Accounting Financial Analysis Report Business strategy

Question: Talk about the Essay for Accounting Financial Analysis Report for Business system. Answer: Presentation:- The job of bookkeepers has changed significantly in the cutting edge business situation. In prior days, bookkeepers were treated as unimportant scorekeepers. These days, with the advancement in bookkeeping frameworks and presentation of new parts of bookkeeping, bookkeepers are currently considered as the wellspring of significant administrative data. Like the advertising and creation offices, accounts offices are additionally taking dynamic support in the development of the organizations. Such unrest in the job of bookkeepers has gotten conceivable because of developing significance of different money related data. Presently the accomplishment of the business firms relies upon its income winning exercises as well as on its market development, stock costs and other non-advertising exercises. In addition, the business firms additionally use to depend incredibly on different interior outside money related information to gauge its development over the periods, its market position and furthermore the market position of its rivals. All these data and investigation have helped the bookkeepers to changed into one of the significant work force inside a business association. Job of Accountants in Enhancing Profitability:- As examined above, with the headways of the bookkeeping techniques, bookkeepers are taking dynamic jobs in improving the productivity of the business firms. Aside from the customary accounting exercises, bookkeepers are additionally attempted different other money related exercises as the aspect of their responsibilities. The significant part of the all out use of any business substance is utilized to be taken care of by the working expense. Thusly, bookkeepers use to concentrate on the working exercises to control the working expenses and expanding the overall revenue of the substance (Ward 2012). Bookkeepers use to evaluate different inner outer hazard elements of the association. Through the hazard appraisal process, they can give a consistent and secure income structure and decrease the degree of different unpredicted and unpredicted misfortunes (Biddle et al. 2015). By breaking down different money related and non-monetary informations, bookkeepers can direct the administration for building up a reasonable authoritative structure, which can perform all the more viably and lessen the different irregular expenses (Ah Lay and Jusoh 2014). Bookkeepers likewise help the showcasing group to grow better client relationship the board. Bookkeepers use to contemplate the past records and current market situation cautiously for giving direction about how the promoting can fulfill the clients all the more successfully (Laine et al. 2016). The partners have become especially significant these days for a business association. The business firms consistently focus to fulfill their partners by its budgetary and non-money related exhibitions (Kim et al. 2013). Bookkeepers assume significant job in satisfying the necessities of the partners. They use to concentrate on the fundamental needs of various partners and help the association to satisfy those necessities by giving reasonable procedures and rules (Elbashir et al. 2013). In these habits, the bookkeepers have changed their jobs and redesigned themselves as one of the key variables of the business association for improving the benefit. In addition, the new bookkeeping methods are likewise used to evaluate the gainfulness of the market ventures. Accordingly, numerous bookkeepers have begun to go about as monetary guides, who use to give exhorts on legitimate venture plans to the individual speculators, just as, the corporate houses (Biddle et al. 2013). Acts of neglect for Enhancing Profitability:- It has been seen that numerous associations use to use the bookkeepers for upgrading the productivity by any mean. The association, yet numerous bookkeepers additionally use to focus more on the productivity factor. Because of such over focus on benefit, numerous bookkeepers are following unscrupulous approaches to build the net revenues of the organization (Gilley et al. 2014). By and large, the workers of the associations use to be more worry about the net money installments in contrast with the drawn out advantages, gave by the business. Numerous bookkeepers use to underwrite this circumstance and grow such installment structure for the representatives, which will lessen the drawn out advantages. By this procedure, the general expense for workers uses to get diminished and the organization expands its benefit. It is an exceptionally regular practice among the bookkeepers to control the budget reports for lessening the duty sums. Bookkeepers use to set up the budget summaries in such a way, that the overall gain according to the books would be lower than the real net gain, earned by the organization. In this way, they help the organization to pay lesser expense add up to the administration (Imoniana and Silva 2013). At some point, numerous business firms use to take gigantic credits from different monetary foundations and the proprietors use to use those assets for their self-improvement. To keep away from the installment of the loan bosses, the bookkeepers of such firms use to control the monetary information so that the organizations use to be proclaimed as bankrupt by the concerned position and the proprietors would not need to pay any add up to the lenders out of their own store. In present day days, the vast majority of the organizations proceed with its tasks by either value financing or by obligation financing. To pull in the expected financers or speculators, it is extremely important to keep up a legitimate budgetary development, particularly for value financing. Bookkeepers use to make this assignment simpler by displaying exaggerated resources and benefits in the fiscal summaries (Ghose 2015). The bookkeepers of numerous organization use to grow such complex advertising plans, which is by all accounts increasingly beneficial for clients, however as a general rule, clients don't get any additional bit of leeway from such plans. Along these lines, they help the organizations to build the business volume by giving bogus duties to the purchasers (Devi 2015). The bookkeepers use to get the extent of such misbehaviors because of different reasons. Distinctive bookkeeping standard sheets use to give diverse bookkeeping treatment to same bookkeeping exchanges. Additionally, there is a tremendous distinction in the total compensation evaluation procedure for tax assessment reason and for general announcing reason. The bookkeeping sheets don't give any free direction to some from the bookkeeping techniques, for example, reasonable worth bookkeeping, CSR bookkeeping and so on. Much of the time, the partners, for example, representatives, financial specialists and so on., don't use to be completely mindful and adequately learned about the bookkeeping and assessment strategies. The bookkeepers underwrite these downsides of the bookkeeping framework to expand the benefit for the organization (Imoniana et al. 2013). End:- The bookkeepers are utilized for keep up the monetary records of the association. In the cutting edge situation, the bookkeepers are required to give more advantages to the organization. They are required to expand the overall revenues by the different bookkeeping procedures and money related arranging. Henceforth, the bookkeepers utilize different propelled bookkeeping techniques, for example, the executives bookkeeping, client bookkeeping and so on for offering better assistance to its representatives. Alongside the monetary arranging, they are using their expert information to help the association for different other arranging identified with the non-money related exercises moreover. By various market investigation strategies, they can estimate the future results of the organization, just as the results of its rivals. They can assist the association with reducing its expenses and uses by appropriate cost arranging and planning. Through these procedures, the organization can likewise appreciate different tax reductions. Along these lines, the bookkeepers, these days, assume a significant job in the benefit expansion for the organization. The new job of the bookkeepers has made the additional weight on them to expand the benefit for the organization and its proprietors. They are compelled to embrace untrustworthy methodology to make the organization progressively productive. At times they control the budgetary records for diminishing the duty costs or pull in more partners. At times, they execute unscrupulous arranging, which use to deny the purchasers, workers or the financial specialists. Along these lines, it tends to be expressed that the job of bookkeepers for improving the benefit has caused just positive effect on the general public. It has joined many negative characteristics too. However, it ought to be noticed that more often than not, the bookkeepers use to use their insight for such untrustworthy causes according to the guidance of the organization the executives. Henceforth, the bookkeepers can't be accused exclusively for such abuse of expert information. Reference List:- Ok Lay, T. what's more, Jusoh, R., 2014. Business system, power of rivalry, key job of bookkeepers, vital administration bookkeeping and firm execution. Biddle, G.C., Kim, J.B., Ma, M.L. also, Song, F.M., 2015. Bookkeeping conservatism and insolvency risk.Available at SSRN 1621272 Biddle, G.C., Ma, M.L. also, Song, F.M., 2013. The hazard the executives job of bookkeeping conservatism for working money flows.Available at SSRN 1695629 Devi, R.U., 2015. Imaginative bookkeeping rehearses Its Pros Cons: An analysis.International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering,5(1), pp.40-52 Elbashir, M.Z., Collier, P.A., Sutton, S.G., Davern, M.J. also, Leech, S.A., 2013. Upgrading the business estimation of business insight: The job of shared information and assimilation.Journal of Information Systems,27(2), pp.87-105 Ghose, K.S., 2015. Morals in Managerial Accounting: Today's Challenges in USA.GSTF Journal of Law and Social Sciences (JLSS),4(2), p.85. Gilley, A., Gilley, J.W., Ambort-Clark, K.A. also, Marion, D., 2014. Proof of administrative misbehavior: An experimental study.Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship,19(4), p.24 Imoniana, J.O. also, Silva, R.M., 2013. Returning to the ideas of

Merck case report Essay Example

Merck case report Essay Ignoring Mr.. Mercers theory, the program proposes to not Invest In tranquilize rights because of a general loss of $260,000. Stage One: The KILL-798 item has been under trying stages for a half year. In view of Kappa Labs venture group explore there Is a 60% possibility of Phase One effective culmination. If Merck somehow happened to purchase the item rights, the expense Incurred to finish this would be $5 million. The product states there Is an opportunity of Phase One falling flat bringing about lost $35 million. On the off chance that the first round demonstrates fruitful, at that point Merck faces the choice of advancing to Phase Two. Stage Two: If Merck chooses to progress into Phase Two there presents a large number of chances. The main choice includes treating only weight at 10% probability. A 10% possibility additionally exists of the medication treating just elevated cholesterol. There additionally is a chance of the medication adequately tending to the two conditions at 30%. The possibility of the medication not treating any of the ailments is half. The expense of finishing Phase Two is $40 million. For each condition that is tended to, the choice remains whether to search out FDA endorsement. The program recommends if Phase Two is fruitful, the numerous has two possible choices, to create a medication for Just corpulence or achieve a medication that battles both weight and cholesterol. The more functional choice for the organization is to create a medication that tends to just corpulence since there is a higher in general benefit when contrasted with delivering a medication that objectives the two diseases. The medication that objectives just corpulence has a general advantage of $197. Million, while the medication that objectives the two has a general advantage of $160. 5 million. FDA Approval: The choice tree encourages Merck to search out FDA assent. For the item that treats just corpulence, there is a 75% possibility of getting FDA acknowledgment. This would cost Merck $50 million to proceed with this procedure. Subsequent to looking for endorsement, the organization Is con fronted with the choice whether to advertise the medication. On the off chance that the medication Is endorsed and showcased, an addition of $430 million will be accomplished. We will compose a custom paper test on Merck case report explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom paper test on Merck case report explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on Merck case report explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer The following alternative Is to choose If we should proceed to FDA endorsement for the medication that treats just cholesterol. Choice Tree Analysis encourages Merck to not proceed with this procedure despite the fact that a 75% possibility exists of accomplishing endorsement. The expense of looking for acknowledgment Is $50 million. The third alternative Is to choose looking for FDA acknowledgment for a medication that treats tooth diseases. Agreeing too itemized investigation, delivering this medication Is likewise a feasible alternative, in spite of the fact that the advantage would be not exactly creating for just weight. Affectability Analysis: The main examination led was on accomplishing achievement in Phase I Nils apneas Is incredibly touchy up until purportedly up until tens rate, the normal worth is negative. Any likelihood more noteworthy than 60% outcomes in a positive anticipated worth. On the off chance that the likelihood increments by 1%, the program choice will change to propose the organization to push ahead (if it's not too much trouble allude to Decision Tree 2). For the second affectability investigation, we set the alternative with the most elevated chance as the steady, which is the choice to create neither medication. This alternative additionally ends up being extremely touchy at the half likelihood mark. In the event that the rate were to be more noteworthy than half, at that point it would not be ideal to push ahead. The last investigation included the likelihood of the two medications getting FDA endorsement. Like the past two investigation, a worth higher than 60% will bring about a normal worth that is certain. This outcomes in the medications getting acknowledgment. Agreement: According to Decision Tree footwear, the ideal suggestion is to not buy tranquilize rights. This outcomes in neither benefits or misfortunes, and the ideal circumstance for the Merck association. On the off chance that the firm were to initially employ a counseling firm to explore the likelihood of accomplishment in stage one and the experts demonstrate that achievement is suitable, the estimation of giving this data brings about a general advantage of $57. 9 million. This gives a $55. 3 million distinction from not employing an advisor of $2. 635. In this manner, Merck could secure a specialist up until the expense of this distinction (if you don't mind allude to Decision Tree 3).

How to Apply BCG Matrix to Your Company

How to Apply BCG Matrix to Your Company © Shutterstock.com | stockphotoatinatIn this article, we will look at 1) what is the BCG Matrix, 2) understanding the BCG Matrix, 3) how to apply BCG Matrix to your company, and 4) some  examples.WHAT IS THE BCG MATRIX?The BCG matrix was created by Bruce D. Henderson for the Boston Consulting Group in 1970. This chart was created with the purpose of helping companies analyze their different business units or product lines. The analysis helps these companies to allocate resources where they are most appropriate as well as to use the results in brand marketing, product management, strategic management, and portfolio analyses.The chart is a graphical planning tool, where the company’s products and services can be plotted to help make key business decisions. These decisions include whether to keep a particular business unit, sell it or to invest more in it. The y-axis of the graph represents rate of market growth while the x-axis represents market share.The matrix helps add input to t he decision making process but does not take into account all possible factors that a company may face. The tool is not predictive and also doesn’t take into account any new or disruptive products that may enter and change the market, nor does it account for shifts in consumer demand.UNDERSTANDING THE MATRIXThe chart or graph is divided into four categories. These are the cows, the dogs, the stars and the unknowns. A product line of a business unit is plotted based on its relative market share and rate of growth in the market and falls within one of these categories.1) The Cash CowsThe product lines that fall within this category enjoy a large share of the market in a slow-growing industry. This means that they are able to generate revenues in greater amounts than the investment required to maintain their business. The product line may be considered boring and settled in a mature market, with the company holding it to continue to generate revenues. The company will attempt to milk these as much as possible with as little investment as possible.2) The DogsThe dogs are those product lines or business units that have a smaller market share in a mature and slow-growing industry. Usually, these product lines manage to earn what is put into them, breaking-even and maintaining the market share. Generally this unit is largely worthless to the company in terms of earning potential but may afford other benefits to the company such as the creation of jobs as well as synergies that assist other business units. These benefits may be enough for the company to keep this business unit active despite its less than exciting position. However, dogs can negatively affect how investors judge the management of a company and it is suggested that these product lines be sold off.3) The StarsAs the name makes clear, stars are those business units that have a large market share in a fast-growing industry. These product lines have a clearly visible market or niche leading path and requ ire large amounts of funding to ensure that they can fight of competitors and maintain their growth rate. Companies aim to turn stars into their next cash cows with the inevitable decline in the growth of the industry. This can happen potentially if they are able to maintain their position as a market leader. If this does not happen, then stars can turn into dogs.4) The UnknownsThe unknowns (also called question marks or problem children) are those business units that have a smaller market share in a high-growth market. This is where most businesses will start from and at this point the business unit has the potential to grow market share and turn into a star or lose further marker share and turn into dogs when the growth of the market itself declines. Careful study and analysis is required for business units in this category to assess their potential and worth. If any potential is seen then further investment can be made into them.The natural cycle for most products in that they be gin their life as question marks and turn into stars as their position clarifies. When the market growth slows down, they turn into cash cows and at the end of the cycle, the cash cow turns into a dog. According to the Boston Consulting Group, a diversified company with a balanced portfolio is in the ideal position to use its strengths to capitalize on its growth opportunities and potential. A balanced portfolio is one which has:Stars to assure future successCash cows to bring in funds for future growth Question marks that can be turned into the next stars with some attention and investmentThe AxesOn either side of the grid is an indicator marked on the axis. The idea that prompted this grid as a while was the need to manage cash flows. The model assumes that one of the main indicators for cash generation is relative market share and the one for cash usage was the market growth rate.Relative Market Share A higher market share means higher cash return. The reason behind the selectio n of this metric is based on its relationship with the experience curve. The belief is that when the company produces more products, it benefits from higher economies of scale and the experience curve which in turn result in higher profits. The market share is measured relative to its largest competitor. Another reason for the selection is that this indicator carries more information than just cash flows as is the case in profits. It shows the brand’s position in relation to major competitors and a likely indication for the future.Market Growth Rate A higher market growth rate means more earnings and often profits. On the other hand, it also means a higher consumption of cash as investment to stimulate future growth. This investment is made into those products which show a good potential for continued growth and success and are expected to provide a return on investment. This matrix assumes that a higher growth rate is an indicator of accompanying demands for investment. The mark et growth rate provides more information about the brand position than just the cash flow and is a good indicator of the strength of the market and its future potential as well as attractiveness to more competitors.HistoryThe BCG Matrix is named after the Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm. The company has 81 offices in 45 countries and is one of the Big Three management consulting firms. The company was founded by Bruce D Henderson, an alumnus of Vanderbilt University and Harvard Business School. He was recruited by McKinsey and it is here that he founded the Boston Consulting Group. Henderson developed the famous BCG matrix in 1968. According to the BCG, Henderson told clients the following:“The payoff for leadership [in market share] is very high indeed, if it is achieved early and maintained until growth slows. Investment in market share during the growth phase can be very attractive, if you have the cash. Growth in market is compounded by growth in s hare. Increases in share increase the profit margin. The return in investment is enormous. “LimitationsThere are some limitations to the use of this popular matrix as well. These limitations mean a decline in the once extensive use of this tool. These include:Market growth is one of many factors that determine industry attractiveness and relative market share is only one of many factors that determine competitive advantage. This matrix does not take into account any other factors that may have a bearing on both industry attractiveness and competitive advantage.There is an underlying assumption that the business units are operating in isolation in relation to each other. In reality, a dog may be helping another unit gain a competitive advantage for example.The definition of a market is taken in the broad sense. This fails to take into account different situations such as a business unit that is dominating a niche but is overall less dominant in the larger industry. The way a market is defined in such an instance may change its definition from a dog to a cash cow.HOW TO APPLY BCG MATRIX TO YOUR BUSINESSTo be successful, a company should have a portfolio of products with different growth rates and different market shares. The portfolio composition is a function of the balance between cash flows. High growth products require cash inputs to grow. Low growth products should generate excess cash. Both kinds are needed simultaneously. Bruce HendersonPractical Use TipsThe BCG matrix can be useful to companies if applied using the following general steps.Step 1 â€" Choose the Unit.  Strategic Business Units, individual brands, product lines or the firm as a whole are all areas that can be analyzed using the BCG matrix. The chosen unit drives the entire analysis and key definitions. The market, industry, competitors and position will all be based on the chosen unit.Step 2 â€" Define the Market.  Following the choice of the unit or area to be analyzed, the most importa nt stage for the rest of the matrix is the definition of the market. An incorrectly defined market will lead to an incorrect classification of the unit. A Mercedes-Benz analyzed in a passenger vehicle market will be a dog with a small market share. However, analyzed within a luxury car market, it will be a cash cow.Step 3 â€" Calculate Relative Market Share.  At this stage, the relative market share for the chosen unit needs to be calculated. This can be done in terms or revenues or marker share. The formula used here us a division of the selected brand’s market share or revenues by the market share or revenues of the biggest competitor in the industry. The result in plotted on the x-axis.Step 4 â€" Calculate Market Growth Rate.  Online industry reports can be used to find the rate of growth for the industry. If this is not possible, then it can be estimated by looking at the average revenue growth of the leading firms in the industry. This measurement is a percentage and is plott ed on the y-axis.Step 5 â€" Draw Circles on the Matrix.  Once all the measures are calculated, they can be put onto the matrix. This can be done by drawing a circle for each brand within a unit, or all the brands in a company. The size of each circle should correspond to business revenue generated by the brand.EXAMPLESNestleAccording to an analysis posted here, the BCG matrix analysis for Nestle reveals some interesting perspectives. A global multinational in the food and beverage industry, the Swiss company is the 69th highest revenue producer in the world. Over 8000 brands fall within its umbrella and are as widespread as bottled water and pet food. The company announced plans to sell off under-performing brands which were consistently showing poor sales. This analysis used the 2002 annual report for its figures which can be found here.Question Marks Here, the question marks have a low market share within a high growth market. The product mentioned here requires an influx of inve stment to capitalize on potential segments. This investment is however, not likely to yield too much return investment.Stars These brands have a high share in a high growth market. Nestle’s varied mineral water is in this quadrant. The brands in this are require investment to maintain their position and differentiation in both mature and emerging markets.Dogs The Nestle products in this category have a lower market share in a low growth market. An example of this is a lean cuisine unit and weight loss management brands which did not take off outside the US. A sports performance and nutrition brand called PowerBar is also confirmed to be divested by the company most likely due to poor sales in a saturated market. These products generate enough revenue to sustain themselves but are not exciting not major sources of revenues.Cash Cows These brands are important because of their cash generating potential. This means that they have a higher market share in a slow-growth industry. Ve ry little investment is needed by these brands and funds generated from them are used to fuel Stars or Question Marks.

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Symbolization of Chillingworth as the Devil in Hawthornes...

Nathaniel Hawthorne crammed The Scarlet Letter with religious symbolism. One of the most interesting symbols is that of Chillingworth as the devil. All through the novel there are numerous indications and relations that verify the fact that Chillingworth is a delegate for the king of darkness. One of the various ways Chillingworth serves as the devil’s advocate is by being the antithesis of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the palpable Jesus figure of the narrative. Chillingworth keenly sets out to devastate Dimmesdale, as Hawthorne informs us when referring to Chillingworths unearthing of Dimmesdales secret, â€Å"All that guilty sorrow, hidden from the world, whose great heart would have pitied and forgiven, to be revealed to him, the†¦show more content†¦He describes Chillingworth as malformed and stooped. He compares Chillingworth to weeds and portrays his business as resembling witchcraft. Chillingworth’s shady and sinister characteristics all portray him as the monarch of hell. Nathaniel Hawthorne crammed The Scarlet Letter with religious symbolism. One of the most interesting symbols is that of Chillingworth as the devil. All through the novel there are numerous indications and relations that verify the fact that Chillingworth is a delegate for the king of darkness. One of the various ways Chillingworth serves as the devil’s advocate is by being the antithesis of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the palpable Jesus figure of the narrative. Chillingworth keenly sets out to devastate Dimmesdale, as Hawthorne informs us when referring to Chillingworths unearthing of Dimmesdales secret, â€Å"All that guilty sorrow, hidden from the world, whose great heart would have pitied and forgiven, to be revealed to him, the Pitiless, to him, the Unforgiving!† The capitalization of the words Pitiless and Unforgiving confirm that Chillingworth is Satan in human form. Symbolically, on an additional, more perceptible note, Chillingworth steals one of Dimmesdales gloves and drops it on the scaffold in the middle of the town. The sexton returns it to Dimmesdale saying, Satan dropped it there,† evidently pointing to the fact

The Place of Mental Preparation of Athletes Free Essays

The sports community now recognizes that mental factors such as confidence, composure, focus, and motivation are highly significant to athletic performance. As a result, over the year’s performance enhancement has become an emerging career track within the field sport psychology. Sport psychology (or sports psychology) is the study of the psychological factors that affect participation and performance in sports. We will write a custom essay sample on The Place of Mental Preparation of Athletes or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sport psychology professionals who focus on performance enhancement aim to increase athletic performance by minimizing the psychological effects of poor performance and instilling the mental skill needed to attain peak performance. In order for the field of sport psychology to advance professionals must educate the sports community on the value and benefits of mental training. Psychology principles such as positive thinking, imagery, and goal setting can be applied in sports to help athletes perform and prepare for competition. At the elite levels all athletes have the talent and the physical tools to compete. In an interview hall of quarterback and sports analysis, Troy Aikman stated, â€Å"When you get to the elite level in sports, athletically, what separates the really great performers are the ones who are mentally tough and see things a little bit quicker than their competitors. † These athletes have the ability to move on after mistakes, maintain confidence and composure in the face of adversity, and focus on what is need to execute each task successfully. The best practice to enhance athletic performance in the field sport psychology is through mental training. Mental training is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. Many athletes and coaches resist mental training because they do not understand how it can help them. In order for athletes to get the most out of their sport, it is critical for them to understand the value of improving their mental game. Athletes are more likely to embrace mental training when they understand it and its benefits. However, the best way for athletes to embrace into mental training is when they actually experience its power firsthand. Mental training is about improving one’s attitude and mental skills to help them perform their best by identifying limiting beliefs and embracing a healthier philosophy about their sport. Mental skills, just like physical skills, take repetition, practice, and game-time application to develop. Helping athletes and coaches understanding the mental barriers that limit performance and the benefits of sports psychology intervention is a critical step in the mental training process. Mental barriers include high expectations, perfectionism, fear of failure, lack of emotional control and attentional focus. Athletes can overcome these barriers through sport psychology intervention that aim to enhance confidence, focus, composure, trust and mental preparation. Most athletes are highly committed to excellence and seeing how far they can go in sports. They love competition and testing themselves against the best in their sport. They understand the importance of a positive attitude and mental toughness. These athletes want every possible advantage they can get including the mental edge over the competition. Sports Psychology is about improving your attitude and mental toughness to help you perform your best by identifying limiting beliefs and embracing a healthier philosophy about your sport. Mental training is used by elite athletes to help improve focus, confidence and deal with distractions. Many athletes have the ability to concentrate, but often their focus is displaced on the wrong areas such as when a batter thinks â€Å"I need to get a hit† while in the batter’s box, which is a result-oriented focus. Sport Psychology Today is a sports mental training resource for athletes, sports parents, coaches, sport psychology scholars, and professionals provided by Mental Edge Athletics. Please sign up for our Discussion Forum   to share your experiences, ask questions, and gain access to advice from our readers and team of experts around the world. Topic and information requests can be sent by using our Contact Page. Sport Psychology and Mental Training Products are Coming Soon, so   stay tuned to Sports Psychology Today for more information. In the meantime, please search for your topics of interest on Sports Psychology Today and continue to improve your sports performance, mental toughness, and mental game. Also please share our website with your friends and family and   â€Å"Like† us on facebook   (facebook. com/mentaledgeathletics or search Sport Psychology Today) to gain access to discounts and special offers. Mental training is important for athletes, whether striving to do their personal best or competing against others. Mental imagery, what Bruce D. Hale of Penn State calls   â€Å"No Sweat Practice,† is very effective. The mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Practice is practice, regardless of whether it is mental or physical. Ask the athlete to sit in a relaxed position in a quiet place with few distractions. Tell the athlete to close their eyes and picture performing a particular skill. Each is seeing him/herself on a large movie screen on a football pitch. Walk them through the skill step by step. Use as much detail as possible, using words to elicit all the senses  Ã¢â‚¬â€ sight, hearing, touch and smell-soft foot, cushion, deep it close, toe down, light touches. Ask the athlete to repeat the image. Picture rehearsing the skill successfully, even to the point of seeing the ball going in the goal. Some athletes need help to start the process. Others will learn to practice this way on their own. The link between performing the skills in the mind and performing the skills on the football pitch may be hard to explain. However, the athletes who repeatedly imagine themselves correctly completing a skill and believing it to be true are more likely to make it happen. Whatever goes into one’s mind and one’s heart comes out in their actions. â€Å"If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way; if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. † –Author Unknown â€Å"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. † –Colin Powell Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Winners are those people who make a habit of doing the things losers are uncomfortable doing. † –Ed Foreman â€Å"Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all s ources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win–essential to success. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. † –Albert Einstein â€Å"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Only a strong tree can stand alone. † –Arnold Glasow â€Å"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. † –Dr. Wayne W. Dyer â€Å"It’s a sure thing that you’ll not finish if you don’t start. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"The individual with a negative men tal attitude attracts troubles as a magnet attracts steel fittings. –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail. † –Dr. John C. Maxwell â€Å"The key to having a good attitude is the willingness to change. We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes. It is a matter of personal choice. Who we are today is the result of choices we made yesterday. Tomorrow we will become what we choose today. To change means to choose to change. † –Dr. John C. Maxwell â€Å"The ladder of success is never crowded at the top. † –Napoleon Hill Photo Credit the athlete image by csaba fikker from Fotolia. om Physical training is only one facet of the training that successful athletes undergo. While the body is pushed to its limits and trained to perform under pressure for as long as necessary, the mind also must be prepared for competition. The world’s best athletes all have techni ques they use to win and achieve their goals. Function Sound mental training prepares athletes for competition by eliminating the anxiety that often surrounds performance. One of the main functions of mental athletic training is to help athletes concentrate on the moment. Trainers at Mental Goaltending report that athletes must learn to concentrate on the positive and refuse to entertain negative thoughts. Types One type of mental training that many athletes use is called visualization. Athletes are urged to see themselves performing at their peak and crossing the finish line or making a goal or basket. Visualization is designed to infuse the subconscious mind with a reality developed by the athlete so that the conscious mind follows through and makes it happen. Benefits In addition to providing competitive athletes with an edge, mental training can help relieve some of the stress involved in competition. Sports psychologists at Protex Sports report that in addition to the pressure of the competition, athletes face stress and pressure from managers, coaches, teammates and fans. They often face rigorous schedules and family demands that create additional stress that could affect their performance. Mental training is meant to alleviate some of the stress. Features A thorough mental training program features work in a range of areas that affect performance. Athletes look to psychological trainers to help them improve their mental toughness to withstand the demands of the competition as well as help them focus on their priorities. They work to uncover any fears that might be standing in the way of success and find ways to address those fears. Through mental training, athletes can gain confidence and composure. Considerations After an injury, many athletes have a difficult time adjusting to not playing their sport and facing a possible end to their athletic careers. Mental training for athletic success includes considerations for those times. During rehabilitation or preparing to retire, athletes have special needs that can be addressed through specially trained therapists. How to cite The Place of Mental Preparation of Athletes, Essay examples

Democracy In Ancient Greece Essay Example For Students

Democracy In Ancient Greece Essay Democracy in Ancient GreeceEddie WittenThe Greeks were very advanced for their time. They realized that theyneed a new form of government and they were able to invent the first democraticgovernment in the world. The democracy that the Greeks came up with was basedon two important factors. The first one was the population growth in Athensgrew at a very fast rate. The second was the advocating of political, economic,and legal equality for all which some male citizens remembered from the livingconditions in the Dark Ages. The Greek system of Democracy did have its sharesof problems though. The Greek system of democracy was ruled by a body of nine electedofficials whom were called archons. These men who were aristocrats lead thegovernment and had supreme control over all of the verdicts and criminalaccusations in Athens. Problems arose when aristocrats become jealous of oneanother and rivalries ensued under the early stages of Athenian democracy. Theresult of this jealousy was the establishment of a code written by the appointedruler Draco. This code of laws promoted stability and equity. These lawshowever did more to hurt the democracy of Athens than to help it. It seems thatDraco wrote this code of laws in order to benefit himself rather than to benefitthe government of Athens. The democracy of Athens was used in many ways other than for what it wasdesigned for. It was abused by many rulers of that time. They were concernedwith their own personal growth and because of their greed and selfishness, theymade laws and codes that would benefit their own personal gain. The resultsthough have not always been as what they had expected to have been. Many of thelower classes were treated very unfairly and rulers lost popularity to the lowerclasses. Civil war was even about to break out at one point due to Dracoscodes and laws. When civil war almost broke out in Athens the codes and laws were onceagain revamped. This time a pathway was attempted to be laid down that wouldaccommodate both the upper and the lower classes. In the end four classes weredeveloped to rank the male citizens of Athens based on their income. The five-hundred-measure men, horsemen, yoked men, and laborers were the four classesthat were devised by this new system of codes and laws. In the Athenian society both the theories failed the men, and in turnthe men failed the theories. Some of the theories that the rulers came up withneeded a lot of support from the male citizens of Athens. Most of the timethese theories were considered unfair and the male citizens were not cooperativewith these theories. Also theories that were fair to the citizen but notrecognized by them failed. The men failed the theories in this sense, sincethey did not give them a shot and try them out. They would have seen that thesewould have helped them in the long run. Considering the outcome of the Peloponnesian War the Athenians fellvictim to internal restraints. Their own problems within their democraticstructure caused them to lose that war. The codes and laws that they had at thetime wound up doing more damage to them in the long run then it did to help them. That was the major problem with the Athenians view on democracy. Since theydeveloped democracy they were not able to perfect it and watch other societiesfunction under it. If they had a few hundred more years to perfect theirdemocratic society they most likely would have had much more success in thePeloponnesian War and with all of their endeavors.

Battle of Talas River - Background

Battle of Talas River - Background Few people today have even heard of the Battle of Talas River.  Yet this little-known skirmish between the army of Imperial Tang China and the Abbasid Arabs had important consequences, not just for China and Central Asia, but for the entire world. Eighth century Asia was an ever-shifting mosaic of different tribal and regional powers, fighting for trade rights, political power and/or religious hegemony. The era was characterized by a dizzying array of battles, alliances, double-crosses and betrayals. At the time, nobody could have known that one particular battle, which took place on the banks of the Talas River in present-day Kyrgyzstan, would halt the Arab and Chinese advances in Central Asia and fix the boundary between Buddhist/Confucianist Asia and Muslim Asia. None of the combatants could have predicted that this battle would be instrumental in transmitting a key invention from China to the western world: the art of paper-making, a technology that would alter world history forever. Background to the Battle For some time, the powerful Tang Empire (618-906) and its predecessors had been expanding Chinese influence in Central Asia. China used soft power for the most part, relying upon a series of trade agreements and nominal protectorates rather than military conquest to control Central Asia. The most troublesome foe faced by the Tang from 640 forward was the powerful Tibetan Empire, established by Songtsan Gampo. Control of what is now Xinjiang, Western China, and neighboring provinces went back and forth between China and Tibet throughout the seventh and eighth centuries. China also faced challenges from the Turkic Uighurs in the northwest, the Indo-European Turfans, and the Lao/Thai tribes on Chinas southern borders. The Rise of the Arabs While the Tang were occupied with all these adversaries, a new superpower rose in the Middle East. The Prophet Muhammad died in 632, and the Muslim faithful under the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750) soon brought vast areas under their sway. From Spain and Portugal in the west, across North Africa and the Middle East, and on to the oasis cities of Merv, Tashkent, and Samarkand in the east, the Arab conquest spread with astonishing speed. Chinas interests in Central Asia went back at least to 97 B.C., when the Han Dynasty general Ban Chao led an army of 70,000 as far as Merv (in what is now Turkmenistan), in pursuit of bandit tribes that preyed on early Silk Road caravans. China also had long courted trade relations with the Sassanid Empire in Persia, as well as their predecessors the Parthians. The Persians and Chinese had collaborated to quell rising Turkic powers, playing different tribal leaders off of one another. In addition, the Chinese had a long history of contacts with the Sogdian Empire, centered in modern-day Uzbekistan. Early Chinese/Arab Conflicts Inevitably, the lightning-quick expansion by the Arabs would clash with Chinas established interests in Central Asia. In 651, the Umayyads captured the Sassanian capital at Merv and executed the king, Yazdegerd III. From this base, they would go on to conquer Bukhara, the Ferghana Valley, and as far east as Kashgar (on the Chinese/Kyrgyz border today). News of Yazdegards fate was carried to the Chinese capital of Changan (Xian) by his son Firuz, who fled to China after the fall of Merv. Firuz later became a general of one of Chinas armies, and then governor of a region centered at modern-day Zaranj, Afghanistan. In 715, the first armed clash between the two powers occurred in the Ferghana Valley of Afghanistan. The Arabs and Tibetans deposed King Ikhshid and installed a man named Alutar in his place. Ikhshid asked China to intervene on his behalf, and the Tang sent an army of 10,000 to overthrow Alutar and reinstate Ikhshid. Two years later, an Arab/Tibetan army besieged two cities in the Aksu region of what is now Xinjiang, western China. The Chinese sent an army of Qarluq mercenaries, who defeated the Arabs and Tibetans and lifted the siege. In 750 the Umayyad Caliphate fell, overthrown by the more aggressive Abbasid Dynasty. The Abbasids From their first capital at Harran, Turkey, the Abbasid Caliphate set out to consolidate power over the sprawling Arab Empire built by the Umayyads. One area of concern was the eastern borderlands - the Ferghana Valley and beyond. The Arab forces in eastern Central Asia with their Tibetan and Uighur allies were led by the brilliant tactician, General Ziyad ibn Salih. Chinas western army was headed by Governor-General Kao Hsien-chih (Go Seong-ji), an ethnic-Korean commander. It was not unusual at that time for foreign or minority officers to command Chinese armies because the military was considered an undesirable career path for ethnic Chinese noblemen. Appropriately enough, the decisive clash at Talas River was precipitated by another dispute in Ferghana. In 750, the king of Ferghana had a border dispute with the ruler of neighboring Chach. He appealed to the Chinese, who sent General Kao to assist Ferghanas troops. Kao besieged Chach, offered the Chachan king safe passage out of his capital, then reneged and beheaded him. In a mirror-image parallel to what had happened during the Arab conquest of Merv in 651, the Chachan kings son escaped and reported the incident to Abbasid Arab governor Abu Muslim at Khorasan. Abu Muslim rallied his troops at Merv and marched to join Ziyad ibn Salihs army further east.  The Arabs were determined to teach General Kao a lesson... and incidentally, to assert Abbasid power in the region. The Battle of Talas River In July of 751, the armies of these two great empires met at Talas, near the modern-day Kyrgyz/Kazakh border. Chinese records state that the Tang army was 30,000 strong, while Arab accounts put the number of Chinese at 100,000. The total number of Arab, Tibetan and Uighur warriors is not recorded, but theirs was the larger of the two forces. For five days, the mighty armies clashed. When the Qarluq Turks came in on the Arab side several days into the fighting, the Tang armys doom was sealed. Chinese sources imply that the Qarluqs had been fighting for them, but treacherously switched sides midway through the battle. Arab records, on the other hand, indicate that the Qarluqs were already allied with the Abbasids prior to the conflict. The Arab account seems more likely since the Qarluqs suddenly mounted a surprise attack on the Tang formation from the rear. (If the Chinese accounts are correct, wouldnt the Qarluqs have been in the middle of the action, rather than riding up from behind? And would the surprise have been as complete, if the Qarluqs had been fighting there all along?) Some modern Chinese writings about the battle still exhibit a sense of outrage at this perceived betrayal by one of the Tang Empires minority peoples. Whatever the case, the Qarluq attack signaled the beginning of the end for Kao Hsien-chihs army. Of the tens of thousands the Tang sent into battle, only a small percentage survived. Kao Hsien-chih himself was one of the few who escaped the slaughter; he would live just five years more, before being put on trial and executed for corruption. In addition to the tens of thousands of Chinese killed, a number were captured and taken back to Samarkand (in modern-day Uzbekistan) as prisoners of war. The Abbassids could have pressed their advantage, marching into China proper. However, their supply lines were already stretched to the breaking point, and sending such a huge force over the eastern Hindu Kush mountains and into the deserts of western China was beyond their capacity. Despite the crushing defeat of Kaos Tang forces, the Battle of Talas was a tactical draw. The Arabs eastward advance was halted, and the troubled Tang Empire turned its attention from Central Asia to rebellions on its northern and southern borders. Consequences of the Battle of Talas At the time of the Battle of Talas, its significance was not clear. Chinese accounts mention the battle as part of the beginning of the end for the Tang Dynasty. That same year, the Khitan tribe in Manchuria (northern China) defeated the imperial forces in that region, and Thai/Lao peoples in what is now Yunnan province in the south revolted as well. The An Shi Revolt of 755-763, which was more of a civil war than a simple revolt, further weakened the empire. By 763, the Tibetans were able to seize the Chinese capital at Changan (now Xian). With so much turmoil at home, the Chinese had neither the will nor the power to exert much influence past the Tarim Basin after 751. For the Arabs, too, this battle marked an unnoticed turning point. The victors are supposed to write history, but in this case, (despite the totality of their victory), they did not have much to say for some time after the event. Barry Hoberman points out that the ninth-century Muslim historian al-Tabari (839-923) never even mentions the Battle of Talas River. Its not until half a millennium after the skirmish that Arab historians take note of Talas, in the writings of Ibn al-Athir (1160-1233) and al-Dhahabi (1274-1348). Nevertheless, the Battle of Talas had important consequences. The weakened Chinese Empire was no longer in any position to interfere in Central Asia, so the influence of the Abbassid Arabs grew. Some scholars quibble that too much emphasis is placed on the role of Talas in the Islamification of Central Asia. It is certainly true that the Turkic and Persian tribes of Central Asia did not all immediately convert to Islam in August of 751. Such a feat of mass communication across the deserts, mountains, and steppes would have been utterly impossible before modern mass communications, even if the Central Asian peoples were uniformly receptive to Islam. Nonetheless, the absence of any counterweight to the Arab presence allowed Abbassid influence to spread gradually throughout the region. Within the next 250 years, most of the formerly Buddhist, Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Nestorian Christian tribes of Central Asia had become Muslim. Most significant of all, among the prisoners of war captured by the Abbassids after the Battle of Talas River, were a number of skilled Chinese artisans, including Tou Houan. Through them, first the Arab world and then the rest of Europe learned the art of paper-making. (At that time, the Arabs controlled Spain and Portugal, as well as North Africa, the Middle East, and large swaths of Central Asia.) Soon, paper-making factories sprang up in Samarkand, Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Delhi... and in 1120 the first European paper mill was established in Xativa, Spain (now called Valencia). From these Arab-dominated cities, the technology spread to Italy, Germany, and across Europe. The advent of paper technology, along with woodcut printing and later movable-type printing, fueled the advances in science, theology, and history of Europes High Middle Ages, which ended only with the coming of the Black Death in the 1340s. Sources: The Battle of Talas, Barry Hoberman. Saudi Aramco World, pp. 26-31 (Sept/Oct 1982). A Chinese Expedition across the Pamirs and Hindukush, A.D. 747, Aurel Stein. The Geographic Journal, 59:2, pp. 112-131 (Feb. 1922). Gernet, Jacque, J. R. Foster (trans.), Charles Hartman (trans.). A History of Chinese Civilization, (1996). Oresman, Matthew. Beyond the Battle of Talas: Chinas Re-emergence in Central Asia. Ch. 19 of In the tracks of Tamerlane: Central Asias path to the 21st Century, Daniel L. Burghart and Theresa Sabonis-Helf, eds. (2004). Titchett, Dennis C. (ed.). The Cambridge History of China: Volume 3, Sui and Tang China, 589-906 AD, Part One, (1979).

Chemistry Abbreviations Starting with W, X, Y, Z

Chemistry Abbreviations Starting with W, X, Y, Z Chemistry abbreviations and acronyms are common in all fields of science. This collection offers common abbreviations and acronyms beginning with the letter W, X, Y, or Z used in chemistry and chemical engineering. Chemistry Abbreviations Starting with the Letter W W - TungstenW - WattW5 - Which Was What We WantedWA - Weak AcidWAC - Weak Acid CationWB - Water BasedWB - Weak BaseWB - Weak BondWBA - Weak Base AnionWC - Water CosolventWCS - Worst Case ScenarioWD - Water DispersantWD - Water DisplacementWD - Wet/DryWIAP - Water In All PhasesWIN - Water Insoluble NitrogenWNA - World Nuclear AssociationWO - Weak OxidizerWP - White PhosphorusWPS - Water Phase SaltWR - Water RepellentWS - Wash SolutionWS - Water SolubleWSPI - Water-Soluble Phosphorous, InorganicWSPO - Water-Soluble Phosphorous, OrganicWSS - Water Soluble StabilizerWST - Weighted Settling TimeWSNZ - Water Soluble ZincWV - Water VaporWVDA - Water Vapor Diffusion AnalysisWVM - Water Vapor MonitorWVN - Water Vapor NitrogenWVP - Water Vapor PermeabilityWVT - Water Vapor TransportWW - Waste WaterWWIX - Waste Water Ion eXchangeWYOL - Write Your Own LabWYOLA - Write Your Own Lab AssignmentWYU - What You Use Chemistry Abbreviations Starting with the Letter X XAG - Silver Troy OunceXAU - Gold Troy OunceXAN - XANthineXDB - eXtra Dense BondingXe - XenonXLS - Xenon Light SourceXOD - Xanthine OxidaseXPD - Palladium Troy OunceXPT - Platinum Troy OunceXUM - X-ray Ultra-MicroscopeXYD - XYliDine Chemistry Abbreviations Starting with the Letter Y y - yoctoY - YottaY - YttriumYb - YtterbiumYBCO - Yttrium Barium Copper OxideYAG - Yttrium Aluminum GarnetYAP - Yield Analysis PatternYBG - Your Best GuessYCC - American Chemical Society Younger Chemists CommitteeYd - YardYIC - Yttrium Lithium FluorideYZN - Yellow ZiNc dichromate Chemistry Abbreviations Starting with the Letter Z z - zeptoZ - ZettaZn - ZincZB - Zinc BlendeZC - Zinc CompositeZCG - Zeolite Crystal GrowthZCR - Zinc ChromiumZCS - Zinc Coated SteelZDC - Zero Degrees KelvinZEKE - Zero Electron Kinetic EnergyZINC - Zinc Is Not CopperZK - Zero KelvinZP - Zero PressureZr - ZirconiumZRE - Zinc Responsive Element

Answer the following questions#2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer the following questions#2 - Essay Example The model gives exact video guidelines that can be easier to understand for students, since they can see organs that are not seen during actual conversations, as these organs move inside the mouth. The model also provides examples of words for practice pronunciation, where learners can feel how these organs work together in providing a specific sound(s) for a specific letter. Phonetics_Focus/. It has many applications that help students learn the English language, such as the Phonemic Reader. It shows the actual sounds of the consonants and vowels. It can guide students in seeing each letter, not just physically, but also audio-visually, in a phonemic way. The application also offers several games, such as the Phonemic Pelmanism. It asks students to match the phonetic spelling with the real spelling. The game helps readers practice what they know about phonemics already. There are also plenty of mobile applications that help children learn sounds and letters. These applications test learning too, which provides automatic feedback and positive reinforcement once kids learn them. I can use them to help students reinforce learning in class by doing tasks that they can do at home at their own pace and time. Information gap tasks are done orally by asking learners to determine differences between pictures, ordering sentences in stories, and restoring missing portions of maps and charts. I can use this game to help learners think about the uses of words in context. The advantages of the task are contextual learning of language and interactive learning. The disadvantages are possible lack of writing reinforcement and some students with poor vocabulary will struggle with the tasks. An example of the task is making an appointment game. I can use this game to help young learners understand the concept of time and time management. The advantages of the task are helping students understand the meaning of words in actual settings and

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 94

Case Study Example Reason being; they possess the following advantages: they have unlimited access to information; agents on the ground; and direct contacts with factories. However, the sad thing is that importers have to incur the high costs of permits, shipments and inventory taking before selling. As a merchant/retailer, he will be able to get supplies from the local companies, brand them and even improve the quality of the products. Thereafter, she would sell them at higher prices both locally and internationally. However, the disadvantage associated with this is that there will be minimal control of exports; more companies will join the market; this will lead to enhanced policies and restrictions thus reducing profit margins.(The Chinese Fireworks Industry-Revised: page215 ) 2. The suitable point for jerry to enter into the industry is like a merchant. Because the Chinese products are of inferior quality compared to those from Japan and Korea, as a merchant he will obtain supplies from various local factories. Subsequently, brand them and improve on their quality (The Chinese Fireworks Industry-Revised: pg 219). He could then setup wholesale booths in the countryside. Thereafter, peddlers and other small-scale dealers would source the commodities from the market and sell in the surrounding communities. Consequently, he would avoid the low-profit margins as a manufacturer and brand identity loss. Given the reasonably good quality of Chinese product and cheapness, branding and better quality fuse replacement of the same products would render them at higher sale prices (The Chinese Fireworks Industry-Revised: pg

Ludwig Feuerbach The Essence Of Christianity Religion Essay

Ludwig Feuerbach The Essence Of Christianity Religion Essay Feuerbachs own introduction to the second print of his The Essence of Christianity is as good an exposà © as any of both his intentions and the content of his book. His own comments on the style of his writing are insightful both with regard to the content of the book as of the Young Hegelian movement as a whole. Forms, it seems, encapsulates the direction which Hegelian thought seem to have taken. This sense of style seems both as a device by which Feuerbach distances himself from the at times tiresome and elaborate musings of the German philosophical tradition and as a means by which to demonstrate the immediate and down-to-earth conclusion he himself has drawn from studying the Christian faith. In doing so Feuerbach claims to walk a path wholly of his own making, far removed from the obfuscation associated with Hegels work. Style, then, is as much content as it is on the surface of things. It tells us both to whom the message is addressed and the context in which it is written. F euerbach is, perhaps as a result of his awareness of the to be resolved Hegelian dichotomy between form and content, highly self-conscious of the form he is taking in addressing his audience: I have never held, surely, the scholars to be the measure of true learning and of the art of writing; not those abstract and particular academic philosophers, but universal man instead. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and I have made a law of the highest level of clarity, simplicity and determinacy to the extent to which the subject matter allows it. I have done so in all my writing, including this one, in order that every educated and thinking man can at the very least understand the main point of my work.  [2]   Feuerbachs style is inherently democratic and adverse to the prevalent mandarinism of the German intelligentsia. It is a statement in and by itself. The suggestion Feuerbach is making is that this is the language of science. These are not subjective utterances of a particular individual but irrefutable truth arrived at by virtue of strict application of a thoroughly rational methodology. Feuerbachs posture is one of a levelheaded thinker who aspires to the elementary truth. A truth that is, as we shall see, not shrouded in the abstract mysteries of abstract thought, but instead claims to be commonplace. One only needs to look clearly at the world in order for the ghosts of speculative idealism to dissipate. Feuerbach is practising the art of artlessness. Many of those influenced by Feuerbach have tried to emulate this posture and it is probable that a large part of the success of The Essence of Christianity is due to it tone. Its tone must have been seductive to an ever increasing contingent of thinkers barred from having a place within the established order. The author of The Essence, so it seems, took a certain pride in his lack of social stature. After all, such rogue thinkers might well be more inclined to think outside the box, not needing to adorn their truths in order to make them acceptable to all. This pathos is certainly recognizable in our present and practically an idiom in popular culture. At the time of its publication, however, the feeling was such that The Essence had cleared new grounds. It was frequently said that The Essence had a liberating effect. It expressed double entendre implied the spirit of the age. Or at least the very least the spirit of a particular segment within the 19th century German speaking coun tries of Central Europe. A segment of society that was repressed and excluded and had now, finally, found a voice to call its own. Feuerbachs aim was to clear away the alienating representations of Christianity in order to gain an empiricism that allowed to clearly state the nature of reality. Feuerbach: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) weiter will meine Schrift nichts sein als eine sinngetreue ÃÅ"bersetzung bildlos ausgedrà ¼kt: eine empirisch- oder historisch-philosophische Analyse, Auflà ¶sung des Rà ¤tsels der christliche Religion.  [3]   (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) my book wants to nothing more than a translation that is true to the senses expressed without images: an empirical- or historical-philosophical analysis, resolution of the mystery of the Christian religion.  [4]   In the above Feuerbach makes clear his intent. He wants to strip bare the Hegelian dialectic into its most elementary form and overcome an idealism that is identified as being synonimous with the teachings of Christianity. The truth attained after decomposing Christianity will be immediate, sensual, and therefore without images. These words resemble those of an iconoclast, of someone wanting to empty the faith of all idolatry that stands in the way of truth. This is feeling is enhanced by Feuerbachs insistence that the Christianity which he shall tackle is not the same today as it was at the moment of its own genesis.  [5]  The original teachings of the Christian faith by Jesus have been steadily corrupted, according to Feuerbach, by subsequent interpretations and explanations of theologists. Theology has transformed Christianity into dogmas that are contradictory and unintelligible. The Essence is an attempt to retrieve the religion of Christianity from its theology, and Feuerbach makes a clear distinction between the two. Only after going back to this moment of authenticity within the Christian faith, that is, of the original myths surrounding the teachings of Jesus, can we hope to gain a new insight as to what these myths really imply. This explicit disapproval of theology in Feuerbachs writing is, as we shall see, consistent with a particular strand of anti-intellectualism expressed in The Essence. For Feuerbach believed that he had transcended not only the limitations of religion but those of philosophy as well. The Essence is itself therefore not a work of philosophy but of anthropology. In anthropology both religion and philosophy were superseded; it provided immediate, scientific, truths about human nature. By emphasizing that he was practicing another form of enquiry altogether Feuerbach tried to make more dramatic his break with both Christianity and the excesses of speculative philosophy as done by Hegel. Anthropology was believed to provide concrete results that could be empirically verified by basic human understanding, doing so in a commonsense language untainted by jargon. Anthropology dealt with humanity in general and had as a field of study, according to Feuerbach, something concrete and real. For humanity was undeniable since we ourselves were human. Feuerbach abhorred the tendency of idealist thought to reduce everything to the consciousness of the single mind. This, he thought, was an absurdity since much of what one calls ones own can be seen to be embodied by other human beings as well.  [6]  The human body was as a source of non-intellectual understanding, or feeling, shared by all members of the species.  [7]   So too was (historic) human culture a field for the creation of collective meaning by which those unalienable qualities of the human race could be represented. Feuerbach remained a Hegelian in seeing historical development of human culture in connection with the development of human consciousness. He too believed that the ideas and truths developed and represented in culture would, given time, be embodied by human consciousness. Feuerbach diverted from Hegel in seeing this development in terms of mans understanding of himself as member of a species. This understanding was expressed in highly naturalistic and empirical terms. With regard to Strauss, Feuerbach said not to be interested in the question of whether Jesus Christ had truly existed or not. Nor would Feuerbach critically interpret theology, a field in which he had no interest other than a feeling of disdain. What was of interest was the instantly recognizable myth told by the Biblical story of humanities redemption through Christ. This was the core around which the webs of mystification were spun. Just as the life and death of Christ was key in Hegels understanding of the Christian faith in being his philosophys other. So too was redemption, according to Feuerbach, the single most important event which had taken place in human history. Feuerbachs task was to take this myth and explain it in atheistic, anthropological, terms which directly reflected the hope and aspirations of humanity at large. This was not, however, to reduce or criticize the essence of faith. Rather, this methodology exhibited in The Essence was to scientifically explain the myth central to Christianity. In the understanding of the dialectic this meant that the content of the Bible, which was still marred by an excessive dependence on representation, could be brought on a higher plain of immediate understanding. In other words, although Christianity contained a truth, this truth was itself marred by Christianity. Christianity was in contradiction with itself, a contradiction that had to be resolved by its being superseded by anthropology. Feuerbach says of this: Ich (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) lasse die Religion sich selbst aussprechen; ich mache nur ihren Zuhà ¶rer und Dolmetscher, nicht ehren Souffleur.  [8]   I (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) let religion speak for it self; I am merely its audience and translator, not its critic.  [9]   Feuerbach, like Hegel, sees Christianity as a mirror of human consciousness. The qualities ascribed to Christianity are, in truth, the qualities of the human mind at a given time. Throughout The Essence the claim is repeated that faith is but an alienated manifestation of the self-as-species. The consciousness of God is the self-consciousness of mankind, the knowledge of God is the understanding of mankind. Religion is the first attempt towards self-consciousness. Yet it is in itself flawed; it remains an indirect self-consciousness through the manifestations of religion. Feuerbach writes in a sentence that could have been made by Hegel himself; Der Mensch verlegt sein Wesen zuerst außer sich, ehe er es in sich findet.  [10]   At first man misplaces his essence outside himself, before finding it within himself.  [11]   Everything that is to be found in religion can be found in actual human consciousness itself. Religion is constituted by reverence for alienated qualities of the self. Despite all its grandeur, religion has no content that is particular to its self. Religion is alienation itself and therefore made up around nothingness. This also explain the vague, indistinct, character of the omnipotent Christian God. God is said to embody all virtues of man, yet none in particular. God is everywhere, yet nowhere in particular. God knows everything, because he knows nothing in particular. According to Feuerbach the very notion of God is itself void: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) weil alle Dinge, die der Vernunft imponieren, vor der Religion verschwinden, ihre Individualità ¤t verlieren, im Auge der gà ¶ttlichen Macht nichts sind. Die Nacht is die Mutter der Religion.  [12]   (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) because all things, that are impressive to the mind, vanish before religion, lose their individuality, are nothing in the eyes of God. The night is the mother of religion.  [13]   Religion is itself the very movement by which man loses his own essence. That which enriches our conception of God makes our understanding of ourselves all the more poorer.  [14]  The two are directly related in that what benefits one deprecates the other. In the mirror house of representation that is religion, a strange shift has occurred the puts the world upside-down. God, the representation, has replace man as representans, that is, as the very source from which the representation was brought forth. Der Mensch dies ist das Geheimnis der Religion vergegenstà ¤ndlicht sein Wesen und macht dann wieder sich zum Gegenstand dieses vergegenstà ¤ndlichten, in ein Subjekt, eine Person verwandelten Wesens; er denkt sich, ist sich Gegenstand, aber als Gegenstand eines Gegenstands, eines andern Wesens. So hier. Der Mensch ist ein Gegenstand Gottes.  [15]   Man this is the secret of religion objectifies his being and then again transforms himself into an object in relation to his own objectification, into a subject, a essence changed into a person; he thinks himself, is object to himself, but as object to an object, another being. There you have it. Man is an object of God.  [16]   As was hinted at in the above, however, Christianity carries within itself a contradiction. According to Feuerbach this contradiction means the end of Christianity itself and has to do with the notion of love. Love was crucial in the story of redemption. In this Biblical narrative man is redeemed in the eyes of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus had died for our sins in the name of mankind in an act of love and so had brought us into union with God. A harmony had been restored. A new holy light shone upon mankind in which all men were henceforth assured of the love of God. Feuerbach that this was the message and myth central to Christianity; a myth that was still clearly visible after ages of theological corruption. But Feuerbach believed that love did not unify mankind but, instead, divided it into those having Gods grace and those lacking it. The notion of love, central to Christianity, narrowed the conception of who was man and who was not. In practice love had gained a negative meaning; it served to denote the faithful from the heathen.  [17]  Love, then, determined who was to be fought and annihilated. Im Glauben liegt ein bà ¶ses Prinzip, that is, in faith there rests an evil principle.  [18]  Love is, according to Feuerbach, an completely natural and distinctly human instinct. Love is one of the most compassionate, benign, qualities of man. Love serves to bridge the gap between subject and subject; it is by virtue of itself inter-personal. Yet Christianity had managed to pervert love and make it not into a unifying notion, but a dividing one. Christian love, then, furthered particularity and subjectiveness, preventing a higher dialectical union in universal objectivity. Feuerbach had granted love a moral dimension. To love mankind is a moral type of love, to love a single individual is a personal, subjective love.  [19]  The former unifies, the latter divides. For to love a single person is to excluse others from your love. Only universal love of man-as-species is moral. Since love of God is love that is particular it shows itself to be immoral. The love of God deprives mankind from the love of both other human beings and himself as a member of mankind. Christian love is therefore intricately connected not only with the image of those who do not receive it and are the enemy but also with the notion of self-hate. To love God is to alienate that which make you human and thus reduce oneself to something underserving of that very love. This is why the concept of sin in a post-Christian era would not make any sense. Sin exists by virtue of God, a God whom we have granted our most valuable and essential qualities. We are sinfull because we have alienated our essence unto God. To deny God is to reclaim those qualities. Since I cannot be in contradiction with myself, there is not higher authority, I cannot live in sin.  [20]   Christianity is essentailly intolerant and adverse to any true understanding of love. It denies that which it claims is its essence. Christianity, then, in the end, denies itself. This is what Feuerbach meant with the idea that to let Christainity speak for it self is to end it. It is a negativity that negates itself. Love has to be made universal. We should not say, as Feuerbach would have it, God is love, but Love is god.  [21]  God is our own universal nature that we have alienated through religion. Love is synonimous with universality itself. Feuerbach: Die wahre Liebe ist sich selbst genug; sie bedarf keiner besondern Titel, keiner Autorità ¤t. Die Liebe ist das universale Gesetz der Intelligenz und Natur sie ist nichts andres als die Verwirklichung der Einheit der Gattung auf dem Wege der Gesinnung.  [22]   True love is enough by virtue of itself; it needs not special titel, no authority. Love is the universal law of intelligence and nature it is nothing else but the realization of the unity of the species on the road of natural inclination.  [23]   Love is only free when it is universal, unrestrained by particularity. Only then can it serve as the means by which man recognizes himself-as-species. The notion of species is not a cold intellectual thought; the very energy of love, our most human of inclinations, is that which constitues our species-being.  [24]  The historical figure Jesus Christ is therefore nothing else but our species-being represented in a singular image. Since we are all human, and therefore part of humanity, so too are all of us Christ.  [25]   (The emperorss new clothes by Hans Christian Andersson as a metaphor for Stirners Ego and Its own; The Emperor (Feuerbach) is not wearing any clothes!)

Biblical Terms Used in Counseling Essay

Dr. William Roberts LaTonia Watkins Liberty University COUN 501 December 18, 2009 Abstract The topic of counseling has been up for discussion for sometime as it relates to the spiritual or biblical aspect versus the worldview or secular concept. There has been some disagreement in regards to whether or not one can be a Christian counselor who have a level of morals and ethics that will allow them to not let their own personal beliefs affect the level of service they provide, when faced with an issue that goes against their beliefs. Upon conducting a biblical word search for counsel or counseling related terms it becomes evident that the core principles and foundation of counseling is found throughout the bible. The information obtained will detail the usefulness of the Bible in engaging in a meaningful as well as effective counseling profession. Biblical Terms Used In Counseling There has been much dispute as to the usefulness and validity for using biblical concepts in counseling. The most common disagreement is found between counseling professionals and Christian counseling professionals. Pride (2006) states, â€Å"psychology approaches human behavior from a secular, humanistic perspective. † Accordingly, Biblical revelation is irrelevant to understanding or changing human behavior. Psychology seeks to describe and explain human behavior apart from what God has clearly revealed. Its premises are derived from man-made theories, human wisdom and research conducted without a corresponding search for truth as God defines truth. Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) have a different opinion of counseling and prefer using the Bible stating â€Å"secular psychology begins with a study of man’s ideas; Biblical counseling begins with a study of the Word of God as it relates to human behavior and human need. Therefore it is dependent upon the revealed mind of God rather than the easily deceived mind of man. † However it does not begin with God, it follows a path that lines up with the Word of God and examines man’s problems in light of God’s responses. The two aforementioned viewpoints are clear cut examples of the differences in opinions and viewpoints for counseling from a secular perspective as well as the religious perspective. Another view of counseling attempts to integrate religion/biblical views or perspectives with psychological counseling which is known as the secular-humanist view. Some view counseling as a process of prayerfully and sensitively listening to another person (Proverbs 18:13, 17), helping discern soul needs and providing biblical advice towards changing the attitudes and behaviors towards modeling God. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the validity of the Bible as a source for counseling and to expand the overall view of counseling perspectives. By examining words and concepts in the Bible as they relate to counseling the relationship between the two will be discovered. Using Biblical concepts adds depth and enriches the counseling relationship (Pride, 2006). Also addressed in this paper will be the ways of Biblical terms and their relationship to modern counseling concepts. Biblical counseling terms can provide a useful tool for counseling as well as allows for an understanding of counseling concepts in the field of counseling. Biblical Words Related to Counseling Counsel The term counsel is found to be translated 80 times throughout the King James Version of the bible which includes 74 verses between the Old Testament and the New Testament combined. According to the word search the term counsel is used interchangeably with several terms in the bible such as advise (Qal), consult (Nipal) and conspire (Hithpael). Judges 18:5 â€Å"They said, ‘Oh, good- inquire of God for us. Find out whether our mission will be a success. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ In this passage they are seeking (consult) God for his guidance (advise) in regards to the outcome of their mission. I Kings 12:8-9 â€Å"But he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he’d grown up with who were now currying his favor, ‘What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, give us a break from your father’s harsh ways- lighten up on us’? † This passage also shows an example of someone seeking advice in their situation. Mark 3:6 â€Å"The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him. † This scripture details how the Pharisees consulted together and decide that they would join forces with Herod’s followers and go against Jesus. John 18:14 â€Å"It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people. † In this scripture Caiaphas is advising (counseling) the people on Jesus dying for the people. Advise The word advise has 947 different translations in 873 versus in the King James Version of the Bible and is derived from the Hebrew word ya-ats, meaning to know, learn to know, to perceive, see and discern, to name a few. These translations were only referenced to the Old Testament according to Blue Letter Bible; however after cross referencing with Crosswalk, New Testament scriptures were listed as well. Exodus 18:19 â€Å"Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. † This scripture details Moses father in law advising him to be there for the people, however to allow God to handle everything and work things out for them. I Kings 12:6 â€Å"King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father when he was alive. ‘What’s your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the people? ’† In this scripture the King is seeking to be counseled and advised from the elders as to how he should treat the people. Acts 21:21 â€Å"They’ve been told that you advise believing Jews who live surrounded by Gentiles to go light on Moses, telling them that they don’t need to circumcise their children or keep up the old traditions. This isn’t sitting at all well with them. † In this scripture they are discussing getting advise as to whether they should follow the traditional teachings of Moses and allow their children to be circumcised or if they should go against tradition. Help The word help appears 126 times in 117 versus throughout the King James Version of the Bible the Old and New Testament according to Blue letter Bible. Help is listed as to help (Qal), succor (Niphal), or support (Hiphil) which is defined as to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; to contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; to cooperate effectively (Webster 2005). Genesis 2:18 â€Å"God said, ‘It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion. ’† In this scripture help is being used in the form of God giving Adam a companion in order for him to no longer be alone. Mark 9:24 â€Å"No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, ‘Then I believe. Help me with my doubts! ’† In this scripture the father of the demon possessed boy was seeking Jesus’ help with casting the demon out of his son. The father was acknowledging that he had a need of Jesus and that he knew that Jesus could help him, although a part of him had doubts, I would venture to say it was because the disciples had tried to cast the demon out of the boy and were unable to do so. Advice The word advice appears 9 times in 9 versus in the King James Version of the Bible and is derived from the Hebrew word dabar, meaning speech, word, speaking, thing. II Samuel 19:43 â€Å"And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said , We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. † In this scripture they are seeking advice as to why they were not sought out first as to the decision regarding bringing back the king. I Corinthians 1:10 â€Å"I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. † In this scripture Paul is giving the people advice on getting along with each other and learning to be considerate. Discussion After completing this assignment and getting the information and knowledge gained from this course I can say that my view of counseling has changed. Although I have read the bible many times, and I am taking up Professional Counseling, it did not occur to me until this assignment how the bible is definitely the foundation for any counseling practice. When you look at some of the terms used to describe Jesus in the text,( i. e. Master, Teacher, Counselor, etc. ) it puts things in to perspective as to where the foundation of counseling began. Jesus is the central focus of counseling and the exemplar of the Wonderful Counselor. The Bible is about counseling, giving both understanding of people and methods of ministering to people. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom is the only worthy goal of counseling. (Carson, 2005). The Bible is authoritative, relevant and comprehensively sufficient for counseling. God has spoken to every issue that humans could possible face in the 66 Books of the Bible, which establishes the goal of counseling, how to change, what the role of the counselor is, counseling methods and so much more. The Bible’s view of counseling defines a distinctive ideal for how we as humans should live. The image of Christ is a familiar item in Christian profession, but its implications are often ignored when it comes to counseling. Much of the difficulty of counseling consists in sustaining suffers in hope through the comforts of the gospel. Counseling is simply the personalized ministry of the Bible, tailored to the particular situations and problems of individuals and small groups. In Genesis, God led the way when he was talking to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden regarding the decision they made to disobey his word and follow the serpent. Although this is a clear cut example of God counseling the two (advising, consulting, teaching, helping, etc. ), I don’t think we (society) really looks at this situation in regards to a counseling aspect. Models of spiritual counseling in the Bible can serve as important templates for counseling in the professional (secular) as well as the Christian aspects. The emphasis on communication and relationships implies the concept of involvement which is dependent on availability to council (Acts 20:31) and the importance of balance in the process of counseling, (Galatians 6:2 and 6:5). Conclusion There are so many more words that are found in the counseling sector that are used throughout the Bible this paper only included a few. Hathaway (2009) talks about Proverbs and Psalms being gold mines of wisdom and consolation relevant to counseling. The words from the Bible relating to counseling enhances counseling and are deemed appropriate as they relate to counseling outside the Christian realm. A concern that arose while doing the research is that the Biblical counseling aspect is non-subjective and refers to the counsel and the instructive power of God through the Holy Spirit. Biblical words in counseling are the foundation from where counseling stems, which reiterates that there is nothing new under the sun as it relates to what can be found in the Word of God. McMinn (1996 )states scripture and the counseling approach God enjoins, treats all of human life. The Bible’s counseling, on which we must seek to model our own counseling, speaks to the gamut of problems in living. Scripture comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable, turning people from foolishness to wisdom in every area: e. g. , learning to conciliate and to build constructive relationships in family, church, workplace, and neighborhood; attitudes and practices regarding finances and material possessions; responding to physical health or illness, to wealth or poverty, to success or failure, to acceptance or rejection; self-and other deception; addictive behaviors; the gamut of emotions, whether dysphoric (e. . , anger, depression, anxiety, fear, guilt) or euphoric (e. g. , love, happiness, joy, gratitude, confidence); decision-making; the response to suffering and bereavement; and so forth. In relation to using the Bible as a counseling tools it is best summed by Walker (2005) the Bible is sufficient to provide a systematic approach to counseling. The Bible pr ovides and models both counsel and counseling, teaching us to do likewise, with the intention of changing and sustaining people.

Indigenous Tradition Essay

In the past people have mistaken about their tradition Indigenous originality or occurring naturally (country, region etc) To be indigenous kinship (relation to one another) and location(connection of particular place) Indigenous religion beliefs, experience and practices concerning non-falsifiable realities of people who have kinship and location Syncretism: Syncretism merging of elements from different religions. Eg : north American tradition have been influenced by Christianity, some African rituals are influences by Islam. * Change occurs everywhere. * Traditions are less authentic (accurate) than thousands year ago Indigenous can be found anywhere: * Anishinaubae: drumming ceremony in Toronto * Yoruba: Funeral rites in London * Maori: Purification ritual in opera house Sydney Australia Misconceptions * Common to Indigenous traditions is colonialism * Oglala (Indigenous community) –> a theorist explained them as â€Å"warriors without weapons basically they were incapable to adapting a new economy lifestyle they focused on how to make them â€Å"modern Indians† * Outsider lack insider knowledge. * Scholars often used terms such as fetish, myth, mana, taboo to explain Indigenous traditions. * Eg â€Å" Indigenous stories are called myth where the bible is considered to be true. Primitive Cultures that are unchanged from the beginning primitive Christians, who believed in god and their tradition, had superiority and began to spread their religion to who didn’t know about gospel Indigenous traditions are tend to think more primitive — Due to non-literate * But writing to not better than oral speaking * Mayan did use writing * Most Indigenous people are very literate. Indigenous tradition are tend to think more primitive – consider everything to be sacred (untrue) * Eg : Navajo : ceremony that transforms normal house into a scared place. So everything such as eating, sleeping is considered to be sacred. * Australian aborigine knows where to pray(know the difference between sacred and non sacred mountains) Primitive term is now disagreeing by many scoloars Mohawk and Cree (Dr Clare Brant) Mohawk: Indigenous traditions who give more food to their guest to show their wealth. Cree: Indigenous tradition who eat all the food offered to show scarcity. These two traditions did not go well together and this shows that Indigenous traditions are different from each other. Another point is that we see other cultures according to our own cultures. Gender roles: * Male: hunting and warfare * Female: healing and food preparation * Maori carvers were men and weavers were women. Bunu men frow cotton and women turn it into clothes. * Sometimes the roles switch just like other traditions * Usually religions practices are different for men and woman too. Power of speech Oral speaking is very imp for Indigenous traditions things are passed down oraly. Many people think oral primitive (untrue). Both Quran and Bible was passed down orally before written into text Stories : After life : * Kewa: a man finds a tunnel where his dead people wre living together and they gave them many things and asks him not to speak of it. When he goes and tell everyone about the tunnel, he breaks the promise and when he returns the tunnel is gone. * Anishinaubae : young man fiance died, and he go on a journey to find her and when he found her , he returns home heartbroken, keeping his promise. * These stories tell us about importance of relationships tell us about how we should live than about dying Writing stores often â€Å"fixed in time†. Trickster: * Considered as â€Å"culture heroes† because they are the central figures in many stores * Usually shape shift usually into animals * Can change genders sometime biological and sometime just clothes changing * Outer form is reflected into infidelity * They can appear as fools, selfish, kind, scandalous etc. * Usually driven by self interest alone * Trickster stores show us how we should behave and how we should not * The stories often explain the origins of world and connect to a community more deeply. * Embodies the extremes of humanity: human weakness and strength Practice (rituals). Indigenous tradition rituals are very similar to our traditions * Rituals remind us on what is imp in our life. * In religious terms, rituals, communicate some ways with gods, ancestor and spirits. * Rituals are roots in the human needs and relationship Rituals : * Every rituals varies * Usually involves food Muslim and Jews have specific food eating habits * Many Buddhist set food portions aside for ancestors * Anishinaubae put small amount of food for the spirits * Some rituals are more complicated * Such as marriage, death, birth * Sometimes these rituals mark transformation and sometimes they help to bring the transformation about. * Indigenous tradition rituals serve in some ways to recreate some aspects of the world, order and life Journey: * Going on a journey/quest: rites of passage * Journey to a new place is where a transformation occurs. * The person returns home with physical change, such as tattoo, scar or a body part to symbolize their new self. * Pondos: moved into a special hut to become sacred healers- if they go into town before they must be covered in white * White usually symbolize the color of transformation in Africa * Anishinaubae vision quest – yong man travels far away from home only with water and be completely alone. Then late he become a â€Å"adult man† and comes home with food and the ritual is complete . Sacrifice Mel Gibson: sacrifices in Indigenous traditions are vey common Bear sacrifice: raise a young cub, and raise it for two day and kill it. Head is emptied and filled with flowers and then the animal is cooked and eaten. They think that the bear is the gold’s spirit and they see it as freeing the spirit. Sun dance : dance till days and community provide support. Some sun dance involves sacrifice . the pole and lodge are buil to show the creation of the world Nuer : sacrifice ox for healing. Xhosa : when a woman fall ill the community gathers and kill a cow and do many rituals. This is due their thinking that the ancestor or spirit is angry with the women. * above rituals shows the involvement of community even though there is sacrifice involved. * The rituals ultimately brings people together * Sacrifice like rituals create order and meaning * Those rituals join people to the past and respond to current situation Cultural Expression What you see is not always what you get Art in Indigenous traditions is aout relationship objects are coonected to people Weaving : * Intertwine and connect * Weavers work together , helping one another , passing knowledge. * Shows bonds among people Maori Tradition : * All weavers are female * A girl is said all about weaving more said more discouraged if people saw true commitment then they let the girl into whare pora(caretakers of the weaving) * Whare pora have rules no sex before dying, no food allowed during weaving, special garment should be weaved during the day and not strangets can view the weaving * Traditional colors : black, red and white * Sacred thread is sewed on all garments to show the bond Underlying cloth : * Clothing declare who we are and how we fit into social fabric * Has two side : can hide much as it reveals and help us create a public face * Lady gaga : he masks and clothes hide part of her but also reveals her identity that she wishes to show * Special clothes are associated with imp rituals * Bunu : believes that the special clothes are kind of womb, enveloping the body as like a fetus is being born. Clothing only wears it does not die old cloth is replaces by new, as old spirits is reborn Spirit basket : * Oldest arts * In pomo community men makes the heavy basket for hunting and fishing * Women were responsible for religious baskets. * Mable mckey : was a traditional healer in pomo community and famous basket weaver in the world. Masks : * Masks are used in imp rituals wedding , funerals, hunting celebration etc * Masks are ment to ring spirit into the community lesser deities (gods) * Mask represent certain animals does not mean they worship the animal * Epa mask in Yoruba community extremely heavy show the strength require to dance with the mask and enter the adult hood with responsibility. * Carvers are usualy male Totem poles : * Very specific to each communities * Function of totem poles also varies in each tradition. * Meaning varies serve as a supporting structure or grave makers and other as a symbol for power * Most also tell stories such as historical, achievements and religious * Grizzly bear at the base holding a human represents self-preservation or survival. Moko * Maori carvings are less likely to be displayed outside the original physical context * Moko tattoos * In the beginning the women were only allowed tattoos around their lips and chin where men can have tattoos all over their face * Moko story remind the Maori people their ancestor and importance of meeting ones obligation and treating one another with respect Ancestoral House. * Marae Maori religious and social home. Site of wedding , funeral, celebration. * Authority is held by community elders where they use the space to pass n traditions, stories and arts, carving, weaving. * If the artist when wrong painting the place, they could be put to death. * Location is very imp it must be located in a place where the previous generation carried out the religious and social activities. * Whare Whakairo physical form which represents the body of the ancestor * The building is divided into body parts of the ancestor Three points and Shrine : * Some traditions are very plain, harder for an outsider to see * Three issues : * Most rituals are performed outside * Think bout the function of religious structures that are used in the rituals * What you see is not often what you get * Mbari shrine : represents the founder of the community, a great healer and was forced to flee because they were attacked by another community. Elder stands her to protects the shrine all the time. * The guard signify the change modern development Hogans * Navajo Hogan traditional living space as well as the site for many rituals. * It is the site for daily activities and some are religious and some are not * Before new Hogan is occupied a song is performed. * Known as Blessing way ceremony four divining earth, mountain woman, water woman, corn woman also the song speaks everyday things * According to them world is structure – Hogan All these things symbolizes: * Link btw past and present * Btw community and place * Btw our world and world of spirits Colonialism * Colonialism process where people from one place maintain a settlement in another and to the effects of people who were already there. * Changes include – subjugation or removal , new laws, social practices and new economy. * Power and profit are factors that drive colonialism. * Religion is also one of the reason Colombus : * He destroyed a community Arawaks * He wanted to tell him where the gold was people who gave him gold were left alive and people who didn’t were killed(by cutting hands) * Then he realized that the most valuable are the people, so he sent them back to Europe by the boat land. Genocides : * 20 million African were taken as slave and only 11 million returned * 96% od aboriginals were dead in Australia * factors of depopulation : military action, torture, starvation, suicide and slavery. * More aboriginals are killed when the Americans want more land Masters of continent : * As settler population growed the indigenous population reduced less friendly for land * Terra nullius no ones land was the phrase that European settlers used no owner ship primitive – they do not count as people Conversion : * Many converted to different religion due to colonialism * In Indonesia indigenous tradition is not recognized by lay so all are counted as muslim Loss of religion : * Europeans tried to convert them into chistianity rarely worked * Europeans used military strengeth and religion â€Å"our people is tronger because our god is stronger â€Å" * Missionaries. * Also sometimes the colonial government made the indigenous religion illegal * Eg : potlatch and sundance was made illegal –? Die to the felf harm and economic hardship is potlatch(poverty) * Colonialism lead to patriarchy The potlatch : * Feast that are hosted by a family and hosting family presents the guests with gifts * Demonstrate hospitality and redistributing wealth. Loss of language : * Colonialism language disappeared forever * 20 languages extinct * when communities died, the languages died with them * children’s were forbidden to speak their own languages â€Å"Stolen generation† Loss of Land: * Many religious and indigenous land were taken and was destroyed * Two problems that non-indigenous people had: * Very common belief, no specific belief and are mostly about practice * Religion such as Christians can pray anywhere but indigenous people had to pray at a specific site Identity : (the sympols of indeginous people in sports) * Cleveland Indians play at Atlanta braves : it’s a reminder of ongoing colonialism that has been taken from the indigenous people. * Indigenous oriented names : â€Å"eskimo pie† to market the products evoke a primitive stereotype that is best suited for the product.