Goal setting using SMART Analysis

 In Chapter 1 of the text, goal setting is discussed. Select a business-related or professional goal you want to achieve. Address each part of the SMART technique — specific, measurable, aggressive, realistic, and time-bound– providing relevant details about the goal for each component of the goal-setting process. Be sure that your Learning Journal entry is a minimum of 500 words.
I just started my Business Administration Bachelor and this is my first term Unit 1 assignment

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Goal setting using SMART Analysis

 

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Goal setting using SMART Analysis

Setting up goals and starting the journey to accomplish them is relatively an easy task for many people. However, attaining these goals successfully is the major challenge as it requires a lot of dedication and planning to ensure that you overcome every challenge on the way (Wayne, 2020). Whether it is a company launching a new product or a person beginning a new career path, developing the best appropriate method to meet the goals set can increase the chances of success. One of the best methods is SMART; a goal-reaching-oriented approach meant to help people achieve their goals. It is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, achievable or attainable, relevant, and time-bound (Tardif, 2020). Having started my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, the SMART approach will help me complete my degree as I remain goal-oriented. 

Being specific on what you want to attain is the first step to success (Wayne, 2020). Having vague goals such as ‘I want to attain a degree’ can lead to straying away and fail to achieve anything. It is important to have a clear goal. As for me, I want to attain a first-class honor degree in Business Administration by working hard and closer with the help of my lecturers and fellow students. After setting a clear goal, it is important to answer the question, “what is to be done?” “How will I know it is done?” and the results of the goals (Gregory, 2020). It is essential to make a goal observable in the same way when read by different people. 

Measurable refers to the extent to which a goal and objective can be evaluated compared to a given standard (Gregory, 2020). It is important to track the progress made toward attaining the main goal. Some goals are not measurable such as becoming better in public speaking. However, stating that I want to be able to conduct a two-hour lecture without stammering is measurable and specific. Having completed a full lecture class without stammering, then I can say that I have achieved that measurable goal. Sometimes people tend to set too high goals that are beyond their attainment capabilities (Tardif, 2020). For instance, “I will attain my degree within one year.” This is not practical and attainable as the workload is immense, and the learning program set cannot allow it. It is necessary to set goals that are achievable in relation to a person’s capability, knowledge, and experience. I will be able to work and integrate with employees as a trainee after the initial two years of my education.

When setting a goal, it is necessary to determine whether it is important to you at that moment in your life. If it does not align with what you are doing, then it is likely to fail. Your goal relevance ensures that you understand how it helps or hinders your life (Wayne, 2020). At the moment, I am an aspiring senior sales manager, and having attained a degree in Business Administration is the beginning of it. Every goal requires to have a given timeframe for completion. It is necessary to be realistic on the normal completion time for the goal to a majority of the people in the same field. Having set the completion time helps you to remain focused to ensure that you minimize time wastage (Tardif, 2020). My goal is to finish a bachelor’s degree within four years successfully.  

 

References

Gregory, A. (2020). Here are some business goals that follow the SMART criteria. The Balance Small Business. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/smart-goal-examples-2951827

Tardif, L. (2020). Examples of SMART goals and objectives. LoveToKnow. https://business.lovetoknow.com/business-operations-corporate-management/examples-smart-goals-objectives

Wayne, L. (2020). S.M.A.R.T. Objectives. Wayne leads. https://hr.wayne.edu/leads/phase1/smart-objectives

 

Case study Homework help

 

QSO 300 Milestone Three: BYD Case Study

 

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Southern New Hampshire University

 

Date


Milestone Three: BYD Case Study

Introduction

The BYD of China is a company that is focused on the production of batteries and electric cars. The case study analyzes the competition in the market and the major milestones that the company has been achieving to overcome the competition. It is focused on becoming the leader in the electric automotive sector by producing more efficient and cost effective batteries better than any other major producer in the world. This paper analyzes the JIT and TPS theories and their relationship. It also analyzes emerging concepts, integration of the IS 14000 standards, and the integration of corporate responsibility. 

Theories and Techniques

  1. Summarize the following theories: just in time (JIT), Toyota Production System (TPS), and Lean. How are these concepts related? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using each of these concepts at the company presented in the case study.

The just-in-time theory is the progressive improvement of the process of production for any given company. It is focused on the reduction of inventory costs and improves throughput while improving operations. JIT helps in the minimization of long production lines, enhance communication, increase flexibility, and reduce space (JIT Implementation Manual, 2009). It adds demand on performance by empowering employees and enhance the provision of customer feedback. 

Describe TPS and state the advantages and disadvantages of this concept for the BYD case study. Think about how employee empowerment was used in the case study. How does this concept improve quality? Would the method work if the employees were not properly trained to make decisions? 

The Toyota Production System also promotes continuous enhancements, people respect, and adherence to work standards of practice. It promotes the development of the organizational culture that is meant to increase performance and improvements. It improves warehouse management. It is disadvantageous due to monopoly, not flexible, no personal contact, and causes an unequal distribution of wealth. The method would be a challenge to employees who are not trained.  

Describe Lean and state the advantages and disadvantages of this concept for the BYD case study. How is “doing what the customer wants” a benefit for BYD? How can too much focus on the customer increase overhead cost and create other issues? 

Lean production focuses on customer needs, wants, and satisfaction. It requires less infrastructure, minimal wastes, and creates a strong customer relationship. It is disadvantageous in causing missed deliveries and equipment or work failures (Barnes, 2017). In the BYD case, it is evident that customer satisfaction is essential. Consumers want cheaper cars that are more efficient, and this is what the company wants to achieve (Rarick et al., 2011). Too much focus on the customer may result in increased overhead costs in trying to meet their wants. Despite the need to meet the demands, it is necessary to determine the net profit gained so as not to incur losses or be unable to sustain the business.

Sustainability

  1. Describe how the emerging concept of the triple bottom line can be used to enhance operations management at the company. Be sure to address each component of the triple bottom line.

The triple bottom line approach focuses on enticing companies to prioritize the social and environmental issues similar to how they are concerned with making profits. It has three principles, namely people, profit, and the planet (Jervis et al., 2017). Through the triple bottom line, a company enhances its operations management by getting support from the surrounding community. Society is ready to support a business that gives back to them. The BYD has met the triple bottom line as it is focused on making batteries that are eco-friendlier and thus minimize pollution of the environment. Also, electric cars do not emit exhaust gases that pollute the air. 

  1. Explain how the company integrates ISO 14000 standards in its manufacturing plants. Support your explanation with citations from your textbook or outside sources.

The ISO 14000 is a group of standards developed to enable companies to minimize industrial waste and damages to the environment (Iso, 2020). The certification is optional for companies to apply. BYD is ISO certified as it is required in China to have the certification. There is a need to recycle the batteries and properly dispose of the unusable parts (Huaxia Bank, 2019)

  1. Describe ways by which the company can integrate corporate responsibility principles into their operations. Which of these do you believe to be the most effective? Why? Support your opinions with citations from your textbook or outside sources.

Corporate social responsibility is a business approach that is meant to make companies be socially responsible and accountable while being self-regulated (Mcwilliams et al., 2019). According to the BYD case, the company has focused on environmental sustenance. It understands that fossil fuel pollutes the environment, and thus, it has shifted to electric cars. These cars do not pollute the environment as compared to those using fossil fuel. Their batteries are less harmful to the environment, and the company continues to advance them to ensure that they become eco-friendly. BYD also practices corporate social responsibility on the financial aspect. Their batteries and electric vehicles are cheaper and affordable to many people (Rarick et al., 2011). Consumers are able to buy vehicles that are more efficient. 

Conclusion

BYD has been at the forefront in making better batteries and electric vehicles which are environmentally friendly. The JIT, TPS, and Lean approaches are meant to improve production. The company can employ these techniques to improve the efficiency of production. BYD has used the triple bottom line approach in ensuring that the environment is protected. It is their corporate social responsibility to support the environment by producing products that are less pollutants. These products are also cheaper and affordable for people.

 

References

Barnes, D. (2017). Lean operations. Operations Management, 293-320. Https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52577-2_10

Huaxia Bank. (2019). China: Renewable Energy and Battery Storage Promotion Project. Documents & Reports – All Documents | The World Bank. Https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/664721548317743901/text/Environmental-and-Social-Management-System.txt

Iso. (2020). ISO 14000 family — Environmental management. ISO. Https://www.iso.org/iso-14001-environmental-management.html

Jervis, E., Meehan, J., & Moxham, C. (2017). Addressing the triple bottom line. Implementing Triple Bottom Line Sustainability into Global Supply Chains, 261-278. Https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351285124-14

JIT Implementation Manual. (2009). Production management and JIT production management. JIT Implementation Manual — The Complete Guide to Just-In-Time Manufacturing, 1-34. Https://doi.org/10.1201/b10229-2

Mcwilliams, A., Rupp, D. E., Siegel, D. S., Stahl, G., & Waldman, D. A. (2019). The Oxford handbook of corporate social responsibility: Psychological and organizational perspectives.

Phil, L. (2018). The proof: TPS results. The Toyota Template, 87-92. Https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351263726-12

Rarick, C. A., Firlej, K., & Angriawan, A. (2011). BYD of China: Electrifying the World’s Automotive Market. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies17(1), 19-27.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

 

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which the patient has repeated and uncontrollable thoughts and behaviors that she feels like repeating over and over again. Everyone has something that they like repeating or doing within their daily schedules. Many people like to recheck many things to ensure that they were right. However, people with OCD repeat something so much that it takes much of their time during the day (Bream, 2017). For example, someone may wash hands several times after suspecting that they have contacted something unclean. Even though people with OCD know that they have a problem, many do not know where to seek a professional while others resist it, which leads to more adverse effects of the disorder in their lives.

For a person to be diagnosed with OCD, he/she has to have either compulsions or obsessions or a combination of the two. OCD diagnosis requires that a patient’s compulsions and obsessions are time-consuming and, in this case, they should take around one hour daily (Kohler, 2018). Due to the time that the obsessions and compulsions consume, they may distract the person’s work schedule or other important activities.

People with OCD understand their thoughts (obsessions) and urges (Compulsions do not make sense and are not enjoyable to them but cannot quit. The compulsions and obsessions must also cause major distress as the person may know that they are not true, but he/she cannot stop (Bream, 2017). When they try to stop, they feel so bad that they start with their obsessions and compulsions again. People with OCD may do the things that help them avoid their urges whenever they feel distressed. This way, they are pushed towards other destructive behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse.

Everyone has something that he/she repeatedly does, but for people with OCD, the compulsions and obsessions take much of their time and may adversely affect their lives. People with ODC usually have both compulsions and disorders, but some people may exhibit either compulsions or obsessions (Bream, 2017). People with OCD have been put into four main categories depending on their symptoms, and the groups include washers who are patients who are afraid of contamination and end up washing hands than normal. Checkers are the other type of people with OCD who keep rechecking things associated with danger, such as door locks. On the other hand, doubt and sinners are the people who think that if something isn’t done right or perfect, then something terrible will happen, and they will be punished (Hirschtritt, 2017). Counters and arrangers are patients who are obsessed with order and symmetry. Such patients may have superstitions about various numbers, colors, and arrangements.

Even though OCD’s cause OCD is unclear, research has identified some risk factors associated with the disorder. One of the risk factors for OCD is genetics, in which research has indicated that if a person has a first, degree relative who has OCD, then the person is at a higher risk than others of developing the same (Kohler, 2018).  Researchers have posited that the risk is even higher if they develop the disorder as a child or a teen. Brain functioning and structure is another risk factor for OCD. Studies have indicated that the frontal cortex and subcortical structures of OCD patients are different from those of other people. Therefore, there exists a connection between brain structure and functioning and OCD, but the connection is not clear (Hirschtritt, 2017). Research has also attributed some cases of OCD with the environment as a child may get OCD is, he/she suffers trauma. 

Depending on the severity of the condition, OCD is treated with either medications or psychotherapy or a combination of the two. Some medications used in the treatment of OCD include Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), which help reduce the symptoms of OCD. SRIs do not work in some patients in some cases, and they are prescribed antipsychotic medication (Hirschtritt, 2017). Some patients also respond well to psychotherapy, and some suitable therapy options include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). A certain type of CBT is known as Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP), whereby the patient spends much time in situations that cause compulsions. The patient is then prevented from undertaking the resulting compulsions (Kohler, 2018). 

In a nutshell, many people with OCD understand that their obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable, but they cannot stop. Some try to seek help while others do not and risk developing other complicated problems. Depending on their symptoms, OCD patients are classified into washers, doubters or sinners, checkers, and counters or arrangers. Various risk factors are thought to cause OCD, such as genetics, brain functioning, and environmental factors. The treatment of OCD applies either psychotherapy or medication and, in some cases, both. An OCD patient must seek help as the compulsions and obsessions may take up more time, leading the person to perform less in the workplace and school.

 

References

Bream, V., Challacombe, F., Palmer, A., & Salkovskis, P. (2017). undefined. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, 1-50. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780198703266.003.0001

Hirschtritt, M. E., Bloch, M. H., & Mathews, C. A. (2017). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. JAMA317(13), 1358. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.2200\

Kohler, K. C., Coetzee, B. J., & Lochner, C. (2018). Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): A South African narrative. International Journal of Mental Health Systems12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-018-0253-8

 

Impact of Games

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Impact of Games

Introduction 

A game refers to a structure developed for play, typically for entertainment and sometimes for educational purposes. The current modern, mainly online, games provide more benefits beyond entertaining individuals. It helps people view the world from a broader perspective. Different games introduce individuals to different ways of life, societies, and cultures, and as they play those games, they get to know and understand them better. Further, many researchers and authors analyze and discuss the impact of playing different games on both individuals and the world entirely. This case reflects on various reads or articles and videos discussing different games and their impact.

Military-entertainment Complex

For starters, games have profound impacts on the military-entertainment complex. The military-entertainment complex defines the cooperation between the military and entertainment sectors to their mutual benefit, mainly in multimedia, cinema, and virtual reality. Games have been utilized in the United States military since the 1970s  and continue to influence negotiations, decision-making, problem-solving, and collaboration on various strategic missions through the current advanced gaming options. The article Banal War: Full Spectrum Warrior in the Games of Empire: Global Capitalism and Video Games give a thorough analysis and interpretation of the game Full Spectrum Warrior (Dyer-Witherford and de Peuter, 97). According to the article, developers of the game based it on a real training aid for the United States army. It claims that the original version came with a hidden code to access the Army version. Dyer-Witherford and de Peuter (97) postulates that the emergence of the twenty-first-century version of the game illustrates what President Eisenhower warned the Americans about, a military-industry-entertainment complex.

The video posted by Al Jazeera (2012) shows how the military-entertainment complex drives the connection between Hollywood and the US military. This collaboration brings profound benefits to both parties. In essence, game makers acquire data about different kinds of weapons and equipment. The military gets free and positive publicity about the work they do and its importance to a country. The video focuses on the game the Act of Valor, which demonstrates various military operations and the need for cooperation in the military, despite the propaganda about the benefits of games in the military and Pentagon’s operations. Oiligarchy is another modern game available on both Windows and Mac devices. According to Molleindustria (1), the game allows individuals to become protagonists of the petroleum era. In essence, the game involves exploring and drilling around the world for corrupt politicians. It also aims to promote the idea that individuals should stop creating alternative energies and increase the use of oil products. In other words, it supports the idea that individuals should have fun before the depletion of oil resources. Based on this article, the military can use game concepts to create enhanced strategies in their operations. This would also improve the overall outcomes and improve the benefits of the military-entertainment complex.

Building Empathy through Games

Games also help individuals show empathy not only inside the game but also in their real-world actions. The article by Bogost (117) describes the rhetoric experienced in video games. First, it describes the game Animal Crossing, an animal village simulator for the DS and Nintendo GameCube video game consoles. The game portrays the life and issues experienced by most individuals in real life, such as leaving home to look for work, paying mortgages, and the dilemma experienced to maintain their morals as they try to make ends meet. The main character in the game looks for ways to make a living and more money. Nonetheless, nonplayer characters are much less materialistic, which depicts their high morals (Bogost, 118). Many individuals consider games as just playthings for entertainment purposes, but some games are more than that. They portray the social, cultural, and material aspects of the human experience. Individuals who show empathy and other moral concepts in video games are also more likely to implement it in real life.  

The video by McGonigal (2010) also depicts how games can help to create a better world. McGonigal is a game designer for online games. He urges people to spend some time playing better games to get clear insights into how to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges today. According to McGonigal, if the world wants to save some of the most troubling global problems such as hunger, climate change, poverty, conflicts, and obesity, individuals need to play more games as they are crucial to human survival. Playing video games increases an individual’s understanding of strategic planning and enhances their decision-making and problem-solving skills. These skills are critical when making decisions on how to solve the current global problems. Lastly, the article by BBC News gives a thorough description of the game known as Syrian Journey. Syrian issues and conflicts have driven the country into chaos, leaving thousands of individuals dead while millions flee their homes. Many become refugees in neighboring countries, and others pay traffickers to take them to Europe, risking capture, death, and deportation. The game allows individuals to reflect on the difficult choices people make to flee to Europe from Syria and the dilemmas experienced during this journey. With this in mind, individuals can learn how to show empathy to refugees and other migrants experiencing similar issues, especially in the host countries. According to the article, the game is based on extensive research and Syrians’ real experiences who completed the journey. Individuals can learn how to show empathy and help refugees to get basic needs such as clothes, food and housing in the new country and in the camps.

 

Work cited

Al Jazeera. “Listening Post – Feature: The Pentagon’s grip on Hollywood.” YouTube, 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT4JyhZgrO0.

BBC. “Syrian Journey: Choose Your Own Escape Route.” BBC News, 1 Apr. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32057601.

Bogost, Ian. The rhetoric of video games. MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Initiative, 2008.

Dyer-Witheford, N., & De Peuter, G. (2009). Games of empire: Global capitalism and video games. U of Minnesota Press.

McGonigal, Jane. “Transcript of “Gaming Can Make a Better World. ” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world/transcript?language=en.

Molleindustria. “Oiligarchy.” Molleindustria Games, www.molleindustria.org/en/oiligarchy/.

Week 7 Class Summary homework help

 

Week 7 Class Summary

 

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Week 7 Class Summary

Week 7 class entailed the long-awaited writing workshop, which began with the INL 190 Research paper’s writing. From the class discussions, research was defined as the systematic investigation and study of materials around a certain subject. One finds facts from which he/she concludes. A research paper, therefore, involves research written in an academic format. Therefore, during the class discussions, it came out that when writing the paper, one should provide some informed arguments. Informed arguments come from what is known about a topic and what the paper’s writer thinks of the issue.  It was clear that evidence was one of the key building blocks of writing research evidence. 

The grading rubric also came out as a crucial tool that was meant to help someone develop the paper properly and in a manner that would give him/her the most points. One of the key things that a writer ought to do when coming up with the paper is integrating international refugee law and policy knowledge that was learned in the topic. In doing so, someone ought to apply terms learned in class and offer analysis and conclusion of the relevant issues. Topic focus and depth of discussion are also key to writing a good paper. In this line, one should focus on the relevant issues, and a thesis statement should help guide the direction that the paper will take. The discussions done in the paper should then be deep so that to cover all required areas. Cohesiveness ties all material obtained from the research together. In this case, the research will entail various sources that will not discuss the same thing and relevant to the topic. However, they will be used in one paper, and thus they will have to be linked to show the flow of ideas. Good grammar, spelling, and proper referencing are also crucial elements of developing a good paper.

The language used in the paper needs to be definite and not vague so that it leads the readers in the right direction. The paper also needs to be specifically pointing out specific issues and not general topics about international refugee law and policy. As the paper will be developed from credible and valid sources, it needs to be concrete by giving concrete information on the topic. Being concrete will ensure that the facts established on the paper are well-grounded and not abstract.

Concision is also a requirement of the paper, which means driving the relevant ideas in a small number of words that are just right and enough for the paper. One will need to reduce any unnecessary words from the paper. Besides, one will also keep off unnecessary sentences from the paper.   The paper also needs to use an active voice while conveying its ideas. This will require that the basics be considered as a person writes through asking some simple but important questions, which include: “Who or what? • Does what or needs to do what? • And why?”

The paper’s structure also came out as an important aspect of a paper as it offers the outlook of the paper. On the paper’s structure, there are key elements that were identified, and they are: what the writer wants the readers to understand, the reasons behind the issues, and three reasons why the readers should believe that what the writer is saying is the truth. The three elements should be the structure of the paper. The papers should then be arranged into a paragraph, with each paragraph discussing a specific issue. Each paragraph should commence with a topic sentence. The sentences that follow within that paragraph should prove the validity of the topic sentence. When moving from one sentence to the other or between paragraphs, one should use transition words or phrases. Section and section headings should also be applied appropriately. 

The paper should also be organized logically. The logical organization of a paper entails the meaning of each sentence, paragraph, and section. Each should tell the reader something about the discussion of the paper. The thought and ideas communicated in the paper should flow from one to the other. Each statement explains or illuminates the previous thought. A citation or an argument should support the statements that are nonobvious. When the paper is done, one should revise the paper, and with the help of someone who does not know about the topic, one should check for clarity, consistency, and logic. Reading the paper several times helps someone correct avoidable errors. Someone should also read the paper aloud to hear if the paper flows and detect where the grammar is off.

As was noted before, at the beginning of the class, a thesis statement is an important part of a research paper as it offers the direction that the paper will take. Therefore, it needs to be analytical and argumentative to convey the general argument of the paper. The thesis statement should be debatable so that it provides the writer with the space to argue out his/her case on the topic. It should not be an obvious statement of fact. A thesis statement should also be focused, significant, and directed. It should be situated at the end of the paper’s introduction. The class ended by revisiting the process of asylum.  

 

 

Chicano Park Visit homework help

 I need help with a reflection paper on Chicano Park in San Diego that discusses the park′s murals and what they depict in terms of religious and cultural meaning for Chicanx people. Google maps visual tour could be used to assess them.  
Chicano Park Visit
We will utilize the city of San Diego as our classroom. San Diego, California has a long and rich
history of Chicanx art. You will take advantage of our location in order to observe the way some
Chicanx artists have used the city as their canvas, (especially in the area of Barrio Logan and in
Chicano Park) and the medium of mural painting as a way to articulate aspects of
Chicanx/Religious identity. You will focus on religious imagery in particular in order to discern the
diversity in depictions of religious devotion. Chicano Park is a space that is devoted to the display
of Chicanx culture, art, and history. It is also a space that has a history of its own with
cultural/political contestations and negotiations. Students will prepare for the tour by learning
the history, debates, and discourses of Chicano Park and then after the tour students will turn in
a reflection paper detailing their interpretations and understandings of the murals.
Your reflection paper should be 1,750 words (minimum). In your reflections, I want you to use
the murals as a way to reflect on what you have learned throughout the entire semester. What
about the murals connects Chicanx history, life, empowerment with “religion?” What is religious
about the imagery and why? How do you understand the relevance of these depictions of
Chicanx religious life? How do you connect the murals, as a text, with the other texts you’ve read
for class? Feel free to use and cite any of the texts you have used for this class. Lastly, and
importantly, reflect on what you have learned about Chicanx life, justice, religiosity/spirituality,
and history with your social location essays that you wrote at the beginning of this course.
Describe how you might think about your own identity differently in light of these connections?
How would your social location essay be different today than the one you wrote in the early
weeks of the semester? If changes took place, why do you think that this the case? If nothing has
changed, why do you think that is the case? I want you to spend a considerable amount of time
reflecting on your social location and what it means to you and how our course and your
understanding of Chicanx Religious Identities affects the way you view your own social location.
Please visit Chicano Park via a Google Maps “Walking Tour” as I demonstrated in class. If you
need help doing this, please let me know.
Papers are due on Friday, November 20th by 11:59 pm. You may turn in your paper earlier if you
wish. Please make sure that your paper is in a doc. format (Word or Pages no Google docs or
PDFs!). Failure to submit your paper in the proper format will result in your final grade for this
assignment being lowered by one level (so and A is an A- an A- is a B+, etc).
This paper will be worth 250 points (25%) of your final grade. Late papers will not be accepted.
No requests for paper extensions will be granted except under emergency circumstances
(hospitalization, death in the family, etc.), and appropriate documentation must accompany
these requests.

Answer

 

Chicanx Religious Identities

 

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Chicanx Religious Identities

San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge, located in San Diego, is one of the largest collectors of outdoor murals in the United States of America. In Barrio Logan city, the neighborhood is located the famous Chicano Park. The park is approximately 7.35 acres of community space established in the 1970s, after which in the year 2016 was designated a National Historic Landmark. The construction of the famous interstate 5 and the San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge union somehow led to the displacement of many of the initial occupants of Barrio Logan. Inside the Chicano Park are the murals painted on the bridge pylons towering over the entire park created to honor the struggle in making the park. They are so deeply rooted in the Chicano culture, the Influences of Mesoamerican, historical events, and mythology. Amongst the paintings are those of animal imageries and struggle for revolution scenes, while other murals depict immigration and feminism. Others display the most important figures of history and leaders of the Civil Rights Movements, such as Pancho Villa, Cesar Chavez, Che Guevara, and Fridah Kahlo. Most of the murals were created by the state, regional, locals, and international artists, as stated by one of the major protestors in 1970, Josephine Talamantez. She was the head of the Chicano Park steering committee. 

The Chicano Park murals were birthed to indicate the outstanding contributions of Mexican, Mexican – American people living in Chicano, and Spanish men’s history. This history embraced marking the most renowned men of Chicano who served as role models to the community. Their portraits were thus painted all around Chicano Park to honor and celebrate their struggles and achievements (Isasi-Díaz, 2004). One mural painted in 1997 by Robbles was done to indicate the Chicano Park residents’ present-day guardians. This picture was painted suspended in the sky as a symbol of some holmic beings watching over the people on the land.

The painting by Tony de Varges, Felipe Adame, and Vidal Aguirre has done on a kiosk ceiling to depict the foundation of Mexico City. It has three hunters on a lakeshore captured by an eagle whose one talon offers support to its body on the cactus as the other talon holds a snake firmly. This was traditionally painted to depict the search for lakeshore where the locals would come across an eagle perched ontop of a cactus tearing a serpent apart. They believed that this was to be their God-given home called the place of the cactus. The Chicano locals believed in a god-given land by the lakeshore where the serpent’s evilness will be no more after the eagle devoured it. This also showed that the Chicano murals were religious for depicting beliefs in a supreme eliminator of wars that was proclaimed to them in the form of a song by the mural painting of an eagle holding the Aztec glyph. The murals thus were done to illustrate the belief in some supernatural beings. 

The Coatlicue, painted by Micheal Schnorr and Susan Yamagata, who is also the designer, depicts an Aztec Goddess of the earth. According to their history, this goddess is the mother of a tribal god called Huitzilopochtli, who underwent evolution to become a war god. The painters depicted Coatlicue extending her arms and supporting both the sun and the earth, and giving birth to Tlaloc, the water god. These two beings are the earth’s initial orators and are regarded by the people as the earth deity. Bearing the sun, earth, and the sea all under the sovereignty of two supreme beings makes this mural religious in every aspect since the Chicano locals believed in the existence of earth goddess of the sun and the god of the sea. After cultural terrorists attacked the mural, a few parts of Coatlicue were redesigned. Her left shoulder and right wrists were redrawn into dragon heads that appeared so intimidating. This was a symbol that she was angry at the perpetrators and threatened to devour them. This was religious since it depicted belief in punishment of cultural sins by the goddess.

The Chicano Park Murals depicted empowerment concerning religion and movements. The Rage of La Raza, painted by Mario Torero in 1974, expresses the people’s anger and traditional women’s power (Rodriguez, 2010). It also depicts a child considered to be the future of the people. Children were regarded as little gods; hence, Victor Ochoa painted the children’s mural as a symbol of Chicano power and children’s sacred heart. This mural is religious in a way since it was used to symbolize young children’s purity and the greater symbol of future hope they were to the locals. It also depicts a native prince they regard as their ruler.

The Chicano religious life was relevant in several senses. For example, like most religious believers who believe in supreme beings’ existence, the Chicano religion also believed in supreme beings (Burke, 2005). One of the beings was the Coatlicue goddess of the earth and the Tlaloc god of the sea. They are also religiously relevant because they believe in natural occurrences in the universe triggered by these gods. They were also relevant religiously for believing in the underworld’s existence as painted by Felipe Adame in 1992. His painting depicted a skeleton that referred to Quetzalcoatl’s myth, who traveled to the underworld to bring back the bones of past human races to create a new race.

Chicano mural texts share similarities with class texts. They are both used to communicate vital messages that inspire religion, justice and depict the cultural life identity of certain groups of Mexican American people. They were also used to represent Chicano political and cultural movements, which are similarly defined by other class texts. 

There were numerous Chicano movements in the years 1939s and 1940s that called for justice to the Mexican American immigrants working under poor conditions. I learned that activists such as Jesus Cruz spearheaded the call for justice. Chicano movements in the 1960s and 70s also played a more significant role at the end of the Vietnam War. This movement brought justice to the Chicanos after it exposed poor educational equality, civil rights abuse, police brutality, and poverty among the Mexican American immigrants.

About 25 million Latinos belong to the catholic religion, while 9 million are Pentecostal (Elizondo, 2000). Spirituality is essential in Chicano life (Slater, Hall and Edwards, 2003). The basic cultural survival tactic depicted from the colonization of Christian and the American evangelization n the 16th century became the syncretism of original worldwide religious views and practices into the so-called popular religion (Broyles – Gonzalez, 2002). The Chicano life believed that divines and humans’ actions influenced natural events in this world. I learned that this principle’s understanding was a crucial emblem in fostering humility in Chicano life. I also learned that religiosity entailed close relationship baked in love with God and numerous beings such as Guadalupe and saints (Elizondo, Deck and Matovina, 2006).

Chicano fights for life and justice identity occurred due to the Mexican American’s social status living in poverty. In 1968, Joe Rodriguez, a 15-year-old sophomore at Garfield High School, joined the other pupil in rallying against unequal conditions in the school. He later declared that he was Chicano no matter the views of others. He stood for his identity, even in the era of Donald Trump when their identity was being discriminated against. The Chicano also had a life that identified with the sexual orientation of most men and Chicano women. This sexual identity sought to reconcile Chicano men who agreed with homosexuality with their initial Latino socialization culture that did not embrace homosexuality. Adolescence in Chicano life identity was when a person’s identity transformed to adjust the body’s appearance and societal expectation. The cultural identity took into the account life experience, socialization agents, and socio-cultural conditions of the environment to define identity formation. According to my own identity, the adolescence period entailed purely biological processes that modify the body. Also, I would have embraced my own sexual identity and never sought to reconcile it with a different culture.

Today, my social location essay would differ from the one I wrote earlier due to the influence of my current Barri Logan location. I am exposed to numerous cultural beliefs, historical events, and religious beliefs that differ from my own. I will re-write it to encompass the beauty of the Mexican American people’s diverse beliefs in this location and agree with the fact about social justice, empowerment, and life identity that I disagreed with previously. 

My social location distinguishes me in three basic categories of social class, education, and race. My social class has placed me in the middle class because of my parents’ position in their workplaces. Since I am still a student, my social class defines my social location since I would be able to support myselffinancially; I would have been categorized using education and race. This social class has redefined my life in that I have always sought means of becoming financially stable. The Chicano identity has made me accept my position in the social class of my social location. It has enabled me to also regard other social classes in my social location as deserving of justice and privileges they do not have in their social classes. This course has also simplified facts on social location diversity; hence I have been equipped with knowledge of the various factors of categorizing society. 

On the racial background factor, I have been accorded a bigger picture in the society being a member of the most dominant race in my current location. Were I from a less dormant race, I would not have been able to access privileges present for the dominant race. For instance, I would not have attended a good school or access proper health care facilities in my social location. The Chicano religious and cultural justice required that no Mexican-American be discriminated due to his racial background. It rallied for justice, fairness, and equality among all the races in Barris Logan. This has encouraged me to avoid discriminating against people in my social location due to their racial backgrounds. 

On the factor of education as a social category, I have been motivated to pursue higher learning since my current social location; people receive job privileges in society due to education levels. I have always put hard work into my studies to secure an excellent job in society. The Chicano religious identity sought to provide equal levels of education to all the inhabitants of San Diego. It aimed at effacing the inequality present in learning institutions for Mexican Americanimmigrants. My course has equipped me with this knowledge, and also the social location of Chicano elaborated the need for abandoning education imbalance as a source of educational discrimination in job markets and societal positions.

 

References

Broyles-González, Y. (2002). Indianizing Catholicism. Chicana traditions: Continuity and change, 117.

Burke, K. F. (2005). Thinking about the church: The gift of cultural diversity to theology. Many faces, one church: Cultural diversity and the American Catholic experience. Lanham, MD: Sheed & Ward.

Elizondo, V. P. (2000). Galilean Journey: The Mexican-American Promise. Orbis Books.

Elizondo, V. P., Deck, A. F., & Matovina, T. (Eds.). (2006). The treasure of Guadalupe. Rowman & Littlefield.

Isasi-Díaz, A. M. (2004). La lucha continues: Mujerista theology. Orbis Books.

Rodriguez, J. (2010). Our lady of Guadalupe: Faith and empowerment among Mexican-American women. University of Texas Press.

Slater, W., Hall, T. W., & Edwards, K. J. (2001). Measuring religion and spirituality: Where are we and where are we going?. Journal of psychology and theology29(1), 4-21.

 

Stages of Interpersonal Relationship

Stages of Interpersonal Relationship

Section 1: Introduction: (5 points) Briefly introduce your topic (the film or TV show) and the ONE relationship you will focus on

Dyadic relationships refer to any committed and intimate relationships. In essence, dyadic relationships involve two interactive parties who can collaborate to attain certain goals. Different films and television shows illustrate different types of relationships, including dyadic relationships. One of these movies is The Break Up. The Break Up refers to an American romantic comedy-drama movie directed by Peyton Reed, released in 2006. Vince Vaughn starred in the movie as Gary Grobowski and Jennifer Aniston as Brookie Meyers. The movie was written by Jay Lavender and Jay Garelick and then produced by Universal Pictures. The movie depicts the theme of romance and relationships between different characters. More precisely, this report focuses on the dyadic relationship between Gary and Brooke, focusing on three stages in interpersonal relationships, including initiating, integrating, and terminating. ____________

Section 2: The Stages (5 points) List the ten stages of interpersonal relationships in Table

7.1.___

The ten phases of interpersonal relationships include initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, bonding, differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating, avoiding, and terminating. ______________

Section 3: Application of the stage model to the selected relationship:  (5 pts for this label)

Although there are ten stages, in the sections below, you will focus ONLY on these three stages: Initiating, Integrating, Terminating. Be sure to select a relationship that goes through these stages. 

*INITIATING (5 pts for this label)

In the sections below, include each number and label. Put your response to each one next to it.

  1. (10 points) Definition:  Define Initiating in your own words based on what it says in the textbook.__

 

Initiating is the first stage in an interpersonal relationship. Initiating refers to a stage where individuals size up each other up and attempt to present themselves favorably to the other. For instance, when an individual meets another person in any setting, they try to scan them and consider their knowledge and expectations of them or the general situation. _______

  1. (35 points) Application: Describe what happens at the Initiating stage in the selected relationship in the film/TV show (100 word minimum) 

Different factors influence the initiation stage. In this case, how individuals initiate a relationship with a stranger is not how they do with someone they known and had seen a few months ago. Thus, time constraints also greatly affect the initiation stage. Colleagues who had just met a few minutes ago, maybe at work or school, can skip the initiation communication and directly talk about issues in their lives or the activities they are currently doing at work. In the movie The Break Up, viewers can see the initiating stage of the relationship between Gary and Brookes. More precisely, Gary and Brookes first meet at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game. The two become interested in each other, and they try to learn and know more about each other. In this process, they eventually come to date. A short time into the relationship, they decided to buy a condominium together. This was the beginning of their intimate yet challenging relationship as depicted in the film. _______________

  1. (10 points) Connecting #1 and #2: Explain how what happens in the relationship fits the definition of Initiating. Start by restating the definition of Initiating and then describe how this plays out in the selected relationship: 

The initiating defines the first step in which individuals meet, size up each other, and try to show their most favorable characters to the other. How well the initiation stage goes highly influences individuals’ dyadic relationships. The film The Break Up represents the initiating stage by showing the relationship between Gary and Brookes clearly. Any individual watching the movie can tell that Gary and Brookes met as strangers who later came to know each other and start dating. In essence, the meeting between the two characters represents the most critical characteristics of the initiating stage. Two individuals living separate lives get to meet and start to learn more about each other. _____________________

 

*INTEGRATING (5 pts for this label)

In the sections below, include each number and label. Put your response to each one next to it.

  1. (10 points) Definition: Define Integrating in your own words based on what it says in the textbook._

Integrating is the fourth stage in interpersonal relationships. The integrating stage defines a phase when two individuals’ personalities merge or combine, and they develop a sense of interdependence. This stage is mostly experienced in romantic or intimate relationships, but it is also present in other types of relationships, including between friends and employees, and managers. ____________

  1. (35 points) Application: Describe what happens at the Integrating stage in the selected relationship in the film/TV show (100 word minimum) 

Fundamentally, individuals reach the integrating stage when their personalities merge and complement each other. In essence, some nonverbal and verbal signs of the integrating stage are seen when the two individuals’ social perceptions merge. People outside of that relationship start to treat them as partners as if they are one individual. Individuals in a dyadic relationship are referred to together as a unit. In the film, the audience sees Gary and Brooke enter into a dyadic or intimate relationship, where they even lived together in the condominium they had bought. The two work in different professions where Gary work as an official tour guide in a well-known family business with his brothers, Dennis and Lupus Grobowski (Cole Hauser). Brooke is a manager at an art gallery which is owned by Marilyn Dean, an eccentric artist. After meeting and knowing each other, their personalities and identities integrated, enabling them to be in a normal intimate relationship and live as a well-known couple. _______________

  1. (10 points) Connecting #1 and #2: Explain how what happens in the relationship fits the definition of Integrating. Start by restating the definition of Integrating and then describe how this plays out in the selected relationship:

The integrating stage refers to a phase when two individuals’ personalities merge to complement each other, and they come to depend more on the other. The integrating stage is most evident and critical in romantic relationships as individuals have to integrate into their lives to enhance their relationship. To an extent, a successful integration stage means an improved relationship as individuals know their partners’ personality, which also improves their relationship and collaboration as partners. The Break Up film illustrates the integrating stage by showing Gary and Brooke act as a couple or partners. More specifically, for a while, they act as a loving couple whose lives and personalities have integrated to the extent that they live together and made critical decisions about their lives. ____________

*TERMINATING (5 pts for this label)

In the sections below, include each number and label. Put your response to each one next to it.

  1. (10 points) Definition:  Define Terminating in your own words based on what it says in the textbook._

Terminating is the last stage in interpersonal relationships. The terminating stage defines a step in which individuals come to an end in a relationship. The termination stage can occur a little while after initiation or even after years of a relationship.  ____________

  1. (35 points) Application: Describe what happens at the Terminating stage in the selected relationship in the film/TV show (100 word minimum) 

Termination of a relationship can occur for various reasons, including geographical separation or geographic factors such as change of values or personalities that lead to weakening a bond or a relationship. Individuals can terminate a relationship amicably, but sometimes there are endless conflicts and arguments. In Gary and Brookes’s case, the termination of their relationship was because of the latter cause. More precisely, their relationship experienced the termination stage after they engaged in a series of arguments. Brooke felt unappreciated for the efforts she put into the relationship and continuously criticized Gary’s perceived immaturity and unwillingness to improve their relationship. At the same time, Gary is frustrated by Brooke’s controlling and perfectionistic attitude. He expresses his desire to have more independence, especially after arriving from work, wanting to sit down and relax. Brooke’s anger exacerbates when Gary fails to offer to clean up after a dinner party at their house. She breaks up with him, even though she still loved him. Both try to seek relationship advice from their friends, and each tries different methods to mend their relationship, but it was too late.  They officially end their relationship, and Brooke goes to Europe while Gary takes on a more active business role. _______________

  1. (10 points) Connecting #1 and #2: Explain how what happens in the relationship fits the definition of Terminating. Start by restating the definition of Terminating and then describe how this plays out in the selected relationship:

The termination stage refers to the stage when individuals end or terminate their relationships for various relationships. The movie depicts the termination stage by clearly showing how Gary and Brooke started arguing and irritating each other, which eventually led to their break-up. The two characters experienced a long and painful termination stage before they officially broke up. Regardless of their eventful and loving relationship, the two could not agree on some issues, which eventually led to their break up, as the title suggests. ____________

============= 

 Section 4: Concluding Remarks: (5 points) Be brief.

Dyadic relationships are crucial in people’s lives as it helps individuals meet, integrate, love, and improve their social lives. Interpersonal relationships experience ten stages, but this report only focused on the initiation, integration, and termination stage. These three stages are clearly depicted in the movie The Break Up, where Gary and Brooke meet and initiate their relationship and integrate into each other’s lives to the extent that they lived together. Nonetheless, their relationship reached the termination stage, and they had to break up after finding that they could not be partners any longer. From the movie, viewers learn that dyadic relationships are crucial for an individual’s social life. Regardless of their outcomes, they help individuals understand more about relationships and how to deal with different individuals.

The Qasr Al-Mshatta 

a) Pick one work of art (literature, visual arts, architecture, etc.) from any period of Middle
Eastern history since the rise of Islam, and explain how it reflects the political, social and/or
cultural context in which it was created.
b) Which historical examples most clearly illustrate the change in the balance of power between
the West and the Middle East from the middle ages to today?

c) How much is modern Islamism a continuation from (or a break with) the religious tradition of
Islam?

You can draw from your lecture notes and assigned readings, but do NOT use outside
materials. If you are borrowing from the assigned readings (including the textbook), make sure
that you properly cite the source you're using, and reformulate whenever possible–never
present words written by someone else as your own.
You have until Wednesday, November 18 at 5PM to submit your final paper, using the link
below. I do accept late submissions ), but they will be subject to a 1/3 of a letter grade penalty
per hour past that deadline.

 

Answer

Short-Structured Questions

  • The Qasr Al-Mshatta 

The Qasr Al-Mshatta is thought to be the ruins of an Umayyad winter palace and was probably built when caliph Al-Walid II was still in power between 743-744. Caliph Al-Walid II was the artist-prince is also thought to have built the Khirbat al-Mafjar. The palace is located around 30km North of Queens Alia Airport and belongs to the castles, palaces, and caravanserais known as the desert castles.  Mshatta place is the last building that is remaining under this category. The Mshatta palace qualifies to belong to this category due to its twenty-five semicircular buttresses situated on the outer wall. The palace also has a single entrance and square shape, a common trait of all desert palaces. 

Much of its ruins are still available in situ, but its foundation is still intact. Its incomplete structure suggests that Caliph Al-Walid II built it. In support of this, one could look at the short period that he remained in power, which was only around one year that did not give him enough time to complete its building. The palace that still exists and the decorations on its wall suggest that he had many workmen working on it to have achieved that much in one year. As the work was going on, a war broke out in 744, and the building had to stop. The war arose as the Abbasids were fighting against the Umayyad dynasty.  As the war went on, Al-Walid was forced to leave the palace and was later assassinated, and this was why he did not finish the construction of the palace. 

The Mshatta is set with a square wall, which is built with stone buttressed enceinte. These walls were meant to make the palace safe as possible from the remaining part of the wall; it is estimated that the wall could have been around 3-5.5 meters high. There were circular towers on the wall that were placed in intervals that were similar to some desert palaces before and after it. The high and strong walls indicate the belief that Muslim palaces were safe havens away from the unstable frontier. Some scholars have argued that the building of the palace walls copied the Roman lime, and thus the MShatta Palace partially copied the Roman architecture. 

A large part of the south façade was given to Wilhelm II, who was a German Emperor Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II, as a sign of gratitude for the construction and completion of the Hejaz Railway. It was taken to Berlin in 1903 and currently on the Museum of Islamic Art in the Museum Island. This art piece is a good and unique example of huge stone-carved arts associated with the early Islam period. Despite the allegation of the Roman Lime imitation, this piece of art suggests that the community then had started adopting unique Islam art. Islam art was used to communicate various messages to the audience, such as hard work and peace, and this was no different. For example, the piece of art portrays animals’ pairs, which are natural enemies sitting together and drinking water from one goblet. On the art, one can also see birds sitting on branches as they peck on grapes. As prey animals are depicted to live peacefully with domestic birds, the message is clear; peace was an important aspect of the community when the art was developed.

Some historians have argued that the Mshataa palace was built using forced labor asper the accounts of Abbasid historian Yakubi in Baghdad’s palace. A small group of craftsmen then supervised a huge number of forced laborers. Evidence gathered from marks made by masons used in the building of the palace supports the use of slave labor. For example, on the wall’s remaining part, some cross-shaped marks suggest that Christian laborers were used in the building works. Some of the drawings that were also found on the remaining part of the palace wall, which apply the Sassanid sovereigns, indicate that Iranian builders were present in the building. With the marks on the wall suggesting several cultures during the building work, the Mshatta palace seems to be a place where various cultures met. However, these marks speak something about the community under Al-Walid, which is the slave trade. The community then must have been involved in the slave trade to great lengths to acquire the much slave labor required to have built the palace in such a short time. The fact that the evidence available suggests that cultures from different parts of the world indicate that the community in current Jordan was widely involved in the slave trade.

Differences Between Modern Islam and the Religious Tradition of Islam

Islam modernization has been described as the first ideology within Islam Religion that has tried to respond to the challenges posed by western culture. The move to modernize Islam has been to reconcile it with new ideas and values such as democracy, civil rights, equality, and progress in Muslim-practicing societies and not allowing sin. It is believed that Islam modernization commenced in the 19th century centrally due to the western influence brought by colonialism in the Muslim world. Some key proponents of modern Islam include Muhammad Abduh, who played an active role in modernizing Islam before his death in 1905. Other key people include Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Rashid Rida. These early modernists of the Islam religion used the term salafiyya to describe what is now known as Islam modernization.  Modernization is different from secularism as it does not allow any type of sin that is prohibited within Islam and emphasizes the practice of Islam religion in public life. It differs from the older practices of the religion so that to accommodate the relevant changes. This move has been guided by the words of Mahathir Mohammed, which posited that so long as Islam is interpreted in a manner that is relevant to the world in which it is being practiced and which is different from the world 1400 years ago, then it will remain to be a religion of all ages. 

One of the things that make modern Islam unique the acknowledgment, though with differing degrees of criticism and emulation of some of the legal, scientific, and technological inventions of the WestWest. In line with Mahathir’s words, modern Islam has tried to adapt to the world, led by technology and globalization. Not all things that come from the WestWest are good or bad. As a result, modern Islam takes this into account. To make the Muslim world competitive in the cotemporal world, modern Islam has accepted modern technologies such as mobile phone technology and computers. Some Muslim countries such as Egypt have also accepted democratic rule, which has its roots in the WestWest, but the people of the country have seen it right to be led in that manner.  However, modern Islam is opposed to various actions of the west key among them being colonization of the Muslim world and secularism. To this end, modern Islam aims at creating modern and dynamic knowledge in science that would help strengthen Islam and prevent further exploitation from other parts of the world. 

Modern Islam has also reinterpreted traditional Islam law from traditional sources of Islam jurisprudence, which include:  Quran, Hadith Ijima, Qiyas, and Ijtihad. The reinterpretation of these traditional laws is meant to enhance Islam to prevail in the modern world. In reinterpreting the Ijihad, modern Islam sought to expand the ground of the application of the Ijtihad in reaching verdicts in unprecedented cases to its use in all domains of thoughts and in some cases where non-jurists are involved. Modern Islam is also different from traditional Islam in its reinterpretation of the Quran verses that dictate polygyny, hadd punishment, Jihad, and Riba to fit in the modern view. In the case of Jihad or the treatment of non-believers, modern Islam disagrees with the traditional Islam scholars. Modern Islam views Jihad as only a defensive tool necessary in defensive wars against aggression, such as the colonial aggression in the Muslim world. The normal way of existence between the Muslim world and the other parts of the world is supposed to be a peaceful one. Modern Islam disputes the rule that unbelief can be reason enough to declare Jihad. Modern Islam also believes that all interest on loans is Riba, and this is forbidden under the argument that there is a difference between interest and unsury. 

Modern Islam has also invoked the maqasid al-sharia, which are the objectives of Islam’s law, which is supposed to support the public interest. Even though traditionists have criticized this move, modern Islam scholars have termed it an urgent political and ethical concern.  The invocation of these laws was meant to justify any new developments that were not tackled in the traditional commentaries but were seen as urgent and necessary.

In a nutshell, even though modern Islam has been criticized by many who still think Islam’s traditional practice is the way to go, it is a requirement that it changes to fit in the new world. As pointed out in the words of  Mahathir Mohammed, Islam needs to make some relevant changes to adapt if it is to remain a religion of all times.

Business Management Questions

Case Study Discussion Questions

  1. What other strategies might you employ in dealing with Margret or your own moody boss? Are there any actions or behaviors you should avoid?

There are numerous other strategies to deal with such a moody boss. It is necessary to watch for recurring patterns such as timing and triggers. Timing helps to determine the best moments to approach the boss and avoid getting her in a bad mood. Finding the best time can be challenging as you have to understand whether she is upbeat or with a heavy heart in the morning, lunchtime, or afternoon. However, establishing good communication with the administrative staff close to her would help in identifying the patterns she has and thus time her appropriately (Wong, 2019). It is also essential not to take your boss’s emotionally charged emotions personally. The emotional outbursts are usually originating from a larger issue, and you may not be the cause of the mood swings. Ted had found Margret sobbing in her office, which indicates that her mood outbursts are from another source and not because of him or Seeru. It is necessary to remain calm when the boss becomes moody and screams. Responding in kind may aggravate the situation and could make you angered, and thus, you should excuse yourself as fast as possible (Taylor, 2012). Lastly, there is a need to know when to seek help and move on (O’Hara, 2016). If Margret does not change her moody behavior, she will affect the performance of Seeru and Ted negatively. They need to seek help from the top management for intervention. 

  1. What can Ted and Seeru do to help themselves not catch their boss’s negative emotions and moods and cope with the emotional stress and turmoil working for Margret causes?

Both Ted and Seeru should ensure that they avoid having confrontations with Margret, especially when she is having emotional and mood outbursts. Arguing with the boss when she is angry results in both sides being angry, and the junior side is likely to be affected more negatively (Wilson, 2017). Seeru and Ted would also get angry and would probably get punished for responding rudely to their boss. Also, there is a need to be punctual in delivering work to a moody boss. Failure to do this aggravates her anger and frustrations and could lead to problems at work (Wong, 2019). This is evident when Seeru provides late work and makes Margret very angry. She punishes him by overloading him with more work for a short time while leaving Ted without any task. Lastly, it is crucial to avoid suffering in silence, as this can affect your performance (Taylor, 2012). Seeru and Ted need to talk to the human resource department so that it can take the necessary action on Margret’s moods. This would also help in understanding to root-cause of the mood swings and thus offer her the essential counseling help. 

  1. Why do you think working for Margret is so emotionally stressful?

Margret is an emotionally unstable boss who is difficult to predict. She is harsh on other employees under her and also appreciate good work, which benefits the company. Failure to please her with your work could result in severe punishment. Due to this, it is emotionally stressful to work for Margret due to the tension created in the office. Research indicates that the productivity of employees is significantly influenced by the ability to predict the behavior and mood of the boss (Taylor, 2012). Experts suggest that it is better to have a poor working relationship with the boss rather than deal with the one who has mood swings (O’Hara, 2016). Seeru and Ted do not have a bad relationship with their boss. Instead, they try to be friendly to her through gifting and complementing so that they can get the services they need. However, due to her mood swings, it is not easy to deal with her, and this may affect them emotionally, and in terms of their productivity. It is difficult to get emotional support from an emotionally unstable and moody boss as she is likely not to understand your condition (Smith, 2013). Margret is expected to be having problems outside her workplace and has carried them to work. Without immediate intervention, Seeru and Ted will eventually be emotionally stressed due to Margret’s mood swings. 

  1. Think about the legal and ethical ramifications of the behavior of bosses like Margret. Organizations in the United States have the legal obligation to provide safe workplaces, including ones that are safe from harassment. What would you do if you were Margaret’s boss or another leader in the organization, and why do you think she was even hired for this position?

I think that Margret was hired for this position due to her competency and performance record, which was impressive. She must have been a good and hardworking employee for the organization before her mood swings began. She was probably not like this before she got in the position. Since her behavior is likely to harm the productivity of others, there are legal and ethical ramifications that can be taken. As her boss or a leader in the organization, I would first seek to understand what is going on with her. There are different reasons why bosses get mood swings. This may include personal issues outside work, immense pressure from the top management, lack of self-confidence with the position, and a move to hide or cover a failure done (Smith, 2013). After understanding what is happening to the boss, then it is necessary to identify the triggers to the outbursts. I would be strategizing on monitoring the activities that cause her to become moody and aggressive towards her employees. These activities can include requests, work deadlines, meetings, and seeking advice (Wilson, 2017). Once the triggers are identified, the next step would be to inform other management team members so that a proper course of action can be taken with immediate effect. One of the measures would be to subject Margret to counseling and training on stress and behavior management at the workplace. Alternatively, she can be stopped from working and be given some time off to solve the issue affecting her. Since she probably was a good employee before, it would be best to try and help her first before dismissing her. 

 

References

O’Hara, C. (2016). How to deal with a boss who behaves unpredictably. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-deal-with-a-boss-who-behaves-unpredictably

Smith, J. (2013). How to Manage a Moody Boss? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/06/25/how-to-manage-a-moody-boss/?sh=41bfb5e3330a

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Feminism in the society

Paper Topic (1 simple line): Feminism: taking into account the different values, cultures, and religions of women worldwide. Feminism shouldn’t be a set standard.

Abstract

This paper addresses how Feminism can provide a narrow worldview and, unfortunately, discounts women from different backgrounds, values, religions, cultures, and beliefs on what it means for them to be liberated and empowered. The standard definition of Feminism doesn’t encompass all women and what it means for them to be equal. To build up its argument, the paper will look at some historical background of Feminism and its effects on the current view of Feminism. The questions asked in this research paper would be defining, understanding, and identifying what it means to be liberated from different perspectives. Realizing the different outlooks and views of other women can help understand what makes them feel equal. The paper will also look at intersectional Feminism as one of the solutions to the current challenges that have inhibited Feminism from representing the plight of women from all backgrounds.  The methodology used will be secondary sources from class readings.  

 

Feminism has been defined as the process of working gender equally. Women can experience gender discrimination in various ways as they can be treated unequally politically, economically, legally, and socially.  Feminism provides a way through which people can have a conversation around issues of gender equality and make the world more equal for all. However, in theory, the definition of Feminism seems to be perfect. However, it fails to put into context that equality is not a fixed-term for everyone (Boucher 25). The equality that Feminism talks about as currently composed means equality in the western ways of democracy. With this being the case, some standards are set too high for some women in certain countries and cultures to achieve. As set standards, Feminism dictates what women should get to be empowered and treated equally (Robbins and McGowan 71). However, it’s important to ask whether this generalized view of what women need what every woman wants? This paper will look at some historical background on Feminism and build an argument that Feminism has failed to capture what it means for all women from all parts of the world. 

Despite the delays in achieving its goals, the history of Feminism goes back several centuries. According to the writing of Simone de Beauvoir, the history of Feminism goes back to the fifteenth century. Beauvoir writes that during this century, “the first time we see a woman take up her pen in defense of her sex” (Gueye 275), and that woman was Christine de Pizan. Other feminist writers followed in the 16th and 19th century and the waves of Feminism begun. The first wave was experienced during the 19th and early 20th century in the UK and the US. The first wave originally opposed the ownership of married women and their children by their husbands as they were treated as part of the property that the husband owned. In this line, Feminism sought to promote equal employment and property ownership for women in society (Edward 19). However, by the end of the 19th century, the focus of the feminists’ activism changed to women gaining political power, and the most crucial agenda was women’s suffrage. The second wave of Feminism began in the 1960s and extended to the late 1980s. Some scholars argue that the second wave emanated from the first wave despite the divergence in their advocating (Robbins and McGowan 71). The second wave, unlike the first wave, which largely advocated for women’s suffrage, the second wave advocated for equality for all women. This wave was largely influenced by the phrase “the personal is political,” which was supposed to sensitize women that the cultural and political discrimination that they were facing were connected. Thus to be liberated, a woman needed freedom from both. The third wave followed later in the 1990s, which was set as a response to the second wave’s viewed failures (Boucher 28). The 3rd wave sought to remove the essentialist definition of second-wave Feminism, which emphasized the experiences of the upper-middle-class women leaving out the rest of the women population, which needed liberation. Some of the women groups who felt left out in the second wave of Feminism and sought better inclusion were black women who were denied the opportunities to lead in feminist organizations based on their race. Despite the changes made during the various waves to create an equal world for all women, the standards of Feminism were still too general to accommodate all women (Edward 17). As a result, the 2000s came in with a new wave in which the forces in the UN opposed the implementation of feminist agendas based on culture, religion, and traditions.

Education is one of the main barriers to the implementation of feminist agendas. In this case, some women in some places have no opportunity to get an education. As a result, illiteracy makes them adhere to the patriarchal society setting and accept it as their lifeways. Combined with other factors such as religion and culture, illiteracy makes some women the worst enemies against empowering them. Some women,  who undergo domestic violence, fail to report. When others do it, these women hide the facts and, in some cases, deny that such unfortunate incidents happened to them. According to a study conducted on some women who had gone through domestic violence in 2018, they preserved their issues more personal than a general issue that affects women (Gueye 275). The study attributed this perception to their main issues: lack of education, culture, and religion. Also, seeking equality for women, which is advocated by contemporary Feminism could have little effect on such women even if they were to accept it. Seeking equal political opinion and representation, for example, would have less meaning past what is written on paper in assurance the equality (Boucher 32). This would result from the fact that these women do not have adequate education to make an independent decision and will end up either dependent on their cultures or other social forces in society, which would most likely disfavor women’s election in places of power (Heathcote 16). Illiteracy among some discriminated women, especially in developing countries, also makes t5hem unemployable. As a result, even if the playing ground was to be leveled, their society has taught them to be housewives and take their families alone, and thus they do not possess the necessary skills required to get a job. Without a job or a source of income, women are financially dependent on men, and any attempts to liberate them would be futile as they are not financially stable to cater to their needs.

Despite the many years of feminist activism, little has been achieved as culture and religion have in many parts of the world opposed the views of Feminism. In this case, men have continued to grow at high speed while women are still behind. Feminists have seen this trend as the result of continued favor upon men. However, despite these favors that the society grants to men, feminists fail to understand that they are “trying to sensitize the world to the unwarranted and unacceptable marginalization of women.”  (Robbins and McGowan 72). Some have cultures that have put a bad face on the feminist agendas. For example, many religions have put the males as the heads both in society and in the house. Religion and culture greatly influence people’s beliefs, and fear of punishment makes many of them fear changes that go against the rules of their traditions (Heathcote 19). Therefore, in this case, some changes that are advocated by Feminism, such as the dissolution of gender roles in the family, have faced objection from both women and men. With many men in power, there has been a slow trend in implementing gender-equality policies in many countries. Even when formulated, these policies have weak implementation strategies, especially due to a lack of adequate support. Weak implementation strategies have included strategies that seek to give women free and gender-specific positions in places of power. This does not necessarily make them equal to the men but stronger than other women, and thus the change that is achieved is small.

The general perception that all women are the same is wrong in many ways, key among them being the background women come from. The people who fight for feminist agendas, in many cases, use the term woman to refer to all women. However, they forget that all women’s background is not the same, and thus the efforts that they put end up seeking opportunities for well-educated women who can get employment opportunities and better their lives (Robbins and McGowan 74). If this is the assumption that the fulfillment of the rights of only a small percentage of women who well off represent the plight of all women, then Feminism is wrong. According to Dineo, for example, poverty in Africa has a woman’s face as women remain at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Diseases such as HIV/AIDS continue to affect many women than men in Africa, destroying some of their attempts to progress in the societal stratification. Despite this ugly face of gender disparity in Africa, Africa has been said to have made significant strides in ensuring gender equality. The African Union, for example, has been having taken a major step in ensuring gender parity in its decision-making roles. In the year 2003, the AU appointed five female members and five male members (Dineo). Other women play significant roles within various structures within the AU. These attempts are good for women, but what percentage of African women have they helped? How deep do they go in solving the plight of local African women? These attempts are only affecting the middle- and upper-class women in the society who, in many cases, are enjoying promotions and better salaries while the majority of the women on the ground continue to suffer despite the significant achievements made in achieving gender equality. 

Feminism has also failed to recognize the fact that gender inequality is exercised in a racialized patriarchal society. The agendas of Feminism have failed to address the issues of women of color and immigrants. In this case, having been discriminated against in other ways due to their race, women of color and other immigrants in the west have been forced to leave their children at home to take care of the children and houses of the liberated white women. Ignoring the plight and experiences of women of color and taking the experiences of white women assumes the sameness of women’s experience that does not exist (Heathcote 27). As a result, the assumption that there exists common oppression against women is false and inhibits people from seeing social reality. Borrowing from the history of colonialism, for example, one can tell that the claim for common oppression is not existent. In settler’s farms, the white women did not own land, slaves, and property. However, she was served by several black women who helped her in various domestic chores (Perrry 18). Many of these women had families and were either unpaid slaves or paid meager wages for their labor. Therefore, they struggled to maintain their families, but all happened under the hands of fellow women who were white. Slavery and colonialism are gone, but the same trend continues but in a newer and more explainable version. Nobody forces these women of color and immigrants to take care of domestic roles in white women’s houses, but social circumstances force them. They take a little share of what white women get and strain to sustain their lives and families. 

Feminism should broaden its view of discrimination from women against patriarchal forces in society to women against all forms of discrimination. Without leveling all forms of discrimination, the world will be far from achieving equality (Robbins and McGowan 74). Even with well advocated feminist agendas, women who experience other forms of discrimination will be behind others who are less discriminated in other aspects.  Therefore, there is a need that feminists adopt intersectional Feminism, which looks at how the social identities of women overlap, creating compounding experiences for women. Intersectional Feminism objects to the separation of forms of discrimination such as gender, race, sexuality, and disability, among others, as some women are victims of all these forms of discrimination, and their experience is not a result of gender discrimination only (Perrry 21). For example, the people who are most affected by gender-based violence in many parts of the west are the poorest, black or immigrant women, women in the rural areas, young girls, women living with disabilities, and trans youths. Marginalized communities are also the most hit by natural disasters, and women are the most affected.  For example, in countries affected by instability, poor women are victims of sexual abuse victims.

In a nutshell, the attempt by feminists to achieve an equal society for all women is wrong as it fails to recognize the different cultural, religious, and social backgrounds of women in various parts of the world. The definition of Feminism has been based and developed on the western view of democracy and equality. Thus, Feminism in the past has failed to address the needs of women outside some social groups such as the middle- and upper-class women, white women, and educated women. Women outside these groups still face significant discrimination and end up taking the domestic roles that the upper-class women left behind as they got their liberation. Therefore, Feminism must take into account the problems of different groups of women in the world. One way of doing so is intersectional Feminism that incorporates all forms of discrimination and seeks to liberate women from all of them. As it is said that nobody is free unless everyone is free, implementing intersectional Feminism helps create a better, fairer, resilient, and equal societies.

 

Works Cited

Boucher, Lisa. “Radical Visions, Structural Constraints.” Affilia, vol. 33, no. 1, 2017, pp. 24-38.

Dineo Gqola, Pumla. Ufanele Uqavile: Black women, Feminisms and Post coloniality in Africa. https://sakai.unc.edu/access/content/group/799f16a4-20db-42b9-911e-700f96109b5c/African%20Feminism%20Sources/Black%20women%20and%20feminism_.pdf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Edward, Shirin. Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography. https://sakai.unc.edu/access/content/group/799f16a4-20db-42b9-911e-700f96109b5c/African%20Feminism%20Sources/Expressing%20Islamic%20feminism%20in%20Mariama%20Baˆ’s%20So%20Long%20a%20Letter.pdf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Gueye, Marame. Woyyi Céet: Senegalese Women’s Oral Discourses on Marriage and Womanhood. https://sakai.unc.edu/access/content/group/799f16a4-20db-42b9-911e-700f96109b5c/African%20Feminism%20Sources/Senegakese%20Women%20Oral%20Discourses%20on%20Marriage%20and%20Womanhood.pdf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Heathcote, Gina. “Feminist Dialogues.” Feminist Dialogues on International Law, 2019, pp. 1-29.

Perry, Donna L. WOLOF WOMEN, ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION, AND THE CRISIS OF MASCULINITY IN RURAL SENEGAL. https://sakai.unc.edu/access/content/group/799f16a4-20db-42b9-911e-700f96109b5c/African%20Feminism%20Sources/Wolof%20Women%20and%20Masculinity%20in%20Senegal_DL%20Perry.pdf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Robbins, Claire K., and Brian L. McGowan. “Intersectional Perspectives on Gender and Gender Identity Development.” New Directions for Student Services, vol. 2016, no. 154, 2016, pp. 71-83.