Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

Roman Empire Essay The Roman Empire had stretched so large by the fourth century CE that it had several provincial capitals. The two most important political centers were Rome in the West and Constantinople in the East, which had formerly been called Byzantium. The emperor, Constantine the Great, rebuilt Byzantium to resemble â€Å"Old Rome,† and so this political center became known as the â€Å"New Rome.† Although those who lived in Constantinople referred to themselves as Romans and were part of the Roman Empire, historians now refer to the peoples of the Eastern Roman Empire as Byzantines. Though the Byzantine Empire no longer remains, evidence from the era exists across Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia, and beyond. The Byzantines are famous for their intricate mosaics, like the golden ones here inside a church in Istanbul, Turkey, which was once known as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. How Did the Byzantines Continue the Roman Empire? By the end of the fourth century CE, the Roman Empire was permanently split into East and West. While the Byzantine Empire in the East thrived, the Western Roman Empire experienced a series of invasions, a declining economy, and poor leadership. In 476 CE, the last Roman emperor of the West, Romulus Augustulus, was overthrown by a Germanic prince named Odovacar. After the fall of Rome, Germanic kingdoms claimed former Roman lands. Roads and other public structures fell into disrepair. Likewise, trade and commerce in the West declined. Without a powerful Western Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church became a unifying and powerful force in western Europe. In contrast, Byzantine emperors in the East were successful in keeping a powerful army that they could send long distances. While the West was repeatedly invaded after the fourth century CE, the East succeeded in defending itself well enough that Constantinople survived nearly 1,000 years after the fall of Rome. Byzantine leaders co ntinued Roman law and traditions. The Byzantine emperor Justinian is well known for codifying Roman laws. In the process, the authors removed conflicting, duplicated, and outdated Roman laws. Also during Justinians reign, artists revived Hellenistic art and literature. Many historians credit the Byzantine Empire for todays knowledge of ancient Greek and Roman cultures. As the West went into decline, scholars in the East maintained great libraries and established schools for the study of ancient Greek and Roman history. They also continued Roman culture by combining it with aspects of peoples closer to Constantinople. Most Byzantines were Greek, but a mix of North Africans, Arabs, Persians, and Turks also lived within the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire. Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire, but more people spoke Greek in the East. Eventually Greek became the official language in the Byzantine Empire. How Did Christianity Develop in the Byzantine Empire? Time and distance from Rome caused the Byzantine Empire to develop practices that were different from the West. This was especially true of ChristianityByzantine emperors saw themselves as having authority over the whole Roman Empire, including the Catholic Church. The emperor had final authority on church matters. The Patriarch and otherbishops answered to the emperor. In the Byzantine Empire, the highest political authority and highest religious authority was the same person. However, in the West, kings and church leaders were separate, though kings answered to the popeChristianity helped unify the diverse people of the Byzantine Empire. Being head of the church gave the emperors the right to rule in the eyes of the people. Byzantine mosaics often show emperors with halos, emphasizing the connection to the church. The prominent role of Christianity in the empire is evident in the many Byzantine-era churches and the detailed works of art they contain. What Was the Iconoclast Controv ersy? In the eighth and ninth centuries, the Byzantine Empire is probably most famous for theiconoclasm controversy. An icon is a holy image or sculpture of a revered holy figure such as Jesus Christ or a saint. A saint is someone who is recognized as holy or virtuous by the Church. Byzantine art frequently used human forms and symbols to represent important ideas and figures in Christianity. A great debate arose over whether this type of practice, including veneration of the icons, was acceptable.iconoclasts, meaning icon breakers, were those who were against the practice. They feared it could lead to idolatry, forbidden by the Bible. How Did the Controversy Affect the Byzantine Empire? The iconoclast debate became a political issue that lasted more than 100 years. Many historians say it was also the greatest intellectual debate over the purpose of art. The pope and bishops in the West supported the use of icons, as did most Byzantine bishops. The practice had existed for centuries. As the emperor was head of the Byzantine church, he did not need support from church leaders to ban icons. In fact, people who continued to support icons during those times experiencedpersecution. What Other Issues Split East and West? The use of icons as religious symbols was not the only issue dividing the Eastern and Western churches. One was the use of leavened instead of unleavened bread in worship. Church leaders attached special importance to breads made with or without yeast, per quotes in the Bible. They disagreed on the proper interpretations. Another issue was the power of the pope, who saw the position of the emperor over the patriarch in the East as a challenge to his own authority. In addition, the importance of Constantinople as an important Christian city was in debate. Church leaders in the West objected to Byzantine emperors claims of Constantinople having equal importance to Rome. What Was the Great Schism? By 1054, the differences between East and West had grown too wide. That year, Pope Leo IX sent representatives to Constantinople. They insisted that Michael Cerularius, the patriarch of Constantinople, acknowledge the pope as his superior and Rome as the head of the Christian church. The delegates leader, acting on the popes behalf, excommunicated Cerularius. The patriarch excommunicated the delegates and the pope in return. This event marks the Great Schism, or split, in Christianity between East and West. The Church in the West became the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church continued to grow in the East, based in Constantinople. Roman Catholic Church| Similarities| Eastern Orthodox Church| * Latin was official language * Pope has highest authority, over kings and emperors as well * Priests cannot marry * Married couples could not divorce * Centered in Rome| * Both base teachings on Jesus and the Bible * Both offer sacraments, meaning special church services such as b aptism * Both have priests and bishops as church leaders * Both seek to convert others to Christianity| * Greek was official language * Patriarch and other bishops lead as a group * Emperor claimed authority over the patriarch * Priests can marry * Married couples could divorce under certain conditions * Centered in Constantinople| The Byzantine Empires culture was already spreading to Slavic and other peoples further east and north. Many of these groups converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, especially because of the work of saints Cyril and Methodius. St. Cyril was talented in learning languages and worked to create the first written alphabet for the Slavonic language. He and St. Methodius then were able to begin translating the Bible into the new alphabet. They were missionaries to the Slavs, credited with spreading Christianity and Byzantine influence. Western Roman Empire| Eastern (Byzantine) Empire| Latin was official language| Iconoclast controversy| Pope was highest authority| Orthodox Church| Catholic Church| Greek was official language| Excommunicated iconoclasts| Patriarch was highest church leader| Centered in Rome| Centered in Constantinople|

Example Answers for Questions on Nestle Organization Resources Management

Example Answers for Questions on Nestle Organization Resources Management Corporate strategy design to achieving the goals of organization in the profitable means in this case any organization has specific corporate strategy, which help the organization to fulfill its requirement. There are some corporate strategies and human resources of Nestle firm that evaluate the critical condition that is under below. (i) Corporate Strategy of Nestle firm Value and expectation Value expectation define the value of firm in the market if the value is not judge by the higher management so it will fail to complete its goals the expectation define what happen if we will implement all the corporate strategy in the market level the expectation is the result of firm. And in the Human resources strategy the value and expectation define about the employees working condition and what is the expectation when they find out the result. The worker what expect form organization in the case of incentive and other bounces The Environment Changing environment is better for organization because the environment defines the innovation product in the market the corporate strategy is already define the environment changes in its plan. The environment for the worker or employees provide the facilities like the incentive, salary, wages and other perks if the environment is better for worker and have enough facilities so the worker will willingly to work with organization. Resources Resources is blood of organization if the organization have better resource for production like low price of raw material and long term in production so the firm will be better competing other. Resources for worker like medical expenses TADA expenses and other utilities allowance provide the better idea for worker to do more work for firm Nestle firm provide the better resources and facilities to their worker. Resources planning Is the major issue in corporate strategy it is design before starting the annual plans one the resources planning structure is define it modify with the passage of time Resource planning provide the large profit to organization. Resources planning in Human Resources strategy is how to deal with employee if the other firm provide the better incentive to their worker so the organization provide large amount of facilities to their workers. Generation of options At the level of generation of option means how to find new ideas if new thing demand new ideas so the option can solve this problems. Hiring of new employee can create the problem after the time pass because the environmental changes reduce the resources for worker so the generation of option is come front the firm in which the decision make like where is the right place of worker and where they will fit. Evaluation of option Evaluation of option in corporate strategy provide the better consideration to whole firm plans this kind of evaluation give the strength to firm that all the work is done by the planning system. If the plan is not done properly so the firm locate other option after better judgment The evaluation of option in Human resources strategies how to find out the new resources for worker if the existing option is working better then the result what will. Organization option Organization option Corporate strategy is in the case of loss circumstances then the organizing will liquidation or will merge in other firm for recover of loss. Organization option in human resource in the case of loss of organization the organization will firing the employee or suspend the work for some short period. Selection of strategy Selection of strategy in corporate process after the evaluation of option when firm design any strategy so it will implement for temporary bases so after come out the better result that it will modify other strategy and then selection the right way for firm. In human Resources system the selection of strategy can define when the existing policy in not working with the time. The human resources define the better way to communicate with worker to select the strategy. All This kind of corporate strategy focus on three option that is under below Strategy implementation Strategy implementation is after the analysis of all corporate and human strategy. Implementation how to apply all the strategies with better working environment. Strategic analysis Strategic analysis is how to evaluate the strategic goals the strategies are correctly apply with the existing goals. Strategic choice Strategic choice how to choice the strategic formulation in recent goals if the choice is according to the goals and the goals are working with the prior choice so the choice will be same if there is some problem with goals the choice will be change and new idea of strategy will apply. The major object of Nestle Corporation strategic is how to make its good image in changing environment. Corporate strategic can call the main idea or central planning of firm if the strategy is less effective to implementation in organization so it will fail main maintain its worth in market so the main point is define prior for corporate strategy. (B) Evaluate whether chosen organization has success in chosen corporate strategy and human resources strategy. Nestle has different product that provide the proper customer satisfaction because it has the unique name in all over the world the corporate strategy of Nestle provide the long term planning for better profit it also provide the market strategies. This firm is successful because of its corporate strategies. There are some specific corporate strategies that make it different form other organization and compete all the level firms the corporate strategies of Nestle is under below. Raw Materials: Raw materials is basic point of any firm it consist not only at the level of one firm if the firm has thousand of sources to collect the cheaper raw material so it will gain best profit in the market because Raw material is the basic need of firm so the Nestle firm received the raw material form efficient way and provide the better product and services to their customer in the market. Manufacturing: Manufacturing is base on the modern techniques so the imported machine and modern plant provide the best and clean product to their customer. The modern manufacturing plant gives the more quantity in minimum break down or more productivity in less time. This is the corporate strategy of Nestle firm. Distribution and sales: Distribution and sales is major problem form any firm specially the Nestle company. Nestle has the master planning to distribution of product to their customer with low time on less cost this master corporate planning is design at the start of the product distribution if the distribution will at the right place at the right time to right customer so the sale will promote rapidly. Marketing: Marketing define what is the worth of firm in the market level if the firm has complete or already create the market worth so it will less expenses to efforts. Nestle company Corporate strategy priory define the Marketing position how to target the market in what time. Services: Services is more vital for all product if the company has low service but the product is well so the market will destroy and all function of corporate strategy will loss so the Nestle has unique services at time bases provide the better approach to customer. Key Employees: Key employees are backbone of company. Key employees has innovate new way to promote the production if the key employees provide the laziness services to customers or firm so the central point of firm will discard key employees have new ideas to product promotion and productivity. Financial and Operational Strategy: Financial and operational strategy has the blood value in Nestle firm financial activities give the better understanding how to use the finance in different ways if the financial in not insert in business at the time of nasality so it will collapse its business. Nestle firm has different sources to finance in business when it needed. The corporate strategy has define the different way in plan for collecting the financing form government and shareholders Human Resources Strategies: Human resources strategies provide the better use of resources of workers in the organization if the form or organization has no better strategies form worker so it will loss the major skillful property at the time of demand there are some human resources strategies that provide the better understanding to Nestle firm. Hiring the skillful employees Nestle firm has better hiring planning for skillful employees because this organization has more intelligent and efficient worker for better product if the worker or employees will understand working condition more it will have low chance to less productivity so the main aim in human resources in nestle firm hiring the skillful employees in the organization. Salaries Salary attracts employees very quickly if the salaries are less that the expectation form employees so they will turn over the firm and lay down the organization. So nestle human resources department provide the best salary package to their employees. Incentive Incentive pay by the firm time-to-time incentive is extra award to worker in their working this strategy allure the worker for more hardworking and over time. Bonuses Bonuses is pay at the specific time that provide by the firm this kind of allowance is on the profit organization and bonuses create the worth of workers in the firm. Firing of workers Human resources planning has another way to downsizing the staff this strategy happened when worker are in huge volume and the business in less then its boundary the firing of the worker is include loss productivity, time wasting, fun at the working time and low profit time. Job satisfaction Job satisfaction is also define in the range of human resources strategies job satisfaction means the right person at the right place if the worker is assign at the wrong the work will not done by the organization quality and it will provide the less productivity to firm so the Nestle human resources strategy assign the efficient worker at the right place. Job enrichment Job enrichment means what is the job providing to worker even in the shape of incentive of learning the working environment if the job provides the better satisfaction to their worker so it will call the enrichment of job. (C) Recommend changes that the chosen organization would need to make its human resource strategy if confront by the merger, acquisition, Strategic alliance and joint venture. Human resources strategies define the better sources for merge the organization in to other organization in the case of loss selling or in new form the merger of nestle is under below. Mergers of Nestle: Mergers of Nestle in market in Cadbury chocolate. Joint venture of Nestle: Nestle and Pillsbury recently formed a joint venture named Ice Cream Partners USA Strategic Alliance of Nestle: On the other hand, a strategic alliance between General Mills and Nestle, through a firm called Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW). Acquisition of Nestle: Nestlà © has agreed to acquire Kraft Foods frozen pizza business in the US and Canada for USD 3.7 billion in cash. The business includes brands such as DiGiorno, Tombstone, California Pizza Kitchen, Jacks and Delissio. This frozen pizza business provides a new strategic pillar to Nestlà ©s frozen food portfolio in the US and Canada, where the Company has already established a leadership in prepared dishes and hand-held product categories under the Stouffers, Lean Cuisine, Buitoni, Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets brands. The acquisition brings leadership in the frozen pizza category, where Nestlà © only had a minor presence until now, and builds on Nestlà ©s existing pizza know-how and operations in Europe. It is a natural fit with Nestlà ©s focus on delivering convenient, premium, wholesome and nutritious frozen food for consumers around the world. The transaction is subject to US and Canadian regulatory approval and is expected to be completed in 2010 (2) Evaluate the organizational strategies for retention, recruitment, training and development Retention Recruitment Training and development (3) Critically review the purpose and benefit of performance appraisal and reward management including financial and non-financial reward. Performance appraisal Critical incidental method In Nestle firm the critical incidental method is complete image of worker through the different ideas and debates in which many incidental method use like when worker perform well in problematic situation. Weighted checklist Weighted checklist provides the weight of worker at the every task through this method many appraisal can be judged at annually basis. Graphic rating scale Graphic rating is converting form statically number it only take look at the graphic on perform level. Essay evaluation In essay evaluation the ability of worker can be judge by the written pages that is use for performance of the years. Performance rating Performance rating provide the annul, quarterly, and semi annual record this performance rating give the better idea of worker performance appraisal. Management by object MBO is other idea for performance appraisals in which the performance and management do every object take every step by object system and then define he worker performance. 360 degree performance appraisal 360 degree is scanning all the performance of employees at every level, which provide the complete image to performance appraisal. Force ranking Force ranking means how the authority workers control all the staff and how much efficient way he creates on its working environment. Behavioral observation scale Behavioral observation scale is consist at the attitude of worker in the more problem situation this kind of the appraisal can be judge at he complexities of workers. Reward management. Pay and compensation Pay and compensation means pay some finance to employees at some incident or accident in the case of medical and other even damages pay etc. Fixed level of pay Fixed level of pay in not very famous in the firm in this the chances of progress become less and the performance works to low. Reward link to performance. Reward link to performance means the better reward for efficient performance on this the reward management pay the reward in the shape of financial and non-financial system. Financial reward Wages and salaries Wages and salaries is basic reward to workers and worker work for the wages at the monthly and daily base. Fringe benefit Fringe benefit extra allowance like TADA and Car charges to their workers. Performance rate pay Performance rate pay apply the performance of worker if the worker perform the better act to more productivity so the Nestle pay the better advantages to performance like in the shape of finance. Profit sharing Profit sharing scheme is mostly in multinational company in which the profit is sharing in the form of bonus and other incentives. Share ownership Share ownership is another kind of financial reward system in which the higher management shares some profit or salaries in share ownership Nestle is multinational company and provide the facilities to their workers. Non financial reward Job enrichment Nestle human resources provide the facility to right person on right place so that can create the image in firm job enrichment. Job enlargement Job enlargement in nestle firm provide the large task and complexity to one worker its call job enlargement. Team working Team working reduces the complexity of work that may face by the individual workers. Nestle firm believe on team working because the diversification can reduce the problem of task. Empowerment Empowerments means provide the authority to one worker to hold on big task this kind of working usually involve enhancing the performance of worker.

Essay --

KATA PENGANTAR Puji Syukur kami panjatkan kehadirat Allah SWT, Tuhan Yang Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang, karena atas Rahmat dan karunianya maka Pengabdian Masyarakat †Pelatihan Pembuatan Web bagi Kelompok Informasi Masyarakat† telah selesai dilaksanakan dan dapat berjalan dengan lancar sesuai dengan perencanaan. Diharapkan penyelenggaraan pelatihan tersebut dapat bermanfaat bagi seluruh peserta khususnya dan bagi masyarakat pada umumnya sehingga mampu meningkatkan ketrampilan pengelolaan di bidang Web Site. Laporan kegiatan ini sangat penting dibuat sebagai bukti pertanggungjawaban pelaksanaan kegiatan yang telah dilasanakan dan harus disampaikan kepada pim-pinan. Adapun tujuan dibuatnya laporan ini adalah sebagai berikut : 1. Sebagai dasar untuk pengembangan rencana selanjutnya. 2. Sebagai penentuan kebijakan atasan 3. Sebagai bukti laporan kegiatan yang telah di laksanakan 4. Untuk mengetahui proses dan perkembangan kegiatan yang dilaksanakan. Dalam laporan ini berikut kami sampaikan tentang : Dasar Penyelenggaraan, Tujuan Pelatihan, Pembiayaan , Kompetensi,Pelaksanaan, J...

Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift :: English Literature

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels in the 1720's, he wrote it in a different style to modern authors because it was more normal in those days to do so; for example, he used more pompous and archaic words, longer sentences and longer paragraphs; Swift also used a lot of Satire and imaginary words in his book these made it more interesting and more believable. Nowadays his writing might sound strange to some people. I have been looking closely at the satire and style in chapter five of Gulliver's Travels and will comment on how he used them and what his intended effect was. In chapter five Swift uses archaic language such as, 'Viceroy,' when he wrote this I think he was just writing what came naturally to him, he didn't desire an effect to be created on the reader other than what the word meant; nowadays the archaic words he uses could create the effect of boredom or confusion, because the reader might not know what the words mean. Some of the words Swift uses are formal and pompous an example of one of these words is, 'Leathern Jerkin,' This is a posh word for a leather coat, it's effect on the reader is it shows them that Gulliver is a well educated man who has a wide vocabulary. I believe that this was swift's intention. This is the affect as it had on me as a reader. In the whole book there are a lot of long paragraphs longer than you would normally find in a book today. These can make the book hard for some people to read and it can also make the reader forget what beginning of the paragraph was before they finish it; however some modern books have long paragraphs as well, (I read a book recently and it had lots of long paragraphs which made the story very hard to keep track of and understand). I don't think Swift intended to confuse his readers but he might have confused some of them. Swift also used very long sentences throughout this novel an example of one from chapter five is, 'I had not yet seen it, and upon this notice of an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the coast, for fear of being discovered by some of the enemy's ships, who had received no intelligence of me, all intercourse between the two empires having been strictly forbidden during the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our Emperor upon all vessels whatsoever.' As you can see that is a very long sentence that probably

pets 911 :: essays research papers

Facts: Pets 911 knows that every community has pets in need. We offer a free network of animal rescue organizations and services across the country. Pets 911 is becoming an answer for not only the public, but also the pet animal welfare group community on how we in this country can all take part in saving those 5 million animals every year. Pet adoptions, animal shelters, help to find lost dogs and services to find lost cats - Pets 911 for all your pet adoption information - Thousands of homeless dogs, abandoned cats and other animals available for adoption. Have you lost or found a pet? Animal Charity information is one of the fine things we offer at Pets911.com. We also provide information on cat charity events, pet charity promotions, and dog charity walks. The Pets911 fights for animal welfare in the UK and throughout the world – campaigning on a variety of issues. Every year more than 4,000 dogs are used in experiments in the UK. In most cases they are used in the development and safety testing of new pharmaceuticals (medicines and vaccines), for both humans and dogs. Humans have a special relationship with dogs and a responsibility to safeguard their welfare in every situation. The PETS911 is committed to campaigning for humane alternatives and challenging the need for the use of dogs in research and testing. However, while dogs continue to be used in research we believe every possible effort must be made to reduce the numbers used and prevent suffering throughout their short lives. Our particular concerns are : †¢ the distress, pain and suffering caused by procedures, e.g. the chemicals can make the dogs sick and surgery can cause pain. †¢ the unsuitable conditions in which the dogs live, e.g. lack of space, stimulation, and socialization with other dogs and people. †¢ the loss of life – the dogs are eventually killed either to alleviate suffering, or for post-mortem analysis of their tissues and organs. What is the PETS911 doing? †¢ Challenging dog use: The PETS911 believes there is nowhere near enough commitment to challenging the need to use dogs or to developing alternative approaches to safety testing. We work with other organizations such as the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) and support the work of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) to encourage the development and use of alternatives. †¢ Reducing the number of dogs used in pharmaceutical safety testing: More dogs are used in pharmaceutical safety testing than for any other purpose, so it is essential to find ways of replacing dogs and reducing their use. pets 911 :: essays research papers Facts: Pets 911 knows that every community has pets in need. We offer a free network of animal rescue organizations and services across the country. Pets 911 is becoming an answer for not only the public, but also the pet animal welfare group community on how we in this country can all take part in saving those 5 million animals every year. Pet adoptions, animal shelters, help to find lost dogs and services to find lost cats - Pets 911 for all your pet adoption information - Thousands of homeless dogs, abandoned cats and other animals available for adoption. Have you lost or found a pet? Animal Charity information is one of the fine things we offer at Pets911.com. We also provide information on cat charity events, pet charity promotions, and dog charity walks. The Pets911 fights for animal welfare in the UK and throughout the world – campaigning on a variety of issues. Every year more than 4,000 dogs are used in experiments in the UK. In most cases they are used in the development and safety testing of new pharmaceuticals (medicines and vaccines), for both humans and dogs. Humans have a special relationship with dogs and a responsibility to safeguard their welfare in every situation. The PETS911 is committed to campaigning for humane alternatives and challenging the need for the use of dogs in research and testing. However, while dogs continue to be used in research we believe every possible effort must be made to reduce the numbers used and prevent suffering throughout their short lives. Our particular concerns are : †¢ the distress, pain and suffering caused by procedures, e.g. the chemicals can make the dogs sick and surgery can cause pain. †¢ the unsuitable conditions in which the dogs live, e.g. lack of space, stimulation, and socialization with other dogs and people. †¢ the loss of life – the dogs are eventually killed either to alleviate suffering, or for post-mortem analysis of their tissues and organs. What is the PETS911 doing? †¢ Challenging dog use: The PETS911 believes there is nowhere near enough commitment to challenging the need to use dogs or to developing alternative approaches to safety testing. We work with other organizations such as the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) and support the work of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) to encourage the development and use of alternatives. †¢ Reducing the number of dogs used in pharmaceutical safety testing: More dogs are used in pharmaceutical safety testing than for any other purpose, so it is essential to find ways of replacing dogs and reducing their use.

Why I Want to Do Medicine

I have not had a member of my family dramatically saved by a revolutionary surgeon. I have not been influenced at a young age by a caring GP. I have not dreamt of being a doctor for my entire life, nor played doctors and nurses as a child. These things often belong to television medical dramas, not real life. And real life is what I have experienced. I have seen friends and colleagues so tired from nights of endless study that they answer the ward phone â€Å"Countdown Dunedin, Patricia here† (their part time job from over ten years ago). I have seen them despair at not only not knowing what to do for their favourite patient, but not knowing what to do for the 15 other patients on their list for the day. Everyday I witness their frustration at not being able to either give their full attention to a patient, disappointment at not being able to convey the consequences of chronic medication non-compliance and the general day to day stresses of hospital life compounded with their medical inexperience. Yet I state – I want to be a doctor. Over the past five years I have been a clinical pharmacist. I am a good pharmacist – I have sound knowledge in pharmaceutics and pharmacology, I have had wonderful relationships with health professionals of all ages and specialties and I take pride in my work and ability to relate to patients. I have risen through staff structure to be a clinical and department team leader, as well as being an active member of various hospital and national health groups – roles I enjoy due to their pro-active healthcare approach. One part of my job involves teaching and working closely with medical staff. Some have said to me â€Å"I bet you hate having to lecture us about medicines all the time†, but what they don’t realise is that it’s often one of the best parts of my job. Through them I get to hear about the complications and the challenges that face them everyday and I love to hear their stories. At the moment I feel like I am close, but yet so far, to doing what I really love. Don’t get me wrong, pharmacy provides an invaluable service to patients as well as the healthcare team in total, and I am very proud to be a part of it. But when I’m constantly going the extra mile to find out more about a patient’s condition, the cause, the pathology, the presentation – things a pharmacist doesn’t necessarily need to know – I realise that this is really where my passion lies. The clues that blood results and other laboratory findings can give as well as the procedures and techniques that are used, continue to intrigue me. But most importantly, bringing all of these aspects together and having the knowledge, skill and belief that you can improve your patient’s well being for perhaps only a few days, is the most appealing part of medicine to me. I have had a taste of the satisfaction that can come from improving a patient’s condition in a few instances, and knowing that I had a part in it provided me with a â€Å"high† for days. When I think of what made it enjoyable, it wasn’t the medicine review or simply even the inclusion in the medical team. It was the amount I learnt, combined with the treatment process and responsibility of a decision and then the resulting gratitude from the patient and their family – all things that I will never forget. And while I know there will be many hard days ahead, the constant challenge and the feeling of fulfilment from the patients you may be able to make an impact on (or may make an impact on you) will be my driving force to continue to learn and relish coming back day after day. This is not a decision I have made lightly. The sensible and logical side of me knows that remaining a pharmacist will give me a comfortable life and that medical school is just the start of life-long study, late nights and daily second-guessing. But I also know that you can’t truly succeed in a position where you aren’t passionate about your work. Medicine is something I have been interested in for years and I have continued to seek more from it, despite initial setbacks and alternative career choices. I have experienced hospital life as well as the real world and have spoken with â€Å"mature† house surgeons who have been in a similar position to mine and who re-iterate the daily struggles mentioned. But they also state that they would do it all over again for the satisfaction they get from their job. I want that. And I believe I would do it well.

Is totemism a religion? Essay

Defining what constitutes a religion is a difficult, if not an impossible quest. However, before determining whether or not certain belief-systems and/or ritualized practices can be considered a religion, a definition is imperative. For our purposes, I am going to use the extremely elementary definition from Webster’s New Dictionary , â€Å"A system of faith and worship.† In The Elementary Forms of Religion, Emile Durkheim, a French Sociologist from the 19th Century, examines totemism in an effort to draw universals between all religions. Durkheim sets his focus on Australian totemism, because it is the most â€Å"primitive culture† with the most resources available. From Durkheim’s perspective, the basis of totemism is to create lasting societal bonds. Totemic tribes are assorted into clans whose unity results not from kinship, but from the religious relationship between the members. From Durkheim’s perspective, the totemism in this culture is based on the sacred relationships developed by the clan’s members in addition to some totemic unit, which is usually a plant or animals species common to the area. If an entire society is based around its sacred ritualized practices, it is only fair to consider those ritualized beliefs and practices as constituting a religion. Thus, the real question is, can a society whose spirituality is based on kinship, and whose idea of sacred lies only in the ties within the clan and not on a god or gods of some sort be considered a religion? The answer to this question is yes. Although totemic practices may not be familiar to many Westerners, when real speculation is given to various totemic religions, it is easy to see the complexity that underlies many forms of totemism. In addition, when looking at the religions that are common to us Westerners, can we really argue that our common religions are more logical than theirs? Through the totemic principles of the universe, and the worshiping of idols, even if these idols do not represent G-ds, it proves that totemism is most certainly a religion. Durkeim uses totemism as a basis from which answers to our lingering questions about modern religions can be drawn. â€Å"In our eyes, the question whether totemism has been more or less universal or not, is quite secondary. If it interests us, it does so before all because in studying it we hope to discover relations of a nature to make us understand better what religion is( Durkheim, 176).† Durkheim is using totemism as the platform from which  all other religions shall be compared to derive new and provoking ideas about religion. Durkheim believes totemism contains obvious religious qualities, even with the lack of a god or gods. † Finally, that which we propose to study in this work is the most primitive and simple religion which it is possible to find ( Durkheim 176).† Durkheim clearly considers totemism a valid although â€Å"simple† religion. Of course, this is only the opinion of one, we must delve into totemic rituals and beliefs before it can be proven that totemism is just as much of a religion as any other. Before arguing the attributes of totemism that allow it to be classified as a religion, a more thorough understanding of various totemic practices and the principle’s and beliefs behind those practices is necessary. The first and most prominent example that will be used to describe totemism, will be from the various Australian tribes described by Durkheim. The critical belief in Australian totemism, is the notion that the totemic entity, whatever it may be, is sacred. The entity is thought to bestow sacredness on whatever carries its mark. The totemic entity is used to mark various objects such as stones, sticks, wood, etc. in various rituals. â€Å"The totem is in fact a design which corresponds to the heraldic emblems of civilized nations, and each person is authorized to bear it as proof of the identity of the family to which it belongs ( Durkheim 180).† It is true that we have symbols and emblems that represent our society, which we deem sacred. Is that notion really so outlandish? Many patriotic Americans would be offended by the burning of the American flag, which is only an inanimate object to which we grant sacredness. This, however, is a nation and not a religion, but it is additionally quite common in many religions to revere objects. In Judeo-Christian religions, sacredness is assigned to a book, the Bible, among many other symbols from the Jewish Star to the Christian Cross. If the Bible is dropped or thrown down in many religions, it is seen as a direct offense to G-d, and one must kiss the book to compensate. Notice, also the dropping of the â€Å"o† in G-d. To many religious Jews even writing the name God is considered highly offensive. Assigning value to an object is a common trait across many religions, the difference is that the symbols used in totemism are not a representation for an actual god. Although the totemic emblem is not representative of a god that bears human-like qualities, it is deemed sacred and thus must be some sort of a representation of higher forces as opposed to higher beings. Totemic emblems are not only found on trees, in houses, on wood, etc, but also on the bodies of humans ( Durkheim 181). Whether they are marked on a body through mutilation, scarring, and tattooing, or whether the totems is represented on jewelry and on clothing, the adornment of totems on humans is yet another indication of its sacred value. â€Å"These totemic decorations enable us to see that the totem is not merely a name and an emblem. It is in the course of the religious ceremonies that they are employed; they are part of the liturgy; so while the totem is a collective label, it also has a religious character. In fact, it is in connection with it, that things are classified as sacred or profane. It is the very type of sacred thing (Durkheim 183).† â€Å"Sacred† is used to mean the things that are unworldly which cause humans to revere while â€Å"profane† is simply worldly matter. Once again, the assignment of so much value that one deems it sacred is evidence of religious qualities. Aside from the actual totemic emblem, there are other objects used in worship which are also considered sacred. The Arunta in particular, a tribe in Central Australia, uses an object called a churinga which is literally pieces of wood or polished stone, with the totemic entity marked upon it. Each group has a number of various churinga’s which sometimes bare a whole at one end where a thread made of human or opossum hair goes through. The thread allows the churinga to, when suspended, whirl into the air producing a humming noise which Durkheim compares to the toys of children ( Durkheim, 183, 119). These objects accompany rituals of any importance but also have a direct effect on the â€Å"sacred† and â€Å"profane.† The actual word churinga translates to mean sacred, and women, children, and young men who have not yet been initiated are not granted access to these instruments of piety. Having access to these instruments could be considered positive and negative. Certain churinga’s could not to be handled or viewed at by profane persons when not in use. Sometimes they were placed in secret hiding locations where the † sacred character of the churinga [was] so great that it communicates itself to the locality where they are stored ( Durkheim 184, 120).† Additionally they had powers such as they could create courage and  vigor in combat, heal sickness, and ensure fertility of the totemic animal or plant etc ( Durkheim 184, 120). In all, the sacredness the clan placed on these object is more than apparent and indicates the religious qualities of totemism. It is crucial to remember that the objects chosen to represent totemic symbols are in no way related to the actual symbol itself. The totem itself is not creating the religious feeling, but is solely a means to make tangible the spirituality that bonds a clan. In other words, totemism really has nothing to do with the totem. Instead it is the accumulated experiences of the various social units that creates those intense feelings of awe and reverence that has caused religion to last throughout the ages. Durkheim rationalizes this by saying that most individuals are vulnerable to authoritative figures in societies. In other words, people are inclined to follow individuals who have earned some sort of respect. Durkheim believes that in group environments, the authoritative individual has the capacity to make other individuals feel as though they are experiencing something that can not be experienced alone. People usually are incapable of distinguishing the cause of the intense feelings they are undergoing. Thus, the individuals in such a setting assume that it is some otherworldly force that is the cause of their newfound spiritual experience. The source of whatever is causing those feelings of intensity is what is deemed sacred. The sacred comes in different forms in all religions. In most religions sacredness is assigned to a god or gods. In totemism, it happens to be a totem which symbolizes the sacredness of the kinship in a clan. An interesting perspective that Durkheim holds is that in practice totemic religion in particular arose out of tribal life style. Individuals in tribal societies lived in groups too small to create the type of religious forces recognized by Durkheim. They usually lived spread across vast landscapes. On various occasions social meetings would be held that may be considered large enough to be called a mass of people. In Durkheim’s opinion, gatherings of this sort would effervesce, meaning that the spirituality that lies in the bonds of the group would build creating an even larger sense of religious awe. The group environment would cause the essential production of excited  behaviors and heightened emotions that propel belief in the sacred. A continuation off the previous belief, is Durkheim’s notion that sacredness is contagious. Through these group gatherings, Durkheim argues that the sacred is passed on by means of physical contact. This is proven through rituals that deem new things sacred when touched by previous instruments considered sacred. This is also common in Judaism where the Torah, the first five books in the Bible considered very sacred to the Jews, is touched by all those worshipping in the temple as a way of passing on the sacredness of the Torah to the members of the congregation. Catholics feel drinking wine that is blessed is equivalent to drinking the blood of Christ and thus feel they have attained a degree of sacredness through this ritual. Totemism is most certainly a religion, and bears all the qualities that many consider necessary before labeling something a religion. Durkheim used totemism to analyze the origins of religion in addition to the role religion plays in aiding people in understanding present society. It has been made evident that Durkheim considered religion essentially social viewing it from the eyes of a sociologist. In Durkheim’s mind, primal societies are where religion originated. He believed that although religion is only felt by individuals, it is an episode caused by a few factors. Due to the fact that religion is passed from generation to generation, the perspective that it is larger than any one person is created. The notion that it is larger than an individual allows individuals to become awe stricken by its seemingly evident power. In addition, in closed societies such as the ones which employ totemism, religion is universal, meaning that everyone has the same belief system. The collectiveness ensued through the belief system creates a unity and spiritual bonds among the members of the clans. Lastly, Durkheim believed that individuals in closed societies really have no other options but to believe in the religion taught to or experienced by them from an early age. Durkheim also touched on the fact that the forbidden and the unknown play considerable roles in understanding the essence of religion. Because totemism possesses and even exemplifies Durkheim’s opinions of religion, in addition to standard definitions of religion, it is only fair to label it as being one.