Thursday, October 31, 2019

Exclusionary Rule Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exclusionary Rule - Research Paper Example This aims to safeguard people from being prosecuted if at all the due process of evidence collection was not followed. It is also true that this principle is there to prevent prosecutors and law enforcement agencies from admitting evidence into court after the search and seizure of evidence is complete (Maclin, 2012). This paper shall inspect the application of the exclusionary rule, and how it affects the daily lives of both citizens and law enforcement agencies. The principle behind the exclusionary rule prevents police officers from violating an individual’s constitutional rights. This is because; it is not possible for police officers to ignore the basic rule that governs their responsibilities as law enforcers. Their duty is to ensure that the constitution and all its principles are upheld. The exclusionary rule may not be embedded in the constitution, but it is one principle that the Supreme Court thought would work toward protecting an individual’s right as constituted in the Fourth Amendment (Maclin, 2012). The Fourth Amendment is there to protect against the illegal search and seizure of an individual, or their property. This means that even suspects cannot be searched until a legal document forces them to do so, if they were not willing to oblige to an arbitrary search. It is the belief of countless individuals that the rule must not be enforced at all times. This is because, at times, there might be instances where lives are at stake when it comes down to searching a suspect and their property. In such instances, it is considered unnecessary to wait for a warrant to search and save any lives that may be at risk. However, police officers who do this might need to prove that there were no doubts as to the suspect’s intentions, and thus; their actions as law enforcers were legitimate. Unfortunately, if police officers intentionally violate an individual’s fundamental right against arbitrary search and seizure, then the rule must apply.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Performance Enhacing Drugs in Sports Essay Example for Free

Performance Enhacing Drugs in Sports Essay Performance enhancing drugs should not be allowed in sports. As plain and simple as my opening sentence reads and I totally believe in the theory. The theory that not only are the drugs un-healthy in prolonged use, but the fact that it allows for an unfair advantage over other players who are competing legitimately, and is 110% cheating. This also gives the youth a positive idea if they see their role models take enhancers, leading them on to think that these drugs are okay to partake in. Legitimate competition should be taken very seriously, with the attitude of fair play and gracious defeat. Just as if a card player could see their opponent’s cards, so is the unfair advantage that is caused by using these performance enhancing drugs. There is a great deal of preparation that goes into the competitors before they compete in a match of their choice. Some people train all their lives just to be able to compete in an event, let alone win. To throw an opponent in the ring that put in less effort for the results shown is an unfair advantage on its own. But facing someone who has trained all their lives, and you who have just done adequate training on top of the drug usage is not only unfair, but it is cheating. If you cant compete legitimately then there is not much point in competing at all. If you cannot play a sport in which you are paid more than enough money to play without using â€Å"enhancers† you should not be allowed to play. Besides the issue of unfair advantage there are also health and social issues. Not only do sportsmen hurt themselves undergoing artificial treatment for both their body and mind, but they also hurt society. When players take part in drugs, they are not thinking of the long term effects of what they are injecting into their bodies. For example, when athletes take anabolic-steroids, they are putt ing themselves at risk for dehydration, digestive disorders, and addiction to the steroid itself!(Ray) As sports is a big part of our culture and the famous players are also role models for our youth this act sets an awful example. Athletes such as hometown hero Mark McGwire, baseball legend Barry Bonds, and even an Olympic contestant Marion Jones have lead us to believe it was their original skill, but in reality, it was help from the drugs.(pharmacytech) If we allow these drugs in sports then even the recreational weekenders would call for steroid use, thus leading the youth of our culture to exposure of bad medicine and physically wrong deeds. Morally our culture is against the use of drugs both mind altering and physically negative. However with the current generation of youth who would just like to go to the gym for health reasons or what not, a large majority partake in steroid use. In the United States, about 3 million people use anabolic steroids — one in four of these steroid users started as a teenager, and one out of every 10 is a teenager.(Mayo) These are not even professional athletes and they already have such a high view of steroids and think it is the â€Å"easy way out†. As a society we have done our best to prevent the use of drugs, but when role models and favorite players are caught participating in steroid use, they think it is okay because they want nothing more than to be like their role model. But what the youth is not thinking about are the side effects which are just yawned upon, and left for later down the roads of their lives. Conclusively I would stress that when a famous athlete injects himself with these substances, he/she also injects the minds of todays youth. I for one firmly believe in role model influence and believe that the role models of today should lead by example, not by how high of rank they can receive. Work cited Ray, Linda. livestrong.com. Ed. Julie Mendenhall. N.p., 27 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. www.pharmacytechs.com. N.p., 2 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. MayoClinic. cnn.com. N.p., 5 Jan. 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Human Resource Planning Of Asda Management Essay

The Human Resource Planning Of Asda Management Essay The human resource planning is a persistent process by which it looks to assurance flexible re-sourcing connected to internal and external environmental pressures. An effective Human Resource planning can facilitate those two companies anticipating possible usual problems. Forward planning will allow the two companies developing and implementing successful approaches in relation with: à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Recruitment à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Selection à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Induction à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Training à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Retraining à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Career progression à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Development ASDA and Tesco both are the leading supermarket in UK. As I left ASDA and join in Tesco. Therefore I know the aim and objective of the both company. Both companies strategies are to ensure good customer service and increase the sales for business development. A good plan will help both companies following activity: ASDA: Evaluate future recruitment needed because ASDA needs staff that know the products that the company is selling and know how to put those products and make great offers in order to catch the customers attention and interest so they can buy them despite the actual economic situation Creating training programs for the employees as for example the store staff needs to have good communication skills, they need to put the products in the right place and always be updated Building up promotion and careers development to motivate the staff and offer them a better place to work so they can perform well. Avoid redundancy as it can have a bad effect on the other employees Evaluating future needed equipments, technology and premises. Controlling the staff wages and salaries while keeping the competitiveness of the salaries TESCO: Evaluate future recruitments needed as Tesco is increasingly expanding businesses and actually have more than 2482 Tesco Extra, superstores, Metro, Express etc. in more than 14 countries across the world. Creating training programs for the staff as the staff for example in the till needs to serve customer fast, also they need to have a good customer service. And they also have self-scanned tills for customer that make customer happier. Build up promotion and career development strategies which will benefit both the staff and the organization Avoid redundancy as this can affect the other workers they will be de-motivated and it will give a bad image to the organization Build a flexible workforce to meet up with the changing requirement and environment. Controlling the staff wages and salaries while in the mean times guaranteeing the competitiveness of the salaries Evaluating future necessities from equipments, knowledge, technology and premises. HRM MODEL USED IN BOTH COMPANIES: According to Truss et al. (1997) the development of human resource management from personnel management has produced a number of models and theories. There are two models most widely used in human resource management are the hard and soft forms which are based on different analyses and thoughts of management control plans and human nature. Soft and Hard models are used in ASDA and Tesco organisations as human resources planning which are most important in the organisational development. Hard and Soft models of HRM are discusses as follows: HARD HRM: Hard HRM pushes the resource characteristic of human resource management; Legge cited in Gill (1999) refers to this as Practical Instrumentalism. This hard model pushes HRMs give attention on the vital consequence of the close combination of human resource strategies, systems and performance with business strategy. Besides this viewpoint human resources are mainly an issue of production, cost of doing business more willingly than the only resource capable of turning inorganic factors of production in to wealth. Human Resources are analyses as passive, to be provided and organized as numbers and skills at the correct price, rather than the foundation of original force (Legge, 1995, cited in Gill, 1999). Hard HRM is as calculative and tough minded as any other branch of management, communicating through the tough language of business and economics. This emphasis on the quantitative, calculative and business-strategic aspects of managing the headcount has been termed human asset accounting (Storey, 1987). The hard HRM approach has some kinship with scientific management as people are reduced to passive objects that are not cherished as a whole people but assessed on whether they posses the skills/attributes the organisation requires (Legge, 1995; Vaughan, 1994; Storey, 1987; Drucker et al, 1996; Keenoy, 1990 cited in Gill, 1999). A different view of HRM is associated with the Michigan Business School (Fombrun, Tichy and Devanna, 1984). There are many similarities with the Harvard map but the Michigan model has a harder, less humanistic edge, holding that employees are resources in the same way as any other business resource. People have to be managed in a similar manner to equipment and raw materials. They must be obtained as cheaply as possible, used sparingly, and developed and exploited as much as possible (www.hrmguide.co.uk). SOFT HRM: Storey (1989) cited in Price (2011) describes that Soft form of human resource management characterised by Harvard model. Soft HRM put pressures on the human aspects of HRM. It is giving more attention with communication and motivation in the organisation. This model distinguished that people should guide properly rather than managed. They are more involved in influential and realizing planning objectives in the organisation (www.hrmguide.co.uk). However, Soft HRM places an importance on human and is linked with the human relations school of Herzberg and McGregor (Storey, 1987 cited in Gill, 1999). Legge (1995) cited in Gill (1999) refers to this as Developmental Humanism. at the same time as emphasising the significance of integrating HR strategies with Business objectives, the soft model emphasises on taking care of employees as valued resources and a source of competitive benefit through their promise, flexibility and excellent skill and performance. Employees are positive rather than inactive inputs into dynamic processes, competent of development, worthy of confidence and teamwork which is accomplished through contribution (Legge, 1995, pp 66-67 cited in Gill, 1999). The soft version is seen as a method of releasing untapped reserves of human resourcefulness by increasing employee commitment, participation and involvement. Employee commitment is sought with the expectation that effectiveness will follow as second-order consequences. Walton (1985, p. 79) suggests that a model that assumes low employee commitment and that is designed to produce reliable if not outstanding performance simply cannot match the standards of excellence set by 5 world-class competitors and discusses the choice that managers have between a strategy based on imposing control and a strategy based on eliciting commitment (Gill, 1999). The soft model of HRM is based on viewing the individual as a human being utilising human talent and capability and generating commitment from employees (linked with the Human relations movement-see work of Maslow, Mayo, McGregor and Herzberg). Other features of the soft approach include: Generating a motivated, skilled and harmonious workforce. Generating commitment to the organisation and its goals objectives, Strategies and organisational culture Winning individuals hearts and minds Treating human being as humans and not a resource or commodity Generating two-way communication between management and the workforce to promote commitment and harmony. HRM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT METHODS USED IN TESCO AND ASDA: Recruitment and selection process within ASDA. The recruitment processes within ASDA consist of 2 steps: Online application by which the applicant needs to fill in the information required in the application which may include some verbal, numerical and personality tests, which will enable the company gathering all the information that it need. And this will let ASDA decide whether the candidate is suitable or not. If the candidate succeed, the next step will depend on the role that the candidate applied for, the applicant will may be asked to attend interviews, or to a group assessment centre which the applicants will be asked to perform tasks designed to highlights the skills. Recruitment and selection process within Tesco The recruitment process of Tesco for example team members consist of two steps application. Online application which consist of filling in the information that the candidate is asked to do online which contain personal details, previous work experiences, qualifications, and additionally a questionnaire that put the candidate in real life situation for example if the customer service, dealing with complex situation with customer etc. Is the candidate have effectively passed the first application step, he or she will be called to the store for an OJE (On Job Evaluation) and a face to face interview. With the OJE which only last 15 minutes the manager will give the applicants tasks to do so he or she can see how the candidate perform in real life situation and the manager evaluate the candidate customer service and skills and then he or she reflected against what they are looking for in a candidate. And then after that the candidate will have an interview with the business managers. Finally he will asses the candidate meet their requirement or not. In comparing the two processes we can see that Tesco spend much more on recruiting and selecting than ASDA by using on job evaluation (OJE) system but despite it is taking more time, it is very effective as it shows and indicates if the candidate is the right person for the right job. STAFF TURNOVER: Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A (2007) in a study of CIPD (2004) finds that labour turnover rates vary considerably between industry sector and occupational group, at the same time as do the costs of recruitment. Most employers are more concern about collect statistics on labour turnover, but they also facing problem with lack of data or software issues (IRS Employment review 2004). Many employers also performs exit interviews, and both of these tasks are usually carried out by HR department where no involvement of line manager. The information is used to improve HR practices and policies such as communication, induction, learning and development and selection in an effort to reduce turnover (CIPD 2004b, p31). Perhaps the issue is the most difficult due to all cases of labour turnover are treated in the similar way, without giving any allowances for the performance levels and latent of the employees who quit from organization doing comparison with available employee. It is pointed that, manager is comparatively happy if an unskilled or poor performer were to leave, and there are suggestions from the researchers that if the future of the company is uncertain then employers in reality encourage turnover for not to carrying staff (Smith et al 2004 cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., 2007). On the other hand, if turnover was determined along with high-flyers or high skilled or highly experience and those who remained were unskilled or poor performers or lacked of ambitions, in that case this could have serious penalty for the organization. However, a high rate of labour turnover could be benefited for the company if the organizations aim is to trim back the workplace or reduce costs of production (Sadhev et al 1999 cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., 2007). Alternatively, Rubery et al (2004); Smith et al (2004) cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., (2007) argued that employers may come to a decision to use temporary employment agencies for recruiting staff so that they pass the problem to somewhere else. Glebbeek and Bax 2004 cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., 2007 point out that company should decide whether an optimum level of labour turnover with the mix of internal labour market and keep new recruits coming in, or whether the cost of turnover make most cases costly and unnecessary. According to Linda Maund (2001) some internal causes of an increasing labour turnover: The recruitment and selection procedure is not enough and imperfectly matches individuals to jobs. Employees are not well motivated and dont feel the organization from the core. S/he will consider better opportunities outside the organization and employee does not feel any interest to do better for the organization. Not equality in wages and salaries with competitors. THE EXIT PROCEDURES Tesco and ASDA both company paying attention of staff turnover percentages. They both are dedicated to find the way to reduce staff turnover in their company. For that reason they follow exit procedures who are leaving the job. Concerning Tesco and ASDA the exit procedures that this company follow is similar to other companies as it undertake an exit interview with the person who is leaving the job, so the staff will have the opportunity to give explanation their reasons for leaving the job, or in the case of the staff choosing another employer, or to air their grievance, all this helped Tesco to what it is now as those criticism helped the company to take decisions to change their policies, especially if this employee is leaving for a competitor. What Tesco and ASDA do is that despite the interview that make the manager listen to the staff and know the reason of leaving such as challenging work environment, salary, discrimination, promotion. If the employee is a good performer they try to keep him or she in the organization, as he or she is beneficial to the company and the organization doesnt want to loose of their staff because he may give more with the competitors and they can use the staff knowledge and what this staff has gained of knowledge against the previous company. And this is including the resignation of the staff. RETAIN EMPLOYEE: In the case of redundancy Tescos transfer staff to other superstores that are in need of workforce because as we know that Tesco in one of the fastest growing companies in the world, so in redundancy situation the company offers alternative job and all this is with discussion with the worker. The same thing applies to ASDA because this outplacement can keep this employees working and performing in the same level and improve confidence of the other employees and also it gives a good image about the two companies. However, Tesco and ASDA both companies are giving employee discount to motivate employee which is more effective to retain employees. By following those procedures the two companies can get better in the domain knowing if it comes to keeping good employees working for them, and those solution that were mentioned above are measured as the best and the commonly used by professional and leading organizations around the world. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: One major area of the human resource functions of particular relevance to the effective use of human resource training and development. A number of academic people would argue against the significance of training as a main influence on the success of an organisation. Training works outside-in; education works inside-out. Therefore training is benefited for the organisation if they learn to be wise in how to use of an individuals capability and it helps to achieved business goals. Training has four main levels such as output training, task training, performance training and strategic training. However, these four main levels of need for any organisation for improve the skills. Different levels of training will required different time period based of staff capabilities. Training for change is important for the long-term survival of an organisation. Increasing importance is being placed both on the necessary for continual training to maintain change and on training as a very important investment for the future. THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING: The main reason of training is to develop knowledge and skills, and to change approach is one of the important motivational factors. This helps to many potential benefits for not only individuals but also organisation. The key benefits of training are as follows: Boost the self-confidence, motivation and loyalty of employee. Give recognition, increased responsibility, and the opportunity of employee promotion. Give a feeling of personal satisfaction and achievement, and broaden opportunity for career development and Assist to improve the availability and quality of employees. Finally it can say that Training is the main factors of organisational performance development. Tesco and ASDA both company giving more attention of the employee training as they know that it is the major issues for the employee developments which lead to the increase organisational performance achieved the goals. HR PERFORMANCE IS CURRENTLY INDICATED AND MONITORED: The organisational performance fully depends on human resource management activities (Ulrich 1997a) in the organisation. Employees are the key resource of the organisation. Therefore, HR will make a significant impact on company performance when a suitable HR strategies and procedures are developed and implemented effectively. Apparently Tesco and ASDA both companies focus on the HR activities which leads to increase the organisational performance. The HRM-performance model (Phillips, 1996b) is discussed as follows: Human resource measurement, demonstrating the link between HRM strategy and organisational performance needs the examination of some set of variables. The methodology for make sure high central strength would preferably allow a calculation of how different human resource management strategies or individual activities affect economic performance of the company at the same time as controlling other issues that might pressure those performance results. High internal validity indicates to the level to which the outcomes can be indiscriminate to conclude the impacts of human resource management practices (Bratton and Gold, 2007). Phillips (1996) model (see appendix I) is showing the relationship between HRM practices and organisational performance. Tesco and ASDA both companies HR performance is currently indicated and monitored by Phillips (1996) HRM-organisational performance. The human resource management added-value model is indicates the total relationship between three major elements. Human resource management Human resource performance measures, at both individual staff and work team levels. Organisational performance measures. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: The human resource management element consists of HR strategy, policies, programmes, practices and system (see appendix I) which be present in work organisations and that impacts on staff and team performance, and cause effects individual and organisational performance (Bratton Gold, 2007). STAFF PERFORMANCE MEASURES: The second element of Phillips (1996) model (see appendix I) indicates the performance effects of human resource management, approximately in part by staff performance measures. Academicians have a few options to measuring individual employees and groups. Saks (2000) cited in Bratton Gold (2007) draws three measurements they are discussed as follows: Traits: Evaluating the individuals personal traits is more important, and it is one of the significant tasks of HRM. It may find out the employees loyalty or commitment to the organisation. Behaviours: It is focus on what employee does and does not do in the organisation such as absent from work, poor time-keeping and resigning from service. Outcomes: It focuses on the employee outcome in workplace during the time of workplace that helps to measure employee performance such as number of unit completed, accident level or customer complaints etc. Moreover, at present team work became more common in the organisation. According to Saks (2000) cited in Bratton Gold (2007) team performance is strongly influenced by four input variables for example team structure, team norms, team composition and team leadership; and process variables such as team working and team learnings which impacts on the team performance outcomes. ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES: Organisational performance depends on the individual employee and team work measurements (see the appendix I). According to the researchers cited in Bratton Gold (2007) discussed several organisational performance measures techniques such as labour productivity ratios, product and service quality, unit cost ratios, revenue productivity and return on investment (ROI). However, researchers also design organisation performance measures techniques on the basis of goal achievement. This technique is relying on four specific indicators such as profit-related directories, productivity, quality and perceptual measures of goal achievement. Bratton and Gold (2007) also states three important reasons for organisational outcomes measures: Employee-related outcomes as they are directly influenced by HR practices. Different rewards and training programmes are to influence on the employee outcomes. These outcomes such as productivity, quality and employee unit cost which can manipulate the organisations financial operational goals. The outcomes can manipulate the individual psychological contact as well as behaviour which involves with the outputs. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Human resource management is a planned technique to managing employment relations which highlight that influencing peoples potentiality is critical to getting competitive advantage, this being achieve throughout a distinguishing set of incorporated employment policies, programmes and practices (Bratton 2007). Employees are the key driven force in any organisation. Organisational success depends on the employee performance. Discrimination in workplace plays psychological impact on the employees mind which may lead to negative impact on employee performance. Therefore, HR main duty is to most effective uses of human resources in organisation. They need to employ right person for the organisation and build up employee based on the current requirement by the training and development process. UK is a multi-cultural country. Different cultural people lives and come to shopping in the superstores. Consequently HR should be fair for all employees and keep in eye on the employees to make sure equal opportunity ground in workplace for each employee. To get potential benefit from the employee motivation is significant for the organisation. HR required to ensure reward systems to motivate employees. Tesco and ASDA both HRM is works for the business development. For that reason both company is continuously developing their system on the basis of current business trends. I recommend ASDA to follow the on job evaluation (OJE) system to recruit best person for the organisation. And both company need to focus on the skills development process and evaluation process which are linked to employee motivation. Finally it can say that human resource management has thought new prominence as concerns persevere about international competition, the development of technology and the productivity of employee (Bratton 2007) in both companies to increase business efficiency.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Supreme Court Essay -- Supreme Court Governmental Congress Essays

The Supreme Court At the apex of our federal court system stands the United States Supreme Court. It stands as the ultimate authority in constitutional interpretation and its decision can be changed only by a constitutional amendment. Two documents are responsible for its creation which is the Constitution, which explicitly creates the Supreme Court, and the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789. The Supreme Court is the only court named in the constitution laying out the Courts basic jurisdiction, identifying the mode of selection and tenure for justices. Under Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution provides that "[t]he judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." Article III establishes the Court as the chief authority of the judicial branch making it equal to the executive and legislative branches (Lieberman, 2003, p 3). The Judiciary Act of 1789 not only set up the federal court system and used the Court’s jurisdiction under the Constitution as a basis for granting it broad powers that are recognized everywhere. According to Abraham (1983), â€Å"There is no gainsaying the importance and the majesty of the most powerful of courts, not only in the United States, but the entire free world (p. 19).† The French political observer Alexis de Tocqueville noted the uniqueness of the Supreme Courts in the history of nations and jurisprudence. He stated, â€Å"The representative system of government has been adopted in several states of Europe, but I am unaware that any nation of the globe has hitherto organized judicial power in the same manner as the Americans. . . . A more imposing judicial power was never constituted by any people (qtd in Abraham, 1983, p. 27). Issues as the number of justices, their qualifications and their duties have been settled by law and tradition rather than being specified in the Constitution (Baum, 1992, p. 13). The Courts composition was addressed in the Judiciary Act of 1789 under Section 1 stating â€Å"That the Supreme Court of the United States shall consist of a chief justice and five associate justices. . . â€Å". The number of justices changed several times during the Courts first century. A number of changes were to the number of justices after the Judiciary Act of 1789 in part to accommodate the justices’ duties in... ...embers are crucial in affecting the interpretations of the Constitution and important amendments relevant to citizens (Champion, 2003, p. 203). References Abraham, H. (1983). The Judiciary: The Supreme Court in the Governmental Process (6th ed). Newton, MA: Allyn and Bacon Inc. Baum, L. (1992). The Supreme Court. (4th ed). Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Inc. Champion, D. (2003). Administration of Criminal Justice: Structure, Function and Process. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Lieberman, J. Supreme Court of the United States. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. Retrieved 22 September from the World Wide Web: http://encarta.msn.com Supreme Court Cases. Retrieved 17 September 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/index.html The History of the Supreme Court. Retrieved 12 September 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supremecourt/supcthist.html Van Dervort, T. (2000). American Law and the Legal System: Equal Justice under the Law. (2nd ed). Albany, NY: West Legal Studies Zalman, M. (2002). Criminal Procedure: Constitution and Society. (3rd ed). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Inventory System Essay

Background of the Study Inventory is basically the total amount of goods and materials held in stock by a factory, store and other business. An inventory system is a process whereby a business keeps track of the goods and material it has available. In its simplest sense it can be done manually by a count at the end of each day. In this way it is possible to keep a record of the goods coming in to the business and goods being sold. The same case applies in Kuya’s Lumpiang Sariwa and as a result, the inventory system becomes prone to human error and would be more time consuming and security is also being risked. Since manual inventory consumes a lot of time and is susceptible to errors, it would be helpful to build a system that will automate the transactions from acquisition of the product description to updating the inventory database. The automated inventory system will improve employees’ work efficiency by automating routinely and time consuming tasks such as the time spent in taking down product information. As a result, the time can be used in more productive activities. The accuracy of the current system will also be improved, since the automated inventory system would eliminate the need of constantly encoding lengthy details of products by having an inventory database. 1. 2 Statement of the Problem 1. 2. 1General Problem The inefficient rate of manually mandating a system or accessing manual inventory system is widely known due to the time consumed of manually recording of the transactions being done, security of data is at risk, and inaccuracy of data. The authors considered the problems encountered in using manual inventory system. Automated Inventory System| 1 1. 2. 2 Specific Problems 1. Time Consuming The inventory of materials is done manually in such a way that employee writes down the details of different materials every time a transaction is being done. These results, taking too much time. 2. Data Loss It defines to the unforeseen information. The possible root cause of data spill in Kuya’s Lumpiang Sariwa is the file drawer or cabinet which serves as their storage. If not properly secured, misplacement of data sheets and theft can take place due to security failure. 3. Prone to Errors The taking down of transactions encoded manually by the assigned employee to do the inventory would probably commit mistake. Inaccuracy of data is being risked. 1. 3 Objectives of the Study 1. 3. 1 General Objective The main objective of the proposed inventory system is to facilitate the inventory operation of Kuya’s Lumpiang Sariwa, thereby enhancing data monitoring to aim a more efficient system. 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives 1. Minimize working time The automated inventory system will provide userfriendly interface that will lessen the job through user defined Automated Inventory System| 2 buttons. Tasks of the assigned employee’ such as encoding of data details is easier and fast compared to the old system. 2. Improve security protection controls Security of inventory reports and other data information is not at risk due to the provided log-in window in database inventory system that will ask for a password secured by the administration. Employees that will do the inventory will have a complete access in the system; other employees cannot enter or access the automated system. Updating of passwords can be done. 3. Increase accuracy in data entry. Entry of data ensures accurate details of the material due to the built – in checks in the new system, as one of the systems features. It will eliminate errors such as â€Å"erase and replace†. 1. 4 Significance of the Study The study will be a significant endeavor in promoting efficiency and more effective inventory system. By understanding and evaluating the need of the company, the employee as well as the administrators can be assured for a more productive and competitive system. The proposed system has been designed after depth study of the existing manual system. The new suggestions have been made, keeping in view the demand of the organization and their ultimate effectiveness. Computerized Inventory system has many advantages over the manual inventory system. Some of the features are as follows: ? The new system is more efficient as compared to the old system. ? Data entry task is easier and fast. ? There is no chance of entering wrong data, because there are all possible checks, which have been built in the system. Automated Inventory System| 3 ? The new computerized system is user friendly. A user having little knowledge about computer can run this system effectively. Moreover, the new system is designed in such a way as it can provide the user with facility of updating the data whenever required. 1. 5 Scope and Limitation The authors’ of this study is centrally focused on the proposed inventory database system and does not include any other systems such as ordering system. Scope ? Data Manipulation such as adding, updating and deleting of data in the database to a more user friendly system. ? All reports can be generated automatically, at the press of a button. ? Ability to handle huge volumes of transactions without compromising on speed or efficiency. ?

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

KU, University of Kansas GPA, ACT SAT Admissions Data

KU, University of Kansas GPA, ACT SAT Admissions Data KU GPA, SAT and ACT Graph University of Kansas GPA, SAT Scores and ACT Scores for Admission. Data courtesy of Cappex. How Do You Measure Up at the University of Kansas? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex. Discussion of KUs Admissions Standards: KU, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, isnt painfully selective, but students will need decent grades and test scores to get in. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. The majority of students who got in had high school GPAs of B- or higher, SAT scores (RWM) of 1000 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 20 or higher. Higher numbers clearly improve your chances. Youll notice a few red dots (rejected students) and yellow dots (waitlisted students) hidden behind the blue and green of the graph. Some students with grades and standardized test scores on target for Kansas did not get in. On the flip side, a handful of students were accepted with test scores and grades a bit below the norm. This is because the University of Kansas admissions process is not entirely quantitative. Grades, test scores and class rank play the largest role in the process, but Kansas is looking for students who have completed a challenging college preparatory curriculum, not just students with good grades. Also, admission standards vary from program to program. To learn more about the University of Kansas , high school GPAs, SAT scores and ACT scores, these articles can help: University of Kansas Admissions ProfileWhats a Good SAT Score?Whats a Good ACT Score?Whats Considered a Good Academic Record?What is a Weighted GPA? Articles Featuring the University of Kansas: KU Photo TourKansas CollegesBig 12 ConferencePhi Beta KappaAssociation of American Universities If You Like the University of Kansas, You May Also Like These Schools Kansas State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT Graph  University of Iowa:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWashburn University:  Profile  University of Arkansas:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphIowa State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphArizona State University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Kentucky:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Florida:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBaylor University:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Texas - Austin:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Oklahoma:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT GraphEmporia State University:  Profile  University of Missouri:  Profile  |  GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Monday, October 21, 2019

Herrold essays

Herrold essays Herrold was the first person to broadcast radio entertainment to people on a regular basis. He was considered a broadcasting pioneer. In 1921 Herrold received a license as KQW. In 1949 KQW became KCBS in San Francisco Charles Herrold was born in 1875 in the Midwest. He was raised in San Jose and he went to Stanford University. He later moved to San Francisco and set up an electrical manufacturing company, but unfortunately the big earthquake hit in 1906 and everything was destroyed. He went to Stockton and taught at a technical college. He later returned to San Jose and he started the Herrold College of Wireless and Engineering. Herrold was very interested in inventing a radiotelephone system. He wanted to make something that would make him very well-known, and very rich. His inventions were not very original scientifically, built they did allow him to broadcast. He received six U.S. patents for this system that he and his students were using to broadcast. It is documented that Herrold was the first to have a radio broadcast station. This happened in 1910. There is a notarized statement made by Herrold that was published in the Electro-importing Company catalogue. It stated We have given wi reless phone concerts to amateur wireless men throughout the Santa Clara Valley. Herrold was very serious and organized about his job. He always had his equipment ready and everything he was going to say before they went on the air. The people listening would wait for it. In 1921 a historian for RCA was trying to say that there is no way that Herrold could be considered the first broadcaster because people who were ordinary citizens could not by radios until KDKA and therefore men like Herrold and de Forest were not really broadcasters because their audiences were amateurs, not citizens. However, Herrold is considered the first to broadcast to an audience on a regular basis. Herrold ended up dying ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Vitiligo Essays - Vitiligo, Depigmentation, PUVA Therapy

Vitiligo Essays - Vitiligo, Depigmentation, PUVA Therapy Vitiligo Skin Disorder: Vitiligo Vitiligo is a skin condition whose exact cause is unknown. In vitiligo, patches of skin lose their pigmentation when the pigment producing cells, the 'melanocytes' are attacked and destroyed. It may affect the skin, mucous membranes, eyes, inner ear or hairs leaving white patches. The usual type of vitiligo is called 'Vitiligo Vulgaris' (means: common vitiligo). Variant types include linear, segmental, trichrome and inflammatory vitiligo. This disease affects an estimated 1% of the world's population. It affects individuals of all ethnic origins and both sexes, but is much more easily noticed on darker skin as areas that fail to tan. It is hereditary in one third of those affected. Vitiligo often starts on the hands, feet or face, and frequently pigment loss is progressive. Half the patients first notice vitiligo before 20 years of age. It often appears in an area of minor injury or sunburn. It is believed that vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder (autoimmune means the body?s own immune system turns on itself). Certain white blood cells direct the destruction of melanocytes. People with vitiligo are also somewhat more prone to other autoimmune diseases, such as alopecia areata, autoimmune thyroid disorders, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, and diabetes mellitus. The diagnosis of vitiligo is usually straightforward, and no special testing is needed. While vitiligo is a cosmetic problem and does not affect the health directly, it is disfiguring and may be psychologically traumatic. The condition cannot be cured at present, but treatments are available that may be very helpful. Medical treatments target the immune system, and try to reverse the destruction. Surgical treatments are less commonly done, and transplant healthy melanocytes from other areas. Both treatments may be difficult and prolonged. The goal is to restore the skin's color by restoring healthy melanocytes to the skin (repigmentation) allowing the skin to regain its normal appearance. That means that new pigment cells must come from the base of hair follicles, from the edge of the lesion, or from the patch of vitiligo itself if depigmentation is not complete. Repigmentation occurs slowly as the cells creep back in over months to years. Prescription steroid creams are the safest and simplest initial treatment, especially for recently diagnosed or spreading vitiligo. They are usually applied twice daily, and results require three to six months. If over-dosed or over-used then side effects include local skin damage, and glaucoma or cataracts when used around the eyes. Regular monitoring and adjusting the potency of the creams to be appropriate for the location can avoid these side effects. For extensive vitiligo, oral medications for repigmentation can be tried. The treatment most commonly used is PUVA (Psoralen & Ultra-Violet A light). PUVA is partially successful in over half of those treated, but complete repigmentation occurs in only 15-20%. Treatments are given in the office in a special booth 2 or 3 times weekly. It takes at least 2-3 months to begin having an effect and 200 treatment sessions are not unusual. Some insurance plans no longer cover this. Older people, those with pigment loss for more than 5 years and the hands and feet areas usually respond poorly. Another method of psoralen treatment, used occasionally for children or patients with small, scattered vitiligo patches, involves the application of a very dilute solution of the drug directly to the affected skin area. This is then exposed to sunlight. Such topical treatment makes a person very susceptible to severe burn and blisters following too much sun exposure. It has the advantages of being done at home, and does not damage the entire skin surface, as PUVA does. Recently, some experts have claimed that another form of light treatment, UVB, is just as effective and safer. If a person doesn't respond to PUVA treatment, and the vitiligo has not changed in the last year one may consider surgical treatment of vitiligo. Avoid surgical treatment if one scars abnormally or sometimes have lost pigment after a small cut or scrape. All surgical therapies must be viewed as experimental because their effectiveness and side effects remain to be fully defined. Autologous skin grafts take normal, pigmented skin from one area of a patient's body (donor sites) and attach it to an area of vitiligo. This type of skin grafting is

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Google - Financial Statement Analysis Research Paper

Google - Financial Statement Analysis - Research Paper Example In September 2002, Google News was released with over 4000 news sources (google.com, 2010). Google Scholar was released a month later with Google maps quickly following in February 2005. In late 2005, the Google Reader and Analytics products were released. Adding to the list of company innovations include such popular items as Google Video, Google Docs, Google Gmail, Google Investor, Google Images, and Google Picassa (google.com, 2010). The purchase of YouTube was a major purchase in 2006 where it gave the public access to making their own videos and sharing them with other online users (google.com, 2010). Besides YouTube, the purchase of Doubleclick was a major purchase where Google attempted to further enhance and simplify how advertisements are bought and sold over the internet (edgaronline, 2010). The Android product is a new portable phone that the company recognizes as needed to compete in a mobile world that we live in. The company wishes to have mobile devices and applications as an important building block for the future (google.com, 2010). Marketing efforts have been relatively low cost for the company by use of public relations and simple customers sharing experiences to spread the word that Google offers a quick and efficient service along with useful products (edgaronline, 2010). The company’s sales and support department attempts to highlight the advantages of products like AdSense to leading companies all over the globe. Although customers sign up online for products such as AdSense, the sales team attempts to build positive working relationships and promote key product advantages to other companies (edgaronline, 2010). The current environment for Google is a highly competitive one which is always changing. The company faces potential threats from: (1) other search companies; (2) social networking companies; (3) new and emerging mobile products; and (4) specialized search and e-commerce sites (edgaronline,

Friday, October 18, 2019

Harlem Renaissance pt1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Harlem Renaissance pt1 - Essay Example ugh many African American writers shared this ideology, which many considered militant in nature, some did not for more reasons they believed would stifle their creativity. Some Black writers during the Harlem Renaissance were not fully on board with the crusaders. Black poet, Stanley Braithwaite, encouraged interracial marriage as a means to solve the race problem, but Cyril Briggs, editor of a Black publication promoting militancy and racial difference − the Crusader – vehemently lashed out against such an idea as being ignorant and backwards. Another Black writer, Langston Hughes, wrote many works that appealed to both educated Black and white Americans, as he did not harbor animosity toward Caucasians. Hughes expressed in an essay that â€Å"black artists intended to express themselves freely, no matter what the black or white public thought. Both authors reasoned that a racial motivation of opposition in the renaissance would work to suffocate their creative expression – not augment it. With all of the well intentioned underpinnings of the Harlem Renaissance, not all African Americans were of one mind regarding artistic expression, as some Black writers of the time felt that following the New Negro Movement Crusaders’ ideology of militancy, pride, and racial difference would ultimately work to crush their expressive talents. Black writers such as Hughes believed that the major motivation and goal of the Harlem Renaissance was to break racial ignorance, let Black artistic expression thrive, and work as an agent to bring success and liberty to African Americans. So, even though Black writers such as Braithwaite and Hughes were not card-toting members of the New Negro Movement Crusaders, they were fully behind the movement forwarding the advancement and open creativity of African Americans during the Harlem

Review a movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review a movie - Essay Example Film Unforgiven (1992); shows the era when old Wild West was changing into modern west. Opening of the movie clearly shows the main theme behind the movie. Era of Wild West falling and rising of a new era; that is rising of modern west. This film hides brutal realities of Wild West that were present through all the area of Wild West. Robbery, violence and bounty hunting were normal attributes of the Wild West. Also sheriff which goes cruel or brutal in the movie shows non judicial murders done by sheriff department to keep law and order of the village or society they are responsible for. There is a great amount of violence present in the movie. Also hero of movie is person which is acting as a villain throughout the movie. Concepts of dignity, self respect, life and death are narrated continuously in the movie again and again by narrators (Milan). L.A confidential was a movie released in 1997. This movie devises ways to analyze movies. L.A confidential is based on the concept that movies itself are the major cause of the spreading violence and other crimes including sexual assault most of the females face in city of Los Angles. Generally concepts like freedom of doing everything any time is one of the major causes addressed my L.A confidential as their main subject. Justice system is the next subjected targeted by the makers. Movie introduces three cops with three different personalities and characters. Youngest one is the newly breed of the department and is loyal to law and its applications. Other one is a criminal having a police badge doing crimes under the supervision of his captain. According to the makers behind L.A confidential the concept of liberty that is greatly propagated by movies is totally wrong and opposite to idea itself. There should be controlled liberty for proper balance and progress of a society regardi ng justice system. If this balance disturbed there will be no

John D. Ashcroft, Petitioner, V. Abdullah Al-Kidd Case Study

John D. Ashcroft, Petitioner, V. Abdullah Al-Kidd - Case Study Example Al-Kidd further alleges that during the trial of Al-Hussayen, he has never been called as a witness and also that the authorities have â€Å"never meant to do so† (p.1). Therefore, the petitioner challenges the constitutional validity of Attorney General’s â€Å"alleged policy† in authorizing his detention on the pretext that he is a material witness in the trial against Sami Omar (p.1). Initially, the case has been heard by the Ninth Circuit Court, which held that the action of the Attorney General has violated the individual’s rights under the Fourth Amendment which disallows â€Å"pretextual arrests† in the absence of a possible cause of a criminal activity (p.1). John Ashcroft, the Attorney General, challenging the decision of Ninth Circuit Court, has filed the suit to Supreme Court appealing for a review. On a petition by Al-Kidd, the Ninth Circuit Court has heard the case and ordered that the Attorney General’s action of securing a warrant under the pretext that the petitioner is a material witness in another case and hence he cannot leave the country, and his detention for this reason, is a violation of his constitutional rights. Therefore, the court has denied Ashcroft’s motion to dismiss the petition on â€Å"qualified immunity grounds† (p.1). The main issue present in the case is the question of the validity of the detention of Al-Kidd from a legal perspective, under the prevailing threat to national security of the US. The Attorney General has allegedly secured a warrant under the federal statutes relating to â€Å"material witness† for the detention of the former (Abrams, 2011, p.1). It becomes relevant here that the action of the Attorney General in securing the warrant for the detention of the petitioner is well within the relevant laws and thus it is purely legal. Under the prevailing circumstances in the country, when terrorist activities have been rampant in the nation, the petitioner has been detained because of his relevance

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Should Athletes be role models Annotated Bibliography

Should Athletes be role models - Annotated Bibliography Example Dr. Connor asks that are the millions spent on the quest for Olympic gold really value for money. The investment is meant to buy success, create role models and encourage engagement, but it does not. The Olympics was founded on participation and the "spirit" of sport. We have now moved so far into ugly nationalism and crass commercialism. The role-model argument is an obvious furphy. Nary has a week gone by without yet another scandal involving an elite athlete - be it drugs, alcohol or violence. As role models, they certainly are poor choices. Athletes, by definition, are obsessive often to the point of being clinically compulsive in their behavior. The author of this article has presented two contradicting views of people about athletes and their conduct as role model. He elucidates that there are two groups of people having varied opinion about it. One group believes that athletes are just similar to other professionals who are being hired and paid by their employers to exhibit best possible performance in their respective sports and, by no means, they are liable to act as role models. While the other group believes that, sportsmen have assumed the status of public figures and they are sometimes blindly being followed by people specially the youth, so it is their social and moral obligation to present themselves as role models. The author of this book is a female athlete and presents women athletes as cultural icons.

Ecology and sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ecology and sustainability - Assignment Example Nutrients present in the soil, are destroyed by the acidity. Useful micro organisms which release nutrients from decaying organic matter, into the soil are killed off, resulting in less nutrients being available for the plants. The acid rain, falling on the plants damages the waxy layer on the leaves and makes the plant vulnerable to diseases. Acid rain erodes limestone and carbonate stones which are used as building materials upon acid deposition. Though stainless steel and aluminum are more resistant to acid rain, other materials such as carbon-steel, nickel, zinc, copper, paint, and some plastics, paper, leather, and textiles are vulnerable to corrosion by acid rain. b.1. Clean Air Act amendments required that power plants make significant cuts in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions (by installing "scrubbers" in their smokestacks and switching to low-sulfur coal.) b.2 Through the market-based allowance trading system, utilities regulated under the Acid Rain Program decide the most cost-effective way to use available resources to comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Utilities can reduce emissions by employing energy conservation measures, increasing reliance on renewable energy, reducing usage, employing pollution control technologies, switching to lower sulfur fuel, or developing other alternate strategies. Dobson unit (DU) - One Dobson unit represents the amount of atmospheric ozone that would form a uniform layer 0.01 millimeter (10 micrometers) thick at standard temperature (0 Â °C) and pressure (1 atmosphere or 1013.25 millibars). Because they do not contain chlorine or bromine, HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer (ODP = 0). Some HFCs have high GWPs and are revealed as extremely powerful greenhouse gases which could account for up to 19% of global warming by 2050. It either percolates into the ground and in turn contaminates the groundwater or is discharged into the natural drainage system causing pollution in

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

John D. Ashcroft, Petitioner, V. Abdullah Al-Kidd Case Study

John D. Ashcroft, Petitioner, V. Abdullah Al-Kidd - Case Study Example Al-Kidd further alleges that during the trial of Al-Hussayen, he has never been called as a witness and also that the authorities have â€Å"never meant to do so† (p.1). Therefore, the petitioner challenges the constitutional validity of Attorney General’s â€Å"alleged policy† in authorizing his detention on the pretext that he is a material witness in the trial against Sami Omar (p.1). Initially, the case has been heard by the Ninth Circuit Court, which held that the action of the Attorney General has violated the individual’s rights under the Fourth Amendment which disallows â€Å"pretextual arrests† in the absence of a possible cause of a criminal activity (p.1). John Ashcroft, the Attorney General, challenging the decision of Ninth Circuit Court, has filed the suit to Supreme Court appealing for a review. On a petition by Al-Kidd, the Ninth Circuit Court has heard the case and ordered that the Attorney General’s action of securing a warrant under the pretext that the petitioner is a material witness in another case and hence he cannot leave the country, and his detention for this reason, is a violation of his constitutional rights. Therefore, the court has denied Ashcroft’s motion to dismiss the petition on â€Å"qualified immunity grounds† (p.1). The main issue present in the case is the question of the validity of the detention of Al-Kidd from a legal perspective, under the prevailing threat to national security of the US. The Attorney General has allegedly secured a warrant under the federal statutes relating to â€Å"material witness† for the detention of the former (Abrams, 2011, p.1). It becomes relevant here that the action of the Attorney General in securing the warrant for the detention of the petitioner is well within the relevant laws and thus it is purely legal. Under the prevailing circumstances in the country, when terrorist activities have been rampant in the nation, the petitioner has been detained because of his relevance

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ecology and sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ecology and sustainability - Assignment Example Nutrients present in the soil, are destroyed by the acidity. Useful micro organisms which release nutrients from decaying organic matter, into the soil are killed off, resulting in less nutrients being available for the plants. The acid rain, falling on the plants damages the waxy layer on the leaves and makes the plant vulnerable to diseases. Acid rain erodes limestone and carbonate stones which are used as building materials upon acid deposition. Though stainless steel and aluminum are more resistant to acid rain, other materials such as carbon-steel, nickel, zinc, copper, paint, and some plastics, paper, leather, and textiles are vulnerable to corrosion by acid rain. b.1. Clean Air Act amendments required that power plants make significant cuts in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions (by installing "scrubbers" in their smokestacks and switching to low-sulfur coal.) b.2 Through the market-based allowance trading system, utilities regulated under the Acid Rain Program decide the most cost-effective way to use available resources to comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Utilities can reduce emissions by employing energy conservation measures, increasing reliance on renewable energy, reducing usage, employing pollution control technologies, switching to lower sulfur fuel, or developing other alternate strategies. Dobson unit (DU) - One Dobson unit represents the amount of atmospheric ozone that would form a uniform layer 0.01 millimeter (10 micrometers) thick at standard temperature (0 Â °C) and pressure (1 atmosphere or 1013.25 millibars). Because they do not contain chlorine or bromine, HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer (ODP = 0). Some HFCs have high GWPs and are revealed as extremely powerful greenhouse gases which could account for up to 19% of global warming by 2050. It either percolates into the ground and in turn contaminates the groundwater or is discharged into the natural drainage system causing pollution in

IVe Seen the Promise Land Essay Example for Free

IVe Seen the Promise Land Essay Through understanding of his speeches and similar past leaders such as Moses and Jesus, it is clear how Dr. King established himself as the leader of the civil rights movement and his vision and strength led many to a better life filled with the freedoms that they had yearned for. The opening of this speech is inspirational yet it is also somewhat unexpected when put in the context of his other more famous works. When asked by God what age he would like to live in, he describes some of the most famous and wondrous places of all time, such as Ancient Greece or the Renaissance. Then, with a powerful swoop in his voice, he says: Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, ‘If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy. ’ Now thats a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. Thats a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that the time had come to finally address the issues that had been conflicted within him as well as countless others. He states, â€Å"But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; its nonviolence or nonexistence. † He continued his speech by delivering messages from Jesus and various biblical passages to show why it is so important that they continued to be pushed forth and not remain idle. Even after their protest in Memphis they needed to keep marching forward, literally and figuratively. This speech was not only inspiring for the civil rights movements, but can also be used as an inspiration and a guideline to overcome any injustice that can be inflicted onto someone. Dr. King believed that when men and women had the mission of doing God’s will and standing up for what is right, that this would allow them to no longer fear death. Once you have conquered those who had at one point unjustly conquered you, then you are free. In addition to all the things Dr. King believed were needed to reach the â€Å"Promised Land†, the most important thing, though not directly stated by King, was the presence of an innate and inspirational leader who has a clear vision and the ability to express and correctly assert that vision onto those who want to quell injustice, along with the courage to fight against it himself. When you look at the difference between successful and also failed campaigns against injustice, the one thing that is always remembered is that in successful ones there was a leader who rallied his people. Moses was determined to lead the slaves out of Egypt and accomplished it by uniting them with his cause. Another example is Abraham Lincoln when he organized those around him and passed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. King Jr. embodied everything that Moses and Abraham Lincoln did for their people, and then some. Without him, the civil rights movement very well could have died down and the world would not be where it is at today. With this in mind, there are 3 key moments in Dr. King’s life that made him into the visionary who took on all the arduous tasks that were placed before him. First is the time he spent in Birmingham Jail and the letter he wrote. â€Å"Human progress†¦it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. This showed that he was willing to fight alongside his people and endure anything that they did, and that he would go to the greatest of lengths to make his point. The second and his most famous speech, â€Å"I Have a Dream†, delivered on August 28, 1963, not only sparked a fire under those who had already been involved, but additionally enlisted those who may not have had previously agreed with his beliefs or thought that change was not possible. It also gained global media attention and exposed his brilliance, showing what he truly envisioned for the future of his country. The third and final moment was his death the day after delivering his speech â€Å"I See the Promised Land†. His martyrdom was a symbol to all that things needed to, and were going to, change. From that very speech given in Memphis, he preached: Well, I dont know what will happen now. Weve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesnt matter with me now, because Ive been to the mountaintop. And I dont mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And Hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over. And Ive seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! In his speech â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop†, King delved into the current status of the civil rights movement and how he saw that the future was bright, as long as people continued to persevere in the face of adversity, and did not allow the opposition to deter them. He believed that they had come too far to let it slip away, and even without him as their leader he knows they can accomplish it. As with all other successful movements, a leader who is extremely persuasive, motivational, and is willing to do anything for what he believes in is key. For Dr. King, there were three crucial moments in his life that shaped him to become such, and they are: his prison time and letter from Birmingham Jail, his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, and his martyrdom. These not only made him the face and leader of the civil rights movement, but arguably the greatest and most influential leader in history. Bibliography King, Martin Luther Jr. â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. Speech, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968. American Rhetoric. http://www. americanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop. htm King, Martin Luther Jr. â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail. † (letter, Birmingham, Alabama, April 16, 1963. African Studies Center-University of Pennsylvania, http://www. africa. upenn. edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham. html [ 1 ]. Martin Luther King Jr. ,  "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop† (speech, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968), American Rhetoric, http://www. mericanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop. htm [ 2 ]. King Jr. , â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop† (April 3, 1968) [ 3 ]. Martin Luther King Jr. , â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† (letter, Birmingham, Alabama, April 16, 1963), African Studies Center-University of Pennsylvania, http://www. africa. upenn. edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham. html [ 4 ]. Martin Luther King Jr. , â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop† (speech, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968), American Rhetoric, http://www. americanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop. htm

Monday, October 14, 2019

Political Culture And Malaysia

Political Culture And Malaysia Abstract: Pre-1999 studies pictured Malaysia as having a subject political culture. The post-2008 survey data shows Malaysia having a participant political culture and a high level of participation. The 2008 elections which witnessed the emergence of a strong opposition in the parliament reflect the maturity of the Malaysian electorate which augurs well for democracy in the country. Keywords: Malaysian political culture, elections, electoral behaviour, reformasi, democracy The results of the 2008 elections in which the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional (National Front or BN), lost two-thirds majority which it enjoyed, for half a century, to a loosely combined opposition parties, is argued by many to be the extension of the new idiom of politics created in 1998. The electoral change in 2008, according to several electoral studies, augurs well for the democratization of the country.  [1]   Projecting democracy for Malaysia entails an understanding of her political culture. A democratic form of participatory political system requires as well a political culture consistent with it.  [2]  It is sometimes termed the substructure of the state because its underlying values and beliefs influence the operation of all social and political organizations.  [3]  Political culture, derived from a structural-functional model of the political process, is defined as the political attitudes, beliefs, values and skills [within] an entire population, as well as those à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ within separate parts of that population.  [4]  It is the set of values within which a political system operates.  [5]  To Almond and Verba, it is the pattern of orientations to political objects among the members of the nation.  [6]  They divided orientations into cognitive, affective and evaluative dimensions. Cognitive orientation refers to knowledge of and belief about the political sy stem, its roles and the incumbents of these roles, its inputs, and its outputs. Affective orientation is feelings about the political system, its roles, personnel, and performance; while evaluative orientation is the judgments and opinions about political system and usually involves a combination of value standards and criteria with information and feeling. On this basis, Almond and Verba identified three cultural orientations: parochial, subject, and participant.  [7]  Parochialism is characterized by general ignorance about political objects. In subject political culture, citizens possess the requisite political knowledge without the sense that they could be effective political actors. Participant political culture combines knowledge about politics with a willingness to participate in the political process. After a period of some disuse, cultural approaches to understanding politics have experienced a revival in recent years. Scholars in the past did explore the political culture of Malaysia but with limited empirical evidence owing to the paucity of survey research. The contemporary political culture can, however, be analysed by using public opinion surveys conducted in Malaysia in recent years. This study reviews the findings of earlier studies on political culture which were based upon intuitive speculation supported by fragmentary evidence from several highly selective studiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [8]  This is followed by an examination of the existing political culture with the help of data from the survey conducted from 12 to 18 April 2008 in Peninsular Malaysia among 1,027 adult citizens. This random sample was stratified according to state, ethnicity, age and gender of the respondents. The distributions over age, ethnic groups and religions correspond to national figures. The interviews were conducted in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Tamil and English using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview ( CATI) facilities of the International Islamic University Malaysia. Each interview lasted for about 25 minutes, on average. At a confidence level of 95 per cent, the survey results have a statistical precision of  ± 2.8 per cent of what they would be if the interviews were conducted with the entire voting age population residing in peninsular Malaysia. The questionnaire contained 38 items. This paper uses only part of the data (24 items) dealing with cognitive, affective and evaluational orientations and voting in the 2008 elections. The Traditional Political Culture Malaysia, with an area of 127,320 sq miles (329,758 sq km), is a federation of 13 states and 3 federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and the newly created administrative capital for the federal government of Malaysia, Putrajaya. According to July 2009 estimate, Malaysia has a population of 28.31 million.  [9]  Malaysia is a multicultural society, with Malays (54.2 per cent), Chinese (25.3 per cent), Indians (7.5 per cent) and others (13.0 per cent) living side by side in peace. Malays along with the natives of Sabah and Sarawak (Eastern Malaysia), are officially classified as Bumiputra (sons of the soil, or indigenes). The non-bumiputras, consist mainly of the Chinese and the Indians whose large-scale immigration took place in the 19th century with colonization and modernization. Malaysias political culture is significantly impacted by the British colonial administration.  [10]  The British looked upon the Malays as intellectually deficient and lazy. They admired the Chinese for their industry, entrepreneurship and greed; while the Indians were viewed as cheap and compliant labour. Referring to Chinese and Indians, Lucian Pye characterized Malaysian politics as a confrontation of two incompatible cultures with different systems of values and behavioural norms.  [11]  Pye, however, missed out the Indians, perhaps because they are a minority. The Malays are Muslims; they speak Bahasa Malayu and maintain traditional customs and practices. They generally live in rural areas and their relations are based on mutual help, self-respect and the concept of brotherhood in Islam. All these impart a feeling of solidarity among the Malays. Malays refer to Malaysia, particularly Western Malaysia, as Tanah Melayu (the Land of the Malays) and they are very proud of it. Chandra Muzaffar argues that Malay political culture is a complex mix of elements inherited from the feudal tradition, Western values, and Islam.  [12]  Elections and the culture that accompanies it, the product of Western influence, are an integral dimension of Malay and Malaysian political culture. The factors that influence voting patterns are the product, among others, of Malay feudal history characterized by deference to the royalty, uncritical acceptance of state authority and subservience to governmental power. Malaysian political leaders expect and they do rec eive due respect and appropriate electoral support from the Malay electorate. The Malay government is known as kerajaan that refers to the raja who ruled from the pre-colonial courts. Members of parliament and state Legislative Assembly men are referred to as yang berhormat (he who is honoured), and sustain remarkable resiliency in office. The Malay political culture is parochial and passive; they tend to relieve anxieties created by political conflict by avoidance and silence and by repressing emotions in the hope that the problem will go away if matters are smoothed over.  [13]  Islam has also impacted on Malay political attitudes and orientations. Islam brought with it a feudal political culture in the 14th or the beginning of the 15th century and reinforced the feudalism of pre-Islamic Malaysia.  [14]   The Chinese derive their values from Confucian patterns and assumptions. According to Pye, the Chinese concept of power is one of an unambiguous leader or father figure to whom the subordinates dutifully obey. Both the omnipotent leader and his dutiful subordinates are assumed to be Chinese. Complaints of all sorts should be aired and redress sought from authority figures. The idea of a Chinese leader becoming the subordinate of a foreigner is culturally unthinkable. Thus, there is no role for minority leadership in a community dominated by a non-Confucian culture. It effectively means that the Chinese cannot be subservient to the Malay majority leadership. As a result, a large number of Chinese in Malaysia feel that a truly national politics is unattainable for them.  [15]  This makes the Chinese to opt out of the majority system and focus instead on special parochial groupings.  [16]  The Chinese political culture is aggressive; they tend to release anxieties created by pol itical conflict by voicing anguish to somebody and seek sympathy even from bystanders.  [17]   Of the current population, the Chinese are the most heterogeneous. Most of them confess to one or more of the three great religions of mainland China: Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism, and speak Hokkien, Hakka and/or Cantonese. This heterogeneity is reflected in their politics. Unlike the Malays, the Chinese were and are divided in their loyalties. Most of the Chinese supported the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the component of the BN but many also identified with opposition leftist and reformist parties. Yet, the Chinese were relatively far more mobilized socially and politically than the Malays. Living in urban centres and economically better off, the Chinese had easy access to higher education which tended to make them politically better informed. Indians, oftentimes regarded as a minority race, have made significant contributions to the socio-political and economic development of Malaysia. The Indian community is generally found around the urban areas and suburban rubber estates. It is generally believed that most Indians in Malaysia are politically informed and they operate small businesses. Some Indians work as professionals or labourers. They are industrious and entrepreneurial but cherish their values and traditions. Indians are close-knit community and are deeply religious. Many Indians adhere to Hinduism, some of them profess Christianity and Islam. The earlier immigrants had forged strong ties with their homeland without forming a strong bonding with their adopted country. The 1970s and 1980s generation regard Malaysia as their homeland. The Indian community has been perceived as passive and parochial. They did not cause much anxiety to the imperial rulers. They are culturally divided and their cultural diversity may be identified with their ancestors places of origin. They are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India, speaking Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, and some Hindi. In the post-independent Malaysia, the Indians do not form majority of their own in any Malaysian constituency. Hence most of them opted to support the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) which is a component of the ruling Barisan Nasional, in order to gain access to the Barisan system of the ethnic apportionment of political power and material resources. However, a small segment of the Indian community supported opposition. Malaysias multi-ethnicity made it imperative for the elites of each ethnic group to unite in a mutually beneficial fashion. The resultant system is a variant of conosciational democracy in which elections play an important role to fill in the public positions.  [18]  In procedural terms, however, Malaysian political system is considered narrow because it constrains the practice of civil and political rights through restrictions on assembly, the strategic use of detention orders and other legal and emergency powers. Yet, the pioneering survey of political attitudes in Malaysia conducted in November 1994 found majority of 395 respondents, selected randomly, supported limited practice of democracy.  [19]  According to Welsh, Malay respondents overall opposed the expansion of democracy; the minorities, especially the Indian respondents, favoured democracy, while the Chinese respondents were more ambivalent.  [20]  There was some sort of congruence between political culture an d regime type. In the elections held between 1959 and 1995, the ruling coalition, the BN, constantly maintained two-thirds majority of seats in the parliament as shown in Table 1. Table1: Results of Parliamentary Elections, 1959 to 1995 Year Alliance/BN Opposition Parties Total Seats Seats Per cent Seat Per cent 1959 74 51.8 30 48.2 104 1964 89 58.5 15 41.5 104 1969 66 48.4 37 51.6 103 1974 135 60.7 19 39.3 154 1978 131 57.2 24 42.8 154 1982 132 60.5 22 39.5 154 1896 148 57.3 29 41.5 177 1990 127 54.4 53 46.6 180 1995 162 65.1 30 34.8 192 Source: Abdul Rashid Moten and Tunku Mohar Mokhtar, Elections and the Electoral System in Malaysia at 50: Achievements and Aspirations, edited by Syed Arabi Idid (Singapore: Thomson Learning, 2008), 199. State and Society in Transition Political cultures, though often highly stable, are not immutable. They may evolve over time, and may even be profoundly altered in a short span of time. This change may result from the spread of mass education, technological development, globalised discourses of human rights and the like. Voluntary associations and popular movements may help with the formation of new identities.  [21]  In the Malaysian context, the intense economic development programme pursued by the government over the years has led to the transformation of the state, Islamic organizations and civil societies. The political identities of the Malay, Chinese, Indian and other communities have likewise undergone changes.  [22]   The British, during the colonial period, pursued policies that created an imbalance in development between the urban sector involved in tin mining and rubber plantation and the rural sector engaged in small scale agriculture. Post-independent leaders pursued policies that aimed not merely at developing the economy and alleviating poverty but also at narrowing the differential development gap among various groups. The national development policies outlined in the Five Year National Development Plans (NDPs) in the earlier phase concentrated on improving the living standards of the rural society by providing facilities for infrastructure, social services and agricultural development. Since 1971, the government, under what was called the New Economic Policy (NEP), embarked upon a socio-economic restructuring affirmative action programme. The NEP aimed at promoting national unity and a just society by attacking poverty and reducing and eventually eliminating the identity of race with econ omic function.  [23]  In 1990, the post-NEP era began with Vision 2020 which espoused a commitment to forging a Bangsa Malaysia, a united Malaysian nation with a sense of a common and shared destiny under the leadership of Mahathir Mohamad, who served as Prime Minister from 1982 to 2003. That became the basis of the National Development Policy that aimed, among others, to strike an optimum balance between the goals of economic growth and equity.  [24]   Malaysia, under a soft authoritarian regime led by Mahathir Mohamad, made good economic progress, technological development and considerable rural-urban migration.  [25]  However, the growth was accompanied by an element of patronage leading to significant leakages and disproportionate gains to individuals and companies, such as the Renong, Technology Resources, Berjaya and Tanjong groups, associated with UMNO, the dominant party in the BN, the ruling coalition.  [26]  This state-capital nexus in Malaysia is termed party capitalism or money politics. Nevertheless, the economy grew at an average annual rate of 7 per cent during the 1990s. GDP per capita rose from RM 1,090 in 1970 to RM 14,924.3 in 2000. During 1970 to 2000, employment in agriculture shrank from 53.2 per cent to 15.2 per cent while employment in manufacturing increased from 9.0 per cent to 27.6 per cent. Literacy rate for the corresponding period rose from 58.1 per cent to 87.4 per cent. There was also a marked reduction in both rural and urban poverty.  [27]  Between 1981 and 1989, economic growth averaged 5.4 per cent which rose to 8.8 per cent between 1990 and 1996. The middle class expanded from 20 per cent of the working population in 1970 to approximately 45 per cent by 1993.  [28]  The rapid expansion of the middle class is considered as an impetus to liberalization and democratization in Malaysia. It has given rise to a consumer culture and a lifestyle dominated by shopping malls, restaurants, and Western-owned fast-food outlets.  [29]  Interestingly, this new Malay middle class was suffering from alienation presumably because they did not benefit from party capitalism by joining the elite group who enjoyed the state patronage. The growth of the middle class led to the emergence of civil societies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Aliran was established in August 1977 for the reform of Malaysian society guided by universal spiritual and moral values. It launched its publication Aliran Monthly in 1980. SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia, or Voice of the Malaysian People) was established in 1987 to promote freedom of expression, assembly and association. HAKAM (Persatuan Kebangsaan Hak Asasi Manusia or The National Human Rights Soceity) was formed in 1990 to work on human rights issues. Tenaganita (Womens Force) was established in 1991 to promote the rights of women workers and migrant workers. In 1993, some 50 NGOs adopted The Malaysian Human Rights Charter. Evidently, these organizations advocate various social, economic, cultural and political causes, interests, and agendas.  [30]  They have been instrumental in initiating positive changes in various spheres of life. They have helped Malaysians eng age in networking and increase their strength and confidence to solve problems with or without government assistance. Malaysians have learned to form groups, organise meetings and rallies, improve means of communication and gain new knowledge. These associations have been critical of various government policies and voiced their concern in public. Indeed, civil societies became more vocal during the reformasi period.  [31]   Reformasi and the Changes in the Electoral Behaviour In July 1997 money speculators attacked the Malaysian currency which eventually plunged the country into first recession for many years. The financial crisis widened the differences between Prime Minister Mahathir and his ambitious deputy Anwar Ibrahim who was seen as conspiring to overthrow the Prime Minister which became overt in June 1998 at the UMNO party elections in which one of Anwars supporters openly criticised Mahathir for economic mismanagement. The speech came too close on the heels of the Indonesian anti-KKN (kolusi, korupsi dan nepotisme, or collusion, corruption and nepotism) reformasi movement that toppled Suharto in May, a month earlier.  [32]  Mahathir blamed currency speculators especially George Soros for the financial crisis whereas Anwar Ibrahim blamed it upon Mahathirs obsession with unproductive mega projects and nepotism. Mahathir would not seek assistance from the International bodies to overcome the crisis while Anwar was fully committed to adopting res cue package from International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Subsequent expulsion from the party, arrest and imprisonment of Anwar Ibrahim, on charges of misuse of power and immoral conduct, triggered the movement for reform, reformasi, demanding participatory democracy and justice for all.  [33]  The movement drew new actors, namely Malay women, youth and sections of the Malay middle class.  [34]   NGOs and civil societies cooperated and coordinated their anti-government actions. Numerous street demonstrations that followed led to the formation of Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat (Coalition for Peoples Democracy or Gagasan), on 27 September 1998, composed of 18 political parties and organizations. Gagasans 10-point joint declaration demanded freedom of speech and assembly, impartial judiciary and the abolition of detention without trial and the draconian Internal Security Act. There also emerged Gerakan Keadilan Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian Peoples Movement for Justice or Gerak) composed of various Muslim non-governmental organizations but included the opposition political parties like Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Partai Se-Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS). December 1998 saw the emergence of the Pergerakan Keadilan Sosial (Movement for Social Justice or Adil) under the leadership of Anwar Ibrahims wife, Wan Azizah Ismail, which pressed for political, economic and social reform. Adil, in 1999, metamorphosed into the multi-ethnic Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party or keADILan). Subsequently, KeADILan, DAP, PAS and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian Peoples Party, PRM) formed an opposition alliance known as the Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Coalition, BA). Simultaneously, several reformasi-related websites emerged demanding more democratic space, accountability of the rulers and a participatory political system. The first reformasi website, Anwar On-line, was launched on September 1, 1998 and was followed within a few months by over fifty pro-Anwar and pro-reform websites. Well developed professional sites include AIM (Abolish the ISA Movement), Aliran Online, HarakahDaily, Bereita Keadilan, the Free Anwar Campaign, etc. The countrys first commercial on-line newspaper, Malaysiakini, was launched just nine days prior to the general election of 1999. The number of internet users rose from about 500,000 in 1999 to an estimated two million in 2002. The Internet was relatively free from government control and was an important venue for political discourse. The internet has created dense networks linking geographically dispersed activists that constitute themselves into the building blocs for bottom-up democratisation process.  [35]  As society has changed, with demographic shifts reinforced by new information technologies and globalization process, political culture has changed, too, particularly among the younger generation.  [36]  Malaysians became active citizens and took it upon themselves to know, to feel and to evaluate the policies emanating from the political system and to vote accordingly. This is clear from the voting behaviour of the Malaysian electorate in the 10th, 11th and 12th general elections. The tenth elections for parliamentary and state assemblies were held on November 29, 1999 preceded by a nine-day campaign period. The elections saw many non-governmental organizations in the forefront making their voices heard through various mechanisms including the use of internet. The BA contested the November 1999 elections with a joint manifesto: Towards a Just Malaysia free from widespread corruption, abuse of power and crippling poverty. The manifesto promised a strong national economy, enhanced government transparency and accountability, national unity and a genuinely democratic society. They took full advantage of the Internet to disseminate information. The opposition front made startling gains winning 45 out of 193 seats in the national parliament. PAS, the major component of the BA, not only retained the state of Kelantan but it also captured the neighbouring, oil-rich Terengganu. Four Malay cabinet ministers and the chief minister of Terengganu lost in the election. Prim e Minister Mahathirs winning margin in Kubang Pasu constituency in Kedah had shrunk by about 40 per cent from 1995. Most of BN candidates won with slim margins. The eleventh general elections were held on March 21, 2004 in which the BN won unprecedented 62.37 per cent of the votes and 90.4 per cent of seats in Parliament and recaptured Terengganu lost in 1999. This result shows maturity on the part of the Malaysian electorate for three reasons. One, the leadership of BN has changed. Abdullah Badawi who took office on October 31, 2003 was perceived as friendly and a man of the people. His fight against corruption; insistence on public accountability and shift from corporate mega-projects to agro-based, rural projects were well received by the electorate tired of corruption and confrontational politics.Two, the BN adopted the core reformasi demands of accountability, transparency and good governance. Its manifesto described BN as moving Toward Excellence, Glory, and Distinction. Three, the opposition front, BA, that performed well during the 1999 elections could not continue to work as a team. The cordiality between the parties waned and some of them suffered from financial difficulties and mass defections. The opposition parties contested against each other in many constituencies. Under the circumstances, the best bet for the Malaysian electorate was to vote BN. The reforms Abdullah instituted during the following four years did not meet the public expectation. A number of factors contributed to a rising discontent among Malaysians including rising crime, a number of corruption scandals, the weaknesses of the judicial system, and interferences with the appointment of senior judges and increased food and fuel prices. The opposition parties joined hands under the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim and capitalized on the public anger over transparency and accountability. Using alternative media, they highlighted the weaknesses of the government and campaigned effectively in the twelfth elections held on March 8, 2008. The electorate reversed their earlier decision in the 2008 elections denying the ruling coalition its two-thirds majority in parliament and giving the opposition parties control of 5 state assemblies. The reformasi movement is considered by many to be a clear manifestation of a change in Malaysias political culture. They reshaped the configuration of forces and, since then, Malaysian politics has changed. According to Jomo, the reformasi liberated the Malaysian and, in particular, the Malay political discourse.  [37]  Since 1998, writes Francis, a new discourse and practice of participatory democracy has gained ground among Malaysiansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [38]  Meredith Weiss is emphatic: Reformasi marked a shift in Malaysian politics.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Whatever degree of institutional change has so far occurred, Malaysian political culture now leans more toward new politics-characterized by fragmentation of ethnic communities and contesting discourses of ethnicism, participatory democracy, and developmentalismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [39]   Andres Ufen argues that the Malaysian opposition has succeeded in establishing a viable pro-democratic political culture that is hardly destructible through sheer repression.  [40]   The landslide victory achieved by the BN under Abdullah Badawi in 2004 is also a reflection of the maturity of the Malaysian electorate. Citizens voted with the belief that the new government would be responsive to their needs, wants, and purposes which is an ess

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Power and the Group: Meaning and Contex t in The Lottery Essay

Power and the Group: Meaning and Context in The Lottery There is power in any group consensus. As long as the group thinks as a group they gain authority and power over single voice. The group deflects the problems of the individual by diffusing responsibility thoughout its members. Diffusion of responsibility allows the group to think as an entity. Over time, the entity develops a set of mores. Mores within the group are very strong. The group takes on characteristics and functions as if it were possessed of individuals, but because its responsibility is to remain all knowing, all-powerful and obs equious. Claiming responsibility would in effect threaten the entity, so instead the entity threatens the individual that says I am responsibly for myself. Groups cry out, â€Å"it isn’t fair† while the individual cries out â€Å"it isn’t right† so it was for Tessie Hutchinson. Shirley Jackson’s essay, â€Å"The Lottery† is a tale wherein an appointed official conducts a yearly lottery, presumably to ensure good crops and health throughout the village. The head of each family draws a ticket from a lottery box. One family draws the marked ticket. The individual members within the family then draw again, determining the winner. At first it seems surprising that when stripped to i ts essential elements that the story holds the attention of the reader, but because the audience identifies with the details of the town, the villager, even the drawing of lottery tickets, we, like the group process itself, become part of the fiber of the story. The audience takes in stride that Jackson clues us in on a sinister undercurrent by the gather ing of boys who â€Å"made great pile of stones in one corner of the square and gua... ...remains in effect, he can deflect responsibility for poor crops and ill health onto the mystery of an outdated belief system. The reader may think that we are above such beliefs, but consider the tobacco industry’s self-serving lies and how many lives have ben doomed by them. Then ask yourself, how many parents and children sit in courtrooms or mental institutions thinking, â€Å"it isn’t fair, it isn’t right†? Works Cited: Jackson, shirley. â€Å"The Lottey.† The Norton Anthology of Literature By Women. . Ed. Sandra M. Giubar New York: Norton, 1985. 1872-1880. Nebeker, Helen. â€Å"The Lottery†: Symoblic Tour de Force†. American Literatur. Vol. 46. No. 1. [March, 1974] 100-107. Oehschlaeger, Fritz. â€Å"The Stoning of Mistress Hutchinson: Meaning and Context in â€Å"The Lottery†. Essays in Literature. Vol. XV. No. 2 [Fall 1998] 259-265.