What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the skill to apply reasoning and logic to fresh or unused ideas, views, and conditions. Thinking critically includes seeing stuffs in an open-minded manner and observing an idea or concept from as many approaches as likely. This essential skill lets people stare past their individual interpretations of the world and to improve and realize the views of others. It is frequently used in discussions, to procedure additional cogent and well-rounded arguments, and in science. The skill to think critically is essential, as it generates new opportunities in problem solving.Being â€Å"open-minded† is a huge portion of critical thinking, permitting an individual to not simply search for out all likely answers to a problem, but to as well accept an response that is diverse from what was initially expected. Open-minded thinking needs that a individual does not take responsibility that his or her method of approaching a circumstances is always best, or even right. Cri tical thinking is well-defined as reasonable, reflective, responsible, and skillful thinking that is fixated on determining what to have confidence in or do.Critical thinking is analytical thinking. This sort of thinking takes complications away from each other fundamentally and down to their origins, in order to solve the problems. Critical thinking is not a matter of gathering information. An individual with a respectable memory and who recognizes a lot of facts is not automatically good at critical thinking. A critical thinker is capable to deduce concerns from what he identifies, and he recognizes how to create the use of information to answer problems, and to search for related sources of information to advise him.How is your response different from the one you wrote in Week One? The differences from what I wrote in week one till now is that in week one I was just looking up there information and just cite everything, but now I have a good understanding about what critical thin king is and how to be a critical thinker. In week one I did not know how to think critical but now everything I do I make sure I’m using critical thinking as an everyday route.

Boeing’s E-Enabled Advantage

Case Study _Boeing’s e-Enabled Advantage_ The Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001. Boeing is the largest global aircraft manufacturer by revenue, orders and deliveries and the second largest aerospace and defense contractor in the world. Boeing is the largest exporter by value in the United States. Boeing acquired this efficient aerospace technology through companies like Rockwell and McDonnell Douglas. They thus increased the number of contracts in the defense aircraft industry and now stood a better chance in the market. Boeing had to eliminate wastage and step up efficiency to cut unnecessary costs. So the procedures of parts ordering and scheduling were reshuffled. Additional proficient inventory management was necessary. The manufacturing process experienced a major change and there was less production delays than before which not only helped in keeping an efficient flow when it came to their supply chain but also helped in better customer service which of course helped them hold on to crucial market share. Gaining market share of course hugely elevated their problems of losing customers or market share to Airbus (who in order to turn away customers from Boeing had initially adopted the strategy to lower prices of their products). Of course the customers were airline companies. Boeing’s success depended directly on the success of those airline companies. The e-enabling architecture of the system has four underlying components: The Connexion by Boeing broadband data and Internet services system. Bibliography

What High Prices for Tea and Coffee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What High Prices for Tea and Coffee - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that the quantity demanded will decrease from Q to Q1 causing the price to also fall from P to P1. However, next month, when prices are anticipated to fall, people will spend more on mobile phones due to lower prices causing the demand curve to shift on the right. This will result in an increase in the quantity demanded followed by an increase in price. A fall in the price of a call made from a mobile phone will cause the demand for mobile phones to increase the usage of mobiles will now become comparatively economical. Consumers will prefer mobile phones over other substitutes; in this case, a landline is the closest substitute, due to lower prices of the call made from a mobile phone. This change will shift the demand curve to its right causing the quantity demanded of mobile phones to rise as shown in the graph above. Due to an increase in the price of a call made from a landline, the demand for landline phones will decrease. People will shift to cheaper alternatives, in this case, mobile phones. Since using the landline is now comparatively costly, people will tend to switch to mobile phones to avail lower prices. This can also be described as the relationship between substitute goods in which one prefers to shift to an alternative due to increase in prices of the existing commodity or service.  Therefore, demand for mobile phone will again shift to the right as depicted in the diagram above. Yes, part (a) of this question illustrates the law of demand as the number of mobile phones demanded was solely affected by the decrease in the price of the mobile phone itself. Law of demand can be best described as the inverse relationship between the price of the good and quantity demanded.  

User Fees Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

User Fees - Coursework Example This paper identifies the four major user fees that are collected in the state of North Carolina and compares their charges. Just as any other state in the United States of America, North Carolina also relies on user fees as one of its major source of revenue. The major user fees collected by the state of North Carolina include recreational and cultural activities fees, solid waste collection and disposal fees, parking fees and highway tools (Lawrence and Millonzi, 2008). This fee is charged by the local government for the collection and disposal of solid wastes. The fees charged under this include basic service fee, additional or special service charges, solid waste container fees and collection bag charges (Lawrence and Millonzi, 2008). These are fees charged on those who visit recreational and cultural programs such as art galleries, museums, parks, coliseums and libraries. The main fee charged in these programs is the admission charge. However, in public libraries the residents are not charged the admission fee but penalty fees for overdue materials. The state uses these charges or fees to maintain these programs (Lawrence and Millonzi, 2008). Parking fees are charged on all parking spaces provided by the state of North Carolina. The fees are either charged on long term or short basis and vary from one county to another. The revenue obtained from these charges is used by the state to support all operating costs (Lawrence and Millonzi, 2008). Highway toll fees are charged on every vehicle that uses highway state roads. The charges vary depending on time, collection point and the size of the vehicle. Revenue collected from this charges are used by the state for the maintenance of these roads (Lawrence and Millonzi, 2008). Although this paper has only discussed four user fees collected from the public by the state of North Carolina, there are several of them. The fees

Employees Morale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employees Morale - Essay Example Therefore, the company should employ a comprehensive exposure strategy for employees to ensure that they develop skills compatible with emerging trends in the rental car business (Bruce, 2003). The company should practice workforce exchange programs with other organizations offering car rental services in order motivate employees to appreciate the company’s working environment. The employees should be given attractive remuneration to promote loyalty and energize their working potential (Bowles, Cooper & Palgrave, 2009). The company should plan for reasonable allowance strategy to ensure that hardworking employees are reward proportionately to their contribution to the company’s success. The employees should be awarded attractive entertainment allowance to facilitate adequate refreshment when on holiday. The company working schedule should be well structured ensure that it is convenient for all employees. The employees should not be made to report very early and leave late from work. Overworking the employees lowers their working morale and sometimes pressures them to produce substandard results (Amar, 2001). In this regard, the company should consider restructuring the work program and allow workers to operate in shifts to minimize fatigue and work pressure. The company should focus on appreciating the hardworking workers to encourage them to put more efforts in their endeavor.. For instance, the employees showing distinguished performance should be promoted to higher ranks and their salaries to be reviewed to boost their working spirit. Research has shown that promotion is a significant booster of employees’ morale. Employees will always work hard to get to high levels of their career. The company should not interfere with employee freedom at the work place. The employees should be allowed to mingle and share experiences

Was the financial crisis of 2007-8 caused by failures inherent within Essay

Was the financial crisis of 2007-8 caused by failures inherent within capitalism or the changing global system - Essay Example Following the economic crisis, the International Labour Organization forecasted unemployment grew from approximately 20 million to 50 million people by the end of 2009. The Food and Agriculture Organization also painted a grim picture of the years following the crisis in their report where the incomes of the poor was falling due to the crisis while the international prices of food commodities was also high. The high food prices coupled with a reduced income for the poor means the number of undernourished people in the world rose to more than one billion for the first time in history in 2009 (Bresser-Pereira 2009, p.1). The magnitude of the 2007-8 financial crisis raises many patient questions based on why it happened, why institutions and theories put in place after previous crises failed to forestall this one, was the crisis predictable based on what many see as a lack of stability of capitalism? This essay argues that it was in fact the changing global system especially in financia l markets after the 1970s that caused the financial crisis of 2007-8 and should not therefore be taken as a failure in capitalism. Consequently the 2007-8 financial crisis associates are associated with financialization and neoliberalism. Financialization as used in this essay is a distortion of financial systems that is characterized by creation of artificial financial wealth, which is financial wealth that has no relation with the mechanisms of production of goods and services. On the other hand, neoliberalism from this perspective not only a fundamental economic liberalism but should be perceived as an ideology that is unsympathetic to the proletariats, to poor and to the welfare state (Epstein 2005, p.3). As with previous global financial crises, the global crisis of 2007-8 began as financial crises in first world countries which was caused by the deregulation of financial markets in developed countries which was followed by widespread speculation that such deregulation made pos sible. Accordingly, these deregulation policies was the historical additional fact that allowed the crisis to take place due to the behavior exhibited by the banking and other financial institutions can be blamed on the deregulation policies of the government. The state failed to undertake a supervisory role that would have identified and forestall the situation (Bresser-Pereira 2009, p.3). Gradual deregulation not only in the US but globally in addition to fragmented financial authorities and the absence of international cooperation encouraged and legitimized the thinking that financial sector had to be free in order to flourish. Both â€Å"macroprudential† and â€Å"microprudential† supervision would have proven effective in regulating the banks given that even if all banks had proper financial practices, unforeseen risks as result of small changes on a broad scale at the macro level could have occurred. Therefore macroprudential supervision would be an innovative ty pe of regulation that is suitable for central banks (Dullien, Kotte, Marquez and Priewe 2010, p.23). Part of the deregulation policies for the period before the crisis was the US Federal Reserve Bank’s monetary policy decision which saw interest rates kept at an all-time low for a long time after the 2001/2 financial period. Such measure resulted in a major increase in the credit supply that was a catalyst for the production of high leverage levels related with the crisis. Financial stability

Lung cancer policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Lung cancer policy - Term Paper Example Compared with a combination of other malignant cancers like colon cancer, breast cancer, and the more familiar prostate cancer, the cancer of lungs kills more people than the three mentioned cancers combined. Such is the deadly and alarming situation of cancer of the lung. The simple explanation behind this is that, prostate cancer is prone to men only, while breast cancer is more prone to women. That is a contrast with lung cancer, the malignancy is not specific to gender, and it cuts across both women and men, hence creating more deaths than other types of cancers. In the entire of the nation, by the year 2007 there were roughly around 400,000 people who had survived through lung cancer. This malignancy has the lowest rates of survival compared to breast or prostate cancer which have slightly higher rates of survival. Hence since survival from the cancer is a matter of rarity, this has always resulted to lack of enough funding and even less motivation in creating awareness to the cancer. Currently in the United States the probability of developing cancer in any person’s life is such that 1 man in every 13 men will normally be diagnosed in your life time. And every 1 woman in every 16 women will be diagnosed over the same period. Research on the spending on the lung cancer carried out in 2004 show that the United States has been spending 9.6 billion dollars per year in the treatment and diagnosis of lung cancer. In men, the malignancy diagnosis of the cancer is high among the black and white men compared to Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander men. In women there is higher statistics in white women contrary to other racial groups. When it comes to survival basing on the same ethnic or racial groups the data is as illustrated below in table 1.2, this is an overall average 5- year survival rate-: In diagnostics over half of the diagnosis normally happens when the cancer is at advanced stages, only 16% of the diagnosis happens at earlier stages. 25% of

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fast Imaging Techniques (MRI) - Essay Example Consequently, the shortened duration of flat top reduces both ESP and the geometric distortion of the image (Jezzard and Balaban, 1995, p.71). Another consequence of increasing the receiver bandwidth is faster imaging. Although increasing the receiver bandwidth allows faster imaging, it may also significantly reduce the SNR, and this often leads to more noise outside the spectrum (Parrish, 2000, p.927). For example, as the bandwidth range is gradually increased, the system may begin to sample more inherent noise together with the generated echo signal, thereby resulting in the fall of SNR. There are a number of ways that can generally be used to help recover the signals lost as a result of a wider bandwidth during the optimization of image. Some of the choices include acquisition of more signal averages and improving the receiver coil technology. The first option is, however, counter-productive because it may increase the amount of time needed to perform the overall scan while the se cond option if often preferred because it helps maintain the original objective of choosing EPI. Lastly, with regard to the required T2 weighted image, increasing the receiver bandwidth may reduce the effects of chemical shift artefacts on the image. According to Ra and Rim (1993, p.145), this is because higher receiver bandwidth results in a wide range of resonant frequencies on which the distortion is spread in order to cover a smaller pixel range and minimize the geometric distortion. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using segmentation in EPI. Segmentation is a new concept that has significantly made it possible to use EPI on most of the conventional imaging systems where constraints related to signal to noise would have otherwise prevented EPI. Segmenting EPI is increasingly becoming more important to a number of its properties that ensure improved image quality as compared to the conventional single shot EPI. For example, one of the potential benefits of segmentat ion is that it allows EPI to be able to effectively run on the conventional systems where single short EPI can not be used. This is because segmentation ensures less stress is placed on the gradients as opposed to single short EPI and is therefore critically important in situations where by the available SNR and hardware makes it difficult to acquire all the necessary k-space data before the elimination of the MR signal by the traverse relaxation (McRobbie et al., 2003, p.75). Another important advantage of segmented EPI is that it helps reduce the magnetic susceptibility of various artefacts. This is because phase errors often have less time to build up when segmented EPI as compared to single shot EPI. The shortening of echo train length also allows segmented EPI to be less prone to the effects of artefact variations. Segmentation can also be used to help reduce imaging distortion and enable higher image resolution as compared to single shot EPI. The other key benefit of segmentat ion of EPI is the fact that it can be used to increase resolution. This is particularly attributed to the fact that segmented EPI have relatively short echo train length, thereby leading to increased spatial resolution. On the other hand, normal single shot EPI usually have lower spatial

Patterns for College Writing Essay Example for Free

Patterns for College Writing Essay I spent the night before contemplating how I was going to get out of school on Thursday.   There was a social studies test I didnt study for and I just could not bare another day of dodge ball.   On the morning of September 11, 2001 I woke up â€Å"sick†.   I pleaded with my mother, and took a fake trip to the bathroom because I was going to â€Å"vomit†.   Finally, I was allowed to stay home.   At 6:00 am,   I was ordered to go back to sleep and I did.    I looked forward to my day alone as I lingered between sleeping and waking pondering how I was going to fill my day with snacks, computer games, and loud music. September 11, 2001 began as a childhood scheme and it ended with me growing up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I dozed much of the morning and awoke to the sound of my brothers radio alarm going off.   It was Thursday and he shouldnt be home.   I pouted as I slowly got out of bed to see if I was truly alone.   I walked down the hall and stopped briefly at the bathroom and then into my brothers room.   He was gone, and the alarm had been set wrong.   The people on the radio droned on and on.   I wandered around the room hoping to find a magazine that I let brat borrow weeks ago. As I was on my knees peaking under the bed the words on the radio became clear.   I heard the word â€Å"terrorists† and the fragments of statements like â€Å"hundreds died this morning when†.   Then, I could only hear my heart beat in my ears.  Ã‚   I got to my feet and for the first time since being a child, I felt real panic. The sort of panic you feel when you are four and you have wandered away from your parents.   Once I caught my breath I made my way to the family room, frantically searching for the remote.   I turned on the television to MSNBC and the first image I saw was a man jumping from a broken window of one of the twin towers.   I was baffled and this would be the image that would haunt my dreams, my waking memories, and what it meant to be an American.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I heard the details over and over again.   The errorists had hijacked three planes and deliberately crashed them into the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.   The video clips played again and again on the news.   The smoke filled horizons around the crumbling buildings.   Paper was flying everywhere and the sound of heart broken people wailing in the background filled the screen.   I stared and there were moments where I thought it might be a movie and all I had to do was change the channel.   The phone must of rang a dozen times before I answered it   It was my mother on the other end, asking me again and again if I was ok.  Ã‚   She told me she would be home soon.   I waited, though I did not know for what, and watched.   The Towers were now in flames as the reporters spoke in what seem like whispers.   Their words almost silenced but the sound of a city slowly dying.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I remember hearing the back door open and close, and my mother sitting down next to me.   It was the first time since I was a child that she held my hand and I let her.   Stunned, we sat together as the news reported that at 8:40 am the terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center.   It was hard to comprehend.   My mother cried and I cried too except on the inside.   I watched her body shake as she twisted her ring around and around her finger.   My mother, who could out talk just about everyone we knew, was speechless.   It was then that I understood – she was scared too.   I hugged my mother and told her everything would be all right.   I told her we would be safe and that we had each other.   I made us coffee and we spent much of the afternoon talking about what happened, what could happen, and what we would do.   What we spoke about most was â€Å"why†.   Why did the terrorists hate Americ a?   Why did people kill other people for no apparent reason?   Comforting my   mother in the ways she had comforted me for so many years, came unexpectedly to me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the next few months we followed the story as did the world.   I can remember President Bush attempting to comfort the United States and telling us America would be going to war for reasons that werent clear to me then and certainly arent clear to me now.   Suddenly video games and staying home from school just werent important anymore.   Dodge ball did not seem so bad.   Instead of hiding from my parents I sought them out, wanting to discuss my day and theirs together.   I do not believe what does not kill us makes us stronger.   However, I think that what does not kill us makes truly value what we have in life and to realize how much our family and friends mean to us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My family and I became very active in volunteer activities especially with the Red Cross.   We donated bottled water, clothing, blankets, and food.   Our community held local charity events to raise money for the victims of September 11 including those firemen and police officers who gave their lives in the fires of 9/11.   It was the first time I or my family had ever become involved in activities that did not directly benefits ourselves.   The sense of community and patriotism that was built in the months following the terrorists attacks still exists with me today.   We now volunteer regularly as a family for a number of charities.   Through the destruction of the Twin Towers, I finally understood my place and role in society.   Not as a bystander but an active and willing participant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On September 11, 2001 many people lost their lives and I gained my independence from childhood fantasies.   Before that Thursday in September, I never thought about life and death.   I never considered the consequences of war and the denial of freedoms.   Now that I am older, I realize that September 11, 2001 was not just pivotal point for me but America itself.   Not since Pearl Harbor had the United States been unexpectedly attacked on its own land.  Ã‚   Just as families pulled together so did the United States as a whole.  Ã‚   We cried together and we healed together.  Ã‚   To actually witness the attacks was life changing but to be part of the healing process was life affirming. Bibliograhy Berne, S. (2004). Ground Zero. In S. Mandell, and Kirszner, L. (Eds.), Patterns for College Writing: A   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rhetorical Reader and Guide (pp. 158-161). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

Introduction to Apologetics Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Apologetics Essay Introduction This is a critique of L. Russ Bush’s The Advancement. In order to properly ascertain the individual components as well as the overall success of Bush’s work, this article deploys the use of a general summary, followed by a section of critical interaction, and finally a conclusion. In the end, elements of Bush’s argument prove invaluable, while others miss their target. Summary Chapter 1 begins with an historical review of the modern worldview formation. This includes first the secular worldview, inspired by the focus on freedom inherent in the Enlightenment. Bush then begins to explore the details of  the Christian alternative. This discussion reaches a climax as he notes the contrast of the new and old worldviews. â€Å"In the earlier view there is a natural stability in both history and in nature. Progress or decline are products of a person’s relationship or lack of relationship to God, and neither is inevitable historically (15).† Ultimately Bush concludes, â€Å"The older worldview is not true (just) because it’s old, and it too may be in need of refinement in light of better understandings of the Bible, but authentic Christianity is the best antidote for a culture that is dying from the venom of the Advancement (17).† See more: how to write an introduction Chapter 2 begins to unveil the components of the overall worldview, that which Bush calls The Advancement. Here, again, Bush delves deeper into the historical relationships ¬Ã‚ ¬ among science, secularism, and Christianity. He addresses the historic belief, â€Å"God operates outside of the cause-and-effect pattern discernable in the Universe (20)†. Bush notes that while cause-and-effect reasoning was originally limited to certain areas of study, modernity and postmodernity have witnessed cause-and-effect spreading into countless fields (21). In addition, Bush explores the origins of modern materialism, uniformitarian thought, and evolution. From here he displays the historic influence of these philosophies on modern ethics. The most critical issue of ethics is the loss of humanness at the hands of the animal origins suggested in evolutionary theory. â€Å"Humans are no longer human. They are simply naked apes (35).† Chapter 3 explores The Advancement and Theory of Knowledge. The core of this address deals with the epistemological battle between conflicting philosophies of objective and subjective truth. Bush notes that naturalism demands that the human mind is merely an effect of the system that created it. Therefore, he believes that this, in turn, places scientific study, amongst other things, at the mercy of subjective relativism (40). Bush compares this to multiple epistemological views based on a theistic foundation. After several theories, he ultimately concludes that naturalism has reclassified biblical ideas as culturally, rather than divinely, inspired (52). The collective result of secular modernism is a â€Å"loss of political freedom† and â€Å"moral accountability† (50). Chapter 4 explores Modern Theistic Alternatives. Bush points to various groups of non-biblical philosophies such as process theology and open theology, which recognize the potentiality, and even perhaps the need for God. However, he concludes that these beliefs are incomplete at best and through these beliefs, â€Å"Ultimately, God is naturalized, and the modern worldview prevails (64). â€Å" The following two chapters investigate naturalistic evolution. Bush spends Chapters 5 and 6 addressing the seven assumptions of evolutionary biology (65-72), ten axioms of modern scientific thought (72-76), and four basic beliefs of modern thinkers (77-78). He follows this groundwork with five simple objections to naturalistic evolution (80-83). Critical Interaction Overall, Bush’s outline follows a semi-logical progression. However, in spite of the overall congruency, certain elements are lacking the necessary ingredients for a successful dissertation. Ultimately, Bush’s massive undertaking becomes his downfall. The very concept of the Advancement is a hodgepodge of component worldviews. In his attempt to attack this umbrella concept, Bush ends up falling victim to the same weakness as postmodernism. Ambiguity and muddled worldviews become self-contradictory. The book gives the impression of a single soldier fighting a multitude of swarming enemies. In his worthy attempt at defeating the collective Advancement, Bush ends up using the wrong ammunition on the wrong enemy. This happens in two ways. First, though he has the foresight to break down the overall concept into its respective components, he often reverts back to addressing the overall mentality, which does not technically exist on a broad scale. The postmodern beast is like a series of viruses that morph in their formation from host to host. The only way to attack it is piece by piece. The combination of postmodern beliefs never takes the same form from person to person. Therefore, addressing it as a collective whole ultimately fails.  Second, he frequently attributes relativist beliefs to naturalism and vice versa. Bush’s, lack of clarity is pervasive throughout the book. He bounces back and forth between this multitude of worldviews and theories, often with little description of how he intends to relate them one to another. Bush tends to make broad, sweeping statements that render worldview differentiation difficult to assess. â€Å"To the modern mind†¦ progress is inevitable (15).† In context, It is difficult to discern whether Bush is referencing secular minds, Christian minds, or the all-inclusive popular opinion of modernity, irrespective of religious foundation. As Bush acknowledges, chronological limits are not always clear and ideas surface gradually (7). Phrases such as â€Å"modern mind† become increasingly ambiguous in the midst of paragraphs and subsections, which themselves are bouncing between religion, secularism, time periods, and keystone philosophies that transcend designated periods or belief structures. The end result is a dizzying series of statements that present more frustration and confusion than clarity and conclusion. Specific statements that lack citation further confound Bush’s message. In Chapter Two, he claims that there are three ideas that make up the longstanding alternative worldview of Christianity: â€Å"stability in nature, spiritual warfare, and historical change initiated by divine intervention (9).† Bush gives no indication about where he has derived these three ideas. He does this multiple times throughout the book. Chapters 5 and 6, as mentioned in the summary, are made up of lists of apparent assumptions, axioms, and beliefs that represent the foundations of multiple worldviews. However, again, Bush neglects to cite his reasoning for calling upon these specific elements of each worldview. This may leave readers questioning the authenticity of the claims, and if it doesn’t, perhaps it should. These lists are especially important to the overall purpose of the book as they represent the summation of alternative worldviews, which Bush is seeking to critique. Witho ut clarification of source and accuracy, readers should be cautious in adopting his overall strategy, though individual responses still have value. In addition to issues of clarity and viability, Bush has a tendency to evaluate secular worldviews from the subjectivity of a Christian understanding. This is most evident in his repeated portrayal of naturalism as ethically unviable. While this may certainly be true, and while it may provide a valuable argument in some light, Bush confuses the need for morality with the need for truth. His response to the loss of humanness associated with natural evolution is, â€Å"It is not an optimistic picture (78).† While this is certainly a viable proclamation, it ultimately does little to answer the question of truthfulness. Morality is contingent upon truth and not the other way around. â€Å"The truth of moral and logical principles does not correspond to reality in the same way as do statements about observable empirical facts.† Assuming that God’s truth is correct, then a lack of morality is a viable argument. However, the argument relies upon the presupposition that God’s truth is, in fact, correct. Bush continually fails to fully consider the worldview he addresses. One example of this is found in his discussion of â€Å"Why Modern Thought Fails†(59-61). Again, he seems to confuse the ultimate reality of objective truth, with the anthropomorphic limitations of subjective truth. â€Å"Truth, as it has been traditionally defined, does not exist necessarily in this modern scientific worldview. There is only momentary correctness, warranted assertions, and majority opinions (60).† This is not an accurate assessment. Bush is simply acknowledging that human subjectivity and limitation keeps humanity from discovering ultimate truth. That does not mean that this truth does not exist. The true divergence in the two worldviews lies where the ultimate truth is found. For science, ultimate truth is in natural law. That does not change based on our momentary correctness, assertions, or opinions. Likewise, biblically speaking, humanity operates similarly, but God is the ultimate source of truth rather than natural law. Human subjectivity exists in both models, and this momentary understanding may be accurate or inaccurate. However, the point is simply that human subjectivity fails to influence ultimate truth in either model. Bush misses this in his conclusion, â€Å"The relativism of modern thought is†¦ self-defeating (80).† This is simply not true. Relativism only acknowledges the finite nature of human understanding. Conclusion Like an under trained spy in the enemy’s camp, Bush’s Christian worldview and reliance upon morality remains overly influential in his assault on the mixed set of hypotheses that make up The Advancement. His inability to remain focused on a single worldview sucks the reader into a tornadic war against a constantly shifting, ever-growing enemy. In the end Bush may succeed in refuting the validity of the umbrella view of The Advancement, on the basis of self-refutation, but fails to win the individual battles that truly matter. Bibliography Bush, L. Russ. The Advancement. Nashville: Broadman Holman, 2003. Groothuis, Douglas. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2011.

Urinary Incontinence and Social Isolation

Urinary Incontinence and Social Isolation Beverly Phelps Abstract Urinary incontinence is loss of bladder control, that one in every 25 million Americans deal with on a daily basis, and it can mean anything from a slight leak to complete inability to maintain control. (Chris Lliades, 2009) Discuss the social concerns associated with incontinence. What nursing interventions would be appropriate to assist a patient who is experiencing social isolation as a result of incontinence? Include community resources, as appropriate. Many women, at one stage of life or another, experience that annoying leakage of urine when their bladder is too full, and/or when laughing, running, jumping, or sneezing. For some it occurs after childbirth when all of those muscles down in the pelvic region are stretched out and recovering. For others, it occurs later in life with the change of hormones and loss of estrogen. There are three most common types of incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when you put stress or pressure on your bladder with coughing, sneezing, or running. Urge incontinence happens when you have the immediate urge to urinate and can’t seem to hold it. Mixed is a combination of both. Urine is specifically kept in the bladder until you are ready to use the bathroom, however if the detrusor muscle and urethra aren’t behaving like they should, you leak. Improved My Health Changed My Life Saved My Life Research â€Å"suggests that 30 to 40 percent of women 60 years and older deal with incontin ence.† Risk factors include: pregnancy, multiple births, menopause, obesity, diabetes, certain autoimmune conditions, prolapse, abdominal surgery, diuretics, anxiety, and nerve damage to the mid-low back, bladder infections, overactive bladder, inability to urinate regularly when needed, and stimulants such as coffee/soda/chocolate. Evaluation by your health care provider, or a specialist called an Urogynecologic, often involves a full intake surrounding the situations in which you are incontinent, your history, medications, and pregnancy history. A vaginal physical exam is important to assess for proper anatomy and then testing may be needed such as a hormone testing, urinalysis (to look for infection), a bladder stress test, an ultrasound of your kidneys/bladder/ureters, or cystoscopy (a scope inside your bladder). Treatment depends on what they find. It may be something like pelvic floor physical therapy where you learn how to do a proper Kegel exercise and recruit all of y our muscles, not just the strong ones. It may require bladder retraining, hormone evaluation, weight loss coaching, or surgery in some cases (Jones, 2011) Psycho-Social Issues of Adult Incontinence Incontinence is not a disease but symptom of an underlying problems. Urinary incontinence is viewed as a hidden condition that is secreted by many and often feared due to loss of independence and quality of life. Often underreported Incontinence is associated with a social stigma. The stigma tends to be negative rather than positive. Many individuals are embarrassed to talk about the problem In North America incontinence is the major reason for nursing home placement. -Approximately 45-70% of residents in nursing home have incontinence. Urinary incontinence affects 15-30% in the community setting and affects up to 50% in long-term care. Only 25% of the population will discuss this problem with a provider. 60% of this individuals will avoid physical activity One study cited 2-64% had sexual dysfunction, and 28% will not seek treatment (Sue Reif, 2012) Easing the Emotional Effects of Urinary Incontinence Loss of bladder control can leave an individual constantly worried about embarrassing accidents. Managing urinary incontinence symptoms can help boost your confidence. (3) Urinary incontinence can have a major impact on your personal, social, and professional lives, especially when a loss of bladder control results in an embarrassing accident. â€Å"There can be significant social issues with urinary incontinence,† says Roger Dmochowski, MD, professor of urology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. â€Å"There’s fear of embarrassment and hygiene issues, and there can be withdrawal from normal social behavior. Some people can’t work because of this disruption. â€Å"Urinary incontinence emotional effects Doctors point out that the emotional effects of urinary incontinence can be as significant and far-reaching as those of any chronic condition. â€Å"Urinary incontinence has been shown to have a severe impact on quality of life, similar to other chronic diseases, such as Alzheimers disease, stroke, and emphysema,† says Leslie Rickey, MD, an urologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. However, there are ways to manage urinary incontinence and boost confidence so that you can enjoy social activities again without worrying about embarrassing accidents. Urinary Incontinence: The Emotional Effects Worrying about loss of bladder control and embarrassing accidents causes many people with urinary incontinence to stop participating in everyday activities. â€Å"Many individuals, especially older people with urge incontinence, stop exercising or going out with friends and stay at home,† says Dr. Rickey. â€Å"Younger women may stop jogging, and women may stop gardening because squatting can be a problem. People stop traveling and swimming, and even start avoiding intercourse. â€Å"For many people with incontinence, engaging in certain activities involves a couple of obstacles. First, it’s a lo gistical challenge to manage the symptoms of urinary incontinence when you’re on the go, away from bathrooms, or doing an activity that puts pressure on your bladder. â€Å"Say it’s an older person who relies on a bus or a van and has no other way to get places,† says Rickey. For these people, not being able to get off the bus and to a bathroom can be a problem. Then there are the emotional concerns. The loss of bladder control can cause stress, anxiety, and embarrassment. (Sue Reif, 2012) Ways to Boost Confidence You can boost confidence about your condition by finding effective ways to manage the symptoms. â€Å"Techniques like timed voiding, not drinking too much fluid at once, doing pelvic floor muscle contractions — these can all help,† says Rickey. â€Å"You can also carry around a change of clothes and wear light pads. â€Å"Getting symptoms under control can help you carry on with your life with confidence. â€Å"Some individuals may have dramatic improvements and can re-embark on many activities,† says Dr. Dmochowski. These tips can help you manage the fears and anxieties of urinary incontinence: Don’t accept incontinence as inevitable. Many people think that urinary incontinence is a normal part of aging or childbearing, so they dont bother getting treatment for it. However, even though urinary incontinence is common, it is not normal, says Rickey. Don’t view your urinary incontinence as unchangeable. â€Å"There’s almost an acceptance of the condition, a fatal resignation,† says Dmochowski. â€Å"Instead of acceptance, consider aggressive management flip the negativity and create a positive-looking approach.† Changing your way of thinking will do even more than boost confidence, says Dmochowski. It will also help you better manage your urinary incontinence symptoms. Talk openly about your urinary incontinence with your doctor. Some people may simply feel too embarrassed about their loss of bladder control to discuss it with their doctor. It might be because they incorrectly believe that it can’t be treated. â€Å"People think that nothing can be done, or it can only be treated with intensive surgery,† says Rickey. â€Å"I reassure people that there are treatments.† It’s important to talk about your symptoms, especially with your health care provider. Don’t give up. Managing the loss of bladder control and learning how to handle embarrassing accidents is an ongoing proc ess. Urinary incontinence is a chronic condition not something that is cured after a few days of medication but there are many options available to you. â€Å"If one thing doesn’t work, keep trying different approaches,† advises Dmochowski. â€Å"We are continually finding new treatments, new types of drugs. 1.†Seek support. Talk about your urinary incontinence with your family and friends both to get support and to know you are not alone. Since an estimated 30 percent of women report an incidence of urine leakage at some point, it’s likely that someone you know has also experienced the problem, says Rickey. â€Å"It may not be what you talk about at the dinner table with the kids, but you must feel comfortable talking about it. 2.†Get the facts. â€Å"Go online and look up how common it is,† says Rickey. 3. â€Å"Do a little research.† Sites such as the American Urogynecologic Society’s Mypelvichealth.org are reliable sources of information. â€Å"You can gain confidence and get motivation to seek out help,† says Rickey. 4. â€Å"Don’t be embarrassed. â€Å"View your urinary incontinence as what it is, a chronic medical condition.† â€Å"It’s not something to be embarrassed about, any more than someone who has high blood pressure would be embarrassed,† Rickey says. No longer a taboo topic, urinary incontinence can and should be discussed openly, at least with your doctor, so that you can find the medical treatments that will help you better manage the condition and its emotional effects. (Lee, 2010) Bibliography Chris Lliades, M. (2009, August 31). Urinary Incontinence Resources. Retrieved from everyday health: http://www.everydayhealth.com/urinary-incontinence/incontinence-resources.aspx Jones, D. C. (2011, June 03). Experiencing Incontinence? Retrieved from Empow Her: http://www.empowher.com/urinary-incontinence/content/experiencing-incontinence Lee, K. (2010, August 03). Easing the Emotional Effects of Urinary Incontinence. Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/urinary-incontinence/emotional-effects-of-urinary-incontinence.aspx Sue Reif, M. C. (2012). Psycho-Social Issues of Adult Incontinence. Retrieved from Center for Connected Care: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/ccf/media/files/Digestive_Disease/woc-spring-symposium-2013/psycho-social-issues-related-to-incontinence.pdf

I Was Born a White, Middle Class American :: Culture and Identity Essays

Culture and identity are two very strange ideas. They are received at a very young age, yet they are very hard to give to someone else. They will affect you for the rest or your life, yet for the most part you are born into them. However, they soon become very important to us and we cannot, no matter what we do, live without them. They are a part of us, and a vital aspect of society. However, it took me a very long time to recognize that I had an identity and a little while after that before I knew what it was. My entire life I have been a middle class white male. I was born into this identity and most likely will die in this identity. My entire family fits into the same class of society. I could probably wear a sign that read, â€Å"Average American† and no one would ever tell me that I was not. The neighborhood that I grew up in is middle class, and a majority of the neighbors that I have are also white and of the same class. When I was younger, me and my friends would play video games at my house until my mom would tell us to go outside. It seemed like the summers lasted longer then. This is probably because we spent everyday looking for something to do, whereas these days I spend my summers looking for ways to get out of doing what I am supposed to do. We would go to the local elementary and middle schools where there was a small creek and pond. We would catch crayfish, bugs, and frogs only to let them go after we celebrated our great achievement. We would play tag, football, soccer, hockey and baseball at someone’s house or at the athletic fields of the schools. And all of us were of the same culture and class. It was always three to fifteen young white males doing what young white males usually do. A few of the other kids were Italian, which apparently is not Caucasian, but we did not know that.

The Dialectical Model in Comparative Perspective Essays -- Science Phi

Mankind has not always isolated itself from nature. For the majority of his history, man recognized a need for a dependent and intimate relationship with nature. Nature was his provider and caretaker, a benevolent nurturer intending no harm, a model now known as organic. As the human mind began to increasingly fashion matter to fit its purpose, however, technological innovation began to supplant nature as manà ­s perceived source of sustenance. Thus technology began its ongoing ascent, becoming a means to subdue a primitive nature and raise man above his lowly origins. In short, a new hierarchical model of nature coalesced. Nevertheless, this relatively new paradigm could not entirely displace its predecessor, which evolved into an impotent longing embodied in the pastoral model. Human beings oscillate in their desires for these dominant models of nature, each possessing appeal within appropriate contexts. This underlying struggle suggests their inadequacy as singularly accurate dep ictions of nature, and a third model must replace these outdated modes of thinking. The dominant models serve as guides to this third model; a few modifications of their flaws actually help form its foundation. This model is known as the dialectical model, and consists of a unity of all opposites and entities. While every model of nature seeks to engender a proper appreciation of nature, many are inconsistent on this point; this observation explains why they must generally suppress all others. The dialectical model attempts to remove such a need by discarding the notion of an independent human existence. By analyzing these models through history and contemporary examples, the dialectical model emerges as a resolution of many inconsistencies in previous mo... ...ted. An integrated, cognizant existence within an undivided nature provides the entire basis one needs to evaluate human activities. Proper examination of the whole is born of proper placement of the self. Works Cited Redclift, Michael, and Graham Woodgate, ed. à ¬Sociology and the Environment. Social Theory and the Global Environment. London: Routledge, 1995. Ross, Carolyn, ed. Writing Nature. New York: St. Martinà ­s Press, 1995. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. à ¬Nature.à ® Ross 421-423. Oates, Joyce Carol. à ¬Against Nature.à ® Ross 458-463. Handouts: Bibliographical Information Unavailable Martin, Emily. à ¬Body Narratives, Body Boundaries.à ® Merchant, Carolyn. à ¬Nature as Female.à ® Nash, Roderick. à ¬Wilderness and the American Mind.à ® Representations: Maxim. Feb. 2001. 16 Feb. 2001 16 Feb. 2001 < http://www.particleadventure.org/frameless/chart.html>

University Education for Women

Research essay Essay topic: women should be required to undertake a university education in developing countries. In today’s modern life, the role of women has become more and more important in economic growth. However, in many countries, especially in developing countries, low female educational rate is big problem. This essay argues that women should be required to undertake a university education in developing countries. The first reason why women should be required to undertake a university education in developing countries is that it can affect positively some social problems such as family planning and illiteracy rate.People need to know that in most developing countries, the literacy rate of males is significantly higher than females. For example, the percentage of literate males in Vietnam is 94. 0% while the percentage of literate females is 86. 9% (Phan et al. , 2004, para 3). Similarly, according to Chandramouli (2011), the literate male’s percentage (86. 9%) is much higher than the percentage of literate females (65. 5%) in India. Thus, women should take a university education to equal the balance between males and female’s literacy rate.Moreover, if women take tertiary education, they may have more knowledge to understand the importance of family planning to avoid having more than 2 children. Another important reason is that women play an essential role in family literacy. According to Bhandari & Smith (1997), mother’s literacy is related to preschool children’s knowledge, language and literacy skills. For instance, a mother is a person who is closest to children in a family so mother’s behaviour have a huge impact on children. If parents, especially mothers have bad behavior, their children may imitate those actions.In contrast, if mothers have high knowledge, they can teach their children better. They may tell their children meaningful stories to help children know what is good or not and do better in sch ool. Having high education of mothers also brings better health care for their children. Therefore, it is better for women to undertake university education in developing countries which have higher birth rate. Finally, women with university education may have more opportunities for jobs or higher social position.It is true that women who have higher levels of education, especially tertiary education can get a good job easier. High- educated women can have necessary knowledge and social skills which they had learnt in universities to get job in today’s society in developing countries which are male-dominated societies in the past. Women have some qualities that men do not have such as flexibility, multi- tasking so if they have high-educated, they can be more successful than man. Furthermore, having a university degree can help women have higher social position.For example, in some developing countries, many high educated women hold an important role in the state apparatus su ch as Yingluck Shinawatra- Thailand’s first female prime minister. In conclusion, women should be required to undertake a university education in developing countries because of its effect to some social problems and its role in family literacy as well as individual’s benefits. It is clear that government and communities should be aware of the importance of women’s education to make our society better.References list: 1. Bhandari, R. & Smith, F. J. (1997), Available from: http://www. jrre. psu. edu/articles/v13,n3,p183-196,Bhandari. pdf [Accessed: May 5, 2012]. 2. Chandramouli, C. , & (2011), Available from: http://censusindia. gov. in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/india/Rural_Urban_2011. pdf [Accessed: May 3, 2012]. 3. Phan, T. , Bilgin, A. ,Eyland, A. , Shaw, P. (2004), . Available from: http://stat. mq. edu. au/Stats_docs/research_papers/2004/Literacy_in_Vietnam_-_an_atlas. pdf [Accessed: May 11, 2012]

Kathakali

Kathakali is a form of theatrical play that incorporates dance and drama in its presentation. It originated from the Kerala in the southern part of India. Kathakali combines five essentials of art, such as expressions (stressing the importance of facial expression), dance (rhythmical movements of the hands, legs, and body), enactment (giving emphasis to hand movements), song or vocal accompaniment, and finally instrument accompaniment. Most Kathakali plays utilize the local language which is Malayalam. (Wikipedia, 2007)Performances are based from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Kathakali is said to be the study of performance art as a combination of religion, philosophy, and psychology, and not of religion as a performance art because it assimilates elements from each aspect, that is religion, philosophy and psychology, and perform it in an artistic fashion. To illustrate, the most popular theme of Kathakali plays are based on stories of Krishna (such as Bhagavata Purana). (Ancient Worlds, 2005)Krishna, as we all know, is considered as a divine being, worshipped around the world by people who practice Hindu traditions, in particular, Hinduism (Wikipedia, 2007). The story of Krishna in Bhagavata Purana contains principles and beliefs that are the bases of religion, specifically Hinduism, and its philosophical foundation. The goal of performance art, in general, is to capture the mind of its audience. Read also  Arya Samaj at  https://essaysamurai.co.uk/arya-samaj/The success of each performance is based on the responses of the members of the audience. In the psychological aspect, Kathakali makes use of facial expressions to captivate the soul of the audience. Kathakali artists establish a connection with their audience through their theatrical methods and techniques. Another form of performance art, however, ancient in nature, is Kutiyattam. It is safe to say that the foundation of Kathakali in terms of religious, philosophical, and psychological aspect also applies to Kutiyattam because Kathakali is said to have originated from it.ReferencesAncient Worlds, (2005) Kathakali. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from Ancient Worlds LLC.Wikipedia. (2007) Kathakali. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a socio-political protest against the policy of racial segregation and discrimination campaign in the public transport service of Montgomery city, Alabama in 1955. It lasted for one whole year starting at December 5, 1955 and ending at Decenmer21, 1956. The sentiments of the Afro-American community were cooled down by a United States Supreme decision that declared segregation in public transport as unconstitutional. The main cause of the protest and boycott of transport system was racial discrimination. This segregation was a source of bitterness and pathos for the Afro-Americans community for a long period of time. The city bus service was making a mockery of Afro-American as they were harassed by white drivers. They had top pay the fare at the front door whereas they had to reboard from the rear-door.   They used to sit behind a barrier that segregated the white community from the black one. This barrier was always moved toward the rear end to accommodate more white customers. On the bus, blacks sat behind a mobile barrier dividing the races, and as the bus filled, the barrier was pushed back to make room for white passengers. This stated resentments of the black residents of Montgomery city got an impetus in the arrest of Rosa Parks. She was taken into custody on December 1, 1955 on the charges that she refused vacate her seat to a white passenger. She was penalized 10$ in addition to $ 4 court charges. This decision flamed the feelings of the Afro-American community who had already planned to set a protest against this uncivilized practice. So the same day, on December 05, 1955, almost forty two thousands Black residents of the city started the boycott of city bus transport in order to protest racial segregation and racially discriminatory law of Alabama state. Rosa Parks was also an enthusiastic adherent of the protest campaign. The first occurrence of protest was a one day boycott by a local women’s rights organization, Women's Political Council to show solidarity with Rosa Parks. The council’s president JoAnn published and distributed 52,000 fliers that prompted Montgomery‘s Afro-American community to stay off public buses on the day of the Rosa Park’s trial. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) local section, that was hankering after an issue to involve the court into a legal and constitutional debate over the issue of racial segregation took advantage of the situation, started preparing for the legal challenge. After the conviction of Rosa Parks, the local black leaders congregated to arrange a mass protest and an extension of the bus boycott. They further established Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) to forward the interest of the Afro-American community at the national level and elected Luther King Jr. as its president. This protest continued for 381 days during which Black community used other mean of conveyance like taxis, carpooling, and walking through miles. Their efforts and sacrifices bore fruit when they ultimately succeeded in their struggle to desegregate seating on public buses, not only in Montgomery, but throughout the United States through a decision made by Supreme Court. As it is stated earlier that Black organizations like NAACP and other community leader started thinking on various legal measures to challenge the Alabama bus segregation laws and to eradicate the segregation. For his purpose, they based their case on Fourth Amendments that declares equal laws for every citizen of America and  Ã‚   wanted a clear judgment in this regards over the discriminatory laws of Alabama State. But real solace came through another case Browder v. Gayle that was filed on February 1, 1956, in the U.S. District Court. Browder was a Montgomery housewife who was denied the equal right of bus service under the discriminatory law and Gayle was the mayor of Montgomery. In June, 1956 ruling, federal court declared the segregated seating as unconstitutional but an appeal was forwarded to the United States Supreme Court. However, on November 13, 1956, the superior court endorsed the lower court's ruling. This was a great triumph for the Afro-American community as they won the struggle for their rights. The Montgomery Bus Boycott cast deep imprints U.S. history and equipped the Black leadership with an impetus to carry on their civil rights struggle. It had implications that reached far beyond the desegregation of public buses. Luther King established himself as the leader of a national stature. The protest boosted the Civil Rights Movement and created a mass awareness about the struggle of Afro-American community and highlighted their pathos and miseries. It further provided confidence to the Black people that they can win their rights by constant struggle. In the words of King: â€Å"We have gained a new sense of dignity and destiny. We have discovered a new and powerful weapon—non-violent resistance.† Reference Burns, Stewart. (1997) Daybreak of Freedom: The Montgomery Bus Boycott. The University of North Carolina Press.

Trends in Maritime Transport and Port Development in the Context of World Trade

Trends in Maritime Transport and Port Development in the Context of World Trade Carlos M. Gallegos 1. Structural changes in international trade and the evolution of maritime transport have a direct impact on port growth and expansion. Therefore, these elements and their recent characteristics must be examined, since they provide the frame of reference in which port reform in Latin America and the Caribbean has been carried out. These factors also determine future port development. A. Globalization, production, trade, and ports 2.Globalization, or the expansion of markets and hence of the economic prospects of societies, is taking place not only because of the supra-national nature of markets, but also because of the flow of foreign investment and the strategies of multinational enterprises. These multinationals today account for two-thirds of global exports of goods and services and nearly 10% of domestic sales worldwide. 3. In this environment of increasing interdependence in the wo rld, the international division of labor is changing as a result of structural changes in trade and unprecedented mobility of international capital.However, while the integration of goods and services and capital is progressing at a rapid pace, integration of the labor market is much slower. In addition, ever more sophisticated technologies are being disseminated, in a framework of spectacular streamlining in communications and telecommunications. The development of information technology has, in turn, boosted productivity and, in many cases, worker income. In general, electronic transactions and communications technology have been the necessary complement to full internalization and globalization and their major impact on production and world trade. . In mid-1999, developing countries began to recover from the 1997-1998 financial crisis in Asia, which had a severe impact on countries in Latin America. This recovery was spurred on in particular by growth in domestic demand in the Un ited States and other developed countries, low interest rates, and the Asian recovery. As a result, overall growth in gross domestic product (GDP) rose 3% (similar to growth in the developed countries). Countries are now back on the road to growth they embarked upon in 1993 that was interrupted in 1998. The global economy is projected to grow 3. % in 2000 (but only 3% in the developed countries). 5. In 1999, Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the worst economic indicators of the decade, due primarily to downturns in the Argentine and Brazilian economies. The region went into a recession (a drop on average of 0. 6% in GDP). The region’s estimated growth rate for 2000 is nearly 4%, spurred on particularly by sustained growth in recent months in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. 6. The global economic recovery in the second half of 1999 was also reflected in the upturn in world trade. World commodity exports in 1999 were valued at US$5. 6 billion — up 3. 5 % from the previous year when a negative rate of 1. 6% was posted. Export volume also grew, however at a similar rate to the previous year’s growth of 4. 5%; and for the third consecutive year, the average price of commodities fell (excluding oil). 7. World trade in services rose 2% in 1999, after last year’s sluggishness, with exported services valued at US$1. 3 billion, and there was a moderate rise in the international price of those services. 8. The regions of the world and the individual countries responded with quite varied demand and growth in their product in 1999.The situation in Latin America and the Caribbean was rather unique. 9. With the 1999 recession, the volume of Latin American and Caribbean imports fell 2% on average. However, performance in the region varied greatly by country. Imports rose 15% in Mexico, but fell 12% in the rest of the region. Similarly, the region’s exports grew 7% in 1999, but in Mexico the figure was almost double (13. 7%) . We should recall that almost 90% of Mexico’s exports (85% of which are manufactured goods) are to the US market, compared to 30% of exports from the rest of Latin America (40% of which are manufactured goods). 0. Intra-regional trade was also affected and fell considerably. The MERCOSUR countries experienced a downturn of 25% and the countries in the Andean Community, 28%. 11. Regarding the importation of services, the slowdown that began in 1998 persisted, and in 1999 there was a 9% drop on average (a 9% increase in Mexico, but a 13% drop in the remaining countries). 12. The outlook for the volume of world trade in 2000 is better; it is expected to rise 6. 5%, which is higher than the average increase in world production.Trade indicators are expected to improve in Latin America and the Caribbean, because of higher oil prices, increased investment in the region, better commodity prices and, especially, a major recovery in exports in general. 13. Foreign trade has gained ext raordinary strength and importance in the development strategies for the Latin American and Caribbean economies. Its expansion and growth is the engine of their economic growth. This is expected to continue, and what’s more the export structure is expected to be geared towards manufactured goods with high value added.Since nearly 90% of trade in this region is shipped by sea, port development is of the utmost important. B. Characteristics of maritime transport 14. Below are some of the characteristics of maritime trade traffic for containers, liquid and dry bulk cargo, and tourism (US$3. 5 billion). 15. Despite the changing, adverse conditions in production and world trade mentioned above, transport of maritime trade continued to grow in 1999, but only by 1. 3% — a slower rate than in previous years (2. 2% in 1998 and 4. 1% in 1997). This was the lowest level recorded since 1987.The volume of world trade transported on the seas was over 5. 1 billion tons, a similar fig ure to the previous year. Growth estimates for 2000 are roughly 4%, similar to 1997. 16. Containers. Use of containers has been on the rise since their introduction in 1956, and this market has the best growth outlook in the sector. As a result, high-capacity ships have been built; today more than 60 have a capacity over 5,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Container traffic was an estimated 190 million TEUs in 1999; of that amount the Port of Singapore moved 15. million TEUs. Studies forecast 6% annual growth in container traffic through 2005, as a result of continued expansion of the use of containers by the shipping industry in developing countries; increased trade in manufactured goods and products with a higher value added; the trend towards globalization by multinational manufacturers; and growth of megaships and the resulting rise in feeder and ferry traffic. 17. Liquid cargo. A total of 2. 159 million tons of liquid cargo was loaded in 1999, with an annual rate of change o f less than 1. 3%.Oil continues to be the main component, accounting for nearly 70% (roughly 1. 5 billion tons annually), followed by liquid gas and petrochemicals. Double-hull 300,000 ton supertankers are used the most to transport crude oil between its main axes, i. e. Asia, the United States, and Europe. 18. Dry bulk cargo. Maritime transport of trade in dry bulk cargo includes most notably: iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite/aluminium oxide, and phosphates. In 1999, together they represented 1. 233 million tons with an annual rate of change of 2. 8%; 70,000-ton bulk carriers are also important in this type of traffic.Many shipping companies build panamax ships to measure with cranes to load and unload bulk cargo, which reduces transport costs. Bulk cargo is still the largest segment of maritime transport, representing almost one fourth of total freight loaded annually. 19. Tourism. The cruise ship industry had grown and received massive investments in recent years. It is estimated t hat over 7 million persons will take a cruise this year, a similar figure to last year, and the American market is the main consumer. Recently, high-tonnage ships have been built, such as the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas, at 130,000 tons with he capacity to hold 3,115 passengers, inaugurated last November, and the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, which has the same characteristics and began service in October 2000. Regionally, the recipient markets are most notably the Caribbean and the new market in the Southern Cone. Ports are competing to attract these passenger ships and face the challenge of having the appropriate port infrastructure in place, as well as the complementary service facilities that passengers require, such as taxis, buses, guides, and shopping centers. This is certainly a growing market in every respect, but a very competitive, capital-intensive one.C. The shipping industry: characteristics and prospects 20. The main shipping lines in the world, such a s Maersk Sealand, Evergreen, P&O Nedlloyd, Hanjin, Cosco, and many others serve the most complex, profitable routes in the world, including some in Latin America and the Caribbean. 21. The 25 most powerful shipping lines control almost 60% of container transport capacity in world trade. In addition to growing concentration of container activity in the hands of the largest, most powerful shipping lines, there is an unrelenting process of consolidation and the forging of alliances among the main shipping lines.In other words, they are growing larger every day, but have also decided to work together. The two most powerful alliances that were recently renewed are the Great Alliance (among NYK, Hapag Lloyd of Germany, the Anglo-Dutch company P&O Nedlloyd, Orient Overseas Container Lines (OOCL) of China, and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)) and the New World Alliance (among Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) of Japan, APL/Neptuno Orient Lines (NOL) of Malaysia, and Hundai Merchant Marine (HM M) of Korea) which have focused primarily on reorganizing the main trade routes.The sphere of action of these alliances is broader, involving a global strategy and ground services. This raises questions about the ability of certain container port terminals to survive and particularly about whether or not the conditions for perfect competition are present in these markets. 22. Another characteristic of this industry is the production and servicing of mega container vessels. The number and size of postpanamax container vessels will continue to grow, which will increase the transport of containers, reduce stops in the main routes, and therefore increase the services of feeder ships.Ship capacity will continue to rise, and ports will have to adjust to their size. In 1999, over 120 postpanamax ships were operating. Maersk has ships that can transport nearly 7,000 TEUs (K and S classes) and 8,000-TEU ships are due out soon. Germanischer Lloyd is planning to operate a mega container ship o f 15,000 TEUs by 2010, when the volume of container trade is expected to be double the current figure (roughly 200 million TEUs). The ship would cover the East-West route and feed ships of 4,000 and 5,000 TEUs.This would reduce the number of port movements, but requires ports with enormous capacity. 23. Changes in container terminal operators. With the expansion of the container industry, the structure and organization of terminal operations have changed. Today there are three categories of container terminal operators: (i) port authorities that have decided to become directly involved in handling containers, such as the public ports of Singapore and the Virginia Port Authority or the private ports of Felixtowe or Freeport.However, this category has been on the decline with the emergence of port corporations; (ii) private port terminal operating companies involved in a process of concentration, including stevedoring. The 15 main operators have expanded their activities outside of th eir ports of origin, associating themselves with large stevedoring groups (e. g. PSA Corporation, Hutchinson, ECT, P&O Ports, and SSA); and (iii) the shipping lines that have decided to control and manage their own container terminals. This decision was made for two main reasons.The first was for strategic reasons, because these global transporters are involved in hub and transshipment ports and therefore need to control their operations, including docking priority and guaranteed availability of equipment for use. The second was to reduce costs, i. e. for savings, based on economies of scale and better control of terminal expenses. 24. The provision of port-to-port logistical services. As shipping lines (e. g. Maersk Logistics, Evergreen American Corporation) participate in ogistical service solutions, they absorb them or forge associations with these intermodal service providers to ensure consistent, regular service, meeting the client’s demands through the port-to-port supp ly chain. This range of logistical services, which includes the consolidation of containers, documentation services, and storage and distribution, will continue to expand and improve every day and will have a greater impact on reducing costs and enhancing efficiency. 25. Information and communications technology and electronic commerce.Port services will step up their use of computerized systems and information technology, such as the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system and the Internet. The increase in transport capacity will require immediate data on the exact location and status of cargo, as well as on all logistical and institutional aspects of port operations. In light of these requirements, all port and shipping industry sectors will continue to invest in new systems and channels of communication.The industry will be moving towards a paperless world in which all types of information are handled electronically. 26. Use of the Internet for electronic commerce is also import ant. That industry has shown impressive growth of 68% in the last year. This mode of commerce is affecting how the transport industry does business, and theories abound regarding its impact on the maritime port industry. Internet commerce was one of the topics discussed at the WTO negotiations, and the issue of taxes on e-commerce is still under study. 27.These characteristics and trends in the shipping industry are the result of the development of the world economy and globalization, resulting in demand for new standards of efficiency for maritime transport and creating new challenges for the world’s ports. D. Economic reforms and trade challenges for ports in the region 28. Macroeconomic reforms. The region has undertaken a series of macroeconomic reforms that prioritize export promotion, putting aside import substitution, which has been considered detrimental since the 1970s. 29.Important tariff reforms have been adopted that include marked drops in tariffs on finished pro ducts, and even lower levels for inputs for exportation; the adoption of fewer tariff tiers, with a single flat tariff; and the establishment of a positive, effective protection mechanism. This promotes the generation of value added, instead of punishing it. In terms of exchange rates, the various fixed exchange rates were eliminated, which were arbitrary and ignored market criteria. Real exchange rates govern currency exchange today.Tax reform has also been tackled, but not with the necessary vigor. Domestic taxes on income, assets, use, or value added are now contributing more to national public treasuries, replacing taxes on foreign trade as the main source of revenue. There is still a long road ahead for tax reform in most countries. Attracting foreign capital is another important element on the list of reforms that have sped up the growth of our economies, by helping external resources to complement low domestic savings and finance projects in new productive sectors.State refor ms complete the picture; they are an effort to redirect state leadership in the economic development process, where the state goes from being a major player, monopolist, and executor of economic activity to playing the role of a regulatory, control body that works with the private sector. State reforms also include the privatization of public agencies (ports have been in the forefront here) and other public institutions, such as customs. 30. Almost all governments in the region have made a major effort to move forward with economic liberalization, trade opening, and export promotion, allowing for major growth in the 1990s.Nonetheless the imbalance in wealth distribution, the inability of large segments of the population to overcome extreme poverty, and the still weak reforms of institutions and some branches of government are disturbing, destabilizing elements that are reflected in the serious economic malaise that many countries in the region are experiencing today. 31. FTAA 2005. The heads of government of the Hemisphere agreed at the Summits of Miami (1994) and Santiago (1998) to promote the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), in order to form a broad market stretching from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego that would be the largest international consumer arket, with 800 million inhabitants. Negotiations on customs rebates are geared towards complying with this date, and this mechanism is expected to substantially increase inter-American trade, thus intensifying the flow of hemispheric port traffic. 32. European Union. The policy of strengthening trade relations, particularly between South America and Europe, has been gaining major momentum; for example, trade negotiations with MERCOSUR are being promoted. Other plans, such as the free trade agreement between Mexico and Europe, confirm the trend towards increased trade between these two regions in the medium term. 33.Subregional integration systems. Another factor that has accelerated the flow of trade is the existence of several subregional integration systems, such as the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), MERCOSUR, the Central American Common Market (CACM), or the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). They must speed up subregional trade, but must also support the formation of the FTAA and facilitate the standardization of different trade policies. All of this will translate into increased movement in maritime and hemispheric port traffic. It is noteworthy that, at the Andean level, over 50% of commodities were shipped by sea in 1999. 4. Strengthening international trade negotiations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) tried unsuccessfully to promote a new round of trade negotiations at its Third Ministerial Conference in Seattle in November 1999. The proposed work program for the next five years consisted in negotiations on liberalizing trade in agricultural products, services, food security, electronic commerce, and other topics. Even though the differences of the developing and developed countries could not be bridged, important progress was made, indicating that a new round could be launched soon.The developed and developing countries also gave clear signs of their intent to continue with a policy of trade opening and economic liberalization, and there are no signs of a rebirth of protectionism. These indicators strengthen the foundation for the future growth and expansion of world trade. 35. Customs facilitating trade. Similarly, the World Customs Organization (WCO) is making progress in technical areas that facilitate trade, which favors the expansion of world trade in the short and medium terms.Significant progress has been made towards adopting revised standards on the origin of traded goods; the new and revised version of the Convention on Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (â€Å"Kyoto Convention†); standards for applying the Code to assess the value of goods in customs according to transaction value criteria; the ongoing amendments under the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System; and the application of new information and communications technology.All these customs instruments are essential complements for facilitating and expanding trade in our countries. E. Port actions for port development 36. Port reforms. The port sector in the region has exhibited change, but in different ways and to different degrees in each country. Generally speaking, the sector has been regulated and national port policies set, which in many cases had been absent. State monopolies in port operation and administration have been revised, by either totally or partially decentralizing port activity to local governments and/or granting the private sector concessions.Labor constraints have been overcome, and port authorities have therefore been playing a different role. This new environment is reflected in the revision of port tariffs, seeking to develop a more efficient, more flexible port system that is swifter, safer, and cheaper. The experts attending this event will more clearly and objectively illustrate how port systems operate in different countries in the Hemisphere. 37.I would like to reaffirm that, port reforms must be sped up for greater port efficiency and competitiveness, particularly in countries that have not yet done so, regardless of the ownership model the governments decide to adopt, since international trade will not wait, and the countries’ growth and development can not be put off because of undefined policy. Delaying this reform will only result in higher social costs in the medium term. While it is important to define a port system — be it public, private, or a combination of the two — it is essential to have the means and facilities or achieving levels of efficiency to be able to adapt to the requirements of world trade and compete successfully. Landlord ports are the most common arrangements in the region. That is where port authorities cease to serve as p ort operator, provide the necessary infrastructure, and grant concessions to the private sector to operate complementary services and terminals. Generally, in this situation, the central government grants financing to the sector, such as direct subsidies and credit guarantees. In general, this model promotes higher-quality service delivery. 38.The impact of ports on promoting national economic development. This is another consideration that I would like to reiterate, with a few examples of what is being done in other developing countries that have made progress in port reform. These countries have concessionaires and private terminal operators and have been adversely affected by the various financial crises. Their development strategy also depends heavily on exports. However, strategic development plans and specific recommendations are in place to strengthen the role of the port sector to ensure significant recovery of the national economy.They include: (i) operators reviewing their operating costs to eliminate unnecessary expenditures; (ii) enhancing the efficiency and productivity of port operations, particularly by shortening the time needed for container movement by crane or using more cranes for ships with higher cargo volume and employing information and communications technology in daily operations, bearing in mind the growing volume of cargo being moved and the corresponding volume of communications that must be executed; (iii) conducting more aggressive marketing campaigns to raise the volume of cargo sent directly from the country’s ports to its final destination; (iv) implementing infrastructure projects aimed at raising port capacity in the medium term; (v) conducting equipment and port facility maintenance campaigns to continue to ensure efficient operations; and (vi) continually revising the role of port authorities to cover changes in the market. In light of these reforms, their role is focused on planning and regulating port activity, fa cilitating the transport chain, controlling and supervising the activities of private enterprises by developing information systems, and promoting and working with the port community and foreign and international institutions. 39.Take into account trends and developments in the maritime industry and port operators in order to adjust port development strategies to the world challenges of this century. (i) Global port operators will continue to expand to new geographic areas and will maximize the use of technology to create worldwide port networks that can offer consistent levels of services and modes of operation. More alliances will be forged among port terminal operators to promote economies of scale and use of global capacity. (ii) Since capital investments will be high, only the most powerful enterprises with significant financial resources will remain in these alliances. iii) Port facilities will acquire new and better standards and advanced technology in order to serve mega shi ps. (iv) Container storage capacity must be improved through new systems and new facility designs. (v) There will be significant investment in communications and information technology for a world run electronically. 40. Finally, partnership for development. This mechanism will be crucial for the future of regional port activity, given the urgent need for information exchanges for decision-making in port operations on shipping companies and port operators, as well as on producing projects to be implemented jointly and meeting market requirements in general. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation must increase.The Organization of American States (OAS) has an Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) which serves as a forum for dialogue for the governments of all countries in the Americas and the port authorities, but also for port operators, shipping lines, and commercial, industrial, financial, academic, and scientific entities. Use of this mechanism is an effective, low-cost option f or strengthening hemispheric cooperation among ports in the Americas and contributing to their development. Port forums, such as those offered by the Andean Committee of Water Transport Authorities (CAATA) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), among others, work along the same lines for cooperation and to achieve port efficiency, which our government authorities must use to the fullest. 41. Conclusion. Ladies and gentlemen, my goal has been to provide you with up-to-date information on the ever-changing world of ports.What we are seeing in the world’s ports today we could never have envisioned 25 years ago, like 8,000-TEU megaships or ports with great capacity to move containers, such as the Port of Hong Kong with 16. 2 million TEUs per year. However, we often consider 25-year blocks in long-term investments in the maritime port industry. Changes in the industry in the next quarter of a century will be even more dizzying and spectacular, and our ports will have to ad apt. 42. In this globalized world and in our corner of the world where 90% of our trade goes through ports, it is the responsibility of the governments, operators, shipping companies, service providers, and workers to work together to support the development of both our ports and our economies. Let’s forge an efficient, competitive inter-American alliance for the future of our ports! CIP00106E

A Study Of The Mormons Practice Of Polygamy

A Study Of The Mormon's Practice Of Polygamy My audience consists of African American women from the â€Å"Bible Belt,† that were born and raised in the Baptist Church. When it comes to Mormons, my audience believes that they all believe in polygamy and practice such. Anything different from the King James Bible is a gift from hell, and those who follow other religions are soon to be sent there. My culture knows little to nothing about the different types of Mormons there are, however, they assume that every Mormon is a fundamentalist Mormon. Therefore, my audience does not care about Mormons, especially not in a positive way. If my audience were to read my paper, they would argue that the creation of Mormonism tarnishes the history of Jesus Christ, despite Mormons being Christian as well. They would also not view fundamentalist Mormons as normal people with normal lives. Unknown to my personal culture, Mormons, whether fundamentalist or not, have values and beliefs in common with us. Along with a shared Protestant belie f, Mormons also believe in charity, family, and worship. Mary, Misty, Maya, and Marleen Are All Mine Four wives, seventeen children, and one man are all living under one roof, living day to day in a polygamous marriage. Reality TV shows that enhance the stereotypes of fundamentalist Mormons like TLC’s Sister Wives is the entertainer’s view on their way of life. However, not all Mormons believe in polygamy, and the few that do are called Fundamentalist Mormons. Despite their controversial beliefs, they are still a part of the Christian denomination and share some values with some of the mainstream religions. What led to the creation of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (also known as FLDS) was the difference in their teachings and rules which were based on the community’s shared values of dedication to their cause, understanding the role of family, missionary work in and out of the church, and the practice of polygamy to please God. The Mormon faith began in the early 1840s, and Joseph Smith was the founding father (see figure 1). Richard Wagoner argues that Smith privately advocated that polygamous marriages were â€Å"the most holy and important doctrine ever revealed to man on earth,† and it was not until 1852 that Mormons publicly announced to the world their advocacy for polygamy (IX). However, Wagoner says that because of public outcry, the United States government banned the practice of polygamy in 1890 (IX). In fact, Wagoner addresses that the practice of polygamy continued on until 1904 when the Joseph F. Smith, president of the religion, was under immense pressure to begin excommunicating those who continued (IX). Refusing to change, certain Mormons still continued on to practice their polygamy as well as the teachings of the broader Mormon religion, and Wagoner believes this led to the creation of the FLDS (IX). Today, many people still believe that Fundamentalist Mormons and the Church of Latt er-Day Saints are the same. Therefore, other religions, including those of the Christian faith, have assumptions about polygamy being an important part of the Mormon faith. When Wagoner finally published his book in 1949, there were around one million Mormons in the world, and 30,000 Fundamentalist Mormons(IX-X). In 2009, the Census Bureau calculated that there were six million Latter-Day Saints and less than three percent were Fundamentalists (Section 1 Population). However, Fundamentalist Mormons still hold the traditional values of Protestant beliefs close to them, just with the addition of polygamy. Being dedicated to one’s religion through belief is a small value that the FLDS church holds close. Believers think that the Fundamentalist Mormon faith will not work unless the members want to be there. Volunteer work, mission trips, and charity are done by people who want to do it, for the work is hard and has little reward. Conducting an interview to properly understand the dedication of missionary work in the FLDS, Nate Tabak introduces Daniel Harlow, a young man from Europe, who spent many months in Kosovo, with limited communication back home (â€Å"The Mormon Missionary†). Harlow’s dedication to his faith pushed him through the isolation and distance from the people he knew and loved. Richard Foltz reveals that at age twelve, Fundamentalist Mormons allow their male children to work to become priests and encourage them to spend two years of their life to either missionary work or studies (5). Foltz also shows that all Mormons believe that there are lost â⠂¬Å"souls† that are waiting to be born, and that parents dedicate themselves to bringing them down to earth (5). This is why Fundamentalist men take on so many wives who bear them many children: to bring back the lost souls. The Book of Mormon’s Mosiah tells his people â€Å"Are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have† is the reason why the fundamentalists are so dedicated, for God is the reason why humans are here (Mosiah 4:19). However, Foltz discloses that some believers think that through much devotion and dedication that they, themselves, can become gods (5). Therefore, fundamentalist Mormons give their all and dedicate themselves to their faith for fulfillment and bright afterlives. Having large families that consist of more than a man, his wife, and his two children is why the importance of family is a strong value in the Fundamentalist Mormon culture. The more people in the family, the more sacrifices have to be made. Members of the FLDS understood that and added their own special religious spin. â€Å"Any sacrifice we made for each other was rewarded tenfold. We learned to worship together, sorrow together, play and rejoice together, to unselfishly pool all our resources for the good of the family† is a quote by a polygamous wife (qtd by Wagoner in 94). The wife is a symbol of the love one had for their family and the importance it had on their everyday life. Parents of these large polygamous families sacrificed for the entire family, and wives sacrificed for the other wives children as well. Once entered into the sanctity of the first, second, even third marriage, Wagoner emphasizes how men were obligated to take care of their wives and children even if they divorced (48). Wagoner continues on and quotes Apostle George Cannon, who explains that â€Å"not only is the man bound to respect the expressal of her wish to that effect,† meaning divorce, ‘but he is bound also to give her and her offspring a proportionate share of his whole property† (qtd in 93). The Polygamy and its Impact Journal says that in polygamous marriages, the man may have one wife who is infertile and others that can bear many children (â€Å"Polygamy and its Impact†). Therefore, the couple does not have to look at divorce as an option. William Jankowiak says that the â€Å"sister wives† believe that the family bond extends beyond the grave, and that the entire family should have one mind (166). Jankowiak brings more research to the table by explaining that the father-son relationship is the most crucial in the Fundamentalist Mormon culture (166). This is how the social and cultural rules of the faith are passed down through gen erations. An example Jankowiak gives is Abraham passing down the keys to the kingdom to his son Isaac, who passed them down to his sons and so forth (166). Families are valued in that everyone has a purpose and a role in the family. Fundamentalist Mormons show that dedication to family is not an option but a full time responsibility, no matter what happens. The FLDS believes that all members of the church should involve themselves in missionary works, to model after the Lord. Consequently, missionary work is a massive value that is shared within this culture. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord commands his people to proclaim my gospel from land to land, and from city to city†¦ bear testimony in every place, unto every people (Doctrine and Covenants 66:5). From this, members of the fundamentalist faith send out missionaries to spread the word of the Mormon faith as well as to increase the population. Missionaries usually are dressed in business attire and are never seen in casual attire while on the job (see figure 2). Tabak’s interview with Daniel Harlow recounts the young missionary saying â€Å"Our purpose is to invite others to come to Christ. We don’t force anyone to try to do things† (â€Å"The Mormon Missionary†). Although most mission trip consist of handing out flyers and talking to people a bout converting, missionaries from the FLDS church find charity work to also occupy the months or years they spend away from their family. When going on the mission trips, the Tabak captures how missionaries have limited contact with friends and family and are trained to be very focused on their job (â€Å"The Mormon Missionary†). Harlow, only 19-years-old, has to wake up at six thirty in the morning and must be asleep at ten thirty at night, Tabak records. He is only allowed weekly emails and two calls per year to his friends and family back home. Tabak says that Harlow is only allowed to speak to a woman if it is about his missionary work, for he is not allowed to date as well. Another example of the importance of missionary work would be in the early 1830s, at the start of Mormonism. Kim Ostman says that the missionaries of the church who traveled from North America to Europe and from Europe, migrating to Finland and Sweden, began to have civil disputes with the authoritie s in these locations (268). Ostman writes about the civil authorities threatening missionaries in order to remove them from their land. Missionaries refused and Ostman pronounces that they continued to hold meetings in house to speaking to citizens about converting to the FLDS church (269). Willing to risk jail time and their lives, Fundamentalist Mormons genuinely believe in missionary work in order to make the world, as they see it, a better place. The biggest value that is associated with the faith of Fundamentalism in the Mormon religion is polygamy. Polygamy is defined as the practice or custom of having more than one wife at the same time (usually wives). The most popular modern polygamy practices have been turned into hit TV shows like Sister Wives, Big Love, and Escaping Polygamy (see figure 3). However, the original Church of Latter-Day Saints banned polygamy in the mid-1800s, and Wagoner exposes the few radical believers who decided to go their separate ways and form their own church, the FLDS. Joseph Smith was a believer in polygamous marriage but only in private (29). O’Kendall White and Daryl White explain that after his death, Joseph Smith had private journals that were published outing his private lifestyles, as well as a book that erased the damnation of polygamous acts (166). Wagoner adds to this by recalling Joseph Smith realizing that in the Old Testament, polygamy was okay to practice, therefore he deci ded that it was a â€Å"true principle† for his people (107). Fundamentalists took this new book and held on to it, therefore earning their name as Fundamentalist Mormons. Jankowaik reports that since the majority of Fundamentalist Mormons are now living in the western part of the United States, there has become a tolerance for them (164). The â€Å"public secret† of western communities that is polygamy shows the continued practice. Because polygamy has become illegal and rumors of sexual abuse and assault were around, Jankowaik says that the government raided towns and arrested men, but later made a deal that they would stop if there were no more reports about sexual abuse (164). This type of negative connotation led to another decrease in members of the FLDS church. Instead of using the decrease in the number of members that practice polygamy to separate, the Fundamentalists built communities to stick together. Colorado City/Centennial Park is a city, Jankowaik says, in which forty-five percent of households are polygamous (165). The town has little to no contact with the outside cities and towns therefore being left alone to practice their beliefs in peace. The Fundamentalist Mormon’s belief in polygamy never dwindled, and they adapted to every obstacle in their way to continue their faith. Fundamentalist Mormons do believe in polygamy, but they value so much more than that. The FLDS church also believes in dedication and the understanding of the role of family. The members who complete missionary work in and out of the church understand the previous values, and put them into action. The FLDS church is not just a part of its beliefs, it is the sum. The entire Latter-Day Saint population is increasing and has been called the fastest growing religion, beginning with a million members and increasing to fourteen million in thirty years, however the Fundamentalist Mormon population is slowly dwindling. However, they are working hard to prove that they are much like the rest of the world and are not the sexual deviants that they are made out to be. Despite having a house of one man, four wives, and seventeen children, they are still people who are trying to survive in the world, just like anyone else.