Medicare Assignment Essay

Medicare Assignment What is Medicare? What governmental agency administers it? Medicare is a national social insurance program; it is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease known as a permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant. Medicare helps cover different specific medical cost. As a social insurance program, Medicare spreads the financial risk associated with illness across society to protect everyone, and thus somewhat different social role from for-profit private insurers, which manage their risk portfolio by adjusting their pricing according to, perceived risk. Medicare is managed by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), a division of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services which also administers Medicaid. Who is eligible for Medicare? Who is not eligible for Medicare? People who are at age 65 or older qualifies if he or she is A U.S citizen or a permanent legal resident  He/She or their spouse has worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security or railroad retirement benefits – usually having earned 40 credits from about 10 years of work He/She or their spouse is a government employee or retiree who has not paid into Social Security but has paid Medicare payroll taxes while working. Note that He/She can qualify for Medicare on their spouse’s work record if he or she is at least age 62 and he/she is at least age 65. They may also qualify on the work record of a divorced or deceased spouse. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013 people in same sex marriage may qualify on their spouse’s work record if they live in the state where they were wed or in another state that recognizes same-sex marriage, or if they are civilian or military employees of the federal government. People who are under age 65 qualifies if he or she is Have been entitled to Social Security disability benefits for at least 24  months ( which need not be consecutive) Receive a disability pension from the Railroad Retirement Board and meet certain conditions Have Lou Gehrig’s disease ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which qualifies them immediately Have permanent kidney failure requiring regular dialysis or a kidney transplant , and either he/ she or their spouse has paid Social Security taxes for a certain length of time depending on their age. People do not qualify for Medicare if they do not meet the above requirements. How do you apply for Medicare? Check whether he/she qualifies to receive, by verifying whether or not he/she qualify to receive government assistance through its Medicare program. They must be low-income, income is measured against the Federal Poverty Level, for FPL, which changes annually but is currently set $23,550, are pregnant, are elderly (65+) and younger (under 21), are blind or disabled, have no health insurance, guardians of a minor but have restricted sources of income, are SSI eligible. Go to your state of residence’s Medicare website to get more detailed information on state eligibility requirements. Individual state links are posted at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ website. This site also provides a detailed listing of what services are and are not covered under Medicaid. State eligibility sometimes differ. Federal law requires states to cover certain mandatory eligibility groups, but allows them to provide coverage to other population groups. Some states do, other states don’t. This means that state eligibility laws will differ from state to state. Check with your state and learn the eligibility requirements. Many states are expanding coverage, especially for children. Read over the application form in its entirety before inputting your information. Make sure answers are accurate as Medicare fraud is a serious offense that carries equally serious penalties. Schedule a time to meet with a Medicare officer or a social or human services representative if he/she has any questions or concerns about eligibility. Organize all the documents necessary to apply for Medicare. The state will need to verify information on the application by cross-referencing it with certain documents you may be in possession of. In order to do this, you should make  duplicate copies of: 1) birth certificate, social security number or guardianship papers 2) Driver’s license and vehicle registration 3) Proof of residency in the state in which you are applying for 4) Any pay stubs or other proof of income 5) Names of your financial institutions and any bank accounts numbers 6) Real estate deeds 7) Unpaid doctor or health care bills 8) Medicare Benefit Card Consult with an elder lawyer or one who specializes in family law before submitting your Medicare application. This is especially important if the person who is applying for Medicare will be entering a skilled nursing facility. Inquire as to the average turnaround time for reviewing an application. It generally takes 45 days for the state to process an application that does not involve a disability. It can take up to 90 days to process an application associated with a disability. Be sure to follow up on the status of your application if you don’t receive a response within a reasonable time after that. Know that you can combine Medicaid and Medicare coverage if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Renew your eligibility once a year What types of coverage does Medicare provide? What does it not provide? Medicare covers services (like lab tests, surgeries, and doctor visits) and supplies (like wheelchairs and walkers) considered medically necessary to treat a disease or condition. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan or other Medicare plan, you may have different rules, but your plan must give you at least the same coverage as Original Medicare. Some services may only be covered in certain settings or for patients with certain conditions. Part A: Hospital care, Skilled nursing facility care, Nursing home care, Hospice, Home health services Part B covers 2 types of services Medically necessary services: Services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition and that meet accepted standards of medical practice. Preventive services: Health care to prevent illness (like the flu) or detect it at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work best. You pay nothing for most preventive services if you get the services from a health care provider who accepts assignment. Part B covers things like: 1) clinical research 2) ambulance services 3) durable medical  equipment (DME) 4) mental health 5) inpatient 6) outpatient 7) partial hospitalization 8) Getting a second opinion before surgery 9) Limited outpatient prescription drugs What are the â€Å"options† under Medicare (ie. can you pick your own doctor, can you pick your own drug plan? Etc.) In most cases, people can choose their own doctors, other health care provider, hospital, or other facility that’s enrolled in Medicare and is accepting new Medicare patients. However for drug, most prescriptions aren’t covered in Original Medicare but people are given the choice to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Each Medicare Prescription Drug Plan has its own list of covered drugs, many medicare drug plans place drugs into different tiers on their formularies. Drugs in each tier have a different cost. A drug in a lower tier will generally cost less than a drug in a higher tier. Do you have to pay for Medicare benefits? Yes, generally people have to pay for Medicare benefits. Part A usually cost $441 each month if a person is not eligible for premium free. For part B, a person pays a premium each month for Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). Most people will pay the standard premium amount. However, their modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago is above a certain amount, they may an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). IRMAA is an extra charge added to premium. Part B for $ 147 and Premium B for; If your yearly income in 2011 was You pay (in 2013) File individual tax return File joint tax return $85,000 or less $170,000 or less $104.90 above $85,000 up to $107,000 above $170,000 up to $214,000 $146.90 above $107,000 up to $160,000 above $214,000 up to $320,000 $209.80 above $160,000 up to $214,000 above $320,000 up to $428,000 $272.70 above $214,000 above $428,000 $335.70 Are there co-pays associated with Medicare? Yes. In traditional Medicare ( Part A and B) you pay 20% of the Medicare- approved amounts for most Part B services. In Part A, after meeting the deductible you pay nothing more for up to 60 days in the hospital in any one benefit period, but additional days may require daily copays. If you grandpa had severe dementia and needed 24 hour care, but your family wanted to keep him out of the nursing home, would his care be reimbursed through Medicare? Medicare has the choice to not reimburse the cost because it is not under the beneficiaries. Is Medicare working or is it just a broken socialized medicine program that needs to be redone? Why? I think that Medicare should be redone, it has too many processes to it, and it doesn’t make any sense if it’s for society who are poor and old, why do people still need to fork out so much of money per month to keep their Medicare benefits? Also, the paper work needed to apply for Medicare is tedious and not exactly friendly for somebody who is trying to apply for it. How easy was this information to find? How would a person with less education then you navigate this system? The Medicare website was rather easy to find, however the information was not the easiest thing to grasp especially when they have so many terms and conditions and different tiers to it. A person with less education will definitely have difficult time trying to navigate through the system and to get the right paper work done to apply.

Hans Zimmer Essay

This case study will explore the life and works of one of the most prominent and inventive film and music composers of modern times, Hans Zimmer. His extraordinary ability to span an extensively wide range of genres and formats with extreme competence is extremely influential and inspiring. Zimmer is a pioneer in his field, with his use of both electronic and orchestral elements within film scores. Zimmers success in creating the scores for some of the most celebrated films, and his ability to encapsulate in the music the overriding themes, and personalities of the characters in modern day cinema is what makes him so special. I have chosen to write on this subject as it is completely relevant to my interest in the field. This case study includes a discussion of the early life of Hans Zimmer, his entrance into the world of Hollywood composition, his influences and growth as a composer and leads to a more in-depth discussion of the work on his most current films, as well as a brief look at the studio and equipment he uses. Born in Frankfurt, Germany on September 12th 1957 Hans Florian Zimmer is acknowledged as one of the most pioneering, innovative, successful, influential and sought after composers in Hollywood today (IMDB, no date). His interest in music began at a very early age and he began playing the piano at the age of three, although he had little or no formal music education or training throughout his early life (Gillespie, 2001). Despite his lack of training, Zimmer knew he wanted to be a composer by the age of six and this coincided with an important event in the young Zimmer’s life; the death of his father. He is quoted as saying in an interview with CNN Worldbeat; â€Å"My dad died when I was six, that’s when I decided I was going to become really serious about music, because it was my refuge† (CNN Worldbeat cited by IMDB, no date). During his early teens his family moved all over Europe before settling in London when Zimmer was 14 years old. Throughout his childhood his passion for music meant he neglected his schoolwork and as a result was expelled from several different schools (Shelton, no date). After finally finishing school he began his professional music career by composing advertising jingles for Air Edel associates and playing in rock bands (Ankeny, no date). It was during this period that Zimmer found success as a member of The Buggles, an English new wave synthpop group, and had a hit single with ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’. It is said that this worldwide hit helped ‘usher in a new era of global entertainment as the first music video to be shown on MTV’ (IMDB, no date). His talent on the keyboard and synthesisers would continue to be significant throughout his career although this is perhaps the first event that might have suggested at the huge amount of success and appreciation he would go on to enjoy as a composer. Zimmer is known to have favoured the Moog synthesiser when performing and creating music for these groups, a preference that has endured the span of his career. It was also during this period that we see Zimmer first combining the use of computers with live music on stage with other successful groups (Shelton, no date). This combination has been a constant throughout Zimmer’s professional career and his talent in merging the two elements is part of what has earned him the success and appreciation he currently enjoys. The diversity of his talent is also seen in his ability to span genres such as new wave UK punk, as well as Spanish pop music. However, Zimmer would not remain a part of the pop scene for long. He felt inhibited by having to write in just one style of music and felt his creativity was restrained. It was at this time that he first went to work with Stanley Myers who began to teach him about scoring films (Shelton, no date). This partnership would prove to be a collaboration of great orchestral elements combined with the most up to date electronic instrumentation available (Abodos, no date). Zimmers technological fascination in these early years has proved influential in his later and most successful works. Perhaps it is this preoccupation with technology that has kept him at the forefront of composition. It could also be said that the use of both technological and traditional orchestral elements has ensured his popularity with all generations of audiences. It was with Myers that Zimmer co-founded the London based Lillie Yard recording studio (Wikipedia, no date). A demonstration of the combining of the elements mentioned above is showcased in their early works, an example of which is seen in the film ‘Moonlighting’ (1982). The fusion of moody undertones performed with synthesisers and clean orchestral pianos combine to create a dark, unnerving, suspenseful atmosphere in keeping with the films subject and the emotions portrayed by the characters. His talent for creating music spanning the genres of different films is also seen in this early collaboration with Myers. Further examples of this are his compositions for films such as ‘Success is the Best Revenge’ (1984) which is a drama and the films ‘Insignificance’ (1985) and the acclaimed ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ (1985) which have comedic elements and demand that a completely different atmosphere is created. For example, ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ features a much more upbeat electronic production with less orchestral elements as the subject matter of the film requires. From 1982 – 1987 Zimmer worked collaboratively on productions. It was not until the film ‘Terminal Exposure’ (1987) that Zimmer would produce his first solo-score (Wikipedia, no date), based heavily on electronic production encapsulating the 80’s pop culture era. His next collaboration with David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto would lead to his first taste of Academy Award success – winning the Oscar for Best Original Score with the picture ‘The Last Emperor’ (1987). The theme tune of which combines influences from both traditional Western and Eastern cultures, again allowing him to experience new found inspiration for his future creations. At this time he also created one of his most durable works for the UK television game show ‘Going for Gold’, about which he was quoted in an interview with the BBC as saying ‘[it] was a lot of fun. It’s the sort of stuff you do when you don’t have a career yet’ (BBC, 2008). This demonstrated his levelheadedness despite his new found success. This is also another example of how Zimmer was able to span the genres of music composition whilst enjoying his work, which arguably has been crucial to his success. The next film score composed by Zimmer was the small budget movie ‘A World Apart’ (1988) about apartheid South Africa (Shelton, no date). This was his first excursion into composition for a movie set in Africa, perhaps leading to his continuing interest in this area (seen in his work on the later films ‘The Power of One’ (1992) and ‘The Lion King’ (1994)). The soundtrack to ‘A World Apart’ featured traditional African instruments such as African drums and shakers giving the soundtrack an authentic feel. At the same time, these are combined with powerful synthetic strings which strike emotion and also bring in a Western element, which mirrors the films subject. 4 – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 The success of this soundtrack led to Zimmer’s involvement in the critically acclaimed film ‘The Rain Man’ (1988) after the Hollywood director Barry Levinson’s wife introduced him to Zimmer’s work (Wikipedia, no date). Zimmer would follow an individual process when composing; â€Å"It was a road movie, and road movies usually have jangly guitars or a bunch of strings. I kept thinking don’t be bigger than the characters. Try to keep it contained. The Raymond character doesn’t actually know where he is. He might as well be on Mars. So, why don’t we just invent our own world music, for a world that doesn’t really exist? † (Zimmer cited by Young, 2008). This allowed for the score to contain escapist, other-worldly elements reflecting the character played by Dustin Hoffman. The Rain Man’ (1988) was Zimmer’s first venture into Hollywood. The soundtrack was created by the use of a lot of digital synthesis from the Fairlight CMI which was able to do sampling as well as additive synthesis where Zimmer was able to draw his own wave forms. In 1989 the score was nominated for an Academy Award and won Best Picture (Shelton, no date). His success would only contin ue. He was approached by the director of ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ (1989) the score of which consisted mainly of synthesisers and samplers. The Roland MKS-20 synthesiser was used for piano sounds about which Zimmer jokingly quoted â€Å"It didn’t sound anything like a piano, but it behaved like a piano† (Zimmer cited by Wherry, 2002) showing the unpredictable nature of digital synthesis. Within the same month as ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ Zimmer also created the score for the film ‘Black Rain’ (1989). In involving himself with both these films which were of entirely different genres he felt that Hollywood would not be able to typecast him (Young, 2008). This is further evidence of Hans Zimmer’s drive to think outside of the box, never wanting to be constrained or restricted to create just one type of music. His broad horizons were demonstrated further in 1992 with the film ‘The Power of One’ where Zimmer expressed his thirst for gaining authentic samples and knowledge of different musical cultures by travelling to Africa and sampling indigenous choirs and traditional drums. He gained a police-record whilst in the country for his work on the film for being labelled as subversive (Wikipedia, no date). It was ‘Power of One’ that led to his first expedition into the world of animation with the 1994 film ‘The Lion King’ which followed the African theme. Zimmer originally created 48 different theme tunes for ‘The Lion King’ (1994) before he was happy with the outcome (Hans-Zimmer. com, no date, a), displaying his meticulous nature. It can be said that this contributed to the film’s success and it went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Score and Golden Globe awards (Ankeny, no date). The African drum and choir samples used in ‘Circle of Life’ (the theme tune for the film) convey authenticity, whilst the use of a Western vocalist meant that a Western audience could still identify with the track. This maintained its resonance with the films main demographic, and the score was later adapted into a Broadway musical. After years of orchestral development Zimmer went back to his roots of synthesis with the Grammy Award winning film ‘Crimson Tide’ in 1995. However, his success post-Lion King meant that the celebrity lifestyle was in danger of catching up with him and his first attempts at the composition for ‘Crimson Tide’ were described by its directors as ‘crap’ and ‘rubbish’ and Zimmer is quoted as saying that â€Å"reality came back really fast for him† (Zimmer cited by Young, 2008). In the following years Zimmer went on to work on the scores for many more successful films. It was in the 2000’s, however, with the postmodern preoccupation with film that he became involved with even higher budgeted Hollywood Blockbusters. The following discussions of his works will describe 5 – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 in depth how Zimmer’s creative processes lead to an extremely effective way of making sound for movies. The first of these discussions will focus on the film ‘Gladiator’ (2000). It is important to note Zimmer’s preoccupation with imagery and how the sound will translate on screen. It can be said that rather than dictate with music, Zimmer will take elements from the scenes, the characters and aesthetics of the film to set up the tone. An example of this is seen in what is arguably the most iconic scene of the movie, set in a wheat field, which is extremely poetic. Zimmer argues that the music gives the artistic license to be so poetic (hans-zimmer. com, no date, a). He talks about the collaboration with the artist Lisa Gerrard on this scene, and describes this relationship as a meeting of minds, finding her to be a ‘true’ artist. This collaboration is clearly effective in evoking emotion as the guttural vocals by Gerrard coincide beautifully with the imagery. Whilst watching the movie, it is found that the same piece of theme music is used in different places and in scenes that are worlds apart in terms of emotion. Zimmer’s ability to create polarity with one piece of music clearly displays his strategic ability to place the music effectively. For example, one piece of music is used in a scene where two people kiss as well as just before a battle scene. In the former, the effect is one of tenderness and romance, whilst in the latter tension and violence is alluded to. A further example of this is how the use of music conveys the humble theme of the movie (the personal life of the character) while at the same time can be turned into thousands of different emotions. (hanszimmer. com, no date, a) Additionally, the tone of the music clearly changes as the film moves around geographically in order to represent the location. For example, the battle scene set in Germania consists of sustained, powerful strings and other skewed instruments which create a frantic and tense scene as well as authentically representing the location. Furthermore, for the scenes set in Morocco the sound is generally more tribal, dirty and gritty giving the sound in the movie a bigger range and representing the change in locations effectively (hans-zimmer. com, no date, a). The composition throughout the entire movie is mainly orchestral and this has the effect of transporting the viewer to the appropriate period of time in history that the film represents. All of this amalgamates to an all-round epic and large scale experience which is at the heart of the Gladiator’s subject matter. Another interesting aspect of Hans Zimmer’s work is to see how he portrayed one of the most iconic villains in modern day films in the Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008). From the outset it seems that rather than create a happy, indulgent score, Zimmer wanted to create something hateful and provocative, something that the viewer could invest in. The Joker is the focal point of the film and represents a change from its predecessor, ‘Batman Begins’ (2005). In order to convey the significance of the character the sound that accompanies him on screen displays the anarchy, mayhem and insanity inherent to the Joker’s eccentric personality. youtube. com, no date). In an interview on the making of the film, Zimmer describes his attempts at depicting the tone of the character through the use of razor blades on barbed wire and incessant tapping on tables and floors, but he eventually came to the extremely successful technique of playing two notes on a cello at the same time, which juxtapose beautifully. This gives the effect of a taught string that gets tighter and tighter but never breaks, paralleling the Jokers spiralling descent into madness. Also, the note of the cello slowly but consistently rises in order to draw the viewer in as the character also does on screen. This extraordinary quiet, high-pitched sound which creates rising tension appears to have a 6 – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 slightly anxious and uneasy quality which syncs perfectly with the character and the viewer’s perception of him. To accompany the sound of the cello, and add to the ever-growing tension two heavily distorted guitars, almost unrecognisable as the original instrument, are played with pieces of metal, with the result of creating a completely anarchistic atmosphere. These effects are heavily processed with the use of distortion to create a more surreal experience, detached from reality. These techniques fuse together to form a rich and complex tapestry of emotion, the audial and the visual aspects are combined in a way that portrays harmony as well as contrast. (youtube. com, no date). The final movie that will be discussed in depth is ‘Inception’ (2010). In the New York Times Zimmer describes his own understanding of the films subject as being about time and its slowing down, and speeding up. The Edith Piaf track ‘Je ne regrette rien’ is used as part of the film to signify a kick to another reality. However, Zimmer has taken its use to a deeper level â€Å"all the music in the score is subdivisions and multiplications of the Edith Piaf track† (Zimmer cited by Itzkoff, 2010) representing his perception of the film as being based around time and its manipulation. In the same way Zimmer manipulates the Piaf track by using a single beat and slowing it down dramatically in order to create the trademark foghorn sound that the movie is well known for (Itzkoff, 2010). The momentum of the film is defined by the structure of the score that accompanies it. The intensity of the film gradually snowballs, becoming more and more surreal and penetrating. At the same time the music increases in intensity and level of depth as the film explores the different levels of the human mind. In an interview with Hans Zimmer (hans-zimmer. com, no date) he describes making electronic sounds from scratch on the custom moog rack in his studio, as well as using software synths such as U-he Zebra. In order to create the sounds he wanted he would play the synthetic sounds to his bespoke orchestra which consists of; six bass trombones, six tenor trombones, four tubas and six French horns in order for them to imitate the sounds. Combinations of the two create a euphoric and emotive atmosphere where deep and unsettling synthetic and orchestral sounds accompany and synchronise with a powerful and grand visual experience. Whilst Zimmer has admitted ‘The Dark Knight’ was heavy in its use of electronic sounds in ‘Inception’ this is pushed even further. In order to gain a further insight into what Hans Zimmer is influenced by, it is important to consider the setting in which he creates his momentous scores. His home studio in Santa Monica, USA is extremely gothic in its decor and can be perceived as having an overwhelmingly dark and eerie vibe – somewhat consistent with a large amount of his compositions. This can be seen in the pictures below. (Pictures sourced from www. stuckincustoms. com) In picture one, we see that muted decadence is incorporated with the feeling of comfort. It is hard to imagine that influence would not be drawn from these surroundings. – Word Count: 3459 Student no. 15735 The second picture, displays the core of the hardware at Zimmers disposal. Whilst it is hard to make out the various components, some are identifiable; his Quested monitors (5. 1 surround sound set up), his Doepfer LMK4+ midi-keyboard, and two analogue synthesisers which are mounted on the back wall – one of which is a custom Moog rack (as mentioned above) and a custom Roland rack, as well as two custom HP touch sensitive LCD screen monitors connected to his DAW (Steinberg Cubase as his main sequencer and Pro Tools for his final mix) (hans-zimmer. om, no date, b). The picture on the right shows a large amount of Pro Tools systems and a patch bay as well as various other hardware devices. He also has a custom built Bosendorfer grand piano. It is also worth mentioning the software used by Zimmer which as well as the DAW’s described above include various VST’s such as; Omnisphere, U-he Zebra, Atmosphere and thousands and thousands of sample banks. (hanszimmer. com, no date, b) Hans Zimmer enjoys an astonishing career with some incredible a ccomplishments, despite the fact that he has had no formal training. His passion is maintained and can be seen in both the way he talks about the composition process as well as the finished product that is heard on screen. Perhaps, it can be said that in his work he is still battling his inner turmoil at the death of his father as a young boy; â€Å"[composing] was my way of calming the demons in me or at the same time sometimes letting them roar, letting them rip, letting the monster out and seeing that it wasn’t so scary being able to look it in the eye. † (CNN Worldbeat cited by IMDB, no date). It is argued here that in his work Zimmer forces his audience to confront the demons on screen whilst creating an opportunity for escapism which is what cinema represents. His productions are both seamless and effortless whilst at the same remaining extraordinarily powerful and commanding. As a relatively young composer and with some of the biggest and long-awaited Hollywood blockbusters ever to be produced in the pipeline, such as the sequel to ‘The Dark Knight’; ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, his success can only intensify with time.

Business plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Business plan - Essay Example The gaming room will have approximately fifty computers for the gamers, as well as play stations while they can also have refreshments, although high alcoholic drinks will not be served at the counter. This is because the equipment at the bar is sensitive and drunken gamers could destroy them. In addition, the bar will also provide game discs, consoles, and information at reasonable prices, which, together with the excellent service that will be provided, will be the core point for the bar. The staff at the bar will be expected to be gaming enthusiasts, and they will be trained by professional players in order to offer better service. Game heaven expects to have its own website for promotional activities where clients can interact and set up games. Industry Analysis The idea for starting Game Heaven came from the fact that more and more individuals who want to play the battle arena video games. However, despite the increasing interest in this game, there are no battle arena video gam e and sports bars, around the Birmingham area. Game Heaven is going to have to serve several sectors of the market. In the sports and gaming bar industry, it is important to have a family atmosphere where the gamers feel part of an exclusive group (Rail, 2011: p300). In addition, it will serve several uses, such as watching big games, gaming tournaments, and personal gaming time. The bar also plans to begin offering light food, although the dining areas will be separated from the â€Å"family† by a wall. However, wherever one sits, there will be a big screen TV showing games, whether cricket, football, or rugby, especially since the plan involves having multiple screens in these areas. The business will face regulatory issues, especially with regards to employee wages, liquor licenses for the big matches, local ordinances, building permits, and others that could be of effect to the business (Rail, 2011: p301). Objectives Management at Game Heaven is confident that it has the ability to replicate its success with the plain Sports bar concept into an e-sports bar concept. It has established several objectives: Have at least two stores operational by the end of the second year Sales of approximately ?150,000 in its initial year A net profit margin of 35% Net profit margins of approximately 14% Maintain a tight control on operations, as well as costs, by hiring quality staff, while also making use of automated control Keep beverage costs under 30% Select additional locations on the basis of meeting success parameters Grow the location to a ?1 to ?2 million yearly business. Mission Game Heaven UK will strive to become the premier e-sports themed bar in the Birmingham area. Our goal is to stay ahead of competitors, as well as allowing clients to enjoy their leisure time the best way we can. In addition, the bar will provide more computers and more screens showing more matches than all other sports bars in the Birmingham area. Game Heaven UK provides audio con trol, which is state-of-the-art at all computer and play stations, as well as in TV areas that allow the customer enjoy their gaming and watching experience without background noise interference. Through a combination of atmosphere, quality service, ambiance, and menu selection, to create a valuable and excellent entertainment experience. Keys to Success In order to achieve Game Heaven UK’s goals, the bar will seek to: Give quality service

Personal Philosophy of Teaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Philosophy of Teaching - Essay Example Such learner-centred approach is based on active and reflective learning which is also founded on the learner’s motivation to learn. This type of learning however, needs the participation and assistance of clinician-educators working with the learners as facilitators. This paper shall discuss my personal philosophy of teaching psychiatry to junior doctors in the psychiatric work place. It will also demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles underpinning the structure of learning and supervision in the medical workplace. This essay will also articulate and justify my personal philosophy of teaching and identify potential future needs and opportunities for engagement with continuing professional development. Body In teaching psychiatry to junior doctors, I applied the student-centred approach, more specifically, the case-based learning approach. Case-based learning is a valuable tool in medicine because it involves the application of theories and skills which are eventually meant to secure important tools for the learner (Kolodner, Hmelo, and Narayanan, 2003). Case-based learning is founded on the principle of clinical cognition which, in general, seeks to assess cases and establish applicable processes for their resolution (Elstein and Schwarz, 2002). John Dewey describes the theory of clinical cognition by explaining that experiences are often critical elements which impact on the overall quality of learning and that teachers have a responsibility to ensure optimal experiences in its applications (Kassirer, 2010). In effect, he further posits that teaching experiences â€Å"should arouse curiosity, enhance personal initiative, and allow free expression of learners’ ideas† (Kassirer, 2010, p. 1118). The knowledge which a student has learned through experience in any situation therefore becomes the tool in understanding and managing other situations which may follow. I used this case-based learning because through this method, I was able to guide the junior doctors into establishing a vivid picture of their patient, to have a more tactile experience of the patient’s case, and to enable comparisons of abnormal and normal psychiatric processes. A discussion by Halbreich (1994) established that part of the processes involved in teaching psychiatry to general practitioners is based on the establishment of a curriculum which is built on the needs of the GPs. The case-based and the problem-based techniques help designate the personal skills which need to be evaluated, the knowledge of symptoms, the differential diagnosis, as well as the management tools which they can apply (Halbreich, 1994). In effect, the learning process founded on the case-based approach involves the process of teaching GPs about the essential symptoms involving psychiatric affectations (Coderre, et.al., 2003). As the learners would have a more personal evaluation of various patient cases, they are also able to establish appropriate management interventions for these cases. I found that the process of teaching junior doctors about the medical management of psychosis in wards can be adequately carried out with the application of the case-based learning. Policy and practice protocols in medical management among psychiatric patients, involves the usual elements including, history-taking, reasons for consult, prioritisation of patient needs, assessment, identification of need for specialist consult, health plan/interventions (Bowen, 2006). Case-based

Front end of General Motors company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Front end of General Motors company - Case Study Example The tools used in the analysis include dominant economic features, driving force analysis, strategic group map, PESTLE and competitive analysis framework. The main issue under discussion is on product reliability based on the products and consumer perception. The company has issues with quality assurance and lack of quality control system. According to the consumer reports of 2009, there were numerous recalls of GM products due to reliability. Therefore, the paper comes up with three alternatives to curb the issue on reliability. The first alternative to curb the issue is coming up with an automated checking mechanism that will check any product’s defect. The alternative is important because it will ensure that no defects goes unchecked (General Motors, 1980). Some of the defects that the automation process will check includes faults with seat belts, brakes, and other important areas. On the other hand, the alternative though helpful is very expensive and requires a lot of structures and capital to put up. Another alternative to curb the issues on quality control is that the company need to set up certified auditors who will carry out random and frequent check up on the company’s product. The auditor need to come up with routine reports on the manufacturing process and the equipment used during the process. The advantage of this alternative is that the company will make sure that their quality control systems are up to date and efficient. One of the cons of this alternative is that there are tendencies that the company might ignore the reports and recommendations from the certified auditor. Citing claims that the recommendations are expensive to implement (General Motors, 1981). The third alternative to curb the issue is recalling all the vehicles that have default issues. Recalling the vehicle will ensure that the company beefs up quality control issues. Recalling the vehicle will give the

The effects of fluency, vocabulary, and language development on Research Paper

The effects of fluency, vocabulary, and language development on comprehension - Research Paper Example In addition, different factors such as phonemic awareness, alphabetic understanding, fluency, genre consideration, vocabulary and language development affects comprehension. Effects of fluency on comprehension Fluency refers to the speed, accuracy and expressions that an individual applies while reading a text. It also involves the application of varied skills while reading a text. It is vital to conduct an accurate assessment that will analyze readers’ speed, accuracy and expression. Fluency is fundamental in literature because it influences comprehension. Lack of fluency affects an individual’s performance because an individual usually applies cognitive skills while trying to identify words. It also influences students’ comprehension because when the material and volume of work in school increases, the students who are not fluent face many barriers when trying to keep up with schoolwork (Nagy, 2008). Students who are not fluent also have trouble comprehending t exts. Furthermore, they usually shun oral and silent reading because they do not want to fail. This affects their comprehension. Fluency is vital in comprehension because it connects with decoding and reading of comprehension. Therefore, fluency acts as a connector between decoding and comprehension; furthermore, it highlights the capability of an individual to decode varied words from a given text. If an individual moves quickly and accurately through the words in a given text, then the individual’s decoding skills are perfect. This implies that the person can comprehend the text easily. Finally, it is important for students to practice fluency in their reading because it enables them to increase their reading speed and comprehension skills; thus, improving their performances (Nagy, 2008). Effects of vocabulary on comprehension Vocabulary refers to the study of different concepts including the meaning of words as each word has a different meaning. It also determines the appl ication of the words, the root words, analogies, prefixes and suffixes. There is a very strong relationship between vocabulary and comprehension (Wagner, Andrea & Kendra, 2007). This is because; vocabulary acts as a predictor of reading capabilities of an individual. An individual who is knowledgeable about vocabulary has an advantage when it comes to comprehension (Wagner, Andrea & Kendra, 2007). Vocabulary knowledge is also essential to students because it helps them in decoding, which facilitates comprehension. In addition, vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to learners because it allows them to comprehend their first and second language. This is because students with less information concerning vocabulary are unable to comprehend the given texts. Inadequate knowledge on the vocabulary affects the performance of students in their test passage and questions because they encounter problems while trying to comprehend the texts. Therefore, it is important for students to vocabulary because it helps them in determining the meaning of varied words; thus, increasing their comprehension level. Vocabulary is important to children because its absence leads to comprehension problems especially when they find new words in a given text. Therefore, knowledge on vocabulary is beneficial as it helps a

THE ORGANIZATION Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

THE ORGANIZATION - Coursework Example In this case study, the father son duo have diametrically opposite leadership styles, wherein the father ‘Peter’ believes in an extremely friendly business environment marked by ‘Participative’ leadership, the son ‘Joseph’ is seen to portray the typical character of an ‘Autocratic’ leader. It is stated that Peter is a man of charisma and has a dynamic personality; some scholars like Rowe and Guerrero argue that charisma is a necessary condition for leadership (Rowe and Guerrero, 2011, 260). A charismatic leader can ensure that the workforce will follow in his footsteps, and consider him to be right, instead of doubting in the effectiveness of the leader. With such personality traits Peter could have chosen to be an autocratic leader who leads from the front and gives orders, such that they would be followed since the staff believes in him and is devoted and Peter trusts them. However, he chose to be a democratic leader or in other w ords, a participative leader (Appel and Schmid, 2003, 22). The name itself suggests that the characteristics of such a leader do not revolve around strictness and authoritative rule, but allows for participation and a democratic way of decision making. On the other polar side is the leadership style adapted by the ‘bright’ but not ‘brilliant’ Joseph. He is categorized as having adapted the authoritative or autocratic leadership style which is recognized as being a one man show, since the leader does not allow for participation in decision making, delegation of duties is not carried out, there is lack of trust of the leader in the staff and vice versa, thus the opposite of democratic leadership. Leadership is cited as one of the crucial reasons behind the decision of managerial staff to leave a job (Hogan, 2007, 38), thus the fact that under Peter’s leadership almost all employees have been retained by the organization for at least 10 years is a subst antial proof of his effective leadership, and that he is welcomed by his staff. When this factor is considered for Joseph’s leadership, it was observed that the employees were not happy, which can be figured out from the statement by Mr. Spike who told Joseph that he ‘just couldn’t work in this climate’, hence showing that employee turnover would be high as even the most loyal and senior manager wants to quit the job under Joseph’s leadership. Furthermore, Peter does not practice a laissez-faire leadership style or a rigid leadership style, since his delegation of duty and decision making is coupled with regular inspections of the efficiency and quality of work and the organization on the whole. He believes in motivation through praise, and thus has made it a regular practice to praise good work, and simultaneously pointing out flaws and inefficiency in any work done by the staff, but since he is so accommodating and open to his staff, it automatica lly leads to a welcoming response and the staff does not mind if he points out flaws, but on the contrary regards his comments as constructive criticism. While, on the other side, autocratic leaders such as Joseph, believe in meeting rigid targets, and do not allow for any suggestions, it is their personal style of motivation, however apart from the positive aspect of speeding up the process, it

Archetypal and mythic patterns in the Titanic Movie Review

Archetypal and mythic patterns in the Titanic - Movie Review Example The Titanic was released in 1997 and became one of the most celebrated motion pictures to have been made. It was honored with four Golden Globe awards besides the Producer Guild of America Award and Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director being prominent amongst countless more nominations and awards.This paper shall highlight the archetypal and mythic patterns in the movie that contributed to the exponential success that the movie attained (.The titanic constituted of a lengthy cast which comprised of actors and actresses playing the characters of fictional characters on the ship as well as a few who represented the real people who were present on the ship. Notable leads in the cast included Leonardo Di Caprio as a fictional character who is a penniless man with nothing to lose and lives life as it comes forth, Kate Winslet as a fictional character who a young girl belonging to the upper class and has the fervor to break free of the hassles of a rich life but lacks the courage to d o so, Billy Zane as fianc to Kate Winslet's character, Frances Fisher as Kate Winslet's character's widowed mother, Victor Garber as Thomas Andrews Junior who was in reality present on the ship when it sailed and was the ship's builder, as well as Gloria Stuart, Bernard Hill and Bill Paxton playing fictional characters as well. However, it was the fact of knowing that a few of the members of the cast had actually once existed and had been involved in the actions shown in the movie that was the reason for the continuous attention that the movie captured.

Reading assignemn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading assignemn - Essay Example Mahmud thus is against America’s pretence of being secular and impartial toward religion but it’s in fact so much involved in religious and politics already. Mahmud regards America’s involvement in religious politics, its support of Israel and for â€Å"enemies of Islam† such as Egypt, is not the result of Christianity. Rather it was due to America’s ideology of secularism which Mahmud regards as hostility toward religion, especially Islam. Religion is deeply involved and in fact it is firmly entrenched in this whole issue. 2. Rantisi claims that Hamas is in a state of war simply because of Israel’s stance toward Palestine-especially toward Hamas concept of an Islamic Palestine. Thus Israel wants to destroy Islamic nationalism. Rantisi explains that the bombings are a moral lesson and the actions of self-martyrs are understandable and simply responses to the oppression brought about by the Israelis. Unlike other movements, Hamas was purely founded on religious principles. Muslims can legitimately use violence while responding to attacks and other forms of violence from the Israeli side, acts that frequently affect innocent civilians. In this sense they are defensive since they are victims in this struggle and not the cause of it. 3. Some of the modern Islamic justifications for the use of violence claim that in case of aggression, or usurping of a Muslim land, they must call for hitting the attacker and the aggressor to end the aggression. Killing of an enemy of Islam is also justified. Use of force is also consistent with Islamic principles and Khomeini of Iran claims that he knows of no command more binding to the Muslim than the command to sacrifice life and property to defend and bolster Islam. There are some Islamic tenets that condone struggle and the use of force. There are therefore some Muslim principles that justify killing as in the defense of

Volunteer Work Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Volunteer Work Experience - Essay Example When I was a young teenager, my mother would let me conduct simple bookkeeping, perform inventory counts, and supervise the workers while she was away. Working alongside my mother made me realize that my vision of becoming a competent entrepreneur was attainable. My mother’s theory that economics and accounting were the governing languages of business was not only reflected in her business decisions, but also evident in her daily conducts. It was as if her every motion and speech had been calculated for the highest accuracy and efficiency. Her ability to handle tough situations with poise coupled with an undeniable attention to details made her an exceptional businessperson. She was able to keep the family above waters even when my father's ventures failed. Whether mom was trying to maintain her little textile shop or tending to her catering business, she always managed to keep an optimistic outlook despite countless missed opportunities and unfruitful investments. Every week, she would gather donations and organize trips to local orphanages. Her intelligence and selfless altruism strengthened my aspirations to soar as a successful businesswoman and break free from society’s patriarchal expectations. My achievements function as a medium from which I could give back to the community. In the summer of 2010, I felt extremely defeated when my hopes of scoring an internship with the auditing firm Ernst & Young Jakarta was crushed. However, my disappointment left me searching for other opportunities that would allow me to accomplish something in the business world. When my 17-year-old boyfriend came up with a spontaneous idea to build a small Internet business in the underdeveloped area of West Jakarta, I impulsively agreed to be his bookkeeper.

Is Solitary Confinement Torture Essay Example for Free

Is Solitary Confinement Torture Essay Solitary Confinement is the act of placing a prisoner in a small cell, usually the size of your average bathroom, for up to 23 hours a day with one hour reserved for physical activity. The only contact the prisoner is allowed to have with the outside world is through letters. It sounds horrible, but is it torture? To answer this we have to define and set up criteria for something to be considered â€Å"torture†. I have created such a definition and criteria and have decided that for something to be considered torture it must (a) cause some sort of physical or mental pain or discomfort, and (b) must have some sort of lasting effect upon the victim. Solitary confinement is torture because it causes mental anguish and often leaves prisoners with mental illness and other mental problems that stay with them long after their prison term is over. First we have to see if solitary confinement does in fact cause some sort of physical or mental pain or discomfort. According to a Dr. Stuart Grassian, there is a specific syndrome that is persistent among solitary confinement inmates with very real and very dramatic effects. Hyperresponsivity to external stimuli, meaning the inmate becomes increasingly sensitive to sounds, movements, etc. is one of the symptoms. You get sensitive to noise the plumbing system. Someone in the tier above me pushes the button on the faucet. Its too loud, gets on your nerves. I cant stand it. I start to holler. (qtd. in Grassian 3). Other symptoms include perceptual distortions, illusions and hallucinations, panic attacks, difficulties with thinking, concentration and memory, intrusive obsessional thoughts, overt paranoia, and problems with impulse control. Grassian 3-4) If solitary confinement truly was torture, it would also need to have some sort of lasting effect on the victims. Since solitary confinement does not cause physical harm, there are no long term physical effects. However, solitary confinement causes severe psychological anguish, and results in long term effects. The studying of P. O. W. camp veterans shows that the short term effects of the Delirium-like state regress with time, but long term effects begin to surface and become noticeable. Dr.  Stuart Grassian says about long term effects of solitary confinement that â€Å"These not only include persistent symptoms of post traumatic stress (such as flashbacks, chronic hyper vigilance, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness), but also lasting personality changes especially including a continuing pattern of intolerance of social interaction, leaving the individual socially impoverished and withdrawn, subtly angry and fearful when forced into social interaction. † (13) He found an identical pattern of change in inmates that went through long periods of solitary confinement years ago (Grassian 13). For something to be considered torture it has to meet two criteria. It must (a) cause some sort of physical or mental pain or discomfort, and (b) must have some sort of lasting effect upon the victim. Solitary confinement clearly causes mental pain and discomfort. The psychological effects are so severe that they even cause inmates to physically mutilate themselves without even being aware of their actions or being able to control themselves. I cut my wrists many times in isolation. Now it seems crazy. But every time I did it, I wasnt thinking lost control cut myself without knowing what I was doing. (qtd. in Grassian 4). Solitary confinement meets the first part of the criteria in that it causes mental pain and also indirectly causes physical pain. Solitary confinement also has a lasting effect on the victim. Since solitary confinement meets the criteria for something to be considered torture, it is, in fact, torture. The Unites States constitution protects from cruel and unusual punishment, but solitary confinement is a practice implemented in prisons every day. Since it is torture, and undoubtedly cruel and unusual punishment, it should be stopped. There are more constructive and humane ways to discipline criminals no matter how severe their crime than solitary confinement. If out prison systems have to resort to torturing its prisoners and calling it discipline then there’s a problem. The prison systems in the United States are in serious need or a reform, and outlawing solitary confinement is the first step that needs to be taken.

Business Ethics And The Fast Food Industry

Business Ethics And The Fast Food Industry Ethics is the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group. It is the study of morality. This paper is research based on ethnographic study conducted in one of the outlets of Burger King an American based fast food company with over 12000 outlets across 73 countries. This paper includes observations that were made in one of its outlets, interviewing some of its employees, and also includes inputs given by some chosen customers. Once all these recordings were made, the aim was to relate our findings to identify if this company is ethical in its practices. I visited Burger King Outlet in M. L Hampstead, which was pretty spacious, with about sixty seating capacity. Out of which forty were lower seats, 10 high chairs and the also had some 10 chairs specially meant for kids. Considering the crowd it seems to be enough seating facility, but during peak hours that is between twelve to three in the noon its bit difficult to get seats. Nether There neither is a specific smoking zone inside the burger king nor is it allowed in burger king. The shop is handicap friendly all the parts of store are wheel chair accessible, the doors can be opened pressing the button sitting on a wheel chair. Toilets specially meant for handicaps are facilitated. They have toy cars in which children can sit and play, it is a special attraction for children. parents bring children because of this reason. It costs fifty pens for ten mins ride. They also give free toy pack with kids meal which cost 2.99 pounds. They dont have any discount like student discount or any other discount targeting specific section of customers but they have offers like buy one get one free which is applicable for any sandwiches, expect sandwiches its not applicable to any other items . I found that many people asking for specific type of burger called whopper burger which coast 3.79 pounds. Other than this more customers opted fizzy drinks these two items seems to be very famous with burger king. I also noticed that only few people opted for take away like 20% but maximum about 80% of customers opted to eat in. one more thing I observed that from 12 to 3 in noon it is peak hours and for every ten minutes we can expect 30 to 40 costumers .so at that time six service staff were attending customers in the front desk but on other times in off pick hours there will be around 15 to 20 customers in a span of 10 minutes , so there will be 3 to 4 service staff in front. I interacted with staff and tried to collect some data. They were very friendly and cooperative and were generous to give following information They told that, there were 30 people working in that particular burger king .out of that 24 were male 16 female .In that 6 of 24 male staff were designated as shift mangers, 3 out of 6 female staff were also shift managers and there was only one branch manager. Expect this 10 members all other were service staff and they were paid 5.80 pounds per hour and shift managers were paid 6.20 pounds per hour and branch manager was paid a fixed monthly salary. They were allowed to take 40 days of paid sick leave others than this they didnt had any special comforts or benefits, and employees were given permission to have food worth 50 pens per hour. And they were paid 50 percent extra salary when they work during bank holidays and festival holidays . The staff was really diverse which include people from all ethnicity, out of which 10 were student working part time and remaining were working full time. They said they prepare a burger within 30 sec n they dont take more than 2 min to serve a customer, whatever may be the order. As far as customer concerned majority of them were middle aged, compared to young or old people and there were more female customer than male. When I spoke to some of the young customer I came to know that that rates in burger were bit costlier compared McDonalds, KFC and its other competitors and hence less in number of younger crowd. Majority of customer were very polite in the behavior but sometimes young customers behave very rudely, they even use abusive words and even through the burger if some minor mistake is happened while serving this young customers. Unlike McDonalds and star bucks, in burger king I didnt see them collecting money for any kind charity work, nether I saw any information regarding burger king charity connection. Ethics, which often called as moral philosophy is not easily defined and philosophers offer contradictory explanations of it. It is a subject which includes discussions about how we should live, what is right? What is wrong? And what we mean? To get an idea of ethics, its important to have a look at these questions: Are some of the things always wrong, If so what are those?, or does it defer on the point of view or even situation? How to measure goodness and badness? Are all humans selfish? Are really some people better at morality than others, or is everyone equally capable of being good? Why should you be good? Is Ethics a special type of knowledge? If it is so what sort of knowledge is it and how do we get it? Dose morality means obeying a set of rules? If people say, I know cheating is wrong, do they know it is wrong or simply believe it very strongly? Are moral laws the same as societies laws? This means, ethics covers a wide range of topics. The answers for these questions are hotly debated for hundreds of years and are still debated today. They affect every aspect of the way we live. They cover even issues such as whether we should pay our taxes or not and even how we treat our pets. There are two different kinds of ethics: Ethical theory and Practical ethics. Ethical theory examines the various philosophies, systems, ideas or principles used in making judgments about right/wrong/good/bad things. Practical ethics is more focuses on subjects that always invite ethical questioning such as is it is right to have an abortion or help someone who is terminally ill. No doubt these two things are related. The theory we use influences the decisions on every particular moral issue. For example, one who believes in a set of principles which states that life is sacred and no one can ever take it. This principle may lead him to think against capital punishment. So the ethical theory leads him to a view about the moral issue (the death penalty). Before we proceed, some definitions should not go amiss. Ethics comes from the Greek word ethikos which in its root form (ethos) means character or custom. For the Greeks it refereed to the appropriate or customary way to behave in society. Morality is derived from the Latin word Moralis and is concerned with which actions are right and which or actions are wrong, rather than the character of the person. Today the two terms are often used interchangeably. Business ethics concentrates on the moral standards applicable to business policies, institutions, and their behavior. In other words, is a form of applied or practical ethics. It includes not only the analysis of moral norms and values, but also attempts to apply the conclusions of this analysis to that assortment of institutions, technologies, transactions, activities, and pursuits that we call business. Business ethics investigates three different kinds of issues: systemic, corporate, and individual. Systemic issues in business ethics are ethical questions raised about the economic, legal, political and other social systems within which the businesses operate. Corporate issues in business ethics are ethical questions raised about a particular company. Individual issues in business ethics are ethical questions raised about a particular individual or an individuals within a company. The multinationals operating in more than one country creates ethical dilemmas for their managers that managers of a firm limited to a single country may not face. The ability to shift its operations from one country to another enables the multinational to escape the social controls that a single nation might attempt to impose and can allow the multinational to play one country against another country. It can even sometimes transfer goods, raw materials and capital among its plants in different countries which enables it to escape fiscal obligations and even taxes that companies operating in a single nation forced to bear. They often get the opportunity to transfer a new technology or set of products from a more developed world to nations that are less developed. It is often faced with the dilemma of deciding which of these different norms and standards to implement in its operations. Ethical relativism is the view which states that there are no ethical standards that are absolutely true and that can be applicable to the companies and people of all societies. Thus, the theory of ethical relativism implies that whatever the majority in our society believes about morality can be considered automatically correct. Utilitarianism is a term for a view which holds that actions and policies can be evaluated on the basis of benefits and costs they will impose on society. usualy business analysts think that the best way to evaluate the ethical propriety of a business decision or any other decision is by relying on utilitarian Justice and Fairness Issues involving justice and fairness are usually divided into three categories: Distributive justice is concerned about the fair distribution of societys benefits and burdens. Retributive justice refers to the imposition of punishments and penalties on those commit wrong deeds. Compensatory justice deals the best possible way of compensating people who were wronged by others. Least Harm This deals with condition where neither choice are beneficial. In such case, a person can choose least harm possible option and which harms the fewest people. One should also sensibly argue that people have superior responsibility to do no harm than to take steps benefiting others. For example, a person has a greater responsibility to simply walk past a person rather than to hit a person as they walk past with no specific reason. Rights In the rights ethical theory the rights accepted by a society are protected and given the highest priority. Rights are considered to be ethical since a large population endorses them. Individuals may also confer rights upon others if they have the capability and resources to do so (1). For example, a person may say that his friend may borrow the car for a day. The friend who was given the ability to borrow the car is now having the right of the car for the day. Based on the theories and utilitarianism which explains ethics based on benefits and cost though burger king charging more than other counterparts like Mc Donalds and K.F.C, people thought, it worth paying and liked the quality, thus it seems to be ethical as for as the pricing is concerned. But some also thought its pricing was expensive especially the youngsters and many avoided Berger king and rather preferred other options. With there prospective it may be unethical pricing. . As for as employee rights are concerned burger king is paying the minimum pay directed by the government. Though it seems to be nothing wrong legally but when charging more than all its counterparts it seems to be unethical to stick to bottom of the payment scale, when it come to paying its employees. And in case of Mc Donalds, there rival brand they had some special schemes for its employees through corporate tie ups, but any such facilities are missing in case of burger king, says the employee. But burger king employee are happy that unlike many other fast food companies it allows its employees to have food. Food they can have is like 50 pens worth per hour, but it seems to be unethical seeing the pricing of its food items, it should be sensible and ethical if they try to increase this. And it cannot be uneconomical considering the fact that only 5to 10 employees work in most of its outlets at a time, Thus it doesnt make huge impact to its revenues. Seeing the fact that all of its outlets are disabled friendly it seems to be an ethical practice, but they might be doing it for compulsion since it is mandatory under law. Further opinion regarding being disabled friendly can be given only if we can come to know whether they are having similar practice in countries where its not a compulsion under law. They do have facilities for entertaining the kids, but they are charging for it so it hard to categories it has a act of social concern or a commercial one. But they are also giving some gifts along with kiddy meal, again this can be considered a marketing activity. They doesnt even have student or any kind of discounts which again doesnt really come under ethics , it could have been considered as a mere promotional activity ,even if they were having. One thing that really needs a mention, is its diversified staff which included all kind of people from different ethnicities, male female and students and had both part timers and full timers. The staff were very friendly and polite they treated every one in a same way the did not do any differentiation based on race, color, religion and ethnicity. There was no gender bias they treated every one the same even when some young costumers behaved very rudely they were trained to be very polite. From some of its behavior it brings a notion that it is very ethical and socially responsible. but its might not be totally true because many of these acts may be carried out of legal compulsion and some time even because of business compulsions, but one good thing, which need to be mentioned is that, its not involved in any notable un ethical behaviors. The topic of ethics itself is a debatable subject in every step. So on this topic it hard to decide or conclude whether the Burger king is ethical or not. And its might be the case of many other companies References: Manual g velasquez business ethics andrewson university 2001 Serrelo.c and fraedrich john 1994.

The Religious Democracy And Its Theocracy Politics Essay

The Religious Democracy And Its Theocracy Politics Essay The outbreaks of the late 20th century were especially notable in light of the Western assumption that less developed countries would naturally secularize their politics and culture as they modernized their society and economy. Instead, rapidly developing Iran succumbed in 11 February 1979 to a religious revolution led by Imam Khomeini. Soon after, an interim government in Tehran gave way to a political form of government in early 1980 that made so many changes in its policies, the most important one was to practice the idea of Islamic Republic in which the government was to wed with religion of Shiite Islam indissolubly. However, there exist different and even contending conceptions as to what form actually it is. Some argue that the form of Islamic Republic is just a theocracy  [1]  and some others has recognized the constitutional theocratic character of the regime.  [2]  Some argue that theocracy as the kingdom of God on earth has not fully realized yet and thus prior to this full realization, theocracy can coexist with any transitory system of human government. This coexisted or combined form of government is an ecclesiocracy that seek to give the human religious hierarchy absolute control over the political power of a state.  [3]  Whereas to another one, theocracy can occur in any society where a powerful religious group or combination of religious groups has/have the decisive voice in a ruling political or judicial system.  [4]   On the contrary, some believe that the Islamic Republic is just one kind among so many democracies  [5]  or one of the most democratic states.  [6]  Even the US officials who used to oppose the new Islamic Regime in the past 23 years, now insist that there are some democratic characteristics found in there.  [7]  There are also others who observe it as a totalitarian tyranny, an absolutist autocracy, oligarchy or even all clerical oligarchy and call Islamic Republic a clerical regime.  [8]   What I am going to argue here is that on the path of human development towards perfection and human felicity throughout human society, the Islamic Republic in Iran has brought a kind of mixed or combined form of government that includes the best characteristics of various forms prescribed by the Islamic principles and norms and the current practices that may ensure the active and broad participation of all segments of society in the process of social development, as explicitly mentioned in its Constitutional Law. Forms of Governments Most of the key words commonly used to describe forms of governments, such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy, are of Greek or Roman origin. The central question of politics in all these was always the same: the distribution of power among the citizens so that freedom and happiness is best preserved and defined. Plato believed that the object of politics was virtue, and that only a few would ever thoroughly understand the science, which believed to contemplate all truth and all existence by which virtue could be attained and only these trained few, then, should rule. To his view the best was the form in which kings are philosophers or philosophers are kings which could be either monarchy or aristocracy but the fundamental laws of the State will be maintained. To this perfect ideal of just and good succeeds different forms of oligarchy, democracy, tyranny after which Plato added some other intermediate forms of government but all these are nondescripts and may be found equally amon g Hellenes and among barbarians.  [9]   But his pupil, Aristotle, gave another classification of the forms of government. To him the government which is the supreme authority in states could be in the hands of one, or of a few, or of the many and based on the purpose of a state, it may seek either the common interest or the private interest. Accordingly there would be three (not one) true forms of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ kingship or royalty, aristocracy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a constitution and three perversions that are tyranny à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ oligarchy, [or] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ democracy.  [10]  In analyzing various forms of governments of the time, Aristotle, however, came to this notion that the whole system of government tends to be neither democracy nor oligarchy, but something in a mean between them.  [11]   This combination form of government could be seen in the new monarchy of Macedon arose and mounted in the battle against Sparta and Athens (338 BC) and also in Rome that emerged as the strongest state in the Mediterranean after the victory of Hannibal at Zama (202 BC). The Greek historian Polybius, who chronicled Romes rise, suggested that its constitution was such a success because it was a judicious blend of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. The Romans, a conservative, practical people, showed what they thought of such abstractions by speaking only of an unanalyzed public thingres publicaand thus gave a new word to politics. From then onward various combined or blend forms governments were set up every where in the world. Justinian, the greatest of the eastern Roman emperors, in the 6th century, Charlemagne, king of the Franks, in 800, and later centuries the dynasties of Hohenstaufen and Habsburg so, as late as the 19th century, did Napoleon Bonaparte tried to restore the empire though none were succeeded. In the 7th century the Arab Muslims defeated the first of the two great powers of the time and conquered quite many parts of the second in North Africa and Spain. Beside to the strong monarchies that gradually developed almost everywhere in the world, various institutions and social classes were to fill the gap too. The church and the mosque, against enormous odds, had kept the light of religion and learning alive and spread what was left of Roman and Islamic civilization into modern city-states. Military aristocracy called nobiles in the Roman fashion and appropriated various late imperial titles suc h as comes (count), dux (duke) and khans have also effective powers. This dynamism in European society and elsewhere in the world prevented it from setting permanently into this or any other form and pattern even in the most characteristic governmental form of the modern world, the nation-state. The application of the principle of parliamentary representation together with the concepts of divine, natural, and customary law as a restraint on the exercise of power besides some other fundamental occurrences of the Enlightenment and the Renaissance, the Reformation, the discovery of America and the American and French revolutions caused a new form of government known as modern democracy which is quite different from that of old Greek. The modern democracy repudiated the divine right of kings, the ascendancy of the nobility and the privileges of the Roman Catholic Church. Equality before the law was to replace the system of privileges that characterized the old regimes and judicial procedures were insisted upon to prevent abuses by the king or his administration. By destroying the monarchy, a republic was set up and its centuries-old labours were crowned. Now in the name of rationality, liberty, and equality (fraternity is not a foremost concern anymore), the nation makes the que st its own. Free election of government bodies under (eventual) universal suffrage, competition for office through organized and permanent parties, freedom of speech and the press, and the rule of law together with greater influence for the working classes, women and foreigners are common in all three basic senses of a form of government either as direct, representative or constitutional (liberal) democracy. Theocracy, too, derived from two Greek words meaning rule by the deity, was the name given to political regimes that claim to represent the Divine on earth both directly and immediately. Most governments throughout history and across cultures have claimed to be following their gods designs or to be legitimated by a divine mandate. The kings in a number of ancient civilizations had been worshipped as gods on earth so, by definition, the king could not be wrong and in a number of others the Gods prophets or theologically trained elites were the rulers on behalf of Him and rule by divine right. As the holly books, archaeologists, and historians show, the ancient Hebrews, Tibetans, and Egyptians lived in theocracies for some of their history. Theocracies are also found within the three great heavenly faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as Hinduism and Buddhism. Some examples are Jesus message of the dawning of the Kingdom of God, and not anyone else  [12]  or the fulfilment on Earth of Gods will as the central theme of Jesus teaching, and his expressly rejection of any collaboration with the Roman emperor,  [13]  the community established by the prophet Muhammad in Medina in 622, and ruled by him until his passing away in 632,  [14]  the Papal States under various popes whose purpose was to manage worldwide Catholicism, fundamentalism as seen within modern Judaism of Gush Emunim and the Haredim  [15]  , within Christianity of Jehovahs Witnesses, within Protestant Christians of Evangelicals and some political action groups,  [16]  within Hin du nationalists in India, Sikh radicals in Punjab, and Buddhist militants in Sri Lanka, within Sunni Muslims in the political activities of Muslim Brotherhood. The more important one within Shiite Islam is the Islamic Republic of Iran, during which a Shiite teaching retrieved and developed into a politically useful doctrine: the Rule of the Jurist. Religious Democracy The form of government in revolutionary Iran is neither a sole theocracy in which people have no say in their political destiny nor a sole democracy in which peoples vote can change every thing from the bottom to the top of the political hierarchy whenever they wish. Rather, as the official name of the Islamic Republic illustrates, it is a combination of all forms of government previously known especially both these two particular forms: theocracy and democracy and in some parts quite different from both sole of them, if one can find or even imagine. The characteristic of this combined form of government and the major building block of the Islamic regime in Iran, as explicitly stated in several articles of the Constitution and the spirit surrounding it, is based on two pillars. One pillar is that of inspired by Imam Khomeinis notion of the Absolute Rule of the Jurist (Velayat-e Motlaqeh-e Faqih) by which the leading cleric has no limitation over society and politics and he is the one last position that can make the decisions to the benefit of all citizens. He is elected by the whole people in an uprising like what happened in February 1979 that led to the leadership of Imam Khomeini or by the Assembly of Experts (the representatives of people mostly clerics) through a popular suffrage of both sexes of 15 years and more like what happened in the nomination of Ayatollah Khamenei in June 1989. The ruling jurist is just one nominee among so many other theologians and according to Shiite tradition, and is identified as the successor o f the 12th Imam. The latter kind of election is similar to the election of the US president by the Electoral College. Standing at the top of the political hierarchy as the Supreme Leader and equal with others against the law, the ruling jurist supervises the three branches of the government. The regular armed forces, the Islamic Guards Corps, the police, and the radio and television network are under his command and he determines the direction of foreign policy and any other whole compassing or general policy. He appoints the Supreme Judges, has the power to dismiss the elected President, and selects the six jurists of the twelve-member Council of Guardians. The second pillar is the democratic institutions that have been well incorporated in the Constitution. Under section The Form of Government in Islam, the preamble of the Constitution reads that the government does not derive from the interests of a class, nor does it serve the domination of an individual or a group. It expressly asserts that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Government à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ represents the fulfillment of the political ideal of a people who bear a common faith and common outlook, taking an organized form in order to initiate the process of intellectual and ideological evolution towards the final goal, i.e., movement towards Allah [God]. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The Constitution guarantees the rejection of all forms of intellectual and social tyranny and economic monopoly, and aims at entrusting the destinies of the people to the people themselves in order to break completely with the system of oppression. (This is in accordance with the Quranic verse He removes from them their burdens of the fetters that were upon them.  [17]   The Constitution devotes Chapter 5 including six articles to the Right of National Sovereignty and the Powers Deriving there from and explains the fact that the Iranian people have a lot say in the management of their country and how every one of them is the master of his own social destiny. The National Sovereignty is considered a divine right dedicated from Absolute sovereignty of God over the world and man and should never been deprived or subordinated to the vested interests of a particular individual or group. (Article 56) Separation of Powers into three independent ones of legislature, judiciary, and executive functioning under the supervision of the absolute religious Leader and the Leadership of the Ummah, in accordance with the forthcoming articles of this Constitution has been accepted in Article 57. Direct recourse to popular vote through a referendum, as a function of the legislature, is also anticipated by Article 59 for cases of extremely important economic, political, social, and cultural matters. The Islamic Consultative Assembly, as national assembly, is constituted by the representatives of the people elected directly and by secret ballot (Article 62) and has the power to establish laws on all matters (Article 71) and has the right to investigate and examine all the affairs of the country (Article 76) including a vote of confidence or a vote of no confidence to the Council of Ministers (Articles 87-88) and can interpellate the Council of Ministers or an individual Minister or even the President. (Article 89) In this way not only the national executive power, but all local governments of provinces, cities, divisions, villages and other officials appointed by the government must abide by all decisions taken by the councils (Article 103) elected by the people of the locality in question. (Article 100) Democratic concepts such as equality before the law, rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, freedom of belief, conscience, association, assembly and the press, secrecy of communication, recourse to the courts, respect for minority and womens rights, economic development, and social justice are all explicitly expressed in Chapter 3 (Articles 19-43) of the Constitution and several guarantees have been given to succeed. The judiciary as an independent power and the protector of the rights of the individual and society is one of these important guarantees. Concerning status and duties of the Judiciary, Article 156 reads such: The judiciary is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ responsible for the implementation of justice, and entrusted with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ investigating and passing judgement on grievances, violations of rights, and complaints; the resolution of litigation; the settling of disputes; and the taking of all necessary decisions and measures in probate matters as the law may determine; restoring public rights and promoting justice and legitimate freedoms; supervising the proper enforcement of laws; uncovering crimes; prosecuting, punishing, and chastising criminals; and enacting the penalties and provisions of the Islamic penal code; and taking suitable measures to prevent the occurrence of crime and to reform criminals. The concept of Velayat-e Amr va Imamat-e Mostamir (rule by the leader and the perpetual leadership), according to the preamble of the Constitution is another such guarantees of those democratic rights in which an all qualified and trustworthy jurist, recognized as leader by the people, is to prevent any deviation by the various organs of State from their essential Islamic duties. Article 107 too asserts that the Jurist is an elected one either by recognition and acceptance as marji and Leader by a decisive majority of the people as happened for Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or by the Assembly of Experts which is also elected by the people. The Experts are to review and consult among themselves concerning all the fuqaha (jurists) possessing the qualifications specified in Articles 5 and 109 namely scholarship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in different fields of  fiqh, Justice and piety à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ right political and social perspicacity, prudence, courage, admini strative facilities and adequate capability for leadership. (Article 109) The Article adds that in case of multiplicity of persons fulfilling the above qualifications and conditions, the person possessing the better jurisprudential and political perspicacity will be given preference. It is true that the Supreme Religious Leader is at the top of the government hierarchy and can make final decisions of general policies but it is only if in accordance with the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ articles of this Constitution (Article 57) and after consultation with the Nations Exigency Council that consists of the heads of the three branches and some other relative cabinet and Parliament members, all Council of Guardians members, and a few more experts (Article 112) to which some heads of different parties and political fractions are added in action. When the revision of the Constitution comes, as Article 177 expresses, some contents are unalterable among them the Islamic character of the political system; the basis of all the rules and regulations according to Islamic criteria and the religious footing; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the democratic character of the government; the Velayat-e Amr the Imamate of Ummah; and the administration of the affairs of the country based on national referenda. In so doing, the government in Iran is quite different from dictatorship or tyranny in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. The religious democracy is thus a form of government which links religion and peoples beliefs to their will and wishes. There seems no conflict in its dual legitimacy of the Islamic Republic or any juxtaposition between popular sovereignty of the president or parliament and supervision of the ruling jurist. The letter of the constitution asserts on the equality of the two pillars in order to get the goal which is virtue, happiness and as a whole the movement toward God Almighty. In theory too, as Poul Weber has noted, there is no reason why a theocracy and a democratic form of government are incompatiblevox populi, vox dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God),  [18]  a combination that seems possible and rational for Peter Schmid to conclude that because Islam is compatible with both secularism and democracy, a religious democracy is in Irans future.  [19]  According to Soroushs theory of Contraction and Expansion of Religious Interpretation too, secularism and democracy not only do not threaten religion but also they merely help to increase the understanding of religion and all are complementary, for the religious understanding is merely a variety of human understanding.  [20]  Soroush continues in an interview that: There is no single God-given shape for Islamic government The system of Velayat-e Faqih, introduced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is an anachronism Though religion itself is sacred, its interpretation is not sacred and therefore it is criticizable, modifiable, refinable, and redefinable.  [21]   One may ask why a sole theocracy or a sole democracy is not favourable or even desirable among the majority of Iranian Muslims and why we need such a combination. The answer is that theocracy as an absolute sovereignty of God to the will of man and the state is far from our hands because we are sometimes unable to understand the true Gods will and commandment. Such understanding and knowledge requires long preparation, several degrees of training, and education People are not able to comprehend Gods will through the explanations contained in the Quran and the Sunna. Acquiring such comprehension requires several years of studies and much effort.  [22]  And in some other times we are unwilling to surrender to His will and law, and to implement His orders in our daily life for virtue need much much effort, deprivation, and abnegation.  [23]   Furthermore when they do gain power, theocracies tend to be short lived for a number of reasons, some internal to the regime and others external to it. Internally, clerics trained in religious dogma and jurisprudence, are rarely skilled in political, economic and other social matters and have difficulty maintaining a complex modern society. When corruption occurs among government officials, ensuing scandals undermine religion as well as politics if those officials are also clerics. Resentment grows among the nonclerical populace when religious laws seem arbitrary or excessively strict and are enforced through civil power. Religious taxes, imposed on top of other taxes, especially in times of economic hardship, cause added resentment. Finally, clerics who presume to speak in the name of the Divinity have difficulty engaging in normal compromises so essential for political effectiveness. Such compromises may even seem to them to be immoral or sinful. Finally, in states controlled by on e or no party, which theocracies tend to be, police are often tempted to resort to brutality and other harsh measures that undermine the legitimacy of the regime. Externally, rulers in other nations often fear the exportation of religious dogma backed by political power and move to isolate a theocratic regime. And because secular cultures from outside can exert a constant seductive influence on young people through music, arts, clothes, and movies, and infuse them with political ideas of freedom, democracy, and equality, a theocratic regime is inclined to limit contact with the outside world. Such actions increase isolation of the country but often lead to a fascination with the outside and an underground opposition to the regime. Such conditions are not conducive to longevity, and theocracies rarely outlive their founding generation. The sole democracy is not the best form of government either. That is why you see different types of democratic governments in the world. Even Great Britain and the United States, nations with relatively similar cultures, politics, and economies, have developed significantly different forms of democracy. Besides, many governments today (around 140 out of 191 states) in the most parts of the world claim to be democratic in the ascendant. Numerous authoritarian and totalitarian states, notably the communist nations of the 20th century, had also adopted outwardly democratic governments that nonetheless were dominated by a single authorized party with no opposition. States with Marxist ideologies asserted that political consensus and collective ownership of the means of production (i.e., economic democracy) were sufficient to ensure that the will of the people would be carried out. Moreover, there are some elements still threatening the existence of this democracy: class conflicts muted rather than resolved, nationalism still distorted voters judgments in matters of foreign policy, demagogues abounded as much as they ever did in ancient Athens, and many politicians were corrupt. Furthermore democracy places high value on the freedom of the individual and generally stresses the self-directed, self-contained, and comparatively unrestrained individual or ego. This characteristic as Alexis de Tocqueville described is a kind of moderate selfishness, disposing human beings to be concerned only with their own small circle of family and friends. Conclusion It is right that in some cases (such as Egyptian nationalism, Taliban imposition of sharia in Afghanistan and Saddam Husseins holy war in 1991 and 2003) we may find some unclear forms of government which claimed to establish a true theocratic or democratic form of government but failed to do so, or some tried to use religious rhetoric, symbolism, and values for nationalistic purposes, or religious ideals may be used to win popular support for liberation from foreign domination, from an autocratic ruling elite or to encourage economic renewal, but one can surely find some historical and contemporary examples to support a true combination of different forms of government as the Islamic Republic in Iran was a combination of such ideals and facts. This form of Iranian government is neither a sole theocracy or ecclesiocracy nor an oligarchy either clerical or financial or military, nor a sole democracy of its any kinds but a political order between them all: the head of the state elected indirectly on a universal suffrage is not a philosopher who claims to know the truth from the false out of any way he can, but he should be a Islamist jurist prudent that obliges himself to explore the Shiite cannon law and seek to find the truth out of sharia and should think and function in the interest of the whole people not himself or any particular fraction. As the people try to elect the best as their rulers, the aristocratic element is also present in this regime. There are lots of legal conditions and qualifications for peoples representatives and heads of governmental departments that only part of the well educated and qualified bureaucrats can hold the official positions. For these reasons, aristocracy, in a more objective sense, mea ns the upper layer of a stratified group. Thus, the upper ranks of the government form both legally and factually- the political aristocracy of the state. The principles of the constitution distribute the powers and make the government and its rulers constitutional and obliged to uphold the Constitution. This form is thus quite different from any given sole form of government. Additional References Web Sites Home http://www.God.com http://www.iranonline.com/iran/iran-info/Government/constitution.html http://www.oefre.unibe.ch/law/icl/ir00t___.html http://www.religioustolerance.org http://www.rulers.org/ http://www.secularislam.org http://www.usinfo.state.gov http://www.watchtower.org http://www/dictionary.com/religion Books Dahl Robert A., Who Governs? Democracy and Power in an American City, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963) Kepel, Gilles. The Revenge of God: The Resurgence of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in the Modern World, (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994) Levine Andrew, Liberal Democracy: A Critique of Its Theory, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1981) Sisk Timothy D., Islam and Democracy (Washington D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1992) Sprinzak, Ehud. The Ascendance of Israels Radical Right, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991) Tocqueville Alexis de, Democracy in America (New York: Harper and Row, 1996) Weiler Gershon, Jewish Theocracy (Leiden: Brill, 1988) Wright Robin, The Last Great Revolution, (New York: Vintage Books, 2001) Articles Cooper Julie E., Is There a Jewish Political Tradition? (Book Review), Tikkun, July, 2001 >http://www.findarticles.com Dawson Lorne L., Anti-modernism, modernism, and postmodernism: struggling with the cultural significance of new religious movements, Sociology of Religion, Summer, 1998 >http://www.findarticles.com Mohit Morteza, Background to the Parliamentary Elections in Iran, Monthly Review, March, 2001 >http://www.findarticles.com