MTV :: essays research papers

Somewhat perversely, it might be expedient to begin by pointing out that this paper is not about the music video per se. There will be no close textual analysis of individual clips. Eminent pop philosopher Elvis Costello once said that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture. It's a really stupid thing to want to do" (quoted in Goodwin, 1993: 1). Conscious that 'accidents can happen", this paper is concerned with the institutional as opposed to the purely textual; with the processes of production and reception (although it should be noted that it is perhaps inevitable that such a consideration will touch upon the channel - if not the videos themselves - as "text" in its most socially-engaged sense). The focus here, then, is on those organisations which broadcast music videos, on Music Television (MTV) in particular, and on the possible impact of what has become a truly global phenomenon. There is a common perception that American products dominate the world's markets. Coke and Pepsi slug it out across continents. It would appear that there is no place on earth where one cannot purchase a Big Mac. In his book Superculture, Christopher Bigsby offers this assessment of America's global dominance: American corporations shape the physical and mental environment, influence the eating habits, define the leisure pursuits, produce TV programmes and movies: devise, in other words, the fact and fantasy of the late twentieth century (Bigsby, 1975: 4). The perceived threat of globalisation has prompted fears and resentments not dissimilar in temper and tone to those by-now familiar reactions to the threat of Americanisation. Globalisation is sometimes seen as a force that will erode or, worse still, dissolve cultural difference and variety. Yet, the presence and pervasiveness of American-made goods does not necessarily signal the death of the local, regional or national. As Frederic Jameson notes, late modern or postmodern capitalism has led to a more disorganised set of relationships between trading nations. Thus, it is one of the characteristics of the dreaded "P"-concept - postmodernism or, perhaps more accurately, postmodernity - that it leads to uncertainty and paradox, as opposed to certainty and confidence. As a kind of postmodern capitalism, globalisation reflects this. For with it, the act of cultural transfer becomes more problematic, the flow of goods and ideas so much more difficult to "police". Economically, globalisation refers to a shift in capitalist practice. Today's multi- nationals talk of "global marketing strategies" and securing a "global market share" - corporate- speak which alludes to a kind of capitalism sans frontieres. MTV :: essays research papers Somewhat perversely, it might be expedient to begin by pointing out that this paper is not about the music video per se. There will be no close textual analysis of individual clips. Eminent pop philosopher Elvis Costello once said that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture. It's a really stupid thing to want to do" (quoted in Goodwin, 1993: 1). Conscious that 'accidents can happen", this paper is concerned with the institutional as opposed to the purely textual; with the processes of production and reception (although it should be noted that it is perhaps inevitable that such a consideration will touch upon the channel - if not the videos themselves - as "text" in its most socially-engaged sense). The focus here, then, is on those organisations which broadcast music videos, on Music Television (MTV) in particular, and on the possible impact of what has become a truly global phenomenon. There is a common perception that American products dominate the world's markets. Coke and Pepsi slug it out across continents. It would appear that there is no place on earth where one cannot purchase a Big Mac. In his book Superculture, Christopher Bigsby offers this assessment of America's global dominance: American corporations shape the physical and mental environment, influence the eating habits, define the leisure pursuits, produce TV programmes and movies: devise, in other words, the fact and fantasy of the late twentieth century (Bigsby, 1975: 4). The perceived threat of globalisation has prompted fears and resentments not dissimilar in temper and tone to those by-now familiar reactions to the threat of Americanisation. Globalisation is sometimes seen as a force that will erode or, worse still, dissolve cultural difference and variety. Yet, the presence and pervasiveness of American-made goods does not necessarily signal the death of the local, regional or national. As Frederic Jameson notes, late modern or postmodern capitalism has led to a more disorganised set of relationships between trading nations. Thus, it is one of the characteristics of the dreaded "P"-concept - postmodernism or, perhaps more accurately, postmodernity - that it leads to uncertainty and paradox, as opposed to certainty and confidence. As a kind of postmodern capitalism, globalisation reflects this. For with it, the act of cultural transfer becomes more problematic, the flow of goods and ideas so much more difficult to "police". Economically, globalisation refers to a shift in capitalist practice. Today's multi- nationals talk of "global marketing strategies" and securing a "global market share" - corporate- speak which alludes to a kind of capitalism sans frontieres.

Outlook of Domestic and International Tourism in the Philippines

1. Outlook of Domestic and International Tourism in the Philippines: †¢According to the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan 2011-2016, DOT wanted the Philippines to be a must-experience destination in Asia. With that strategic vision, they established a general goal which is to develop an environmentally and socially responsible tourism that delivers more widely distributed income and employment opportunities as indicated by 6. 6 M international arrivals and 34. M domestic travellers generating PhP1,759 billion in total expenditure, contributing 6. 78% to GDP and employing 6. 5 million people by 2016. With that being said they created objectives to achieve the goal which is to improve market access and connectivity by rapidly expanding capacity of secondary international airports, expanding connectivity between Philippines and its key growth markets and implementing a strategic access infrastructure program between secondary international airports and strategic destinat ions.Developing and marketing competitive tourist destinations and products by implementing a sustainable tourism destination infrastructure program, developing diversified tourism products that engage local communities, implementing a PPP-based mandatory tourism enterprise accreditation system and facilitate tourism investment and lower cost of business safeguarding natural & cultural heritage and vulnerable groups PPP-based marketing strategy and action plan.Lastly, improving tourism institutional, governance and human resource capacities by institutionalizing roles and responsibilities of DOT and LGUs, developing a competent well motivated and productive tourism workforce and improving governance in the area of safety, security, and in dealing with tourists. (http://asiapacific. unwto. org/sites/all/files/pdf/philippines_5. pdf) †¢As of January 2013, DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, have missed the target of 5 million tourist arrivals by less than 300,000 (4. 6 Million), and is eyeing the 5 million by the end of 2013.He will do it by intensifying the marketing campaign overseas, increasing the number of hotels and room accommodations, and most importantly, improving the so-called one of the worst airports in the world which is NAIA. (http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/business/01/17/13/dot-misses-2012-tourist-arrival-target) 2. Interest of Air Asia and Tiger Airways in the Philippine Operation: †¢AirAsia has affiliates in Indonesia and Thailand, both of which could have an IPO later this year, as well as long-haul associate AirAsia X. It has also announced plans to start up an affiliate in the Philippines.Clark will be the 13th regional hub of the AirAsia group, in addition to its bases in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Increasingly, however, AirAsia is finding that it has to share its turf with Singapore Airlines' associate Tiger, which has announced plans of its own for the Philippine and Thai market. Accoording to AirAsia’s chief executive Mari anne Hontiveros, â€Å"Our choice of Clark underlines the airline's commitment to developing transportation and tourism hubs outside Manila. This is part of our plan to contribute to the development of the country as a whole. Last February 2011, Tiger said it would buy a 32. 5% stake in Philippine low-cost carrier Seair, following a marketing partnership between the two airlines late 2010. Tiger's chief executive Tony Davis says that by taking a stake in Seair, his airline would be able to take a bigger share in â€Å"a major market opportunity for low cost airlines†. The move would also allow Seair to compete more effectively against local market leader Cebu Pacific, which had a successful IPO last year and is rapidly expanding both its fleet and network. (http://www. flightglobal. om/news/articles/low-cost-carriers-growth-expectations-355702/) †¢The year 2012 put the global spotlight on the Philippine aviation industry, largely due to the phenomenal performance of the low-cost carriers flying domestic and international routes. The share of budget carriers in the the Philippines in the first 9 months of 2012 has soared to an average of 60%, reflecting one of the highest in the world, according to business consultancy firm Innodata. Almost 80% of the domestic market's 15. 5 million passengers and about 30% of international's 12. 5 million flew budget airlines in January-to-September.Since budget flights were introduced to Filipinos in 2005, the number of passengers hopping from one of the archipelago's 7,100 islands to the next, or to Asian destinations less than 4 hours away, have been growing by leaps and bounds. The year 2012 saw the highest jumps. The promise of low fares and new destinations were key reasons for this exponential growth. Budget carriers, in turn, battled it out in this increasingly competitive playing field by acquiring fuel-efficient aircraft and testing new markets. Some beefed up their war chest by getting new owners or par tners with deeper pockets or wider reach. http://www. rappler. com/business/18371-low-cost-carriers-drive-aviation-growth) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tiger Airways, however, said the long-term potential of the Indonesian and Philippines air travel market is promising. † (http://www. interaksyon. com/business/53511/tiger-airways-says-seair-unlikely-to-turn-in-a-profit-in-2013) †¢The resulting operational and cost efficiencies will ensure more low fare seats are available and contribute to the growth of SEAIR and the Clark gateway, benefiting customers in the Philippines and across the Asia Pacific region.Avelino Zapanta, SEAIR's President and CEO, said, â€Å"With this new collaboration with Tiger Airways, we will also be able to serve more international visitors to the Philippines by offering more destinations with great value, low fares. In addition, the introduction of these new jet services will create a welcome boost to the Philippines tourism industry and create more high calibr e local jobs. † Chin Sak Hin, Chief Financial Officer of Tiger Airways Holdings Limited, said, â€Å"We are very excited to be working with SEAIR as the first â€Å"Partner Airline† of tigerairways. com.Besides the cost advantages resulting from basing aircraft and crew in Clark, SEAIR's extensive experience and brand recognition will ensure that more customers in the Philippines and internationally can access the same low fares offered by Tiger Airways when using the leading regional travel portal â€Å"tigerairways. com†. Together with Tiger Airways' strong marketing and distribution platform in Singapore and across major markets in the region, it will be a powerful combination that offers unbeatable value and fares to even more travellers. (http://www. tigerairways. com/news/OA_20110224_Tiger_Airways_Plans_To_Purchase_Major_Stake_in_SEAir. df) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Our choice of Clark underlines the airline’s commitment to developing transportation and tourism hubs outside Manila. This is part of our plan to contribute to the development of the country as a whole. AirAsia, Inc. is excited to start contributing to the economy of Clark and the rest of the country by boosting tourism and offering job opportunities to Filipinos,† said Marianne B. Hontiveros, chief executive of AirAsia, Inc. † †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"We plan to make Clark the hub for flights to popular destinations including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Korea and Japan.Travel will become much easier and more affordable for tourists and overseas Filipino workers,† Hontiveros added. Hontiveros, Antonio O. Cojuangco Jr. and Michael L. Romero own 60% of AirAsia, Inc. in equal partnership. The remaining 40% is owned by AirAsia Berhad. 3. Relevance of the Philippine population in the regional LCC’s interest of operation According to the Pacific Asia Travel Association, as of 2011, there are 114 million online visitors who check out the internet for Airlines which are aged 15 and above and who have internet access in schools, works, homes, etc.In the Philippines, 11% of the total population has access to the internet and check out these sites for low-cost airfares. This study shows that the higher the population is the more online hits and the more famous the air carrier gets when it comes to low-cost fares. AirAsia has topped the list of most-visited websites with 3,380,000 visits and second is, Tiger Airways which increased 226% from 554,000 to 1,805,000. Low-cost airlines in Asia Pacific have already seen substantial growth, even just in the past year.With many of these carriers adopting highly web-centric models, it is significant that they attract more than their fair share of the young Internet users in the region. For these young travellers, low-cost airlines may be the first time that they have to book and buy their own travel, providing for many the portal into continued use of the web as an e-commerce channel. Signifi cant upside in the market remains as Internet penetration increases in the region, and people who could not afford to travel before can now take cheaper flights.The younger generation as well as the continued improvements in site usability and security will also begin to influence older Internet users to adopt the web as a channel for researching and booking travel. â€Å"PATA sees low-cost carriers as an increasingly important part of the travel ecosystem in Asia Pacific and this study has proven that,† remarks John Koldowski, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head, Office of Strategy Management, PATA. â€Å"As consumers across demographic segments continue to turn to the web for their travel needs, it Outlook of Domestic and International Tourism in the Philippines 1. Outlook of Domestic and International Tourism in the Philippines: †¢According to the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan 2011-2016, DOT wanted the Philippines to be a must-experience destination in Asia. With that strategic vision, they established a general goal which is to develop an environmentally and socially responsible tourism that delivers more widely distributed income and employment opportunities as indicated by 6. 6 M international arrivals and 34. M domestic travellers generating PhP1,759 billion in total expenditure, contributing 6. 78% to GDP and employing 6. 5 million people by 2016. With that being said they created objectives to achieve the goal which is to improve market access and connectivity by rapidly expanding capacity of secondary international airports, expanding connectivity between Philippines and its key growth markets and implementing a strategic access infrastructure program between secondary international airports and strategic destinat ions.Developing and marketing competitive tourist destinations and products by implementing a sustainable tourism destination infrastructure program, developing diversified tourism products that engage local communities, implementing a PPP-based mandatory tourism enterprise accreditation system and facilitate tourism investment and lower cost of business safeguarding natural & cultural heritage and vulnerable groups PPP-based marketing strategy and action plan.Lastly, improving tourism institutional, governance and human resource capacities by institutionalizing roles and responsibilities of DOT and LGUs, developing a competent well motivated and productive tourism workforce and improving governance in the area of safety, security, and in dealing with tourists. (http://asiapacific. unwto. org/sites/all/files/pdf/philippines_5. pdf) †¢As of January 2013, DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, have missed the target of 5 million tourist arrivals by less than 300,000 (4. 6 Million), and is eyeing the 5 million by the end of 2013.He will do it by intensifying the marketing campaign overseas, increasing the number of hotels and room accommodations, and most importantly, improving the so-called one of the worst airports in the world which is NAIA. (http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/business/01/17/13/dot-misses-2012-tourist-arrival-target) 2. Interest of Air Asia and Tiger Airways in the Philippine Operation: †¢AirAsia has affiliates in Indonesia and Thailand, both of which could have an IPO later this year, as well as long-haul associate AirAsia X. It has also announced plans to start up an affiliate in the Philippines.Clark will be the 13th regional hub of the AirAsia group, in addition to its bases in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Increasingly, however, AirAsia is finding that it has to share its turf with Singapore Airlines' associate Tiger, which has announced plans of its own for the Philippine and Thai market. Accoording to AirAsia’s chief executive Mari anne Hontiveros, â€Å"Our choice of Clark underlines the airline's commitment to developing transportation and tourism hubs outside Manila. This is part of our plan to contribute to the development of the country as a whole. Last February 2011, Tiger said it would buy a 32. 5% stake in Philippine low-cost carrier Seair, following a marketing partnership between the two airlines late 2010. Tiger's chief executive Tony Davis says that by taking a stake in Seair, his airline would be able to take a bigger share in â€Å"a major market opportunity for low cost airlines†. The move would also allow Seair to compete more effectively against local market leader Cebu Pacific, which had a successful IPO last year and is rapidly expanding both its fleet and network. (http://www. flightglobal. om/news/articles/low-cost-carriers-growth-expectations-355702/) †¢The year 2012 put the global spotlight on the Philippine aviation industry, largely due to the phenomenal performance of the low-cost carriers flying domestic and international routes. The share of budget carriers in the the Philippines in the first 9 months of 2012 has soared to an average of 60%, reflecting one of the highest in the world, according to business consultancy firm Innodata. Almost 80% of the domestic market's 15. 5 million passengers and about 30% of international's 12. 5 million flew budget airlines in January-to-September.Since budget flights were introduced to Filipinos in 2005, the number of passengers hopping from one of the archipelago's 7,100 islands to the next, or to Asian destinations less than 4 hours away, have been growing by leaps and bounds. The year 2012 saw the highest jumps. The promise of low fares and new destinations were key reasons for this exponential growth. Budget carriers, in turn, battled it out in this increasingly competitive playing field by acquiring fuel-efficient aircraft and testing new markets. Some beefed up their war chest by getting new owners or par tners with deeper pockets or wider reach. http://www. rappler. com/business/18371-low-cost-carriers-drive-aviation-growth) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tiger Airways, however, said the long-term potential of the Indonesian and Philippines air travel market is promising. † (http://www. interaksyon. com/business/53511/tiger-airways-says-seair-unlikely-to-turn-in-a-profit-in-2013) †¢The resulting operational and cost efficiencies will ensure more low fare seats are available and contribute to the growth of SEAIR and the Clark gateway, benefiting customers in the Philippines and across the Asia Pacific region.Avelino Zapanta, SEAIR's President and CEO, said, â€Å"With this new collaboration with Tiger Airways, we will also be able to serve more international visitors to the Philippines by offering more destinations with great value, low fares. In addition, the introduction of these new jet services will create a welcome boost to the Philippines tourism industry and create more high calibr e local jobs. † Chin Sak Hin, Chief Financial Officer of Tiger Airways Holdings Limited, said, â€Å"We are very excited to be working with SEAIR as the first â€Å"Partner Airline† of tigerairways. com.Besides the cost advantages resulting from basing aircraft and crew in Clark, SEAIR's extensive experience and brand recognition will ensure that more customers in the Philippines and internationally can access the same low fares offered by Tiger Airways when using the leading regional travel portal â€Å"tigerairways. com†. Together with Tiger Airways' strong marketing and distribution platform in Singapore and across major markets in the region, it will be a powerful combination that offers unbeatable value and fares to even more travellers. (http://www. tigerairways. com/news/OA_20110224_Tiger_Airways_Plans_To_Purchase_Major_Stake_in_SEAir. df) †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Our choice of Clark underlines the airline’s commitment to developing transportation and tourism hubs outside Manila. This is part of our plan to contribute to the development of the country as a whole. AirAsia, Inc. is excited to start contributing to the economy of Clark and the rest of the country by boosting tourism and offering job opportunities to Filipinos,† said Marianne B. Hontiveros, chief executive of AirAsia, Inc. † †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"We plan to make Clark the hub for flights to popular destinations including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Korea and Japan.Travel will become much easier and more affordable for tourists and overseas Filipino workers,† Hontiveros added. Hontiveros, Antonio O. Cojuangco Jr. and Michael L. Romero own 60% of AirAsia, Inc. in equal partnership. The remaining 40% is owned by AirAsia Berhad. 3. Relevance of the Philippine population in the regional LCC’s interest of operation According to the Pacific Asia Travel Association, as of 2011, there are 114 million online visitors who check out the internet for Airlines which are aged 15 and above and who have internet access in schools, works, homes, etc.In the Philippines, 11% of the total population has access to the internet and check out these sites for low-cost airfares. This study shows that the higher the population is the more online hits and the more famous the air carrier gets when it comes to low-cost fares. AirAsia has topped the list of most-visited websites with 3,380,000 visits and second is, Tiger Airways which increased 226% from 554,000 to 1,805,000. Low-cost airlines in Asia Pacific have already seen substantial growth, even just in the past year.With many of these carriers adopting highly web-centric models, it is significant that they attract more than their fair share of the young Internet users in the region. For these young travellers, low-cost airlines may be the first time that they have to book and buy their own travel, providing for many the portal into continued use of the web as an e-commerce channel. Signifi cant upside in the market remains as Internet penetration increases in the region, and people who could not afford to travel before can now take cheaper flights.The younger generation as well as the continued improvements in site usability and security will also begin to influence older Internet users to adopt the web as a channel for researching and booking travel. â€Å"PATA sees low-cost carriers as an increasingly important part of the travel ecosystem in Asia Pacific and this study has proven that,† remarks John Koldowski, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head, Office of Strategy Management, PATA. â€Å"As consumers across demographic segments continue to turn to the web for their travel needs, it

What Is Civil Religion and How Does It Affect Christians

Abstract: What is civil religion and how does it affect Christians? That is the question that this paper will examine. This paper identifies what civil religion is and how it has evolved over the years. In the Literature Review, this paper examines and summarizes the different sources’ opinions and definitions of civil religion. It also discusses how politicians do not actually use the term â€Å"civil religion,† but imply it in their speeches. This paper discusses the themes of civil religion and how various authors predict that this may become a universalized religion. Then it ill discuss all four authors’ different conclusions on civil religion and how they think that civil religion will affect America and religion. The paper concludes by looking into the future and explaining how civil religion does and might affect Christians. Introduction: Robert Bellah defines civil religion as â€Å"the public religious dimension that plays a crucial role in the developm ent of American institutions that is expressed in a set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals†(228). The term â€Å"civil religion† was first coined in the 8th chapter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s book The Social Contract (1762).For Rousseau, civil religion was simply a form of social cement, providing the state with sacred authority to help unify itself. Rousseau’s simple outline of the principles of civil religion is: (1) Deity, (2) life to come, (3) the reward of virtue and the punishment of vice, and (4) the exclusion of religious intolerance (252). Rousseau believed that this group of religious beliefs is universal and that the government has a right to sustain it. He also said that individuals’ religious opinions are outside the bounds of the government (252-253). History has made many different references to forms of civil religion, ut the main study done by Robert Bellah and Martin Marty took place in the 1960s and 1970s. They studied civil religio n as a cultural phenomenon in an attempt to identify the principles of civil religion. In the United States, civil religion is commonly referred to as â€Å"Judeo-Christian tradition,† intended to include several monotheisms that are practiced in the United States (Wikipedia). While looking into civil religion, we will see different scholarly arguments and the affect it may have on Christianity.Summaries: In researching civil religion, I found many books and essays that give definitions and iews on civil religion. Robert Bellah is the main voice of this movement and has written many articles on this topic. In the article â€Å"Civil Religion in America† by Robert Bellah, civil religion is defined as â€Å"the public religious dimension that plays a crucial role in the development of American institutions that is expressed in a set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals†(228). Bellah claims that civil religion has its own seriousness and integrity and that it requires the same care in understanding as any other religion does (225). In his article, Bellah tells us where the idea of ivil religion comes from. He claims that the Declaration of Independence has four references to God, and that the founding fathers’ words and acts are what shaped the form and tone of civil religion today (231-232). He continues with the description of civil religion today. Bellah argues that civil religion at its best is a genuine apprehension of universal and transcendent religious reality as seen through the experience of the American people (238).He predicts that American civil religion may become a part of a new civil religion of the world. The difference eing that instead of it being drawn from Biblical traditions, it would be drawn from religious, non-biblical traditions (245). Later Bellah wrote â€Å"American Civil Religion in the 1970s† in response to the criticism he had received from his previous article â€Å"Civil Religion in America. † He begins with claiming the rights to the term â€Å"civil religion†. He claims that although there are many references to â€Å"civil religion† in previous years, he is the one who coined the term (255). There is some disagreement on this claim. Some agree with Bellah, but others argue that Jean-Jacques Rousseau coined the erm in his book The Social Contract. Although Rousseau might have coined the term, Bellah’s and his definitions of civil religion have some differences. While Rouseau saw it as a form of social cement that provided the state with sacred authority to help unify itself, Bellah views it as a public religious element that is vital to the maturation of American institutions. Rousseaus’s definition is simpler, because the year in which he defined civil religion, allowed a simpler definition. Bellah says that the distinction between civil religion and public theology is a major ontribution to the discussion of civil religion (258). Bellah f urther claims that a variety of public theologies is a guarantee to the honesty of civil religion (259). He suggests that American civil religion is a current reality and one that we will probably grapple with in the future (264). Bellah does not think that American civil religion is dying, but it is rather pointing to the fact that some linkage between religion, morality, and politics seems to exist (270). He closes by stating that â€Å"the crisis in the civil religion is deepening even more rapidly than I had expected† (272).In â€Å"Civil Religion and America’s Inclusive Faith,† Barry Hankins seeks to give us a better understanding of what civil religion is, its evolution into what it is today, and its role in politics. Hankins claims that most American presidents â€Å"have integrated religion into their political speeches† and that scholars have labeled this integration â€Å"civil religion. † He defines civil religion as the blending of reli gion and patriotism to the point that it is impossible to separate them from another. Hankins says that this occurs when either politicians discuss eligion or when pastors discuss political or national affairs. He continues with how in a country like the United States, civil religion can potentially fail if it excludes too many people; therefore, it needs to be an inclusive faith. Hankins claims that in the evolution of American civil religion, it has employed five themes consistently: the first theme is the â€Å"chosen nation theme†, second is â€Å"civic millennialism†, third is the theme that there must be â€Å"a form of religious consensus or common thread that binds people together religiously†, fourth theme is a â€Å"fusion of iblical beliefs with a deistic notion of God that is very general†, and fifth is the theme of â€Å"historical authentication. †Hankins continues with the discussion on how different presidents have employed civil re ligion and its themes throughout the years. He ends with the claim that the form of civil religion that best fits the description in his essay is a priestly or pastoral civil religion (Hankins). Hankins and Bellah discuss the different presidents who have mentioned civil religion in passing. Though the presidents may not have used the term â€Å"civil religion,† these writers ssert that it was implied. They use quotes from these presidents for the benefit of their own argument. Those presidents are John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Bellah and Hankins claim that because of their attempt to integrate politics and religion, and their vague references to God, these men unconsciously advocated civil religion (Hankins). The interesting thing about Hankins is that he does not limit civil religion to politicians, but rather includes pastors in his discussion as well.Hankins tells us that th e definition of the integration of civil religion is when either politicians mention religion or when pastors mention political or national affairs (Hankins). The Pew Forum panel discussed the topic of â€Å"God Bless America: Reflections on Civil Religion after September 11. † There are seven participants in this discussion panel, who are: Peter Berkowitz, Derek Davis, Amber Khan, Richard John Neuhaus, Clarence Newsome, Manjit Singh, and Melissa Rogers. As the moderator of the panel, Melissa Rogers begins by giving us a brief overview of the term â€Å"civil religion. She says that most people identify the term â€Å"civil religion† with the work of Robert Bellah, who says that civil religion in America is an understanding of the American experience in light of ultimate or universal reality. The panel continues with the different participants’ views and thoughts on civil religion. Civil religion is described as a confused subject, with the confusion starting a t the very term itself and that, for the most part, it is all about meaning. The panel continues on to claim that civil religion becomes extremely broad and very generic in its expression.At the end of the discussion, the panel claimed that with civil religion â€Å"we are making a distinction between discovery of certain political values and systems as distinct from the moral justification (Pew Forum Panel). One may agree with this statement, while others may not. Those who don’t agree may argue that while there needs to be a separation between â€Å"church and state†, there also needs to be a connection. If we did not have a form of connection between the political and religious realm, we would not have the religious freedom that we enjoy today; because if the politicians did not elieve in God, they would not care if we had or did not have religious freedoms. In â€Å"Bellah’s Civil Religion,† Robert Stauffer begins by giving us a summary of Robert Bel lah’s essay â€Å"Civil religion in America†. Then Stauffer proceeds to discuss some of the problems that he sees in Bellah’s work. Stauffer does not cover Bellah’s historical rendition, but rather assumes that American historians will deal with it and leaves the task to them (392). He claims that Bellah’s work is styled in a Durkheimian perspective. Stauffer is also concerned with Bellah’s verdict of our current American condition.He says that Bellah moves too fast from the judgment of corporate hegemony, worry over the cult of success, and the disregard for those who are reduced to penury, to the presumption that America is portrayed by a widespread despair and sense of direction. Stauffer concludes by claiming that Bellah’s evolving opinions about civil religion serve as an inspiration to scholars of religion and society (393). Stauffer also states that while he is grateful to Bellah for his contribution in this area, he is worried that Bellah’s growing stature might prevent us from questioning and criticizing his assumptions, claims, and hopes 394). Literature Review: As civil religion has evolved over the years, there are different trends and themes in its patterns. We read Hankins’ claim that civil religion has employed five themes consistently through the years, and that he is worried that civil religion could potentially fail. He claims that this will happen if American civil religion excludes too many people. Hankins says that civil religion needs to be an all inclusive faith. In Bellah’s first article on this topic, he predicts American civil religion may become a part of a new civil religion of the world. Then a couple of ears later, Bellah wrote another article entitled â€Å"American Civil Religion in the 1970s. † In this article, he suggests that American civil religion is a current reality and one that we will continue to deal with in the future.Then Bellah decides that there is some linkage between religion, morality, and politics that exist and are needed. At this point, Stauffer steps into the scene. He finds irony in the fact that much of the criticism of civil religion, implicitly of Bellah’s work, has centered on the success of maintaining commitment to the social order, the success of utilitarian ulture in the United States, and the divisiveness that comes from the imposing new, holistic systems of belief. Stauffer argues that in a society with revolutionary origins, this problem of civil meaning will be both primary and repetitive. The Pew Forum panel concludes their discussion by stating that civil religion is a confused subject – the confusion starting at the very term itself – and by claiming that it becomes extremely broad and generic in its expression.Hankins claims that civil religion can come in the form of priestly or pastoral religion, because oliticians have used it to soothe and comfort American people in ti mes of distress. Bellah concludes both of his articles by mentioning what he calls the â€Å"third crisis†. The â€Å"third crisis† is the attainment of some kind of viable coherent world order that would ensue from the universalizing of civil religion. Looking towards the future of civil religion, we ask, â€Å"what does civil religion mean for Christians and how does it affect us? † Civil religion acknowledges that there is a God, but does not make any mention to Heaven. With civil religion, we realize that there is a God and that any different beliefs, symbols, and rituals go with each religion. But that is as far as it goes.There is no faith or spiritual things. Faith requires a belief in God and in Heaven. It requires us to put our trust fully in Christ and go beyond the term â€Å"religion† to a relationship with Him. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, â€Å"But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. † Faith is believing. Civil religion is not believing, but rather is admitting that there is a â€Å"higher power† ver us. While we need a form of civil religion to allow us to mingle with people of different religious beliefs, as Christians we need to be wary of civil religion. We need to be vigilant in our endeavors to not allow civil religion to become the â€Å"main stream† of religious beliefs.If it become the â€Å"main stream†, it will become the unified religion of the world and faith in Christ will be lost. Civil religion is unsustainable because it is trying to be pluralistic. This pluralism seeks to unify all religions (muslim, hindu, catholic, protestant, baptist, mormon, etc) into one, ut this is not possible without the different religions giving up their differences. In giving up these differences in the various religions, we would give up our faith in God, our belief in Heav en, and in everything that distinguishes us from other religions. This would be a negative affect on Christians, because we are to be the â€Å"light of the world† and the â€Å"salt of the earth† as God calls us to be. If we give these up for civil religion, we will no longer be what God has told us to be. Yes, we need to have some religious understandings amongst all religions, but we need to be cautious as Christians to not lose our faith in Christ.Future Directions: In the future, I believe that civil religion is going to begin posing major problems for Christians. As of now, not many Evangelicals have said anything on the topic of civil religion beyond identifying it, but soon they are going to need to. Beliefs and faith are beginning to be pushed out of the picture and the more universal civil religion is stepping in. We can see it happening throughout the country as more laws are being instituted that reduce our religious freedoms. Though the term â€Å"civil r eligion† is not usually used by lawmakers and the government, it is implied and is a danger to Christians.I believe that within a few years, civil religion is going to become the norm and we are going to lose our religious freedoms as a push to a universalized religion is made. I also believe that we are going see more articles on this topic, and that Evangelicals are going to become involved in trying to stop this â€Å"third crisis† in America. Works Cited Bellah, Robert. â€Å"Civil Religion in America. † D? dalus, Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 96. 1 (1967): 1-21. Print. Berkowitz, Peter, et al. â€Å"God Bless America: Reflections on Civil Religion after September 11. † The Pew Forum .Washington, DC. 6 Feb. 2002. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Civil Religion. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2003. . Hankins, Barry. â€Å"Civil Religion and America’s I nclusive Faith. † Liberty Magazine Jan. 2004: n. pag. Liberty Magazine. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. . Rousseau, Jean Jacques. The Social Contract: And, the First and Second Discourses. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. Print. Stauffer, Robert E. â€Å"Bellah’s Civil Religion. † Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 14. 4 (1975): 390-395. JSTOR. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.

US Trade Deficit essays

US Trade Deficit essays The U.S. trade deficit is the result of a net inflow of capital to the United States from the rest of the world. They have become a net importer of capital because Americans do not save enough to finance all the available investment opportunities in their economy. This inflow of capital from abroad allows the US to pay for imports over and above what they export. The US has been holding a trade surplus since the World War II, a war that harmed much of the most significant international competition for the US industry. Therefore before 1970, the US industry had much to gain from free trade. Nevertheless after 1970, the trade surplus turned into trade deficits, which increased considerably throughout the 80s and the 90s. During the 80s the percentage of GDP accounted by gross saving fell considerably, widening the gap between supply of saving and the demand for domestic investment. Throughout the early 1990s the trade deficit shrank as the economy growth slowed down but increased after the current expansion began in 1992 as the demand for private investment grew. In 1999, the U.S. trade deficit reached a record level. It has been increasing as a share of the economy's total output. The current account rose from 1.4 percent of GDP in 1990 to 3.7 percent in 1999. During 2003 the US registered a trade deficit record of $489.4 billion. The annual trade deficit, reported by the Commerce Department, was 17.1% larger than the previous record shortfall of $418 billion posted in 2002. However US exports made gains in 2002 totalling $1 trillion and a 4.6 %increase from 2002. Declining share of saving. This decline led to a shortage of funds for domestic investment, which caused real interest rates to rise higher, making the US an attractive target for investment. These large net capital inflows have been keeping the dollar strong, ...

organzation behavior Essay Example

organzation behavior Essay Example organzation behavior Essay organzation behavior Essay Organization behavior Name: Institution: Lecturer: Course: Date: Organization behavior Case 1 Some of the possible reasons for absenteeism in an insurance company are associated with internal and external factors. From the MAR’S model, four key factors determine the individual behaviors in a company. First, motivation determines the performance of workers. Thus, lack of motivation could have been one of the reasons for absenteeism. Another factor that negatively affects the company is ability. Ability for analyzing data is vital; thus, poor ability might affect the individual behaviors and performance. Factors such as role perception and situational factors can be the reasons for absenteeism. Therefore, poor communication within the company can discourage employees thus making many of them have poor role perception. Stress and lack of job satisfaction can be challenging to employees thus contributing to their absenteeism. This might be reduced through creating conducive working environment, which is stress free. Moreover, good communication, motivation of workers and g ood role model will reduce absenteeism. Case study 2.1 The captain is trying to displays the problems he is experiencing. Captain beliefs the cause of the problem was through hiring inexperienced people who do not have role perception or competence. Using MARS model, the possible causes of unacceptable behavior are varied. First, hiring of inexperienced young people who are not exposed to work before. This directly affected the performance level because of poor paperwork that was done. Secondly, insufficient training programs thus poor performance. The problem of hating paperwork could have not risen if training programs were carried out. This could enable the officers have better skills for the job. Thirdly, poor motivation that led to poor performance in paperwork. Captain did not motivate officers thus they became unaware of organizational goals. Lastly, poor role perception made the officers dislike paperwork. This is because there was no clear role perception and acknowledgment of the paperwork description. Moreover, they were not aware that the organization would suffer in case they could not perform paperwork. Lastly, the officers were hired to perform jobs, which are not matching with their job requirements. This contributed to poor performance in paperwork thus putting the company at risk. The captain has not identified all the possible solutions to the problems. This is because there are some problems a part from lack of motivation, determination and interests of officers towards the written crime description. There are some factors that captain did not mention thus, needs to evaluate and make adjustments for better organizational performance. First, evaluating the stressing environment and make sure that the working environment is stress free. Training workers is vital because it will enable them to have abilities to perform better paperwork. Motivation alone cannot be successful if workers do not posses the required abilities for a specific position. Comprehensive job descriptions can be done indicating clear expectations. This will aid the employees in understanding the role perception thus producing better results in paperwork. Furthermore, the captain should act a role model to employees. This is vital because he will make employees understand the ways through wh ich employees are supposed to play a part in the company. Additionally, captain can analyze the situation, redesign job, encourage competence and ensure that the working environment is conducive. He will communicate well in order to eliminate the problems that he is undergoing in the company. Therefore, by adopting the MARS model, the captain will enable employees to discover the driving force behind their action thus improving in paperwork.

Generating Unique Random Numbers Using Java

Generating Unique Random Numbers Using Java When you generate random numbers its often the case that each generated number number must be unique. A good example is picking lottery numbers. Each number picked randomly from a range (e.g., 1 to 40) must be unique, otherwise, the lottery draw would be invalid. Using a Collection The easiest way to pick unique random numbers is to put the range of numbers into a collection called an ArrayList. If youve not come across an ArrayList before, its a way of storing a set of elements that dont have a fixed number. The elements are objects that can be added to or removed from the list. For example, lets make the lottery number picker. It needs to pick unique numbers from a range of 1 to 40. First, put the numbers into an ArrayList using the add() method. It takes the object to be added as a parameter: import java.util.ArrayList;public class Lottery { public static void main(String[] args) { //define ArrayList to hold Integer objects ArrayList numbers new ArrayList(); for(int i 0; i 40; i) { numbers.add(i1); } System.out.println(numbers); }} Note that we are using the Integer wrapper class for the element type so that the ArrayList contains objects and not primitive data types. The output shows the range of numbers from 1 to 40 in order: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40] Using the Collections Class A utility class called Collections offers different actions that can be performed on a collection like an ArrayList (e.g., search the elements, find the maximum or minimum element, reverse the order of elements, and so on). One of the actions it can perform is to shuffle the elements. The shuffle will randomly move each element to a different position in the list. It does this by using a Random object. This means its a deterministic randomness, but it will do in most situations. To shuffle the ArrayList, add the Collections import to the top of the program and then use the Shuffle static method. It takes the ArrayList to be shuffled as a parameter: import java.util.Collections;import java.util.ArrayList;public class Lottery {public static void main(String[] args) {//define ArrayList to hold Integer objectsArrayList numbers new ArrayList();for(int i 0; i 40; i){numbers.add(i1);}Collections.shuffle(numbers);System.out.println(numbers);}} Now the output will show the elements in the ArrayList in a random order: [24, 30, 20, 15, 25, 1, 8, 7, 37, 16, 21, 2, 12, 22, 34, 33, 14, 38, 39, 18, 36, 28, 17, 4, 32, 13, 40, 35, 6, 5, 11, 31, 26, 27, 23, 29, 19, 10, 3, 9] Picking the Unique Numbers To pick the unique random numbers simply read the ArrayList elements one by one by using the get() method. It takes the position of the element in the ArrayList as a parameter. For example, if the lottery program needs to pick six numbers from the range of 1 to 40: import java.util.Collections;import java.util.ArrayList;public class Lottery {public static void main(String[] args) {//define ArrayList to hold Integer objectsArrayList numbers new ArrayList();for(int i 0; i 40; i){numbers.add(i1);}Collections.shuffle(numbers);System.out.print(This weeks lottery numbers are: );for(int j 0; j 6; j){System.out.print(numbers.get(j) );}}} The output being: This weeks lottery numbers are: 6 38 7 36 1 18

Energy as a Parameter in Politcs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy as a Parameter in Politcs - Essay Example It is true that Asia is the new ground zero for growth of energy consumption.it is also true that Asia will be responsible for 85% of the energy consumption growth on the planet in the next 20 years. This has seen Russia try to form ties with the east to establish a proper market for its hydrocarbon exports . The obvious deduction from this would be that Russia would wield more geopolitical power in the next few decades, which is not likely to be the case . The current technological advancements have enabled rapid expansion of the shale gas industry in the US. In a decade, the industry has grown dramatically with the product now in abundant supply,seeing drastic reduction in prices. The policy debate has snow shifted to how much of the nation’s energy resource should be exported.The strengthening of the US’ geopolitical strength due to the shift in paradigms of the global energy market has greatly hindered China’s attempt to be the global leader. The best way to counter this influence would be to weaken the alliances that the US has with states in the region. The result has been the heightening of maritime tensions in the region with the East China Sea conflict providing a good illustration . Both China and japan lay claim to a number of geographical features found in the sea. The features that comprise of a few islands and territorial waters could provide energy reserves and fishing grounds . However, this is not the only reason behind the conflict.