Law and Religion free essay sample

Law and Religion 4/19/2012 Laws of General Applicability and Their Effect on Religion in America In 1990 the doctrinal landscape of free exercise was greatly altered by the groundbreaking case, Employment Division v. Smith. Prior to Smith, Federal free exercise cases were governed only by the opinion in Sherbert v. Verner. This required any law which placed a substantial burden on the exercise of religion be formed in the least restrictive fashion and to be justified by a compelling state interest. However in Smith the court articulated a new test for laws that placed a substantial burden on the free exercise of religion, holding that the law need not be supported by a compelling state interest so long as the law is neutral and of general applicability. In the analysis below I wish to first address the religiously burdensome laws upheld under the Smith test, requiring only neutrality and general applicability, without regard to a compelling state interest, and second, what laws following the decision in Smith were still shot down notwithstanding their neutrality and general applicability. We will write a custom essay sample on Law and Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The establishment clause in the Constitution states that congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion. In Lemon v. Kurtzman it was established that in order for a law to pass under the establishment clause it must have a secular governmental purpose, its primary effect must not be to advance or inhibit religion and lastly the law must not result in excessive governmental entanglement. What we are primarily interested in for the purpose of our analysis however, is the second clause of the first amendment requiring that the government not prohibit the free exercise of religion. Post Smith, under the free exercise clause at common law, a law must only be neutral and of general applicability to survive a constitutional analysis, even where the law substantially burdens religion and the compelling governmental interest standard is not met. In the following discussion we will address what laws have survived under this test and the effect they have had on religion in America. Religiously Burdensome Laws Upheld, and their Consequent Impact on Religion As stated above, it was in Employment Division v. Smith that the court first implemented this standard of neutrality and general applicability. In Employment Division v. Smith, Alfred Smith and Galen Black who were both members of the Native American Church and counselors at a private drug rehabilitation clinic were fired because they had ingested peyote, a powerful hallucinogenic drug, as part of their religious ceremonies. At that time intentional possession of peyote was a crime under Oregon law without an affirmative defense for religious use. The majority opinion in Smith stated that although ordinarily a religiously burdensome law only survives constitutional scrutiny if there is a compelling state interest, when the law applies to everyone equally and the intent behind the law is not to regulate the exercise of religion, a compelling state interest is not required. Under this standard there is no room for the individualized consideration of the reasons a person might have for using peyote. In Smith the Supreme Court has sharply limited scrutiny of incidental burdens in the context of religion. The opinion states that if it permitted a wide approach to prohibiting religiously burdensome laws, it would be too easy for citizens to evade a multitude of important laws. This approach would run contrary to public policy and the very reason that we have a society governed by laws in the first place. Another famous utilization of this standard was in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez. Here a student organization, the Christian Legal Society, required members to subscribe to a Statement of Beliefs and refrain from certain proscribed behaviors, including homosexuality. The school subsequently refused to recognize the group as a student organization pursuant to its Nondiscrimination policy. Following this, CLS sued the school alleging that the policy conflicted with the group’s constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. The court rejected CLS’s free exercise argument, stating that the Nondiscrimination Policy did not single out religious beliefs, but rather was neutral and of general applicability. In this case the application of the Smith standard is perhaps less informative then it was in Smith. Here we are not only using the standard to burden religion, as it was in Smith, but also as a tool to protect against discrimination. With the additional force of Civil Rights available to swell its ranks, the full extent of the standards power is perhaps not visible, however this case does illustrate a new and innovative application of this concept that Smith had first brought to the table. Laws That Failed Because of the Burden They placed on Religion In Lemon v. Kurtzman we saw that in order for a law to pass under the establishment clause it must have a secular governmental purpose, its primary effect must not be to advance or inhibit religion and lastly the law must not result in excessive governmental entanglement. Ordinarily a religiously burdensome law would only be upheld if it survived the strict scrutiny test. However Smith changed this level of review in cases where the law in question was neutral and generally applicable. In Church of Lukumi v. City of Hialeah the U. S Supreme Court held that a religiously burdensome ordinance passed in Hialeah Florida failed the neutrality requirement of the Smith standard and subsequently did not pass strict scrutiny as was required. The Florida ordinance forbade the unnecessary killing of an animal in a public or private ritual or ceremony not for the primary purpose of food consumption. as unconstitutional. The law was enacted soon after the city council of Hialeah learned that the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, which practiced Santeria, was planning on locating there. Santeria is a religion practiced in the Americas by the descendants of Africans; many of its rituals involve animal sacrifice. The church filed a lawsuit in United States district court for the Southern District of Florida, seeking for the Hialeah ordinance to be declared unconstitutional. Adhering to the opinion in Smith, the lower court held that the law was in fact constitutional because it supported a legitimate and rational governmental interest. This application of the Smith standard did not require the law to pass the strict scrutiny test because it was a neutral law of general applicability. In the U. S. Supreme Court however this decision was reversed and the limits of the Smith standard were clearly defined. The Supreme Court held that while it was true that the law was technically neutral and generally applicable, there was more to be looked at in such cases. The court held that the surrounding facts of the case must also be taken into account in deciding if a law was neutral, and that in this case the law was clearly targeted at the Santerian Church, being that it was passed in anticipation of the church’s arrival and prohibited one of the church’s core practices. Furthermore the court pointed out that there really was no one else whom the law would effect, thus making it exclusively applicable, rather than generally applicable. Following this realization the court held the nature of this case to mandate a standard of strict scrutiny, requiring the law to be justified by a compelling governmental interest, and to be narrowly tailored to advance that interest. Because the ordinance suppressed more religious conduct than was necessary to achieve its stated ends, it was promptly deemed unconstitutional. What we see from this case is that in utilizing the Smith standard the court is not to rigidly adhere to the technical language of neutral and generally applicable without looking at a law’s motive and practical effect. This opinion, it would seem, was a step in the direction of legal realism, requiring legal standards to take into account the bigger picture rather then adhering to strict and easily manipulated technical language. Another important case that highlights the neutral element of the Smith standard is Watchtower Society v. Village of Stratton. In this case The Village of Stratton, Ohio promulgated an ordinance that, among other things, prohibited canvassers from going in and upon private residential property to promote any cause without first obtaining a permit from the mayors office by completing and signing a registration form. The ordinance imposed criminal sanctions on canvassing or soliciting without a license. The Jehovahs Witnesses, a religious group that publishes and distributes religious materials, sought injunctive relief, alleging that the ordinance violates its First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion, free speech, and freedom of the press. While at first the lower courts held that the ordinance did pass intermediate scrutiny, the Supreme Court in an 8-1 vote reversed this decision arguing that the law was still unconstitutional. The court held that the law failed even intermediate scrutiny as it placed too great a burden on free speech and the free exercise of religion. Again we see in this case that while subsequent courts adhered to the application of intermediate scrutiny with respect to neutral laws of general applicability, they expanded the scope of what it was that neutrality covered in the first place. First in Church of Lukumi  v. City of Hialeah where the court extended the neutrality standard to exclude laws even with only a non-neutral motive, and then again in Watchtower Society v. Village of Stratton which additionally took into account the practical effect a law would have on free speech and religion. This type of progression is common in our legal system today and represents the ability of laws and legal concepts to evolve and be fine tuned with each new application of their precepts. Specific Exceptions Granted to Religiously Burdensome Laws On the other hand, there are some cases in which the Court allowed a religious motivation to exempt a person from a neutral, generally applicable law. This occurs when the courts find a particular group of people on whose religion a law not only imposes but also to whom the central purpose and policy of the law does not apply. In such cases the courts have been known to grant localized exceptions to the law. In Wisconsin v. Yoder, Jonas Yoder, Wallace Miller and Adin Yutzy, all members of the Old Order Amish religion, were prosecuted under a Wisconsin law that required all children to attend public schools until age 16. The three parents refused to send their children to such schools after the eighth grade, arguing that high school attendance was contrary to their religious beliefs. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that an individuals interests in the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment outweighed the States interests in compelling school attendance beyond the eighth grade. In the majority opinion by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, the Court found that the values and programs of secondary school were in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion, and that an additional one or two years of high school would not produce the benefits of public education cited by Wisconsin to justify the law’s application. Justice William O. Douglas filed a partial dissent but joined with the majority regarding Yoder. While the law in question was neutral and generally applicable it did not pass intermediate scrutiny with respect to the Amish. If it had been just an imposition on their religious practices, even the Amish would have been held to the law, but because the law’s central purpose didn’t apply in the first place, with regards to the Amish, an exception was deemed necessary. Following the Supreme Court Ruling in Wisconsin v. Yoder all states are required to grant the Old Order Amish the right to establish their own schools (should they choose) or to withdraw from public institutions after completing eighth grade. In some communities Amish parents have continued to send their children to public elementary schools even after Wisconsin v. Yoder and in most places tensions have eased considerably after the Supreme Court ruling. The Evolution of the Smith Standard and its Effect on Religion Today Initially the Smith standard was viewed with much apprehension by the religious community and its advocates. It was seen to grant the court a new less restrictive power to burden religion, a power that could prove to extend and grow, a power that if left untended could have a substantial negative effect on religion in America. However as the standard stands today, even its critics would agree that these fears have proven to be largely unfounded, and that its predicted harm had been grossly overestimated. Smith introduced a novel concept. While a law that burdens religion ordinarily must pass strict scrutiny, a neutral law of general applicability need only pass intermediate scrutiny. The policy behind this standard being an assurance that laws do not target religion and are not created in an attempt to restrict religious practice. It is this policy and mindset that has guided subsequent judges in their attempt to define the limits of this standard, and it was only in the standard’s repeated application to an ever changing combination of circumstances that the definition has efficiently evolved. From the simple application of the concept’s language, in Smith, where a neutral and generally applicable law happens to burden religion, to the advanced modern analysis of what neutrality really should include, in Church of Lukumi and Watchtower, we now have a clear, historically fine-tuned precedent, guiding us in the application of this novel standard, one which we can be sure will only continue to evolve in the future. [ 1 ]. Harvard Journal of Law and Public policy: A Matter of Constitutional Luck (spring 2003) [ 2 ]. Sherbert v. Verner,  374 U. S. 398  (1963) [ 3 ]. Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U. S. 872 (1990) [ 4 ]. The Constitution of The United States,† Amendment 1 [ 5 ]. Lemon v. Kurtzman,  403 U. S. 602  (1971) [ 6 ]. Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U. S. 872 (1990) [ 7 ]. Id. [ 8 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Employment_Division_v. _Smith [ 9 ]. Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U. S. 872 (1990) [ 10 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Employment_Division_v. _Smith [ 11 ]. Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, 561 U. S. ,130 S. Ct. 2971, 177 L. Ed. 2d 838 (2010 [ 12 ]. Id. [ 13 ]. Id. [ 14 ]. Id. [ 15 ]. Id. [ 16 ]. Lemon v. Kurtzman,  403 U. S. 602  (1971) [ 17 ]. Church of Lukumi  Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 508 U. S. 520 (1993) [ 18 ]. Id. [ 19 ]. Id. [ 20 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Church_of_Lukumi_Babalu_Aye_v. _City_of_Hialeah [ 21 ]. Church of Lukumi  v. City of Hialeah, 508 U. S. 520 (1993) [ 22 ]. Id. [ 23 ]. Id. [ 24 ]. Watchtower Society v. Village of Stratton,  536 U. S. 150  (2002) [ 25 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Watchtower_Society_v. _Village_of_Stratton [ 26 ]. Watchtower Society v. Village of Stratton,  536 U. S. 150  (2002) [ 27 ]. Wisconsin v. Yoder,  406 U. S. 205  (1972) [ 28 ]. http://www. oyez. org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_110 [ 29 ]. Id. [ 30 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wisconsin_v. _Yoder

Beatle Mania essays

Beatle Mania essays From the classical days of Mozart and Beethoven to the present day's 50 cent and Britney Spears, popular music has evolved from simple performances to a multi-billion dollar industry. The form of popular music itself has changed as well, ranging from the jazzy tunes of Billie Holiday to the rock-and-roll style of Aerosmith. Each artist has brought about a new sensation, a new twist to how things were done, which affected the artists to come. However, there is only one group that has single handedly reshaped an entire genre of music, and has become more popular than any before its time. The Beatles' repertoire of astounding music, their reshaping of rock-and-roll, and their affect on how things in the music industry were done have proven them to be the most significant people in the history of the world. The Beatles' countless hit singles have become modern-day folk songs, covered by hundreds of individuals and groups, and have sold more copies than those of any other band in history. Each album has its own style, none like the one before it, so their songs appeal to just about everyone. When one looks back to the 1960's, what does one think about? The Vietnam war and its resulting hippie protesters, the spawn of the Civil Rights movement, and the assassination of JFK all come to mind, as well as one more thing: Beatle Mania. The Beatles were an all-out craze amongst the youth of the 1960's, where thousands upon thousands of teens would attend their concerts only to scream in joy, drowning out the music they came to hear in the first place. The Beatles were everywhere: in the newspapers, on the radio and television, and on the bedroom walls of teenage girls. Their popularity was so widespread that full-length feature films, such as Hard Day's Night and Help!, dazzled on the silver screen featuring their music and their faces. In addition to being immensely popular, The Beatles also changed the...

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Popular resistance SC3037C - Essay Example Knowing and understanding the relationship between the narratives and the perceptions which some Muslims may hold can certainly help policing protest movements and help in controlling a situation that could spiral out of control. A Muslim empire was more or less firmly established during the lifetime of the founder of the religion, i.e. Muhammad, but the golden age of the empire came a few centuries later when the Muslims had expanded their region and spread their religion from India to Africa and even into Europe as a Spanish Muslim region was formed. In this manner, the Muslims are perhaps unique amongst the major religions of the world since their empire was founded in the name of religion but divided on national lines overtime (Petersen, 2005). Even then, religion remained important and still continues to be so. While many of the narratives today focus on the battles which the Muslims have had with ‘non-believers’ in the past, the historic narratives also focus on discovery, learning and being objective in scientific experiments (Rochberg, 1992). Sardar (2004) discusses this very topic and reports that: â€Å"The Koran devotes almost one-third of its contents to singing the praises of scientific knowledge. The first Koranic word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad is: "Read." It is a basic tenet of Muslim belief that the material world is full of signs of God; and these signs can be deciphered only through rational and objective inquiry. ‘Acquire the knowledge of all things’ the Koran advises its readers; ‘Say: O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge’ (Sardar, 2004, p. 28)†. From a religion which devotes itself to peace and the search of knowledge, the narratives about Islam today are clearly more focused on the militant aspect of the religion in which victory means the blessings of god while martyrdom means seventy virgins in paradise (Turner, 1999). This changing narrative means that if the story of Islam can be retold and given to the Muslims

Dax's biography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dax's biography - Research Paper Example She believed that the treatments were going well even if her son did not believe these treatments to be effective (Burns, 2005). More importantly, Ada believed that God wanted her son to live and to fulfill his responsibilities to Him. And she clung to the belief that if God really wanted his son to die then he would have let him die. In the meantime, all efforts to keep him alive must be done, even if these methods were against Dax’s will and even if these methods caused him considerable pain and suffering (Burns, 2005). In understanding Ada’s position, the normative ethics is the most appropriate theory which can be used. Normative ethics â€Å"is devoted to identifying the conditions under which actions are morally right, or motives and intentions are morally good† (Shafer-Landau and Cuneo, 2007, p. 1). It is concerned with a person’s actions being morally right and good. In the case of Ada, she believed that it was morally right and proper to keep Dax alive for him to fulfill his duties to God. Normative ethics is focused on identifying the conditions where actions are deemed right, and motives are deemed wrong (Shafer-Landau and Cuneo, 2007).... The teleological theory can be used in order to justify Houston’s actions. Teleological is derived from the Greek word â€Å"telos† which means â€Å"ends† (Wittjen, 2003). This theory considers, more than anything else, the end goals of certain actions, or in some instances, the consequences of one’s actions. For Houston, his actions can be supported by this theory in the sense that his actions support the ends he wanted to achieve. He wanted to keep Dax alive because Dax would stand to gain in the end. The ends he wanted to seek, therefore justifies his actions of wanting to keep Dax alive. C. Dr. Charles Baxter Dr. Baxter believed initially that Dax’s request to die was due to his feelings of severe pain and shock. He believed that Dax lacked the mental capacity to make the right decision about his care. In considering the entire situation, Dr. Baxter believed that Dax’s actions were just related to his attempts to control his environment and therefore it was his job to provide medical care to the best of his duty (Burns, 2005). Dr. Baxter’s actions can be supported by the deontological theory. Deontology is based on the word â€Å"deonto† which means â€Å"duty† in Greek (Wittjen, 2003). This theory is based on a person’s duties and responsibilities and how people should act based on such duties and responsibilities. In this case, actions are based on these duties and these duties shall guide and designate whether or not a person is acting based on such duties (Wittjen, 2003). In the case of Dr. Baxter, his actions are based on his duties and responsibilities. His duty and responsibility is to provide medical care to Dax because he believed that Dax was not thinking logically. He felt

The effect of Leader Member Exchange(LMX) on employee's performance Dissertation

The effect of Leader Member Exchange(LMX) on employee's performance and turnover rate (or employee retention) - Dissertation Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that leadership is not just a word, it is a responsibility, and it is the step towards the success story for any organization. Leadership qualities cannot be developed overnight but continuous effort put in by the people can make them achieve the price tag of leadership which brings along responsibility and further expectations to perform beyond potential. Organizations, small or big have and will always require people who can mould themselves according to what the situation demands and bring the best solution on the table. Leadership qualities are also measured on the basis of employees’ performance and their job satisfaction. A leader can be called a successful torch bearer only if his/her followers equally contribute towards the growth of an organization. Leadership in itself is an important quality but there are certain factors which define the true leadership qualities a leader should possess. These essential com ponents to develop leadership qualities at par are- a) Setting an example and motivating others b) Enhancing skills c) To be an influential figure d) Finding a solution to doubts and ambiguities e) Honesty f) Being ethical g) Bringing in the desired change h) Managing cultural assortment i) Rewarding for the success. Leadership is a sequence, a process which has different elements intact to it, prevailing towards the successful attributes of a true leadership quality. These elements of leadership are of three types- the leader, the following group or the followers and finally the substance. A leader is the one who sets an example, leads from the front, motivates, sets objectives and inspires others to grab the opportunity in achieving these objectives. It is believed that every individual has an inborn

Definition Of Knowledge Hub Commerce Essay

Definition Of Knowledge Hub Commerce Essay An investment in knowledge pays the best interest ,Benjamin Franklin. As said by Benjamin Franklin investing into knowledge will always be an advantage be it whether it is for an individual or for a whole nation. The work Knowledge Hub (KH) is being widely used during the last 2 decades of this century. Many countries are investing massively to implement knowledge based economy which is forecasted to have a very bright future nevertheless every theory have their drawbacks. According to K. Mackay (2009), knowledge based industries have become an important contributor in both economic growth and development. In order to have a competitive edge on the global economy there is the need to have the creation of distinctive assets such as knowledge, skills, innovation and creativity. Knowledge has also become one of the most common and recognized factor of production internationally with a new form of capital being the capacity to generate, assimilate, disseminate and effectively use knowledge. Building a KH is a really vast sets of planning needed to establish the desired results. Many countries have been engaging in such a challenge. Research and Development (RD) is indeed one of the main tools used in order to implement a KH. The world itself is undergoing a new industrial revolution the Knowledge Revolution fuelled by the rapid pace of technological change and globalisation. Mobility of resources is very common nowadays, therefore the mobility of knowledge is definitely laudable. To be able to have a well defined KH there must be loads of investment from both foreign and local investors. Reputable tertiary institutions must be approached to invest and establish in a country, in order to attract investors good infrastructures, appropriate policies established by the countrys government, training of needed labour force, the level of technology that these foreign institutions will be demanding, also the acceptance of the local population about the project and above all a good reputation on the foreign market where a country can base itself on its level of education. All this can be resumed to having a good marketing strategy to move forward and attract investors. For instance in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s there was a little scope for them carry out high research in their universities which was mainly due to a lack in the infrastructure and lack of funding available to the researchers. This gave a define set back to their program of building a KH. Attracting investors and make them believe in the project is therefore crucial for the setting up of a KH. Definition of Knowledge Hub A KH defined by University of Mauritius is an ensemble of knowledge-intensive institutions and organisations (public, private and overseas) that generate, stores, transfer, apply and transmit knowledge through education and training with the overall objective of fostering economic and social development.. According to Manmohan Singh (2006) It is often said that the 21st Century will be the knowledge century. In the view of building a knowledge hub there must first be the production of knowledge. Production knowledge is mostly based on creative people, professionals and also a proper Research and Development (RD) sector. The KH is not only a way for a country to have a new pillar in the economy but also a way to promote the countrys assets on an international market. According to Evers and Dieter (2008) (MPRA) KHs act as nodes in networks of knowledge dissemination and sharing within and beyond clusters. A KH main function is to transfer knowledge to sites where it can be applied, to generate knowledge from individuals and industries and to transmit the knowledge acquired to individuals by means of training, education and workshops. According to HRDC (2006), A KH is concerned with building a countrys capacity to better integrate itself into the global economy, through the generation, acquisition and transmission of knowledge to support of various economic sectors, in view of fostering social and economic development.. The Knowledge Economy occurs when all sectors of a countrys economy is knowledge intensive, are moving with the outside trend where it can be in terms of technology and generating new and innovative ideas and when an economy is employing highly skilled personnel who are willing to go for further studies. More over the Knowledge Hub which in some cases is also known as Knowledge Economy is defined by Kok, et al, (2004) It covers every aspect of the contemporary economy where knowledge is at the heart of value added- from high tech manufacturing and ICTs through knowledge intensive services to the overtly creative industries such as media and architecture. The creation of knowledge is must to have a good knowledge hub and this can only be done through a strong university sector. If there is a good and solid RD sector in a country where it encourages investor to invest in the economy then the KH will definitely be a success for any country. Renowned university campuses must be willing to invest in a country to be able to gain competitive advantage and to attract greater amount of students to the country. According to Brinkley (2006) the use of new technologies will allow an economy to gain competitive advantage. The reserves of petrol, coal and other natural resources will be depleted but knowledge is the ultimate economic renewable form of resources. Having knowledge is an invaluable asset but one should also know how to share this knowledge to others. Globalisation and Knowledge Hub According to Brinkley (2006), the development of the knowledge economy and globalisation are closely related to each other. Globally known organisations have been able to benefit from this integration as they are now able to lower their cost of production but at the same time maintaining their level of quality. The most common examples that can be given are the data processing, transcription services and simple customer services delivered through call centres operating in these countries. Without the globalisation there would not have been the change in the world economy. It also increased competition when customers were able to benefit from the best quality product for a better price tag. In the same optic the countries engaged in becoming a KH have been able to gain competitive advantage by providing a good quality service for a good price, where reputed international universities settled. According to Derrick and Cogburn, (1998), Due to the economic globalisation and reorganisation of the world political and economic system, there is a need for the level of education to be up to the standards, knowledge and information need to be in line with the changes. This applies greatly for tertiary level, where the future workforce is prepared and nurtured to be able to perform in the different sectors they will be canalised into. As the store of knowledge is expanding in the world, it should be accessible to everyone who is wishing to participate and contribute to the change. According to Mansell and Wehn (1998), formal institutions of education that exist today, and even many of these in the planning stages in developing countries, are becoming less relevant to the requirements of emergent knowledge societies. In this quote of Mansell and Wehn are arguing that countries willing to start a knowledge based economy should reshape their education system in such a way that these countries will be in line with the national priorities. Furthermore the countries engaging to become a knowledge base industry should also consider the change occurring in the worlds economy and new strategies being use by competing countries to be able to achieve competitive advantage on the international market. Countries implementing the Knowledge Hub concept: India as a knowledge Hub India is known for having the fourth largest store of scientific manpower in the world which are tunnelled in different institutions such as in areas of RD, now its time for India to evolve as a knowledge based industry, appeared in IT Times (2006). According to Sarkaris website (2010) in every knowledge based society, education is the main catalyst to fuel the economy, where it empowers research and the creation of intellectual property (IP). India has the largest young population in the world with more than 600 million which are on the verge of becoming professionals or are actually performing as professionals. With a optimum use of this population and minimising the drop out from primary and secondary level of studies India will be able to have a good harvest of knowledge from its youngsters. Based on the National Sample Survey Organisation in 2009, an estimation of 815000 children representing 4.28% of Indias child population from 6 to 13 year old were school drop outs. Following this, in 2010 measure were taken to make it compulsory for every children at the age of 6 to 14 to attend school, where they were given free school facilities. According to Shahid (2009) the Indian Prime Minister of that time set up a National Knowledge Commission in 2005 to leverage various networks and to make India the knowledge engine of the globe. Through the KH India will become the power house for the supply of talent and skills to the rest of the world but also for RD, innovation and sale of its IP. Along with the praises that India has on the global market, Kiran Karniks Blog (2012) came to refute it with a report on the Programme for International Student Assessment saying that India is 73 out of 74 countries surveyed where students of form V had a low grading in Maths, Science and reading. Moreover in an Assessment Survey Evaluation Research report came to say that India had poor academic standards. These facts would definitely have a negative point in the balance of India to promote its KH and the quality of services it is offering. Ireland as a Knowledge Hub Ireland by 2013 will be internationally renowned for the excellence of its research, and will be to the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress, within an innovation driven culture. Martin Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment (2008). According to Building Irelands Knowledge Economy (2004), Ireland is the leading exporter in terms of high technology and services for global market. Ireland is also a hub for electronic commerce and knowledge based activities. Two thirds of RD businesses operating in Ireland comes from overseas. The Government stated as main objectives to develop Ireland as a KH so as to sustain and increase employment in the country, the creation of wealth and to increase the competitiveness of Ireland on the global economy. Erawatch (2004) insists that the Building Irelands Knowledge Economy will reflect in an increase integrated approach in research and innovation, the acceptance of the quality of national research and innovation and technological advancement, which are crucial to gain competitiveness. It is essential for Ireland to increase and improve its RD so as for it to be able to locate itself as a place for high-tech and KH. Failing to improve the following sectors may result as a negative impact for encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country, Building Irelands Knowledge Economy (2004). Singapore as a Knowledge Hub According to Yue al (2001), Singapore is indeed a small island which is often directly linked to limited natural resources. Due to their rapid economic growth, there was a shortage in labour and rising costs and based on this Singapore has lost its competitive edge on the East Asian market. The education policies of Singapore have always been in line with the nations economic priorities (Sidhu, Ho Yeoh, 2010). Education is the technology of hope in Singapore. They are said to have the worlds most competitive or second most competitive economies in recent times. The competitiveness of Singapore is mostly because of its geographical location and the free trade policy implemented by the colonial government and by investing massively in excellent transportation facilities, telecommunication amenities and good services. The success of Singapores economy also depends on the high level of FDI coming in the country. In the 90s Singapore was the country which benefited from major FDI among the Asian developing countries (Yue al, 2001). In the Budget Speech (2006) the government set emphasis to invest in RD to fuel the building up of their intellectual and knowledge capital based. The universities of Singapore are also know for the nurturing of talent and based on the current economic transformation there has been an increase in importance so as to stimulate the economic growth through industrial research, technology being commercialised, the attraction of foreign talents and most important is has to inculcate the entrepreneurial mindset to the young graduates of the country. Consequently the universities have become an important component of the countrys innovation system, Genewired (2011). In the same context of attracting foreign talent, Singapore with a small newly industrialised economy and with a small population, they should be able to attract the top talent to make their KH move forward. Just like regions like Silicon Valley, London, New York and Boston, have been able to beneficiate from the influx of international talents coming to perform for their economy. Singapore is trying to follow the steps of these countries in order to be able to differentiate its economy to other KH economies in Southern Asia. Furthermore, based on the experiences of regions mentioned above, the attraction of foreign talents does nt rely only on the type of work or economy a country is performing into but it starts when the cream of students decide to pursue their tertiary studies, that is with the name o renowned and high quality tertiary institutions Singapore will be able to attract them at the early stages for these students to become young professionals. This has been proven with universities like Stanford, UC Berkeley, Cambridge and Oxford who are top universities in the world, where every student engaging into the tertiary studies will be dreaming to have a seat, may act as a magnet to attract best talents and after studies it is common for the students to stay back and contribute to the countrys economy, Genwired (2011).

Bioengineering and Its Subsidiary Fields Essay examples -- Bacteria, Ge

Bioengineering and the Flaws of Consequentialism Pierce College Abstract In 1973 the first bacteria were genetically modified. In 1974 mice were genetically modified. And in 1982 genetically modified bacteria capable of producing insulin were commercialized. Genetically modified food has been sold since 1994. In a similar time frame, the ideologies of stem cell research and therapeutic reproductive cloning have come to fruition. It is the aim of this paper to demonstrate through consequentialist ethical reasoning, particularly using the concepts of utilitarianism and relativism that no definitive judgment can be made on the morality and ethical correctness of bioengineering and its subsidiary fields of genetic manipulation, stem cell research and therapeutic reproductive cloning due to the uncertain nature of the consequences of these acts. The paper will examine a brief history of these emergent scientific disciplines and the still uncertain nature of the far-reaching consequences a nd implications of their implementation. â€Æ' Bioengineering and the flaws of consequentialism Bioengineering is a broad umbrella term covering many different scientific disciplines. Under this umbrella are the specific studies of gene isolation, construction, targeting, transformation, selection, regeneration, transfer; cellular engineering, and synthetic biology. Relative to the discussion of the ethical nature of this field are the principal topics of genetic and cellular engineering, stem cell research; reproductive technologies to include gene replacement and transformation in humans and animals; and bioengineered organic food. Bioengineering, in one form or another, has been around since the mid-20th century, with the term first coined in 1954 and w... ...tation among a society of hereditarily dying people be worth the sustained existence of the society? Possibly. Would the idea of genetically altering food for weather sustainability if the world were immediately threatened by harsh weather seem more acceptable? Again, possibly. There are no concrete answers to those questions objectively however. And in the world as we know it, in 2011, it’s similarly hard to say that any of the conditions currently affecting the rapidly globalizing world are of such a dire and unpreventable nature that they require tampering with the genetic foundations of our existence. However, another, somewhere else in the world might disagree, and that leads me to conclude that consequentialist reasoning alone is an unacceptable medium for the analysis and moral rationalization of the hard choices of bioengineering and its subsidiary fields.

Application Assignment

. How is the Gillette Series being positioned with respect to (a) competitors, (b) the target market, (c) the product class, (d) price and quality? What other positioning possibilities are there? a. Premium to competition b. The Best a Man can Get† – not the most appropriate or cheap at all, but the most value added products, building on the popularity of sensor. c. Differentiated on functional attributes through innovation d. Price premium at an index of 110 to 120. There are many other positioning possibilities for a Brand.Gillette can position the various products it has separately, or treat Gillette as a master Brand. If Gillett is one Brand, then the positioning should be the same as for the other series of men’s grooming products. However if it breaks it into categories, then there is a shaving line, and then a deodorant line, and it can get into an aftershave line as well, unless it wishes to keep it aligned with the shaving category. In this scenario there can be 3 distinct positioning that Gillette can take up in the consumers’ minds. 2.Is Gillette making the best use of the brand equity that has been created with Sensor? Given that Gillett is attempting to make a name for itself and that Sensor has been its biggest success, it makes sense to use the impetus of that to tie into the rest of its line. The tagline of the best a man can get is a solid enough vague claim to make, and own. Since the equity was established for the ‘the best a man can get' and not just Sensor, Gillette is making good use of this, since the Sensor can be seen as a product from Gillette, and one that works very well, at least as per consumer response.Also, given that for men’s grooming, shaving is tied into the process very intricately, it is a logical next step to build onwards from shaving razor blade. However, releasing so many different product types into the market is not the right way to do so. 3 What strategies do you propose to Gil lette? Address the entire marketing mix. Perhaps a more staggered approach would work better, from releasing the gels and after shaves, and then moving onto deodorant, since you do not want to put too many different variants out there.It takes time to build a powerful reason to believe in a product for a consumer, and diluting the equity of sensor with too many different product types would be a disaster. A better strategy would be to first gauge not just consumer reaction to product quality, but to gauge consumer understanding of the brand Gillette. If the Brand is best known for a smooth comfortable shaving razor, then it would be advisable to first build on that equity further and introduce more razors, and add in a shaving gel.Hence the products need to be staggered out. Secondly, to build on the Price, they have one premium product in the form of razors. However there is still room to build a pyramid within Gillette's razors and add in a further premium variant, as well as a di scounted variant as well. The Gels and Deodorants, when they come in should follow a similar strategy come in at a similar premium of 110-120 and then build variants surrounding it. For example the Cool Wave series can be positioned at a 130 premium to competition.A further more niche variant can come in at a 150 index, and then a more standard variant series at a 100 index as the discounted variant series. Ownership of the category in the market is extremely important. The worst thing to do is to not take advantage of proper Placement. Globally companies such as Procter and Gamble as well as L'oreal have taken a space in the mind of the shopper through ownerships of shelves in store. It is important for Gillett series to be placed in a premium place, next to perhaps associated categories, and at eye level to most male consumers in the relevant age group.Shop shelf decoration is also important to announce the premium position. Finally, the promotional angle must not be discounted. I t is the single biggest reason after the Product itself, and is the right call for the consumers to initially think of trial. To achieve this trial, the communication must incorporate the same tagline of Gillette sensor, i. e the Best a man can get, and build on the equity that was created by Sensor. In this manner using all the tools to cater further success.

You and Me essays

You and Me essays Another week has ended in my final year as a student of Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. Now as a senior in this prestigious institution, I can say that I have learned numerous facts about life itself and this world of ours. And for my ten years of education in this establishment, I cannot really exclaim that I have learned everything that there is to know. Because just last week, I was able to learn one of the most fundamental things in life, and that is friendship. Last week our priorities were set on developing ourselves and the group to where we belong. But why is there a need to develop ourselves and what does developing ourselves really mean? These were the same questions that babbled in my head when I heard that for one whole week we were to focus on developing ourselves and our relationships to our group mates as well. I was actually outrageous when I found out that the series of activities we really did were in fact fruitful and were actually helping not only ourselves but the whole group also. Even though I doubted the outcome of all the activities we did last week, I eventually admitted, because of embarrassment, that it really was a successful. Through this, I was able to remember an old saying, Never judge a book by its cover. I am referring to my good teacher Ms. Nis abilities. But for me, doubts are normal to occur to individuals who do not know their colleagues that well yet. However, that is not a valid reason for doubting an i ndividual of his capabilities. I guess I indeed learned my lesson in this one, The week was full of activities for us to concentrate on ourselves and our on development as a ...

Why US Public Schools Dont Have a Prayer

Why US Public Schools Dont Have a Prayer   Students at America’s public schools can still under certain specific conditions pray at school, but their opportunities to do so are dwindling fast. In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Union Free School District No. 9 in Hyde Park, New York had violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by directing the districts principals to cause the following prayer to be said aloud by each class in the presence of a teacher at the beginning of each school day: Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country. Since that landmark 1962 case of Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court has issued a series of rulings that may result in the elimination of organized observances of any religion from Americas public schools. The latest and perhaps most telling decision came on June 19, 2000 when the Court ruled 6-3, in the case of Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, that pre-kickoff prayers at high school football games violate the First Amendments Establishment Clause, typically known as requiring the separation of church and state.. The decision may also bring an end to the delivery of religious invocations at graduations and other ceremonies. School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it (implies to) members of the audience who are non-adherents that they are outsiders, wrote Justice John Paul Stevens in the Court’s majority opinion. While the Courts decision on football prayers was not unexpected, and was in keeping with past decisions, its direct condemnation of school-sponsored prayer divided the Court and honestly angered the three dissenting Justices. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, along with Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, wrote that the majority opinion bristles with hostility to all things religious in public life. The 1962 Courts interpretation of the Establishment Clause (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,) in Engle v. Vitale has since been upheld by both liberal and conservative Supreme Courts in six additional cases: 1963 ABINGTON SCHOOL DIST. v. SCHEMPP banned school-directed recital of the Lords Prayer and reading of Bible passages as part of devotional exercises in public schools.1980 STONE v. GRAHAM banned the posting of the the Ten Commandments on public school classroom walls.1985 WALLACE v. JAFFREE banned observance of daily moments of silence from public schools when students were encouraged to pray during the silent periods.1990 WESTSIDE COMMUNITY BOARD. OF EDUCATION. v. MERGENS held that schools must allow student prayer groups to organize and worship if other non-religious clubs are also permitted to meet on school property.1992 LEE v. WEISMAN outlawed prayers led by members of the clergy at public school graduation ceremonies.2000 SANTA FE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT v. DOE banned student-led pre-game prayers at public high school football games. But Students Can Still Pray, Sometimes Through their rulings, the court has also defined some times and conditions under which public school students may pray, or otherwise practice a religion. [A]t any time before, during or after the school-day, as long as your prayers do not interfere with other students.In meetings of organized prayer or worship groups, either informally or as a formal school organization IF other student clubs are also allowed at the school.Before eating a meal at school as long as the prayer does not disturb other students.In some states, student-led prayers or invocations are still delivered at graduations due to lower court rulings. However, the Supreme Courts ruling of June 19, 2000 may bring this practice to an end.Some states provide for a daily moment of silence to be observed as long as students are not encouraged to pray during the silent period. What Does Establishment of Religion Mean? Since 1962, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that in Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, the Founding Fathers intended that no act of the government (including public schools) should favor any one religion over others. Thats hard to do, because once you mention God, Jesus, or anything even remotely Biblical, you have pushed the constitutional envelope by favoring one practice or form of religion over all others. It may very well be that the only way to not favor one religion over another is to not even mention any religion at all a path now being chosen by many public schools. Is the Supreme Court to Blame? Polls show that a majority of people disagree with the Supreme Courts religion-in-schools rulings. While its fine to disagree with them, it is not really fair to blame the Court for making them. The Supreme Court did not just sit down one day and say, Lets ban religion from public schools. Had the Supreme Court not been asked to interpret the Establishment Clause by private citizens, including some members of the Clergy, they never would have done so. The Lords Prayer would be recited and the Ten Commandments read in American classrooms just as they were before the Supreme Court and Engle v. Vitale changed it all in June 25, 1962. But, in America, you say, the majority rules. Like when the majority ruled that women could not vote or that black people should ride only in the back of the bus? Perhaps the most important job of the Supreme Court is to see to it that will of the majority is never unfairly or hurtfully forced on the minority. And, thats a good thing because you never know when the minority might be you. Where School-Sponsored Prayer is Required In England and Wales, the School Standards and Framework Act of 1998 requires that all students in state-run schools participate in a daily â€Å"act of collective worship,† which must be of â€Å"a broadly Christian character,† unless their parents request that they be excused from taking part. While religious schools are allowed to mold their act of worship to reflect the school’s specific religion, most religious schools in the United Kingdom are Christian. Despite the 1998 law, Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Schools recently reported that about 80% of secondary schools were not providing daily worship for all students. While England’s Department of Education has stressed that all schools must maintain religious prayer in schools in order to reflect the beliefs and traditions of the predominantly Christian country, a recent BBC study found that 64% of students do not take part in daily acts of worship or prayer. In addition, a 2011 BBC survey revealed that 60% of parents believed that the daily worship requirement of the School Standards and Framework Act should not be enforced at all.

Field Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Field Observation - Essay Example Therefore, in this field study, the effects of the prison system will be examined while how the police treat people in society will be discussed. â€Å"Sociologists view crime and state responses to crime as historically rooted in a social context. In many cases, patterns of punishment are only loosely related to underlying shifts in criminal behavior and often involve political conflicts over the status of socially marginal groups. This perspective offers valuable insights into the dramatic shifts in criminal behavior and its punishment over the last three decade† (The Sociology of Crime and Punishment). Along with that, some sociologists believe if people felt like that they were being surveillance, they would have more self-control to avoid being judged by others. Furthermore, it would give the surveillancers empowerment over those people who are watched, which is good for the criminal justice system. As a society, police need that empowerment so that criminals can feel a little imitation when they are faced by them. Along with that, from a sociological theory, the criminal justice system can be more effective by using it due to the fact that people are extremely self-aware when being watched and will behave when they know they are being indirectly controlled. Even though the government defines crime and while the government has good intention in protecting U.S. citizens from terrorism, having the authority to go through someone’s personal telephone and email communication while searching through their financial and medical records is truly an invasion of privacy, which goes against everything American stands for. Furthermore, this Patriot Act is unacceptable due to the fact it takes away from living in the land of the free. â€Å"On March 9, 2006, President Bush Signed The USA PATRIOT Improvement And Reauthorization Act Of 2005. Since its enactment in October 2001, the Patriot Act has been vital to winning the War on Terror

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Geography - Essay Example She even added that since no huge uprisings have taken place, the UN estimated a total death toll of 60,000 by the starting of 2013. The article further cites an event of airstrikes that were conducted on gas station located in the region of Damascus and the article states that Pillay’s estimates of the death toll of 60,000 might be correct. The article further states that the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights have stated that a total of 45,000 deaths have taken place and those who have died are mostly civilians living in Syria, the report provided by UN failed to distinguish whether more civilian lives or more combatants lives have been taken away (UN, 2013). Pillay further adds that if a resolution to the conflict is not figured out, soon there will be more deaths and sufferings. The most intriguing part of the entire article was not that over 60,000 lives have been taken away; the most intriguing part was Pillay’s statement that a resolution is necessary. This led me to figure out what is being done to solve the issue. To find answers I found an article written by Ayman Mohyeldin who is a correspondent with NBC News and she states that $60 million amount has been accepted by the US to give aid to the people of Syria and this aid is not lethal in nature (Mohyeldin, 2013). The article writer asserts that this kind of aid is very necessary but it is not going to be helpful in resolving the issue. The most eye catching element stated in the article is the UN has levied a ban on using arms to support the case of Syria. This is of high concern because several civilian lives have been lost in the battle and still there is no resolution and many more will be taken away until some real help in the shape of arms and ammunition and military support is extended to Syria. This is because even if the people of Syria outnumber the army, still the