ca n be factorized efficiently in these variables that allow investors to employ capital inflow efficiently. In short, Big Mac theory is about profits at exchange rates (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). GLOBAL FINANCING OPERATIONS AND EXCHANGE RATE MECHANISMS: Global financing operations are for those institutions that work or invest on an international level and follow set standard regulations, opposed to institutions who work on regional or national level. To maintain these operations, IMF, World Bank, government agencies and ministries of finance design laws and rules through understanding and economic laws. McDonald’s is an international food chain and running its franchises all around the globe. It follows a law of one price that means that selling price is fixed in one currency and is sold at the same rate in any country at the exchange rate (Kennedy, 2006). Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) explains that purchasing power of Big Mac vary according to the price that comes out at exch ange rate. For example if Big Mac is sold at $2.5 in U.S., the rate of Big Mac in U.K will be ?2. It does not include tariff charges or carriers to keep cost neutral (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). RISK MANAGEMENT: McDonald’s Big Mac is sold every day in different regions in different quantities. It very much depends upon the purchasing power

Collaborative Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collaborative Learning - Essay Example Each individual within this Collaborative Learning regime is reliant on the tasks of the other people within the group and is accountable to everyone for his respective actions in entirety (Vincent 2007). These students work together in order to find out a common platform which has a meaningful, understandable and deep rendering solution for the problem that has thus arisen. The end product of learning is indeed the very product that is being tried to achieve, right from the very beginning. Collaborative Learning is somewhat in close comparison to what Cooperative Learning is all about. In fact there are a number of similarities between the two. Collaborative Learning includes writing in a collaborative fashion, completion of projects that are of a group nature as well as a host of similar activities. A Collaborative Learning community would most often vouch the presence of students within its folds bringing the much needed benefits all around. This is because such a community is dep endent on the activities of the students themselves (Goff 2003). There are also organizations that generally appreciate the presence of Collaborative Learning cultures within their entireties. This is because such organizations derive the best results out of such working domains. The team members work alongside each other and give their best shot. The Collaborative Learning mechanisms are deemed as successful as these build upon the premise of a positive change happening within the workplace realms. The organizations that usually support such initiatives are proactive in their approach and are generally very inclined towards the employees working alongside each other so that the strengths could be exponentially doubled and even tripled at times (Mitchell 2004). One must decipher the development basis of Collaborative Learning doing its best to inculcate feelings of team formation and eventual results in the aftermath of the completion phase of

Global financing and exchange rate mechanisms Essay

Global financing and exchange rate mechanisms - Essay Example Big Mac was specifically under consideration because it was the only chain present in almost every country and have an affordable price, that can be dealt with an average income individual (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). BIG MAC THEORY: Mc Donald’s best selling product is Big Mac. While hanging out with friends, or for lunch or dinner, people order mouth watering Big Mac with accessories. Big Mac Theory is a theory named to make this product, the most profiting product around the globe. The theory that stabilizes the Big Mac profit is the relationship between currencies, the United States Dollar (USD) with other foreign currencies at current exchange rates. Fed, an economist calls this exchange rate theory a game of achieving with currency rates. Big Mac theory tells us that the original exchange rate that is a nominal exchange rate was adjusted for the ratio of different prices to local prices that allows economists to compare the purchasing power of different currencies (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). To make it clearer PPP Purchasing Power Parity of foreign currencies is measured by the use of Big Mac Theory. Local currency is used for price comparison and will convert it into USD. The country in which Big Mac price in terms of USD is supposedly be higher, it is considered to have an overvalue in comparison to U.S. dollars. Opposite to this if the estimated price in terms of USD is low then it is an undervalued currency. Globally it is considered to be a consistent price around the globe. This theory is referred as Purchasing Power Parity (Kennedy, 2006). Other then Purchasing Power Parity, many factors are there to put influence on the price of Big Mac. Factors other than PPP are labor cost, rent, and other surcharges, which later are added while fixing the final price but that only affects the local consumers and have no relation with McDonald’s head institution. If the exchange rates are allowed to fluctuate, the currency value will establish and ca n be factorized efficiently in these variables that allow investors to employ capital inflow efficiently. In short, Big Mac theory is about profits at exchange rates (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). GLOBAL FINANCING OPERATIONS AND EXCHANGE RATE MECHANISMS: Global financing operations are for those institutions that work or invest on an international level and follow set standard regulations, opposed to institutions who work on regional or national level. To maintain these operations, IMF, World Bank, government agencies and ministries of finance design laws and rules through understanding and economic laws. McDonald’s is an international food chain and running its franchises all around the globe. It follows a law of one price that means that selling price is fixed in one currency and is sold at the same rate in any country at the exchange rate (Kennedy, 2006). Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) explains that purchasing power of Big Mac vary according to the price that comes out at exch ange rate. For example if Big Mac is sold at $2.5 in U.S., the rate of Big Mac in U.K will be ?2. It does not include tariff charges or carriers to keep cost neutral (Kotler & Armstrong, 2009). RISK MANAGEMENT: McDonald’s Big Mac is sold every day in different regions in different quantities. It very much depends upon the purchasing power

Macroeconomic Position of Iceland as of 2006 Essay

Macroeconomic Position of Iceland as of 2006 - Essay Example This essay provides a thorough economic analysis of the economic developments in the Icelandic economy in the year of 2006. Ii is shown in the essay, that the national economy depended heavily on the fishing industry, which provided more than 60% of total export earnings and employs 12% of the work force. Iceland’s economy had been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services were taking place. The tourism sector was also expanding, with trends in eco-tourism such as whale watching, hiking, and nature tours growing steadily. As Iceland had focused on leveling its financial landscape and opening its markets, it had created an imbalance in the economy. The resulting volatility threatened a return to the previous days of economic overheating. The employment numbers were good, but any disruption of current output woull change that immediately. Inflation, driven by overheating real estate and investment markets, was growing. These issues had to be resolved immediately. Through prudent monetary policy, inflation could be tamed. By implementing wise fiscal policy, expenses and debt could be reduced. In terms of fiscal policy, Iceland needed to adjust its approach so that the monetary policy could be adequately supported without resorting to continued and severe hikes in the interest rate. Simply, this meant tightening its budget maintenance, reducing its debt, and enhancing the environment for investment

Friendship A Deeper Look Into Relationships Sociology Essay

Friendship A Deeper Look Into Relationships Sociology Essay Like armor, good friends make us almost invincible, capable of warding off the blows life occasionally deals us. The need for social bonding and friendship is established at birth and evolves from then on. Although it is recognized and learned at a very young age, friendship can have a different meaning for everyone. You may choose your friends based on affection, disclosure, or shared values and interests. Since friendship is so common and natural, the variations and types of friendships as well as the different ways we interact within those friendships, are often over-looked and frequently not paid attention to. Within this paper I will examine the main types of friendships human-beings commonly experience, same-sex friendships and cross-sex friendships. I will also be examining how we interact within these friendships, the similarities and differences between them, and will be providing examples to help you gain a better insight on the topics. Since friendship is such a prevalent part of life, it is important to fully understand why we form the relationships we do and what makes these relationships work for us; because by being aware of how different friendships function may help your relationships be more successful in the future. Same-Sex Friendships Friendship in general has been the focus of a considerable amount of studies; however most of these studies have mainly focused on same-sex friendships. A same-sex friendship is a relationship where both individuals have the same sexual origin. This would constitute male-male and female-female friendships. This is the most common type of friendship women and men will usually experience and there are many similarities and differences discussed between the two types of relationships. Differences A variety of differences have been investigated within male-male and female-female friendships, but by far the most prominent difference studied would be that womens friendships tend to be more expressive, emotional, intimate, richer, and include more self-disclosure than mens; whereas mens tend to be more instrumental and are task, goal-, and activity-oriented (Wright Scalon, 1991; Monsour, 1992; Duck Wright, 1993; Brehm, 1992). Womens friendships are represented as intimate relationships in which sharing feelings and talking are the most prevalent activities. Mens friendships are represented as ones in which sharing activities such as sports or work dominate interaction (Walker, 1994). Womens friendships are face to face: they talk, cry together, share secrets, and that is what makes their friendship satisfying. Mens friendships are side by side and almost always revolve around some type of activity. For men, it is the doing, not the talking, that makes a friendship close (Floyd, 2009). The talking that does go on within female-female relationships compared to male-male relationships could not be more different. Women will almost always exchange feelings and talk about problems and men will discuss sports, work, or what is happening in their immediate lives. An important difference between same-sex friendships is that female ones tend to be more oriented towards emotional intimacy than male friendships (Dickens Perlman, 1981). Men will generally be less physically affectionate with other men (hugging, putting arms around each other, kissing) because they know that this behavior goes against cultural norms. While taking gender roles into consideration, women are technically raised to be more open and nurturing, whereas men are raised to be masculine and competitive. Movie Examples One example of media that displays how women interact within female friendships is the hit movie Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. This movie follows four best friends in Manhattan, who share their travels in life and love and their daily discussions of romance and sexuality. In the movie Sarah Jessica Parker plays Carrie Bradshaw, A New York writer who has a column on sex, love, and relationships. She is finally getting married to her on-again off-again boyfriend of years. When he stands her up the day of her wedding, its her three girlfriends who are left to console and support her, being there for her every step of the way through a long, dramatic recovery process. With the help of her girlfriends, Carries life eventually returns to normality. As they are sitting discussing their hardships and the importance of friendship, Samantha says, We made a deal ages ago. Men, babies, doesnt matter. Were soul mates! Another example of media that displays how men interact within male friendships is the movie Old School, starring Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Luke Wilson plays Mitch, a man with a good job, a house, and a healthy intimate relationship; or so he thinks. Until one day Mitch catches an early flight home to find out his girlfriend has not exactly been faithful over the years. When Mitch addresses his friends, Frank and Beanie, they discuss how they have all come to a crossroads in their lives. They can choose to be responsible adults with wives, families and steady jobs; or they can postpone adulthood in favor of returning to college and start a fraternity with all the fun and none of the education. Instead of the three friends addressing their problems head on or helping each other come to terms with the complications in their lives, they closet their feelings and do not find a proper solution. Now, the majority of their time is consumed in the activity of starting a fra ternity together, centered on drinking, women and living a carefree life. As you can see, these movies depict same-sex friendships between females and same-sex friendships between males very differently. Similarities Gender differences that exist between male-male friendships and female-female friendships have clearly been demonstrated in the literature but lately, scholars have questioned its magnitude (Fehr, 2000). Research emphasizes the fact that both men and women look for more or less the same things from their same-sex friendships, they just accomplish getting it in different ways. Male friendships are not inferior to female friendships. Men may not be physically or emotionally expressive, but they also derive great support from their friendships (Zaslow, 2010). The fact that womens and mens relationships differ does not mean that friendships are more important to one sex than the other. It is believed that because women share and express feelings more openly with each other, womens friendships are more satisfying than mens are. Research has demonstrated that women and men report equal levels of closeness in their same-sex friendships (Floyd, 1995). What do differ between the male-male and female-female relationships are simply the characteristics that make those specific friendships close. For women, the key characteristic is shared conversation; for men, its shared activity (Floyd, 2009). Movie Examples Two movies that express similar female-female friendships and male-male friendships is The Sandlot and Now and Then. The Sandlot, starring Tom Guiry as Scotty Smalls and Mike Vitar as Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, is about the summer escapades of a group of local baseball buddies. These small town baseball players are young neighborhood friends who grew up together. They also all have one common interest that keeps their friendships thriving, their love of baseball, which is what their summer adventures are mainly focused around. These boys are all very different, and throughout the movie are not physically or emotionally expressive towards one another, but remain friends through the years simply because of the shared activities they enjoy doing with one another. Later on in the movie, after the boys made the transition into adulthood, Benny Rodriguez becomes a professional baseball player and Scotty Smalls is a sports commentator for one of his games. After Benny hits a home run ball to win the game he looks up at Scotty and gives him a wave and Scotty looks back at him smiling and nods with approval. These shows the men are still friends from childhood, and their friendship is still mainly focused around the shared activity and the memories they have playing together many years ago. The movie Now and Then, starring Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gabby Hoffman and Ashley Aston Moore, is about four inseparable childhood friends who experience one of the most eventful and dramatic summers of their lives together. They are also neighborhood friends who grew up together in the same area. Their summer started out normal with attempting to save up money to buy a tree house and tell-all truth or dare sessions, and then suddenly their not-so-innocent world of childhood adventure was cracked by the reality of divorce and a death in one of their families. Although they are young, they are there for each other in overcoming these tragedies together and giving each other a shoulder to lean on through it all. Experiencing these hardships together makes their bonds stronger than ever and leads them to make a pact one summer day stating that they would always be there for each other, no matter what happened in life, all for one and one for all. They stayed true to their pact lat er in life, and remained in contact. They met back in their hometown whenever necessary to talk, to cry, or just share laughs and reminisce about old memories when they needed a friend. These girls remained friends later in life not because of the activities they shared together, but mainly because of the emotional bond they developed with one another. These two movies depict similar same-sex relationships because they are both focused on childhood friends in which a strong bond still remains throughout adulthood, but the reasons of why the bonds still remain later in life differ from the female friendships to the male friendships. Cross-Sex Friendships A cross-sex friendship is where one individual in the relationship is a man and one individual in the relationship is a woman. Cross-sex friendships are a relatively new concept and have only existed for about 100 years (Swain, 1992). Changes in our society have made the existence of cross-sex friendships possible. These friendships can be difficult to establish, and pose a number of different challenges than same-sex friendships. Problems Cross-sex friendships can be difficult at times. OMeara (1989) presented four challenges that occur at some point during a friendship between two individuals of the opposite sex. First, the individuals need to confront the emotional bond that exists between them. They need to address the bond, and clearly distinguish between each other what it is. The feelings that exist between two cross-sex friends can be confusing and hard to establish between romantic or non-romantic feelings. This is important to address in the beginning of your relationship due to the fact if it goes ignored, it can complicate your relationship in the future. The second challenge is the added concern of sexual attraction (OMeara 1989). Sexuality becomes an issue in cross-sex friendships. Added sexual dimension in a friendship can cause problems, for this reason many make the decision not to involve sexuality in their friendship in order to preserve the relationship. The third challenge that OMeara (1989) presents is inequality and power. He states that men are often seen as dominant in our society. This can often pose problems in cross-sex friendships because the tw o individuals must find a way to feel as though they are equal. The fourth challenge described by OMeara (1989) is public relationships. He states that cross-sex friends often have to deal with how they are viewed by others, which results in them often having to defend the status of their friendship. Many find it difficult to accept the fact that a man and woman can have a platonic relationship. Movie Example A movie that accurately describes some of the problems that arise from cross-sex friendships is My Best Friends Wedding, starring Julia Roberts, Dermont Mulroney and Cameron Diaz. In this film Julia Roberts plays Julianne Porter a New York food critic who has a longtime male friend Michael ONeil (Dermont Mulroney). They have remained friends since college and lead what seemed to be a very normal platonic relationship. They talked often about relationships, family, and enjoyed doing many of the same activities together. That all changed one day when Michael called Julianne to tell her he had recently become engaged. While taking this information in she realizes she loves Michael herself and sets out to sabotage his wedding with only days before the ceremony. Her tactics fail and Julianne finally has to accept she has lost her love and longtime friend to another woman. Successes There are also reasons that cross-sex friendships are successful and rewarding relationships for both parties, although it is not as common as the problems and challenges that can arise from these friendships. Some researchers have proposed that male individuals initiate cross-sex friendships to have access to sex and females initiate cross-sex friendships for protection (Bleske-Rechek Buss, 2001). Some cross-sex friends invite sexuality into the friendship. The added sexual dimension in a friendship can be a pleasant aspect within the relationship, but can also cause many problems if you are not careful. Cross-sex relationships are valued because they provide a chance for men to develop friendships with women because they are looking for more emotional and physical closeness. They may want to develop a friendship in search for more self-disclosure and more conversation about personal subjects. Chances are they do not experience this within their male friendships because they assume their male friends will be of little assistance or they fear seeming effeminate. Women, on the other hand, might be looking to form friendships with men in order to have a relationship that requires less intimacy, less personal talk, and more of an activity-based friendship. Movie Example Although I am sure examples of successful cross-sex friendships exist in reality, the majority of cross-sex friendships displayed in the media almost always end in a problematic situation. Usually one member of a platonic friendship ends up wanting to be romantically involved with the other. Therefore it was challenging to find a valid example of a successful cross-sex friendship, and I did not succeed in uncovering one. Conclusion After discussing the similarities and differences within same-sex friendships, as well as cross-sex friendships and how they can be rewarding or problematic; I hope that you have gained a broader understanding within the complicated subject of friendship. It is inevitable that we all need and strive for friendship, and by looking deeper into a certain area of friendship you may find it can actually answer many commonly asked questions or help resolve a problem you may be having within one of your own personal relationships. This should assist you in constructing your meaning of friendship as well as determining exactly how you are influenced by your friendships and how your friendships are influenced by you.

Computers In Society :: Technology Computer essays research papers

Computers in Society Over the past decade, computers and modern technology have played an integral part in the way our society operates. Everywhere we turn there is indication of the advancement and innovation streaming in today’s society. The composition of the world surrounding us solely depends on the emulation of the world around us, in order to keep up with the ever-changing way we operate as a whole. The entire world is dependent upon that which we created from our own minds and hands, whose sole purpose is to mimic the way we act, yet do it more effectively and more efficiently. What are the major factors in advancing our society far beyond the comprehension of the public mind? Time, and money. We live in a society where the only key elements in succeeding are making or doing more of what we do, in less time than we do it. End result: Greater profits. But is this really the way we should be living our lives? We place all of our dependence in machines, which we have developed to take the place of†¦us, the people who developed them. During the next few pages, we will examine the effects of computers in our society. Their positive and detrimental effects on people, and the way they operate within a given community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thanks to the growth in computer capability and capacity, television and computers are merging into digital streams of sounds, images, and text that make it possible to become absolutely brilliant with information. The advancement in technology allows for the awareness and continued public support. Messages and ideas are carried in a far more efficient way, meaning people choose to listen to them more readily. In 1438 Johannes Gutenberg wanted a cheaper way to produce handwritten Bibles. His moveable type fostered a spread in literacy, and advance of scientific knowledge, and the emergence of the industrial revolution . Although most of the time technology changes at far too gradual a rate, slipping past our fingers, causing us to move on, and carry this new technology with us, seemingly in the same form as†¦the former. Technological advancement has been know in the past to trigger a more in depth look at things, and a brighter, better way to see things in a different light, alt hough what has it done socially for us?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We as a society have become so incredibly spoiled with our ever-advancing technology, that we too have immersed ourselves in it as well.

Analysis of The Tulse Luper Suitcases Trilogy Essay -- Peter Greenaway

History and time are considered to be cultural formations since a History cannot be detached from the culture in which it is produced and received. It is through culture that a historical sense is achieved and in fact, each culture experiences History in a different way leading us to the current perception of History as not being one, but many histories depending on the cultural groups involved. Historians have fought throughout the centuries on whether such thing as â€Å"objective History† can exist but in the end, even materialist historians will admit that the reality of History is so complicated and contradictory that no single version could possibly represent the truth; consequently different interpretations are inevitable. This is where Peter Greenaway comes in with his trilogy The Tulse Luper Suitcases in which the eponymous suitcases (of which there are 92) contain the collected memories of Tulse Luper, a manic collector of forgotten records and other evidence of the twentieth century. Devised as a trilogy, Peter Greenaway’s multimedia project concentrates on a period between 1928, the year in which the element uranium was discovered in Colorado, and 1989, the year when the Berlin wall came down and the Cold War came to an end. The two central events of the past one hundred years – the confrontation between East and West and the threat of atomic warfare – have left their mark on writer and realizer of projects Tulse Luper, who spends most of his time detained in some form of prison or another. Luper’s role is hard to define: his many encounters, the injuries he has sustained and fragments of sentences that surface from his memory, all combine to produce a complex weave or structure that includes both various periods in time a... ...aware of in his film, through the opposition between the reality of History on the one hand and the fiction of the Luper project on the other, the truth and stability of what really happened and the playful construction presented by Greenaway, the unincarnated omniscience of reality and the awkward contextualization provided by the Luper point-of-view. According to Greenaway, History does not exist in an absolute, unmediated form, but will always be filtered through the perceptions, interpretations and values of subjects as experiencers, filing instances, historians and readers. The event "as it was" thus can never be recovered in an absolute form and that is why â€Å"there is no such thing as History, [but] only historians† whose collective work only, can serve as a somewhat effective record of History.

Arya Samaj

CHAPTER-III THE ARYA SAMAJ AS A MOVEMENT Every religious movement aims at not only initiating a spiritual awakening but also reforming the contemporary society by trying to remove ignorance,superstitions,doubts and dogmas from the minds of people,thus ushering in a new kind of religious renaissance. In this respect,the Arya Samaj,as a religious movement,did not fall far behind,as it made a dynamic impact upon the Indians,forming a interesting and conspicuous chapter in the modern Hindu thought.Through the preaching of Vedic ideals,it succeeded to a great extent,in reforming the then Indian society,inculcating in the people the moral values of life. In this chapter,we shall attempt to throw light on how the Arya Samaj as a movement was able to achieve its desired goalof revitalising the Indians from their stupor of lethargy and ignorance,initiating them to learn the invaluable greatness of the Vedic ideals and making them understand and accept these ideals as a way of life.To be preci se,the Arya Samaj tried its best to remove the social ills such as untouchability,cow-slaughter,forced widowhood,child-marriage and bringing above reforms through female educastion,permission for going abroad for higher learning,reconversion to Hinduism,and many other philanthropic work to inject a new life and vigour into the then morbid socio-religious enviromentof the Indian society. The major thrust of the movement was in the field of religion. The religious scene among the Hindus in the nineteenth century had become morbid.Many religious beliefs and practices prevailed among the Hindu society which were not an essential inseparable part of true Hinduism. The puranik Hinduism had practically usurpesd the rightful place of the Vedas and the Upanishads. Hinduism had evolved many sects like Saivism,Vaisnavism,Saktism,Tantrism,the Swaminarayan and others. Religion degenerated intothe performance of religious worship of idol and rigid rituals and its spiritualism began to be clouded and confused.Religion began to be equated with temple going ,the observance of shradha ceremony,pilgrimage to the holy places,observance of vratas and fasts in the expectation of fantastic earthly rewards,and beliefs in astrology. They did not know much about their holy books. They believed that anything written in Sanskrit was sacred. They often read books in Sanskrit which were not really good,only a few of them read Gita which was supposed to be composed by Lord Krishna:some read the Ramayana and the Mahabharata,the two great epics of India;but very few of them knew anything about the four Vedas,the sacred books of Hindus.As a matter of fact the so called religious leaders of Hinduism,the members of the preistly class,upported by the pandits of Banaras,were interested in keeping the established order of things unchanged,as it brought them pecuinary gains and rewards in the form of charity and religious fees. Apart from the internal disease in the form of priestly domination,there were Christian missionaries,who with the tactit backing of European officials,were reaping a rich harvest by the religious conversions of the lower classes of Hindus.In the religious sphere,the Arya Samaj has vigorously campainged for the freedom of thought. Earlier all the words uttered by a Holy person were regarded as authoritative. None dared to criticise the interpolated Sanskrit verses and non-Vedic teachings of the orthodox schools. It was the Arya Samaj that revolutionised the religious thought and ideas of the people. The Arya Samaj taught the people to think rationally. They were asked to determine the value of a percept in terms of the degree of truth it contained. They were urged to use their intellect and to reason out things for themselves before accepting them.The scientific truths and the laws that govern nature were given their rightful place in religion. Dayananda wasd inspired by his Vedic knowledge and his deeo study of the Shastras to reform Hinduism and make i t free all vices. He was of the opinion that in order to appreciate religious truth in its proper perspective,one should absolutely be free from prejudices and superstitions. He was of the view that human beings had the capacity to follow the path of truth which was the essence of religion, but were prevented from so doing by selfishness,ego,greed and avarice.The Arya Samaj is not a new religion. It preaches the doctrines of the Vedas revealed to mankind by God in the beginning of the universe. It attemps at rehabilitating and reviving the Vedic truths which mankind had forgotten through ignorance and the advent of puranic literature, which blurred our vision and sent the vedic culture into the background. The Arya Samaj has dug out the Vedas down from the debris of the puranas,and installed them on the high pedestal of morality and infallibility they deserve. The Arta Samaj teaches the unity and oneness of God,the brotherhood pf God:the conception f the God head-given in the vedas is the loftiest. It is this conception which the Arya Samaj has put forth before the world. It does not believe in idol worship,reincarnation of God,shradhas,satisfaction of the departed souls by offerings in their name. It believes in the transmigration of the souls and the beginningless and endlessness of God,soul and matter. It believes in the return of the soulin the form of Mukti,a state of beautitude and immense happiness for a long period. There is no place in the Arya Samaj for the hereditary priest or for an ecclesiastical authority over the people.It does not accept the innumerable rituals and ceremonies which choke the spirit and mock the religion. They interpreted the Vedas to justify the puranic mythology and thus they tried to give the present degenerate popular Hindu religion a Vedic sanction. Dayananda tried to interpret the Vedas on the basis of original texts without being influenced by the works of the commentators of the later age. In the book Satyarth Prakash Sw ami Dayananda tries to establish the thesis that the Vedic religion was absolutely monotheistic in nature.In the Vedas there are hymns which assert the unity of God. In the words of Benjamin Walker,â€Å"Whereas Rammohan Roy had been attracted by the Upanishads and Vivekananda by the Vedanta,Dayananda went straight to the source of both these systems,the Vedas. He regarded the Vedas as the eternal,inaffiable,perfect and complete revelation of God,given to the world one hundred billion years ago. †Rishi Aurobindo accepts that,â€Å"There is then nothing fantastic in Dayananda’s idea that Veda contains truth of science as well as truth of religion. †Lastly Rishi Aurobindo says:Dayananda will be honored as the first who discovered the right clues,amidst the chaos and obscurity of ignorance and age-long misunderstanding. His was the eye of direct vision that pierced to the truth and fastened on that which was essential. He found the keys of the doors that time had c losed and rent asunder the seals of the imprisoned fountains. His lion like roaring voice ‘Back to Vedas’ appealed highly to the contemporary Indian sensitibility groping since long In the dark. It was the origin of this Arya Dharma advancing with the motto:- We are Aryans’and our religion is ‘Veda’ ‘Om’ is our God and Truth the duty. We would establish the Arya Samaja’s’ i. e the societies of the noble men,throughout The world and teach all and sundry to practice all the true principles of course,having practiced them first ourselves. The Arya Samaj is nort a religious sect as it does not believe in the human representation of God in the form of prophet,mediator or savior or Avatar(incarnation). Every man is directly connected with the supreme being and the worship of God means the holding of direct spiritual communion with Him.Thus the Arya Samaj is deadly against all kinds of fetish-worship,idolatory,image-worship,tree-w orship,river-worship,mountain-worship,star-worship,cow-worship,bird-worship or even man-worship. The worshiper’s heart is the real temple of God,and meditation on the attributes of God is the true worship. Swami Dayananda has prescribed a simple mode of worship called prarthana or prayer consisting of eight Veda mantras and sandhya or worship which consists o the recitation of some Vedic mantras which speak of the attributes of God and seeking His blessings of one’s efforts. It included yogic pranayam,that is the breath exercise.All this does not take more than 15 to 20 mins a day. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century,the Arya Samaj movement was perhaps the most powerful of socio-revival movements,which gave a new,more dynamic and concrete dimension to the social and religious regeneration movement in the country. The Arya Samaj has had a greater dynamic impact on Indians over several generations than any other religious or social reform movement has in modern times. It is the most conspicuous movement of the tim,es and one of the most important and interesting chapters of modern Hindu thought.Not only did it want to bring about spiritual regeneration of India by purifying Hindu religion and Indian society,but also it tried to reestablish the pristine glory of Vedas and the Vedic religion. It was a crusade against socio-religious superstitions and prejudices like idolatory,child-marriage,rituals,etc,it upheld supremacy and the infallibility of the Vedas and the vedic knowledge. It was a part of the nineteenth century renaissance movement,that believed in Hindu revivalism and back to the Vedas was its call to the people. A number of social thoughts and practices were operating as erious obstacles to the growth and development of the nation’s economy and traditions;to the state of ridicule and scorn of the western educated men and women. Some of these social evils were :untouchability,child-marriage,enforced widowhood,the denial of equality to women in religions and education,the ban on crossing the seas,the forced extravagance on marriage and death events,the compulsory use of fireworks in the public,the dowry system,the barter system in girls marraige and several other social ills,the Hindu society of the period suffered.These evil customs were regarded as ordained by God and,therefore,they were as inseparable essential part of Hinduism. The Arya Samaj struggled hard to cure the society of this malady and make it socially healthy and culturally strong. Its contribution in the social fiels was so singular and distinct that even if it had done nothing else,it would still have a place of pioneer in the social reformation movement of this period. It aimed at establishing a universal religion and purifying the Indian society of its evils.Lala Lajpat Rai says:The social ideals of the Arya Samaj are the ideals of the ancient Rishis of India. They were based on :- (1) The father of God and the brotherhood of men. (2 ) The equality of sexes. (3) Absolute justice and fair play between men and men and nations and nations. Equal oppurtunities to all according to their nature,karma and merit. (4) Love and charity towards all. The stigma that had darkened the name of the Hindu was the practice of untouchability,which was an off-shoot of the pernicious caste system. Dayananda had farsighted vision to see that the caste is the greater curse on India.Based on a wrong interpretation of the well known purushsa-sukta,it had been working for the disruption of the Hindu society. Dayanada first thought to exorcise the obnoxious spell of untouchability. He vehemently opposed the practice of untouchability and worked for the upliftment of the oppressed and the so-called low castes of the society. Dayananda quoted the Vedas to prove that the varna of a person was determined by his character,good deeds and his sanskar. Truthfulness,self-sacrifice,knowledge of God and the Vedas can enable a sudra to enter into a h igher varna.Similarly,due to bad conduct,evil deeds,selfishness,a person belonging to the higher varna,may be degraded to a lower one in the social hierarchy. A person may be born of Brahmin parents,but he may become a sudra if he acts like one. Swami Dayananda preached the equality of mankind. He did not believe in any kind of distinctions between high and the low,the high-caste and the low-caste. He taught the people to love one another and root out all thoughts of hate from the heart. Love was highest religion. One could win over enemies by Love.Nut Love should not be confined to Human beings;even animals should be loved. It was cruel to inflict any kind of pain to them. The temples of the Arya Samaj are ever open to all the depressed classes. Many missionaries sacrificed their lives to secure equal social and religious status for the so called untouchables. They were not only declared for the first time eligible to study Sanskrit and the Vedas,but many of them became the preache rs and teachers of Vedas in the Aryan Samaj. In many Arya Samaj temples there were preists who were born in the tso called untouchables castes.They now performed sacramental rituals such as marriage,sacred thread ceremonial havans and other rituals,which were formerly performed exclusively by Brahamans. The Arya Samaj took up the cudgels for the people of the Hindu society,who were the victims of the then prevailing social ills as of child marriage and old marriage resulting in increased number of young widows,women who were ignorant of the world around them and they had turned widows at a tender age. The young widow’s life was intolerable in the Hindu society.She was held responsible for all the misfortune of the family and was treated worse than a servant. Generally she was not allowed to marry again,and sometimes she was forced to burn herself to death with her husband. Swami Dayananda began his tirade in favour of wodow-remarraige and favoured the institution of Niyoga,as Niyoga was in vogue in ancient times. In 1856,Pt Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar’s praise-worthy advocacy was successful in getting the widow-remarriage Act passed. But it was rotting in the shelves of the lawyers as public prejudices were too strong to drive benefits from the law.The Arya Samaj took the masses and succeeded in popularizing widow-remarraige. In bringing out reforms to the life to these young widows Sir Gangaram Trust has done a notable work. The trust has opened many Vidhwa-Ashrams in the northeren parts of India. Thousands of widows for whom life was truly a living hell were leading a pourposeful and meaningful lives under the roofs of these Ashrams. Today,of course,marriage of the widows has become an acceptable fact in the Hindu society. Another evil was the child marriage and the Arya Samaj did not leg behindin its attempts to remove this social evil.Child-marriage was introduced into the Hindu society when the hordes of invaders began to pour into India at abo ut the beginning of the Christian era,and the honour and chastity of women became unsafe. The Arya Samaj carried on a velement crusade against this institution,and may be congratulated on the success it has met with in rallying public opinion in favour of its view. As regards the age of marriage,Swami Dayananda says in the 4th chapter of the Satya Prakashâ€Å"the best time of for the marriage of girls is from sixteen to twenty-four years of age.The lo0west age for a girls for marriage is sixteen and for a man twenty-five. †He was aware of the evil if after impacts of child marriage,hence he suggested that there should be legislation to stop this evil practice. Social legislations sponsored by the Arya Samajists were passed as Acts in the central legislature. The Child Marriage Act known designed by prominent Arya Samajist were milestones on the road of the Indian Society. In the nineteenth century,among the orthodox Hindu,there was a strong prejudice against the education of girls.They thought they should not be sent to school,as they believed that if women learnt to read and write they would come to grief and as a result they were married illiterate. The old saying was accepted Stei-Shudras-Nadhiyetam which meant women and low castes should never be taught. The custom of child marriage erected further barrier to the education of girls. Swami Dayananda pleaded for the equality of men and women and laid emphasis on the education for girls. He argued that an uneducated wife will be a liability to her husband and will also fail to discharge the real duties of a mother.He condemned the economic and social injustice to which women were subjected. 50 years ago,all female education was under the direct management of the Arya Samaj. The Arya Samaj educational institutions were the first to open special and separate institutions for girls,where they were taught Sanskrit and Vedas,for which they were not eligible according to the orthodox Hindus. Besides learnin g Sankrit and Vedas,girls were declared entitled to wear the sacred thread like the boys. Noe female education has become so common that the people of his generation can’t imagine what formidable opposition Arya Samaj had to encounter even for such a simple thing ,as it now appears. Then also an unhealthy system was in full force which forbade the women to expose their face to the view of the males. as a result her face,was kept practically covered both indoors and outdoors during the day. Hence the Arya Samaj tried its best to remove the purdah system,following the line of the great ancient Indian tradition. In the nineteenth century,for some reason,the orthodox Hinduism had turned its head resolutely against the indulgence of foreign travel by its members.Crossing a sea outside the country was considered to be a veritable sin,the dire consequences for which was the out-casting of such culprits. This tended to cut off the contact of the Hindus with the outside world which ma de their thoughts and practices in various fielsd of life-culture,religion,social educational and politics narrow and stale. Dayananda’s repudiation of the Hindu taboo against foreign travel was also motivated with similar concern for the welfare of the and the prosperity of the country.Rejecting the popular Hindu belief that to go abroad is aginst Hindu religion,he said: This is all nonsense and propagated by ignorant and foolish people. Formerly people Aryavarta(India) used to go outside country for trade,state affairs and even as tourists,Now-a-days the fear of losing caste and religion is wrongly spread. Those who do not hesitate to visit different countries and Islands come in contact with different kinds of people and learn their customs and ways of living thus help the progress and better relations of their country.They develop fearlessness and bravery. They adopt whatever is good in other countries and shun what is not good and thus achieve prosperity. Another,bold st ep undertaken by the Arya Samaj was to initiate the process of reconversion to Hinduism despite the stiff resisitance of the orthodox religionists. Vedic religion is meant for all,it is universal in its teachings thus the Arya Samaj opens the door of the Vedic Dharma to all non-Hindus,to-what-so ever religion they may belong. For centuries the Hindus have been the victimsof religious fantacism and proselytization by Muslim and Christian preachers.In the Shuddhi Movement,Maharshi Dayananda introduced one revolutionary item in the programme of the Arya Samaj. He believed that ‘lost’Hindus,that is the Hindus converted to other religions,should be brought back within the process known as the Shuddhi Movement. With Vedic liberalism and rationalism,he believed that the door of Hinduism should not remain closed to those who once had left it for some reason or other. In the years before World War I Shuddhi campaign was conducted among various untouchable groups in the northwest :On June 23,1911 at Allahabad,the all India Shuddhi Sabha was founded by Ram Bhaj Dutta.The Arya Samaj had developed Shuddhi as a weapon of defence fom the conversion threaht posed by both Christianity and Islam. Keeping in line the sentiment of the Hindus,the Arya Samaj also took up the cause of the protection of the cows. ’Goraksha’ or protection of the cow was an integral part of Swami Dayananda’s teachings and work. He was the first great man who raised his voice against cow-slaughter. Wherever he went,he vigorously preached against it,not on religious grounds,but for purely utilitarian,humanitarian and economic considerations.It is because cow’s milk is so essential for the sustenance and the well-being for human life physically,intellectually,mentally and spiritually that he so strongly pleaded for cow protection and condemned their slaughter. He appealed to high British administrative officials wherever he met them,for instance,at Ajmer to Col. Bro oke,the Agent Governor for Rajputana,at Farukhabad to Mr. Muri Lt. Governor of the Northwest province to abolish the slaughter of cows explaining to them the material benefits the cow yields to mankind.Later,he wrote ‘Gokaunanudhi’,fully showing the harm that the slaughter of cows was doing,and recounting the benefits that man derived from the cows. He even preached a memorial to ne signed by two or three crores of people from all over the country including the Indian Princes,to be submitted to Queen Victoria and the British Parliament asking for the abolition of cow slaughter in India. Lakhs of signatures were obtained those of several ruling princes such as their Highness Moharana of udaipur,Maharaja of Jodhpur and Maharaja of Bundi.His premature death,however,put a stop to the movement. In India,the land of Gods,because of their innocence and implicit faith in the supernatural,the people were victims of a number of superstitions. People believed in planetary influenc e like astrolgy,omens,evil spirits and ghosts. They tried to satisfy the deities for the fullfilment of their desires and believed in miracles. The Arya Samaj is the institution which strove hard to fight against the superstitions in India and abroad. Superstitious beliefs are responsible for the degradation of a nation.Untill and unless these beliefs are not wiped out no nation can progress. Arya Samaj deserves credit for this revolutionary action. It will be curious to note that even the Bhagabat Purana deprecates superstitious beliefs and hypocrisy. The Arya Samaj was the first body to denounce these malpractrices. The Arya Samaj engages in philanthropic work on a large scale. Outside Christian circle it was the first purely Indian Association to organize orphanages and widow homes. The first Hindu orphanage was established in Ferozepur,on Punjab in the lifetime of the founder of the Samaj.It still retains its position as the premier Hindu orphanage in India,has splendid ans comm odius buildings,all erected by private charity,and maintains schools and workshops for the training of boys and girls,There are a number of other orphanages on similar lines in Northern India,controlled by the Arya Samaj;besides these,many Hindu institutions and orphanages apread over India bear the impress and influence of the Arya Samaj. The Arya Samaj has also organised relief in the times of distress caused by natural calamities like famine,flood and earthquake. During the famine of 1897-98,1900,1902,1907-08.The Arya Samaj provided reliefs to the people affected by the calamities in effected areas in India. It was a very commendable service rendered by the Arya Samaj in organising reliefs operations for the famine stricken people. An important episode in the history of the Arya Samaj concerns its educational programme. In the 19th century India had come under the british rule and the conduct with the west began in a direct and more powerful and effective way. The social renaissa nce movement in the country opened up new vistas inder the impact of the spread of western education.There was introduction of English education in India. Indian youths lost their cultural moorings and national pride about glorious ancient cultural heritage. Though in body and colour of their skin,they remained Indians,yet in everything else;in dress,in mode of living,in opinion,in habits,in manners,in values,in attitude they became Englishmen,Disintegration set in,communalism went deep into the Indian mind and education didn’t help for the enlightenment,character,social change,national integration,but it became a tool for getting jobs as clerks in government offices or as subordinate