The Ancient Mayan Civilization A Rigid Social Structure

The Ancient Mayan Civilization was built upon a rigid social structure based on their religious beliefs. They used a caste social structure in which divisions were based on wealth, inherited rank, privilege, profession, or occupation. Their beliefs were based on the fact that nature elements had the power to either help or harm. The Ancient Mayans used their social structure and beliefs to shape their daily lives. The Mayans were a very religious. They believed in many gods and all events centered around their religious beliefs. In their belief system, the gods would bring the rain, heal the sick, bring plentiful harvests and make sure the health and safety of the people if they were honored. If the gods were angry, they believed that the gods would send disasters to their people like droughts throughout their region. In order to keep the gods happy, they believed that a daily sacrifice of blood was necessary. They would open a wound on their body and let the blood drip on paper. Kin gs would also offer their blood to please the gods. The paper would be burned in an offering to the gods. The Mayans worshipped their ancestors as if they were gods. It was believed that the priests could see the spirits in the smoke. When a king or nobleman died, the Mayan people believed that he became one with the gods and would go to live in the sky with them. The dead were buried with food, tools, clothing, and whatever would be needed for their journey. Tombs were built to bury theirShow MoreRelatedThe Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America Essay5364 Words   |  22 PagesThe Ancient Civilizations of Central and South America Central and South America was once home to some of the ancient worlds most magnificent and glorious civilizations. The Incas, Aztecs, and Mayas were just three of these civilizations. These civilizations ruled the area for many years, and flourished greatly in their own different ways. They were the cause for much advancement in arts, architecture, politics, religion, and society in the world. These civilizationsRead MoreMexican Muralism4003 Words   |  17 Pagesstyles are similar in the sense of the amount of expression and movement in their pieces They also share a common ideology that shows up often in their work. Siqueiros’ Portrait of the Bourgeoisie and New Democracy along with Orozco’s American Civilization and Catharsis show you a great cross section of Mexican Muralism, revealing the passions and beliefs of the time period. In order to understand the Mexican muralists, one must first understand the Mexican Revolution. Among the revolutions ofRead MoreThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pages1 The Birth of Civilization Mohenjo-Daro Figure. Scholars believe this limestone statue from about 2500 B.C.E. depicts a king or a priest from Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus valley in present-day Pakistan. Does this figure seem to emphasize the features of a particular person or the attributes of a particular role? Hear the Audio for Chapter 1 at www.myhistorylab.com CRAIMC01_xxxii-031hr2.qxp 2/17/11 3:22 PM Page xxxii EARLY HUMANS AND THEIR CULTURE page 1 WHY IS â€Å"culture† considered a definingRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesWineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History

The Formations Of The Mankind System - 1568 Words

The formations of the mankind system have started thousands of years ago and during the pass of time took various changes and transformations. Humans as any other live beings created by nature have developed their own laws of living in order to control and coordinate the relations between them and to avoid chaos in community. Consequently, from this decision arisen another important question – in what way and by whom should the laws be developed and regulated. The main ideas of the laws are to protect the rights of every individual, to ensure peace, to state the norms of social behavior; therefore they should be based on fairness and equality that are involved in the concept of justice. Since the years passed previously formed aspect of justice moved from the sphere of law and got more broaden meaning, certain definition of which was and still remains a topic of debate for theologians, philosophers and legislators. Nowadays the word justice, being on everyone s lips, is used so often that it may signify nearly anything. Though one of the main meanings given by modern people is the interchangeability of justice with the word â€Å"fairness†. Indeed, in any situation occurred in our everyday life we all want to be treated in a fair way, because we believe that we deserve equal and unbiased treatment - one should not be paid any less because of gender, one should not be judged more roughly because of one s skin color or one should not wait longer for service because of what oneShow MoreRelatedEssay on Metaphysics of Ovid and Dante742 Words   |  3 Pagespaganistic perspective. This demonstrates two very different approaches to the same exact query. Mankind has questioned the existence of a metaphysical realm for generations and consequently shapes the nature of the supernatural world. The complex pagan religious system of the Romans mirrored that of the Greeks, but what Ovid sought to create was a solid (nearly Bible-like) account of the formation of the world and the source of the multifarious gods. Essentially, Ovid is seeking to rationalizeRead MoreThe Marxist Model Of Class Struggles1052 Words   |  5 Pagesthey themselves can’t manage to purchase for themselves. Furthermore, the bourgeois, profit off of the proletarians hard work and manage to maintain this relationship in order to continue to profit economically. Economics flows directly into the formation of class struggles. Because of capitalism there will forever be a class with a majority of the wealth and a less prominent class that struggles and can t afford the products they produce. The exploitation of classes causes friction amongst the classesRead MoreComparing John Locke and Thomas Hobbes Essay1279 Words   |  6 Pages The formation of government is one of the central themes for both Hobbes and Locke. Whether or not men naturally form a government, or must form a government, is based on man’s basic nature. According to Hobbes, a government must be formed to preserve life and prevent loss of property. According to Locke, a government arises to protect life and property. Governments are born of inequality and formed to administer equality. Hobbes goes into a lot of detail concerning man’s interactions with oneRead MoreNietzsche: the Conscience1552 Words   |  7 Pagesresponsibility is placed on the individual rather than the society. â€Å"If something is to stay in the memory it must be burned in: only that which never ceases to hurt stays in the memory† (Nietzsche 1989b, p. 61). Therefore, the central stimuli in the formation of conscience are this sense of responsibility and a trained memory. Nietzsche says that while our current view of guilt is associated with accountability and responsibility; this has not always been the case. 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As a Korean American, IRead MoreHow The Atmosphere Is A Complex Fluid System Outside Earth1693 Words   |  7 Pages 1 The atmosphere is a complex fluid system outside Earth from a variety of gases and suspended solids consisting of participation in life activities are under long-term development and formation. The main components of the Earth s atmosphere is nitrogen and oxygen, the nine planets in the solar system composition is very special. Composition of the global atmosphere more of the ingredients can be divided into stable and unstable constituent components. The former include nitrogen, oxygenRead MoreSpace Mission : Pluto And Kuiper Belt Objects1686 Words   |  7 PagesSpace Mission To Pluto Question: The â€Å"New Horizons† mission is on its way to explore the outer Solar System. Describe the objectives of the mission and important scientific instruments on the space probe. Discuss what we have learnt about Pluto after the closest approach to this dwarf planet. 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The United States Fast-food Industry Free Essays

The United States fast-food industry is largely made up of Quick Serve Restaurants (QSR) that includes on-premises restaurants and drive-thrus. Off-premises dining  such as  take-out restaurants is  also  considered a QSR.  The fast-food  industry  includes  national and regional chains,  franchises, and independent contractors. We will write a custom essay sample on The United States Fast-food Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now   The fast-food  industry  is  consumer  focused  and relies  heavily on  consumer   spending.  It is  estimated  that the  U.S. Fast  food  industry  is  worth 189.9 billion  dollars  and within the  next  2  years  could  exceed  220 billion dollars (Jaaskelainen  2018).   The  industry  has grown  steadily  in the  last  decade due to the  fact  that these restaurants offer convenient and affordable food options. Top 10 QSR’s in 2017 (Sales Based) * Data retrieved from QSR Magazine Website Companies in the fast-food industry fall under the market structure of perfect comp Market  structure  is  a  classification system  for the key traits of a  market.  The  characteristics  of perfect competition  include  a large  number of  buyers  and  sellers,  easy  entry to and exit from the market and  homogeneous  products.  Many fast-food franchises fit all or most of these characteristics. Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The  threat  of  new  entrants to the  industry  is  high.  There  is  a  high  level of competition between new QSR’s and established fast food chains,  new  QSR  brands are unknown and advertising campaigns are expensive.  Social media, however, has provided a more affordable means of advertising and has allowed QSR’s to communicate with their consumers easily.  Popular fast-food chains also have established themselves and have the resources to react aggressively to competition through pricing and promotions to keep new entrants from entering the marketplace. However, it is not difficult for new entrants to overcome these barriers.  The fast-food industry is a low margin, high turnover industry and new entrants lack economies of scale unlike established QSR’s that have developed over time and can remain competitive.  Capital  requirements  may   prevent  some   competition  however initial  capital  and fixed costs  are  not a significant  battier  in this  industry  especially with franchising which encourages   new  entrants  into the  industry.  Cost disadvantages are, however, a significant barrier to entry since established companies already have the product technology, access to raw materials, favorable sites, advantages in the form of government subsidies as well as experience. Extreme  saturation and similarity  in product offerings  make  convenient locations essential for QSR’s. Government regulations  are more intense for the  larger  firms which  have  to  deal  with franchising  regulations.   Smaller   establishments   have  to  deal  with standard  regulations  such as  health  and  safety, zoning, sanitation, and building and do not  pose  a  large  threat  to  new  entrants. Threat of Substitutions The threat of substitutes is fairly high in the fast-food industry.  Substitutes are readily available, and food can be purchased almost anywhere.  The  convenience  of  fast  food  is  the value-adding component of the  service  which  reduces  the  threat  of  substitutes  however, many  companies  are  now  offering ready-meals as well as mail-order meal plans that ship  fresh  ingredients to the  customer  at relatively low prices.  The healthy options and convergence factors from these companies pose a high threat not only with the fast-food price but also on convenience. Bargaining Power of Customers Customer loyalty does not play an important role as it  does  in other  industries.  The fast-food industry is more focused on volume which keeps the customer bargaining power low. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The  bargaining  power of  suppliers  is  limited  in this  industry.  There  are  many  suppliers  to  choose  from and each chain  goes  through  a competitive bidding process to select their  suppliers.  It is easy to change isuppliers   should they  find  a  better  deal somewhere else. Competitive Rivalry The fast-food industry is  dominated  by many Quick Service Restaurant  (QSR)  chains including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway,  Arby’s, KFC and Taco Bell to  name  a few. Competition  is primarily cost-based with  firms  continuously investing in their  production  and service processes to undercut competitors.  Exit costs are low, and capacity is easily increased through franchising. State and Federal Regulations The U.S. Food and Drug Administration  (FDA)  is the primary agency responsible for developing public health regulations.  The  FDA  works to  ensure  the  safety  of the  food  in both franchised and small fast  food   establishments.  It is  required  by the  FDA  that all fast-food  workers  complete  a  food  handling course that   educates  workers  on food borne illnesses, cross-contamination,  required  cooking temperatures,   food  storage proper hand washing. The  FDA  has also implemented  menu   labeling   requirements.  All restaurants must display  nutritional  information including total calories, calories   from  fat,  sodium  levels and other  nutritional   data on  menus  and  menu  boards as well as on their websites  where  consumers  can  access  it. The National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) has set voluntary targets for salt levels in an attempt to  reduce  sodium  in restaurant food.  Taco Bell and KFC have  reduced  sodium  in  line  with this  program.  NYC  requires  chain restaurants to post warning labels next to menu items containing high levels of  sodium. The Federal Trade Commisssion (FTC)  requires fast-food ads to be truthful and non-deceptive and they must back up claims with evidence.  In New York, The Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food, Protection maintains the Sanitary Code for food service establishments.  The New York State Department of Health  requires   all  food   establishments to  have  a valid permit  in  order  to  operate. Recent Economic News The fast-food industry currently employs  3.8 million  people  however the  turn  over  rate  has   reached  an  average  of 150 %.  The  industry  is  experiencing  its  highest  turn over  rate  in 23 years says  Bloomberg analysts  reported in a recent article published by the Business Insider. Analysts   suggest  the significant decrease in  employee  retention  as  a  result  of  new  technology and the expectation   for  higher  productivity. Fast-food chains have made several technological advances such as implementing ordering kiosks.  While the  implementation  was  feared  by employees, fast-food chains  such as  McDonald’s  has  stated  that these  technologies  will not cause  layoffs  but will allow employees  to be  placed  in other  roles   and would  allow  for  a 5% to 6%  increase  in  sales  for 2018 and another 2% in 2019. According  to the  article, these  new  technologies are actually complicating their  jobs.  Due to  the  lack  of training.  Quick service restaurants  (QSR)  declined by one percent to 353,121 units in the fall 2017 censuses.  Fast-casual chains, which  are  a restaurant category under QSR, increased units by four  percent  to a total count of 25,118. The Bureau of Economic Analysis In the most recent  quarterly  report  issued by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. personal  income  and disposable  personal  income  both increased 3% from the last  quarterly  report  in 2017.  The  report  suggests  that the  largest  contributor to the  increase  was  spending  on food services and  accommodations  (BEA, 2017). The United Sates Census Bureau The  chart  below from the Census Bureau shows the leading industries by the  number  of employees.  Based on the information provided limited service or fast-food restaurants have the most employees in the industry. * U.S. Census Bureau (2016) Federal Reserve Beige Book reports for most recent period (New York) According  to the Federal Reserves Beige Book reports economic activity in the Second District  (New York)  has continued to expand at a moderate pace since the last report.  The  labor market  has  stayed around the same numbers, while wage growth has mostly grown steady (Federal Reserve Bank).  Input  price  increases have  remained  the same, and consumer  price  inflation  was higher than earlier this year (Federal Reserve Bank). Bureau of Labor Statistics The  chart  below shows the States with the highest  deployment  levels in the restaurant industry including fast food.  New York ranks as the 4th largest in the United States. * Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018 The Conference Board (consumer confidence) The latest Consumer Confidence Survey states  that â€Å"Consumer  confidence  has  increased  to its  highest  level since October 2000†Ã‚  (Consumer Confidence, 2018).  The  business  and labor market conditions improved  according  to the  survey  and consumer expectations  suggest  solid  economic growth throughout 2018.  The â€Å"historically high confidence levels should continue to support healthy consumer spending in the near-term†(Consumer Confidence, 2018). Specific industry news and reports In an  article  published  by the New York Times, the number of teenagers in the  workforce  has significantly decreased  from a  decade  ago (Abrams, 2017).  The following chart shows the large   increase in  restaurants  and the  decrease  in teenage workers ages 16-19. Chart retrieved from(Abrams, 2017) In a recent analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics education, interests have increased causing the decline in teenage workers (Abrams, 2017).  Turnover in the industry also a serious problem.  In 2017 the turnover rate reached 133% and it has  continued  to  rise (Abrams ;  Gebeloff, 2018). McDonald’s  released  that they would be  expanding  their tuition  reimbursement  plan.  They will now contribute $150 million to the  plan  over five  years  to benefit employees who are  employed  for at least 90  days  with the  company  (Abrams   Gebeloff, 2018). The fast-food  industry’s  growth  is sensitive when it  comes  to  changes  in consumer spending. In  times  of  recession, the  rise  of unemployment rates causes a  decline  in the consumer consumption of  fast  food.  It is not uncommon for fast-food chains to merge in order to gain a larger share of the market to increase profits.  When  consumer  spending  is higher they are more likely to  spend  money on  fast  food. Consumer  eating habits also play a role in the economic factors that affect the fast food industry.  Consumers have become more aware of the health issues associated with greasy and fatty fast-food options.  In order to keep up with consumers changing eating habits most fast food restaurants have added healthy food options such as grilled chicken, salads, yogurt and fruit to their menus to avoid the potential threat of losing Fast-food consumers. The fast food industry closed the 2017 year at 250 billion and is expected to grow 2.3% each year for the next five years for an overall total of 12% growth. The industry has adapted to consumers changing food preferences and their availability to eat. Many fast food chains have expanded their hours such as Taco Bell and McDonalds and others have also made breakfast menus available all day in order to reach out to a larger customer base. The use of kiosks and mobile phone ordering are becoming popular within the industry. These kiosks and apps provide a quicker and more efficient ordering process while cutting down the costs of labor. How to cite The United States Fast-food Industry, Papers

Impact on My Life free essay sample

Ashley Douglass 3rd period Jason When I think of someone who has made an impact on my life, the first person that comes to mind is my older brother Jason. He inspires me to be the best person I can be. Graduating valedictorian from his class and attending Yale University, Jason has shown me that dreams do come true; he reminds me that I must never give up. Growing up, Jason was always the smartest kid in class. He was beating games at age five and had an eloquent vocabulary.At a young age my parents could see that he was a genius; my mom always joked how it was all the Chinese food she ate while she was pregnant with him. After finishing seventh grade, he attended SMUs talented and gifted program, also known as TAG. This was a summer program where you live in a dorm, go to classes, and earn college credits at a young age. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact on My Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He continued this summer program every year until he graduated high school. After applying to multiple colleges, two schools he had dreamed of going to contacted him and let him know that he had received a fully paid scholarship.These schools were SMU and Yale University. He had to decide if he wanted to stay close to family or move thousands of miles away to Connecticut where hed never been before. Soon after, he decided to attend Yale University and begin his college adventure on his own. When he moved out, a part of me felt like it was missing. I knew eventually hed have to leave for college, but I didnt mentally prepare myself. I would come home from school and go in his room to ask for help with homework and the vacant room reminded me he had left.Even though I wasnt ready for him to leave, I knew when he left he was leaving to fulfill his dream and make his family proud. Throughout high school he had always dreamed of being a movie director, so right off the bat he chose to major in directing at Yale. Every summer after he had completed his classes, Yale paid for him to study abroad, study film, and film his own movies. Jason is now a senior, and if his script gets picked out of all the directors there, he gets his movie and name on the big screen. What makes Jason stand out from others is how he has never become big headed.Not only does he put other people before himself, he stays humble and he wakes up everyday to make others smile. School has always been his priority, and he tells me religiously to keep my grades up because getting into a good college holds the pathway to my future. Fortunately, he almost has his dream in the palm of his hand. I know with his drive and work ethic, his script has a big possibility of getting picked to be on the big screen. I have always believed in him and I appreciate how he constantly pushes me to be the best I can be.He has shown me that dreams can become reality if you try hard enough. For many years, Ive always dreamt of being a famous singer. Jason has been by my side since day one and supports my singing. Not only is he my big brother, he is my motivation. Every person he comes across, he treats them with upmost respect and lets them know he will always be there for them. In conclusion, Jason has made the biggest impact on my life out of everyone. Not only does he tell me to follow my dreams, but he pushes me to be the best person I can be.He inspires me with his love, integrity, honesty, and how humble he is. He is important to me because of how supportive he is in everything I do and he is always there for me when I need him even though he is thousands of miles away. He has taught me that you have all the potential inside you to be whatever you want to be. Each day you take a step towards your dream and when times get hard, hold onto it. Because there will be a morning where you wake up and realize youre the person you dreamed of, doing what you wanted to do all along.

Explorers Of Yesterday And Today Essays - Exploration, Explorers

Explorers Of Yesterday And Today Explorers: Yesterday and Today The world is always making new progress and discovering new ideas. People are needed and to discover new places. Like the first European explorers, astronauts of today must go where no man has gone before. Both of them must conqueror their fears of dying by trying to discover beyond what most already know. European explorers and astronauts of today have similarities and differences in motives, the personal qualities needed, and the challenges faced. European explorers had different motives for discovering the new land. The four main motives for going to explore the rest of the world were the desire for wealth and power, religious aims, the Renaissance spirit, and improvements in technology. For astronauts the main motives for going into space are almost infinite. the main one was to see what was going on out there; pure curiosity. the European explorers had the same curiosity that todays astronauts had and will have. In order to go and discover such places, certainly qualities are needed. The Europeans still had thought that the world was flat. People such as Columbus took this risk to find out the truth. Many of the early voyages and even success, and the discoverers became famous. The astronauts of today have become famous by going on the moon and doing what no other man had done before. Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon opened many new doors. Without the of bravery and courage that those men have and still will go through, we might have never come this far. It took so long for these things to be discovered because many town is came along the way. But the bigger the price you pay, the more you are going to receive. The European explorers did not discover America in a day. It didn't take NASA 30 seconds to build a rocket. Back in the times, when people thought that new lands and Space Flight were crazy, others pressed on disregarding the insults and the media(or public back when the first European explorers were around. Remember Rome was not built in a day! Just like Rome, the astronauts and explorers took time to discover what they found. As anyone can see, there are many differences between the astronauts of today and explorers of yesterday. The times is need and challenges along the way were both different in each situation. Somehow, both pulled through. Thanks to them, we have so much. Both contributed to our world greatly. Government Essays

Globalization essays

Globalization essays Ive never actually supposed that globalization to be the certain part of my life. Probably, the reason is that when I was born this process has been already expanding far and wide, so I just never had another life environment except life within permanent globalization. On the other hand, if globalization should be defined as the mutual penetration of cultures, customs, traditions and so on, I still cant see it. Yes, business communications between countries are obviously getting tighter due to modern technologies, internet and opportunities it provides (video conferences, for example). But separate countries dont seem to share its cultural wealth eagerly, and I seriously doubt they ever will. There is nevertheless one country, which can be called the flagship of globalization (anyhow this term is defined) thats US. But, in my opinion, although US got a number of really outstanding cultural treasures (especially regarding literature), but these are not primaries for them to share with the rest world. Few Japanese teens would know who Edgar Allan Poe is, but they will be certainly up on the nearest McDonalds. That s because being the richest country US have an ability to spread American mass culture and American way of life, and thats the only actual globalization I can presently observe. However, different countries can stand this invasion to a variable degree. Lets take China as an example mainly because Ive been to China so I can stay relatively unbiased in this field. Although youll find a lot of McDonalds and western-style decorated shops and stores on your way through China, but thats not the point. Youll never find cruel Hollywood blockbusters to be on in cinemas, no cheap pocket-books on bookshelves. At the same time China is just opposite to be an isolated unfriendly country. For instance, China has ...

The Invisible Spotlight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Invisible Spotlight - Essay Example Remarkably, managers would yet barely notice the influence of their actions about the relationship with the employees in pursuit of competitive advantage. Managers need to pay attention and facilitate the creation of the pivotal moments rather than depending on the reflexes or instincts in the course of addressing the demands and expectations of the consumers. From the book, I have been able to learn the need for employees to control the influence they have, as well as encouraging acting with intention or purpose. That is an illustration of the self-control, which plays a critical role in making it possible for the managers to turn the glancing moments in lasting outcomes. Categorically, it is valuable to that these moments enable the organizations in the contemporary society to promote management relationships. The core of the work of the managers is to understand and utilize their management relationships with the objective of inspiring the workforce to deliver in accordance with t he organizational policies and expectations. There is there is the necessity to facilitate innovation of the role of employees to encourage the achievement of diverse goals and targets. Managers should understand that an employee does not focus on creating the tone, standards, and direction for the relationship between the workforce and the management. Furthermore, it is ideal to note that the manager is the architect with the obligation and responsibility of creating the conditions that promote the best work among the employees.

The Yengishiki(Shintoism) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Yengishiki(Shintoism) - Essay Example The prayers are used in the text to reflect the intertwinement of the spiritual nature and feelings of the Shinto people. In fact, the text begins by a prayer, â€Å"I declare in the presence of the sovereign gods of the Harvest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 1). The article reveals that in Shinto culture, there is no absolute right or wrong and nobody is perfect. The article also shows that Shinto is not a pessimistic faith as they view human beings to be fundamentally good and that evils are caused by evil spirits. From the article, it can also be seen that the main purpose of the majority of rituals used in the text is to keep evil spirits at bay through prayers, purification, and offerings to Kami, their ancestor. The Harvest Rituals The harvest rituals are basically a form of religious rituals of the ancient culture of the Shinto people. The harvest rituals were performed by the Shintos as a way of thanking the gods for enabling them to have a bounty harvest. The culture of the Shinto required that a harvest ritual be celebrated on the fourth day of the second month every year at the office, where people would gather and worship the gods of Shintos. This was also expected to be practices down at the local administrative provinces by chiefs. The text, however, does not reveal who exactly the harvest gods were; instead, they are only specified as Kojiki. It appears that it is a common practice among the Shintos to offer the first fruits obtained from harvest to Kojiki (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 1). The Ritual for the Wind-Gods The ritual for the wind gods is a form of ritual which was performed by the Shinto people by giving offerings to their god to stop the bad winds and rough waters from destroying their properties and belongings. The rituals are performed alongside prayers declared before the wind god, whom they believe to fulfill his praises at Tatsuta. Unlike in the Harvest ritual, where the first fruits are sacrificed to the gods, here it is five sorts of grains, herbs, and leaves that are offered. Other things offered during the ritual include clothing of all sorts: bright, glittering, soft and coarse (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 2). Fire Rituals The fire rituals, according to the Shintos, are performed to the gods for purification purposes. They believe that once someone has done wrong, he is supposed to undergo purification before he can be allowed to fit into the society. This is mainly done with the help of the priest as people praise the god at a designated place. The different forms of offerings given include cloths which are bright, soft, and rough as well as other five different things, mainly aquatic things (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 7). The Ritual for Evil Spirits Shintos believe that evils are the works of the evil spirits. They also believe that diseases and catastrophes are caused by the evil spirit. Therefore, when such happens, a special ritual known as the ritual for the evil spirit is to be performed by giving offerings to the gods so as to chase the evil spirits away from the society. Different forms of offerings were given to gods such as cloths, beer, swords, a horse, and both sweet and bitter herbs, among items (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 10). The Road-Gods' Ritual This form of ritual is mainly performed in the presence of the priest who recites a prayer to the gods as an

The concepts of constructivism and speech communities beyond language Essay

The concepts of constructivism and speech communities beyond language - Essay Example tilize socially loaded linguistic resources to construct the interactions that they are engaged in, as well as their own identities, or social objects. The paper explores how non-linguistic aspect of the social world should be understood about socially inscribed meanings, and also outlines how a group’s system of meanings can be imposed on another group. Non-linguistic elements encompass features such as gestures and written symbols that do not constitute language, unless when they manifest within the language framework. Non-linguistic features of the social worlds manifest in the form of action, identification, and representation. Non-linguistic features of the social world may be a way of interacting within social events. Spoken words often employ non-linguistic cues such as gestures, gaze, and facial expressions. Non-linguistic form of meaning can be derived instances in which a set sign is linked to another event naturally devoid of requirement for a conventional association between the two such as a natural association between clouds and rain. In some cases, the meaning of an expression is considered to lie within its consequences. Some of the non-linguistic meanings derive from natural history such as the connection between predator and prey, which manifest powerful intrinsic (life and death) meaning for people (GonzaÃŒ lez & Bovone, 2012). Meaning can be applied to describe the internal workings of the mind, separately from any linguistic activity. Such a meaning is highly psychological, whereby some communication by body language may emanate from bodily signals, which draw form human instinct as highlighted by examples such as tears, blushing, erections, and startle reaction. Language has been shown to interface with non-linguistic aspects of mental representation (Eller, 2009). Language can impact on non-linguistic cognition, which draws from the understanding that language does not only mirror conceptual representation, but rather can impacts and

Examples Of Organization Activities Groupware Support Information Technology Essay

Examples Of Organization Activities Groupware Support Information Technology Essay With the changes of society and technologies, collaboration is becoming an increasingly integral part of the workplace environment. Three primary influencing factors have revolutionized the common workplace, of which perhaps the most prevalent being technology which has become imperative for being at the forefront of any market. As advancements have occurred in information and communication technologies the business environment has become more flexible, changing the way in which organizations operate. With the enhancements of technology it has become increasingly feasible for organizations to easily span across a global market, resulting in dispersion of organizational assets across a large geographical area. Social transformations such as an increase in the academic achievements of individuals have changed the depth of knowledge between peers allowing them to collaborate to achieve common goals within a working environment. The term Organization is broad and incorporates a collection of institutions ranging from government sectors through to universities. The way in which people operate within organizations has changed throughout recent decades due to the work that is required of them. With the advancements in technology, many tasks are easily achievable using computers and software packages, much of the trivial and time consuming tasks have been removed from the user workload and instead carried out via a machine. Workers within organizations have continued to change with the change in work with many people becoming knowledge workers, who supply their specialist know-how to contribute towards organizational goals. People within organizations are now often required to complete large activities with very specific goals. A growing trend of positions within these environments requires people to operate as a member within a team, to distribute complicated organizational goals. Working in these situations provides an increase in efficiency and productivity in carrying out organizational activities. There are many advantages to working within a team, one of these being teams have a collective knowledge much greater than that of an individual, allowing them to understand a problem by sharing knowledge. Team members will often have their own ideas they want to be included into a solution and so forth will be more so committed to the work. Whilst one individual may find it hard to see flaws within their own work, teams can often identify errors much faster, with a more objective standpoint. Creative solutions can be derived from a group with multiple viewpoints, often providing an abstract view of a problem. Within the business world, companies have been targeting growing markets, this has caused a dispersion in company assets. Activities require interactions from a range of assets including personal situated in different locations this is why technology has become fundamental to team collaborations within a business environment. Collaboration between workers has become more vital in completing organizational goals, technology and software developments have advanced supporting collaboration between individuals whom are not co-located. A type of software which has grown due to the requirement of organizations is groupware. Groupware, collaborative software or group support systems are all a type of software with the main objective to make the interaction between people that work together easier and helping them to become more effective and efficient.( Sarmento, Lousa, Machado,1999) The software is used to support groups of people engaged in a common task that provides an interface to a shared environment. (Borko Furht,2008) Groupware can take place between people whom are co-located or remotely segregated. It can either be synchronous where people are collaborating in real-time or asynchronous with communication at different times (not real-time). Many early groupware systems were brought to live to eliminate the need to be co-located. Groupware has now grown to a state where it is an industry of its own, with so many organizations using various types of collaborative software. Groupware has been around for many years, incorporating technologies such as email. More recently groupware is becoming associated with technologies that support collaboration and communication, with many software solutions providing support for communication, collaboration and cooperative work, for example LMS systems employed by many universities, to support student collaboration. Many factors have lead to the need of software solutions that promote collaboration between individuals. Group work is a regular experience for many people within an organization, in most organizations most complex decisions are made by a team. As this become more frequent the necessity to share documents and work together is central to success. As media becomes more available through IP (internet protocol) through factors such as faster networking connections, the range and quantity of data we can send has improved allowing for better groupware systems (such as video conferencing). Additional the rise of groupware has been influenced by the global spread of employees with 87 percent of employees around the world work[ing] in remote offices.(Turban, Leindner, Mclean, Wetherbe,2008) Individuals daily routines have become more dependent on electronic devices, keeping them in constant connection to e-mail collaborative calendars and other groupware system. Exposing individual to this te chnology makes it easier to introduce such software into their work life. The benefits of groupware have lead to huge numbers of organizations up taking e-collaboration, the telecommunication Industry (TIA)(Tiaonline.org) indicates that global revenues from collaboration will show a 66.5 percent compound annual growth reaching $11.4 billion in 2007 (Turban, Leindner, Mclean, Wetherbe,2008). One of the issues slowing the uptake of groupware is the range of requirements from the different users of collaborative software. Because cooperative work is carried out through such a huge number of industries the number of different activities is massive, often general solutions cannot provide the functionality needed so bespoke software is required. This factor has slowed the uptake of groupware in smaller organizations. Another issue with groupware is the integrity of data being operated upon. When cooperative working it is often the case that the users will be working on an artifact, with multiple users accessing and modifying the artifact it can often cause multiple different copies. Groupware systems tend to employ a centralized data store to attempt to reduce this occurring, including other techniques (e.g. locking the data until the modifications have been finalized). Authentication has also been an issue related with groupware systems as often organizational documents are sensitive. Classification and types of groupware Groupware is a term which incorporates a large quantity of different technologies involved with communication, collaboration and cooperative work. Because the term is so hard to define it has lead to many people being unsure of what constitutes as groupware. The best way to view them is to group them in a logical way, numerous different classification frameworks have been produced to describe characteristics of groupware. In this section I will try and describe some classification techniques to outline the various types of groupware which are available. The time/space matrix classification framework used to group types of groupware. This technique uses the location and the times in groupware to describe it. On the x-axis is the location, which describes if users are co-located or geographically divided. The y-axis on the other hand describes if the users interactions are synchronous (real-time) or asynchronous (not in real-time). Tools used which are synchronous and co-located tend not to be computerized, for instance a classroom. Although this framework does group collaborative tools it does have examples which can cause confusion, such as e-mail. Though it is classified as an asynchronous technology it can be used to send messages back and forth between users.   Network delays might not make it real-time interaction, but it is used for synchronous communication.(Brusic  ,2004) Other examples are present. The ambiguity present in this framework has caused others to be formed. The second framework this essay will introduce is the people/artefact framework. It is heavily based upon cooperative work. Cooperative work involves two or more participants using a shared artefact. (Brusic  ,2004) This framework identifies 3 main operations groupware can offer; Computer meditated communication, meeting and decision support systems and shared applications and artefacts. The first category computer-meditated communication describes technologies which support direct communication between users, allowing cooperate about their work. An example of this are e-mail, bulletin boards and video conferencing. To collaborate workers need to be able to gain an understanding of the task and generate ideas, this is the concept encapsulated by the second category meeting and decision support systems. Examples of meeting and decision support systems are; argumentation tools, services that offer shared drawing tools and brainstorming activities. The final category is shared applica tions and artefacts, this classification includes systems for sharing; computers, applications and documents. This classification often requires special collaborative aware software to be used, an example of these systems are shared editors, allowing multiple users to edit a document. The two classification frameworks discussed are not the only two available, another example is Esther Dysons model that focuses on the benefiting party of the groupware. Describing these frameworks makes it apparent that there are many various collaborative tools, the ideal solution would be one which includes all tools although we are still quite far from developing the grand groupware system that encompasses every type of communication, and we will probably never get there since the possibilities are constantly evolving with changes in both our patterns of social interaction and the technology we have available.(Anonymous,2010) Examples of organization activities groupware support Organisations are more than often using electronic systems to carry out a large magnitude of their internal and external processes. The adoption of e-enterprise has brought forward the need for collaboration between organisations to meet their goals and flourish in the current market. The increasing need for collaboration between non co-located organisations and individuals has caused the groupware market to expand and become a fundamental tool. Groupware has influenced the expansion of enterprises by improving the effectiveness of a range of tools such as the ability to communicate over long distances. I will now discuss the use of groupware and how it can be used to support organisations and their processes. Since the introduction of computers the ability to collect, analyse and share data has greatly increased in efficiency. Today many business and other organisations thrive upon the data they utilize. A key aspect of any organisation is the way in which data is managed and shared between different organisational resources, for example different tiers of staff. Groupware is enabling organisations to work effectively with the quantity of data they currently possess. The sharing of information internally and to external stakeholders has been benefitted by a variety of tools. Many industries rely on sharing information to external organisations and example where this can be seen is with supply and demand. Companies with a required demand need to communicate their requirements to the suppliers in order to meet the demands. An example industry where this is present is within supermarket chains. Asda a leading supermarket uses electronic data interchange systems to communicate to its supplier s with great effect, send[ing] real time data in multiple formats securely over the internet (Turban, Leindner, Mclean, Wetherbe,2008). Using its current stock levels to request necessary products. This software supports the collaboration between organisations improving efficiency. This groupware system offers many benefits over its manual equivalent (such as telephone ordering). Most of the system is automated removing the need for human resources, but it also often much more effective with a decrease in the time required, error rates (human error removed) and often cost. Information sharing has become a large section of groupware due to the increasing use of e-enterprise and need for multiple stakeholders to share information. It can often be seen internally in organisations with one example being the sharing of documents through systems such as email attachments and drop box systems. Knowledge creation tools are a collection of groupware tools that can be used to support the learning and sharing of knowledge throughout an organisation. Knowledge can be classified as tacit (Knowledge that is difficult to transfer by verbalising it or writing it down) or as explicit. Groupware systems support both through collaboration using a variety of structured and non-structured methods. Tools which offer this include; white-boarding, chat, discussion groups and other tools. Knowledge creation and sharing is important throughout organisations. The need of cooperation between geographically dispersed workgroups is a critical issue to global organizations: the best specialists to solve a problem do not usually work on the same floor. (Carvalho, Rodrigo Baroni de Ferreira, Marta Araujo Tavares, 2001). As this statement suggest groupware to help creation of knowledge is now fundamental because of the needs of organisations to span a much larger (often global) market. Closely coupled to knowledge creation tools are the groupware tool classified as knowledge management systems. The systems main objective is to manage the creation, capture, storage and dissemination of information.(Maier,2007) Because of the diversity of organizations many varying systems are currently available. Learning management systems such as Blackboard are ideal examples of groupware facilitating learning. Blackboard is a well known product used in over 2200 educational institutions, its primary goal is manage course content but also provides tools for learning and collaboration between users. Through my own experience of blackboard it vastly improves the ability to find relevant information to apply towards projects and examinations, using the online discussion boards it is possible to carry out peer to peer knowledge sharing to aid my personal development. Assessment and interactive learning content is another feature present helping to increase individuals knowledge throug hout universities. There are many other organizations using a variety of software packages. Lotus notes (IBM) is an example of collaborative software which incorporates knowledge management, this system is typically used throughout businesses and offers a range of collaborative tools such as email and calendaring. A collaborative project management tool is an application that facilitates a project throughout its lifecycle. Many groupware tools can be used to support a range of projects. Projects have a much higher rate of success if they are managed effectively. The ability for multiple team members to carry out work on a project from different geographical locations is greatly improved with the use of collaborative project management tools. As the internet has become a more powerful resource it has lead to the growth of tools such as sub-versioning. Throughout the software industry it is often feasible for programmers to operate from different locations all carrying out modifications on a globally stored project. Collaborative project management tools do bring issue. When projects are carried out by non co-located groups they often work on the same data this can lead to data inconsistency throughout a project. Data inconsistency can often lead to inaccuracy and loss of integrity through information. Groupware commonly uses the approach of having a central single data store. This can still lead to loss of integrity with multiple people modifying the same information. Techniques such as locking can be applied and is used in packages such as repository programming where files are locked until they are updated by the person modifying them. This does remove the issue of data inconsistency but reduces productivity, communication is vital to avoid such issues. The future of Groupware All disciplines of technology continue to advance at incredible rates, I believe that groupware will become critical to large organisations. Enterprises are continuing to become more and more popular fulfilling a huge magnitude of services. As the rates of communication through computer continue to increase (i.e. internet speeds) the ability to collaborate with organisations in multiple countries using more personal media will become available. Furthermore the collaboration achievable will improve, bringing down the limitations of geographical dispersion and providing media much more similar to a face to face conversation. Large organisations such as Microsoft and IBM are continuing to focus development towards overall groupware solutions such as Lotus notes. As these organisations continue to develop reliable secure systems I believe the use of collaborative systems will grow throughout small to large work environments. The term groupware is hard to quantify, including small systems such as e-mail through to large software packages, I believe solutions that incorporate a framework and many tools will become more readily available. These sophisticated solutions will offer flexibility so that the processes they operate and projects they manage can change and still be supported, in the same way which humans are flexible to change. With flexibility will need to come scalability of a system, organisations are constantly changing to stay relevant with in their market, groupware will need to be able to support the need for growth. Organisations often consist of technically skilled IT employees capable of managing the internal and external systems but workers do not always have strong technical abilities. If groupware is to become a necessity for all organisations, the technical skills needed to work with the software will need to be basic, this is something I believe will become more present within current tools. Todays world is becoming heavily encircled around mobile devices with millions of people using smart phones and other hand held devices to access the Internet and carry out many daily activities. With the movement away from desk workers to people whom travel in their daily work life the demand for groupware systems that can be supported through a mobile platform to allow communication and collaboration whilst on the move. Groupware tools such as email can already be accessed via mobile device but I believe more multifunctional solutions such as lotus notes will become more available via mobile devices. As with the move to mobile platforms cross platform will also be needed. I believe that this will be accomplished with an increase in web-based solutions running on hosted systems similar to groupware such as Google groups. The inevitable move towards cloud computing will continue to bring an increase in web-based tools with less need for local storage and an increase in hosted data wa rehouses. Groupware will continue to grow but this brings the cost needed to secure systems. Large organisations with top-secret information or organisation secret information will no doubt like the rest of the Internet become a victim to cyber-crime. If security is not kept at the forefront of developers minds when producing groupware tools it could become an easy target for cyber criminals exploiting the software for their own benefit. Tools like Sms and E-mail have already fallen victim with numerous scandals, the increase of overall groupware systems which incorporate the majority of business processes will become a target, an example being the attack of a payroll system. Conclusion Groupware as discussed within this essay is hard to describe with a broad range of technologies being incorporated under the term. Although groupware is hard to define the software tend to have common goals such as improved communication. The majority of collaborative tools can be described as one of the following four; Knowledge management tools, Knowledge creation tools, Information sharing tools and collaborative project management tools. Throughout the essay I have identified some techniques used to classify different groupware tools, in my opinion I believe for an organisation to take full advantage of computer systems a range of tools should be used. In an environment where learning is expected a range of tools would be beneficial because of the way in which people learn differently. The goal for all types of groupware is to improve collaboration and increase organisational efficiency. The growth of e-enterprises has increased the need for groupware systems. I believe that with the continued need for collaboration internally and externally for organisations to prosper, the use of groupware systems will follow such growth. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/search/freesrchabstract.jsp?tp=arnumber=807823queryText%3Dwith+the+main+objective+to+make+the+interaction+between+people+that+work+together+easier+and+helping+them+to+become+more+effective+and+efficient.%E2%80%9D%26openedRefinements%3D*%26searchField%3DSearch+All http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ipk5x-c_xNICdq=support+groups+of+people+engaged+in+a+common+task+that+provides+an+interface+to+a+shared+environment.source=gbs_navlinks_s http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~zives/03s/cis650/groupware.pdf http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_fall/projects/abowd_team/ivan/final.html http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/nist-icv/documents/node6.html http://www.skyrme.com/insights/7gw.htm http://www.hcibook.com/e3-docs/slides/notes-pdf/e3-chap-19-6up.pdf http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_fall/projects/spin/groupware/index.html#classify http://www.usabilityfirst.com/about-usability/web-application-design/collaborative-software-groupware/typical-collaborative-software-applications/ http://computernetworksit.com.au/blog/business-groupware-%E2%80%93-software-for-complete-office-collaboration/ http://www.bynari.net/blog/bynari-collaboration-suite/bynari-collaboration-and-groupware-technology-enhances-workflow-and-business-operations/ http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gray/WICS_99_TP/21_domino_Mohan.pdf http://www.helium.com/items/1647396-business-collaboration-tools-groupware-knowledge-management?page=2 http://informationr.net/ir/7-1/paper118.html http://en.enage.com/prod/prod05.asp?menu=6 http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~i385tkms/blog/archives/patrick/groupwarepaper.html#4 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_n11_v42/ai_20161847/pg_3/?tag=content;col (Carvalho, Rodrigo Baroni de Ferreira, Marta Araujo Tavares, 2001) Carvalho, Rodrigo Baroni de Ferreira, Marta Araà ºjo Tavares   (2001) Using information technology to support knowledge conversion processes   Ã‚  Information Research,  7(1) [Available at http://InformationR.net/ir/7-1/paper118.html]   Maier, R (2007): Knowledge Management Systems: Information And Communication Technologies for Knowledge Management. 3rd edition, Berlin: Springer.

Mexico and the Quest for Economic Improvement :: Free Essays Online

Mexico and the Quest for Economic Improvement Karl Marx once stated, â€Å" A commodity appears at first sight, a very trivial thing and easily understood. It’s analysis shows that it is in reality, a very queer thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties.† Ironically, Marx would have never anticipated the conflict over queer space that I am going to detail. The commodification of Aguascalientes, Mexico has been nonetheless a very queer thing indeed. The space in Aguascalientes has been torn apart by competing ideals surrounding sexuality and gay and lesbian identity, yet both sides in this competition have a common interest: selling a specific commodity—namely, the space of Aguascalientes In September 2000, Mr. Jorge Alvarez Medina, the Director of Regulations of Aguascalientes, in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes, publicly announced his opposition to gays, lesbians, and transgender people. He stated that he will â€Å"not allow ‘this type of people’ access to any public facility or allow them to work in the public sector.† Medina also claimed that Aguascalientes needed to portray a cleaner image to the public. Many LGBT and human rights organizations claim this act to be â€Å"prejudiced, corrupt, and violent.† The order made by Medina is also a threat to Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, â€Å"All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection before the law.† This is only one of the many events that have occurred in Aguascalientes pertaining to gay, lesbian and transgender relations, where, according to some estimates, there are more than 12,200 gays (more than 10% of overall population). By analyzing these statements made by Medina, many questions arise. If Medina is tying to portray a â€Å"cleaner image† in the city of Aguascalientes, for whom is this image? Curiously the Mexonline website gives Aguascalientes a different reputation, contradicting Medina’s biased proposal. The Mexonline website gives its audience the impression that Aguascalientes has a very accepting and diverse society. The website states, â€Å" Aguascalientes is well positioned to mull full-steam ahead into the 21st century. We are well aware that our future rests on our export capacity. World business leaders, who have already located in the state, share our vision and, together with our local business community, our industrious labor force, and our imaginative policy makers, have joined hands and laid the foundation for a prosperous and happy society in this, ‘the state of friendly people.