Study on Is Accounting Profession under Threat

Study on Is Accounting Profession under Threat Recent events in global financial world that is dissolution of companies due to continuous losses has made people to question the efficiency and honesty of the professional accountants in discharging their duties for the interest of public and society. These events have forced global financial scholars and experts to think about the future scope of this profession. this article mainly focus on challenges to accounting profession in the context of strategic management accounting in connections with business firms expectations and the expectations of stakeholders and communities which ensure that the accountants will function for the benefits of society and public. The expectations of employers of accounting graduates is higher when we compare with the present academic system which indicates that the present academic courses should be upgraded as the business firms are expecting only real professionals who can be able to work any type of business environment and they should be flexible to the future changes in business environment. Their ultimate responsibility is to make the business firm trust worthy in the eyes of customers and other stakeholders and society. Today the demand from business firms for accounting professional with sophisticated modern accounting skills is caused revolutionary changes in the accounting and financial management gra duation courses importance of discipline knowledge. The internal and global challenges on the professions related to financial management may be involve win the confidence of public and stakeholders of the business and operating markets, improving the performance of professional accountants and auditors, understanding the increased role of external auditors, preventing the corruption the system of public audit, and making the financial statements and reports trust worthy in the eyes of concerned parties. Todays business environment is very sensitive to the changes in its components such as technology or markets the accounting professionals to work hard with efficiency and honesty to meet these challenges effectively. Introduction In todays business environment are professional accountants directly responsible to their customers, companies and to the society and also they should know possible legal obligations to the stakeholders. Accounting profession is not only limited to preparing accounting statements but also involves in wide variety of functions which provides inputs to the managerial decision making. If an accounting professional is not able to perform his duty and responsibilities in satisfied level according to the universal standards it is the major liability in the hands of an accountant. Compared to other type of professions this profession has its own code of ethics hence it is dignified and respective profession which provides practical inputs for the effective decision making. Advanced Strategic Management Accounting During the past two decades, many organizations in business and finance sectors have to face changes in their business environment. Economic reform polices by the developing countries, policies, competition from multinational companies in local markets has resulted in a typical situation, where most companies are now competing in a highly competitive global market. In addition there has been a significant reduction in product life cycle arising from rapid changes in technological innovations and the need to meet sophisticated customer demands. To compete successfully in global environment, companies have to work towards to satisfy made customer demands. They have forced to adopt new Management strategies, changed their business systems and invested in new technologies. The increasing competition has affected their profits and more attention is required to be paid to the various aspects of Management accounting aspects. These changes have had a significant influence on strategic Manag ement accounting systems. Role of professional accountant has no longer remained that of an accountant, but he has assumed a significant role in improving the competitiveness of firms. 5Strategic Management Accounting is the branch of management accounting which mainly focus the uncontrollable factors which a business firm should more concentrate, and these factors may be financially or non financially but related to the financial and business decisions of the firm. According to the Ken Simmonds, the formulation of business strategy of the firm mainly depends on the financial information of the firm and the competing firms. This information may involve details of Production costs, product price, production volume, Market size, availability of cash resources and other resources such as raw materials which should be emphasized. But Professor Bromwichn compared the past practices in management accounting which have modified with new directions including the active role of professional accountants in business decision makings. These directions may be towards the inclusive of financial information into strategy for cost analysis that is the basic for all future business decisions. Other directions towards having updated information bank related to the strategies of competitors especially their costing methods, cost structures and costing decisions. The limitation of traditional management accounting in the areas analysis of cost and cost related activities is significant which gives birth to the development of modern strategic management accounting system. Traditional management accounting system has no particular techniques to ascertain the costing methods and situation of competitors but decisions are based on only the information from financial statements. Modern strategic management accounting has its own techniques to ascertain cost position. It also helps business firms to how to achieve cost advantages current as well as future years. In this context the role of Accounting professional is very important for the survival of business firm compared to every angle of the present business environment. Accounting profession In the context of professional accounting, the power and responsibility of an accountant can be justified when financial statements provides expected information according to the objectives functions especially protection of public and social interest. Under flexible business environment Accountants are vested with enough power in order to perform their functions without any interruption for the healthy future of business firm.. According to the scholars the up gradation of accounting skill is a specific task as the accounting profession also one of the component of employment structure which is influenced by policies of government and economic policies. . There is a argument the accounting skills and knowledge should be revised and updated time to time because these skills and knowledge should be according to the changing expectations of the society and the stakeholders of the business firm. But as a professional an accountant should utilize these skills and knowledge in optimum level for the interest of the employer as well as interested parties. . The accounting profession has gained enough importance especially it is the sole body which has the ultimate authority on the financial related issues and matters. The one of the primary objectives is to work for the benefit of social interests that has analyzed for making the accounting progression as an appropriate occupation in modern employment world. And According to some experts.. Accountants with traditional views are no longer sustaining in the present environment. According to the research the Todays accounting and auditing methods are in modified forms compared to traditional m ethods of accounting. Changing role of Accountant Todays accountants should mostly focus on knowledge, skills and ability to manage these as a particular service. This requirement in business environment has created business and ethical issues for the accountants/ auditors and their customers. This includes problem-solving and customer advice features of the skilled professional. Changes also include the over emphasis on specific training for developing practical skills as part preparing of new graduates to the practical business world. The introduction of these practical training in academic degrees involves uncertainty and time frame because the academic institutions should ready for accepting the current changes. Companys especially multinational companies mainly concentrate on these practical skills but facing problems of assessment for right candidates with practical knowledge. Challenges to Accounting Profession Due to the influence of globalization changes in financial strategies have been affecting almost every business and services around the world. Especially Accounting and finance sector is directly affected, financial experts world wide are working for the improvements of the accounting system. Several seminars are going on in this regard; financial professionals, scholars have to share their ideas and views on the present challenges in finance and accounting today, and acquire sophisticated skills in order to face globalization effect. Today global recession and financial conflicts has developed new trend of threats and challenges. According to the experts of International Accounting Standards Board, the global financial conflict is the main which emphasized transference in financial reporting and flexible accounting standard with definite principle to face the new trend in future. The context and dynamics of modern strategic management accounting the changes in the accounting skills have forced to adopt by professional accountants who are cautious to provide value added service for their customers. Globalization process has made the business activities to cross the boundaries of nations. The global financial and business environment has put pressure on professional accountants and auditors as they are the important information providers for the business success. Every company seeks opportunities in global market for the expansion of the business. But uncertainty in market conditions and rapid innovations in technology have made themselves to face any type of business situation for the interest of all their stakeholders where their business strategies, their market share and capital adjustments also subject to changes along with the marginal profit. Internal challenges The first challenge to professional accountant is the measurement of financial performance. Revenue is a single measurable indicator of financial performance. The common feeling is that over-emphasis on revenues, unscientific ways of their analysis and interpretations financial information. But this information is the basis for long term business decisions. Secondly issues regarding historical accounting information and statements. Some times there is feeling that a balance sheet prepared imperfect way and it does not reveal accrued profits based on future changes in market condition. This is the major draw back in disclosing true financial information of the company. Thirdly financial statements do not measure the assets and liabilities on the basis of todays accounting standard. Hence investors may be misled in making investment decisions, which will put them at greater investment risk. They also need the information regarding the value goodwill and other intangibles and capital structure. Lastly the financial and accounting statements show only historical transactions and facts and they dont concentrate much on the future events and transactions. They put limited attention on the hard profits and also limited attention to the required process for maximization of wealth. Challenges of Globalization Innovations in technology are the greatest affect on the profession and present system failure to coop with this challenge may be resulted in the devaluation of the importance of the profession. The introduction of the information technology has greatly influence the system in which companies do business, structure their organization and operate their reporting systems and each of these are the considerable challenges for the accounting profession. E- Business has introduced new business risks along with the great advantages which a professional accountant should take into account. The unauthorized access company information; increased volume of business as created credit risks; and the proper allocation of income and expenses, Accounting firms and professionals should be concentrate on with these risks. The changes in Government financial police and company the annual financial statements and other communications can be communicated to the concerned parties through the electronic media or through web sites. Out of dated information will not reveal clear picture and hence share price of the company affected. Market expects the clear picture of financial and business performance and there are pressures on firms o provide such information when required. Lastly the centralization of accounting system and accounting information systems will be the top management based decision where accounting is considered as secondary issue. Branch accounting is in declining trend today information will be directly flow to the head office of the firms. Globalization can be defined as the existence of a situation where there is an easy access to any part of the world. It is in the form of information on any subject matter. A professional accountant should face several challenges with this situation; businesses expand sometimes beyond country borders in response to globalization. In market led globalization model an accounting professionals should play a dominant role. To make the Global markets to function properly, the accounting profession must adapt and modernize in response to the globalization of finance and investment. In corporate-led model of globalization the accounting profession does not merely adapt to forces of globalization. But accounting industry has played and continues to play an active role in the structuring global markets for accounting services. Due to the globalization there are some threats to accountants and the accounting profession as a whole Accountants working for foreign-owned companies, their knowledge, skills, and abilities may be restrict them to performing only low-value, compliance-oriented work. Accounting professionals can be also benefited from the effects of globalization. These are Accountants who are ready to expand their financial accounting knowledge, skills, and abilities they can become expertise in understanding of changing business requirements. Accountants with their theoretical knowledge, skills, and abilities with the performance oriented knowledge, skills, and abilities of management accounting can be achieve high level of experience in this context. Today businesses become increasingly globalize, 10there is clearly more pressure on accountants to increase the knowledge, skill, and abilities beyond their present limit of functioning in order to fit well into the globalization of the 21st century. In this context the accounting profession has an important role in assisting firms to face competitive finance and business environment Implications of Academicians The role of the accountant in past was just recording the facts and figures but the role of the professional accountant has been criticized by many scholars and analysts over the decades, especially the accounting skills developed by students of accounting management schools This demand primarily developed in Academic level, the. The need for this change is based on a number of draw backs identified in the skills taught in graduation schools that students when bring to the practical world. Another criticism is these 1skills cannot be efficiently being taught in schools where the employment is dominated by specialized technical skills. Requisite skills required by future professional accountants and auditors will include easy learnable professional skills along with ethics. These specific skills are necessary for modern business environment because it helps business entities to 1solve the diversity of business challenges. This is the main challenge for the academic institutions to balance between accounting graduate skills which are theoretical in nature and skills sought by modern business entities. There is gap between the actual school syllabus and the knowledge expected by companies. The academic institutions should try to train accounting graduates to suit the interest and expectations o the employers. The accounting1graduates with sophisticated skills are in an environment that requires accountants to show high level of technical performance to meet the demands of financial and business entities. Number of comments and opinions from global academicians and practitioners has forced the Government authorities and International Regulatory Bodies related to accounting issues to make revolutionary changes in the accounting standards, methods and techni ques which are relevant to future years. Majority Charted accountants and Accounting professionals feels present accounting system is not according to the requirements of modern business and it is less flexible to the changing environment. These academicians and practitioners agree that if accounting is to serve a useful role in the changing environment, academic education in accounting and scope of research should become broader, dynamic and not limited by a single approach. Despite these matters, the academicians and practitioners feel that present academic programmes in Accounting and finance area should be reviewed according to the demand from job market. Professional Ethics The corporate financial conflicts has given good inputs to finance professionals and for the monitoring of accounting system. Continuous effort from academicians and financial experts in developed countries there are strategic changes in academic education and training programmes, professional accountants should be able to develop the specific skills they need to successfully compete in the employment market for new types of information and financial services. This vision is used by many of the professions leaders. As per the study in U.S.A there are considerable increase in the number of professional accountants and AICPA membership during the period from 1970 to 1994.  This indicates that in developed courtiers are ready to face the challenges. Study in U.S.A (Courtesy: Annual report AICPA) Table 1 Total Accounting Employment Year Numbers in Thousands 1970 646 1980 1013 1990 1446 1994 1483 Table 2 Membership in AICPA Year Numbers in Thousands 1970 74 1980 161 1990 296 1994 319 Impact of Challenges on Strategic Management Accounting During the past two decades, many organizations in business and finance sectors have to face changes in their business environment. Economic reform polices by the developing countries, business policies and competition from multinational companies in local markets has resulted in a typical situation, where most companies have to face severe competition from rival business firms in a highly competitive situation. In addition there has been a change observed in business life cycle due to rapid changes in technological innovations and the need to meet sophisticated customer demands because production of each product is considered as a independent business. To compete successfully in global environment, companies have to work towards to satisfy made customer demands. They have forced to adopt new Management and financial strategies, changed their accounting systems and investment in new technologies. The increasing competition has affected their profits and more attention is required to be paid to the various aspects of strategic Management accounting aspects. These global challenges have had a significant influence on strategic Management accounting systems. Role of professional accountant has no longer remained that of an accountant, but he has assumed a significant role in improving the competitiveness of firms. Professional Ethics The financial crisis has given good inputs to finance professionals and for the monitoring of accounting system. Today accounting professionals in the business sector should not only concentrate on earning of revenue, but also take into account the public and external parties related to the business. The present accounting system should be able to create ethical environment for the benefit of society in generally and stakeholders particularly. Directions for Ethical Performance The directions towards performing the duty in ethical way Global Charted Accountants Associations encourage accountants and Auditors to conduct them effectively and to do quality internal and external auditing in appropriate manner and other accounting functions. Professional Institutes should develop high level auditing standards and ethics their applications in practical world. There are so many ethical obligations which make auditors in right path of accounting standards and legal obligations. Figure 1. Ethical codes Geographical study requirements Quality control Legal registration Professional programs, training and examinations Continuing education requirements Legal liability Accounting standards Conduct of professional Accounting firm personnel Future of the Accounting Profession: Introduction of specific knowledge and the increased expectations from global business world today accounting profession is a specialized profession, which is resulted in great the movement toward up gradation of accounting graduate or professional education. Advanced programmes in computer technology and its role in updating the information for concerned parties of the business, financial experts are expecting t the new trend in information technology and communications which will reshape the accounting employment structure. Computers are today important part of the accounting information system. Introduction of new computer software programmes has given considerable contribution for the modification of business and accounting from the last decade and will continue to the future also. These days we can observe that the new accounting softwares decrease the work load of accounting firms which is resulted in the decrease of employing fresh candidates for accounting work. But developments in accounting profession have shown steady growth from last 20 years despite the increased use of computer information systems to perform routine accounting tasks. Suggestions and Recommendations accounting profession have an significant role in assisting the management for business decisions to not only contribute for strengthening the financial position but also should be modified to analyze management risk factors as the parallel profession to management graduation, for firms operational and strategic decisions . These personnel should also be able to anticipate and manage risks factors arising from bulk volume of financial transactions which made the firms vulnerable to uncertainty and unexpected price variations. As the scope for this profession increased, it will find itself facing increasingly conflicting pressures arising from convergence. It should be designed to establish proper balance manage internal financial conflicts and external conflicts related to firms financial matter and should be able to these commercial interests to introduce the ability to act as a trusted and independent professional business consultant and advisor. The accounting profession should extend its role and responsibility for promoting good corporate business environment. It should also be concerned for sustaining of good corporate governance is not only fulfilling legal obligations but also should be based on values and ethics.

Impact of Decision Making at McDonalds

Impact of Decision Making at McDonalds This academic essay is related to strategic management and leadership in McDonalds. The purpose of this assignment is to understand the impact of decision making in an organisation i.e. McDonalds. In this cut throat competition which is prevailing in the market, it is my understanding that leadership and proactive strategy plays vital role in overall organisations success. In addition to this it has become apparent that strategic management and leadership operate at parallel level in an organisation. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: It deals with the most fundamental and basic question that involve the very existence of the whole organisation and guide the whole companys future. (Napuk,1999) Strategic management entails both strategic planning and implementation, and is the process of identifying and executing the organizations strategic plan, by matching the companys capabilities with the demands of its environment.(Arit Gadiesh and James Gilbert, 2001) In laymans term strategic management provides overall direction to the organisation. This in turn entails specifying the organisations mission, vision and objectives, developing plans etc. LEADERSHIP: Leadership is defined as influence, that is the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievements of the groups mission. Visionary leadership inspires the impossible: fiction becomes truth. (Corporate strategy 1997 Richard Lynch) In leadership, people run the organisation to one place or another for the achievement of its objectives. Leadership is a great tool in achieving success for the organization, not just through charisma, but through good judgement, proper motivation of employees effective utilization of materials. LINK BETWEEN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: Due to a rapidly changing world, organizations face incredible pressures in delivering immediate results. This necessitates for strategic management because there is a great need to maximize every available resource to achieve the organizations goal. To manage an ever increasing demand for company effectiveness, there is a great need for strategic leadership to approach these conditions priorities. For any ongoing business, it is mainly important to implement strategies through effective leaders. Real strategic leadership means taking responsibility for the future as well as what is happening today. A primary goal of strategic leadership is gaining a better understanding of the business conditions, the environment and the leading indicators that identify new trends and situations that may arise. According to the situation, leadership styles can be varied like autocratic, democratic and charismatic and so on. In any organisation it is required to have a good strategic management with good leadership skills. These two must be in parallel positions for the organizations success. LEADERSHIP STYLES ON DIFFERENT SITUATION IN MCDONALDS As I have taken McDonald as case study, I would like to discuss the management style that operates in this company. Based on my understanding, McDonald operates with a Democratic style of management. This realisation comes to me while I am working with the company and it gives freedom and flexibility of change according to different situations. In this style, the employee and people associated with the company have more participatory role in the decision making process. McDonald has a democratic style and there is a less gap between manager and employees. They have two way relationships between them. They have a comfortable working pattern. So the manager can easily get the feedback from the employees. Also on the other hand, the employees understand the situation and they follow the rules without any difficulty. There are same levels of working. According to the different situation they have a different style of leadership. In this particular approach, the store manager has all power to run the branch but still allows employees to share their ideas and insights. Also in McDonald, every employee has a participative role in the decision making process. All employees have to work with their strengths and provide input on how to delegate work within the team. The management gives more importance to work in a team rather than doing individually. In McDonald, ideas move freely amongst the group and discussed openly thus ultimately achieving their objective. This works both ways for the company by fulfilling individual objectives in line with the overall objective of organisation. The management of this organization motivates the employees to do more work by involving them into decisions which really affects the objective of the organisation. This particular approach influences the productivity of employees and they feel important to be a part of the organisation by providing a value. They lead all the employees to the same level and the manager always tries to know the strengths and weakness of employees. To overcome these difficulties, they provide appropriate training career development programmes. McDonald has flexible working hours which provides stress-free environment. They are free to ask with the manager about schedules. The way McDonald management adapts to different situations, a strong relationship is being formed between the subordinates and the managers. OBJECTIVE OF MCDONALDS: The main objective of McDonald is to make people aware of each product on offer, feel positive about it and remember it. The right message has to be communicated to the right audience through the right media. Because of this, McDonald need to give importance understand the value of both employees and customers. Happy employees serve well and results to satisfied customers. This serves as a win-win situation for both organisation and employee. McDonald has continuously done internal marketing this is important as it precedes external marketing. It goes in line with the ultimate aim of creating not just service leadership but management service. This delivery process is the key to achieving the aim of the company. IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLE ON STRATEGIC DECISION: Good leadership is adapting to any changes at any time doing the right things at the right time. Because of democratic style of leadership, employees can work comfortably and they can share their ideas and insights with the management. Also in McDonald, managers effectively delegates work to their subordinates and give them full control and responsibility to the tasks. Managers welcome feedback on the result of initiatives and the work environment. Strategic decision has to be made by leaders who have the ability to take effective decisions and adapt to changes in any situation. Because of democratic leadership, employees and managers easily understand the situation and cope with it. They work freely and comfortably. In McDonald all employees have a right to participate in the objective of organisation. McDonald has a strategic decision which is implicated and formulated by leaders and managers of the organisation. First they decide the future plans and objective of McDonald and how to get there in minimum time. They also motivate people to do more work and they appreciate their work by giving the performance award at the end of month. CONCLUSION: From above discussion, I came to a conclusion that in adapting democratic style McDonald is really effective in providing value to employees. Although this style may bring out differences in ideas, it still ends up with formulating a common decision. McDonalds management leadership style is useful as well as to other organisations where managers and employees easily understand the situation and work accordingly. Strategic management and leadership correlates with each other. Without making any effective strategic decision, leadership cannot work and it cannot reach to the final objective of an organisation.

feminaw Feminist Reading of Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay examples

A Feminist Reading of The Awakening The Awakening is not new to me. However, in the class when I read it before the instructor refused to entertain a feminist criticism. The theory presented was that Edna knew what kind of man she was marrying and all these things she went through: her friendship with Madame Reisz leaving the house, entertaining her friends at the party, her situation with Robert and Arobin were all selfish efforts toward the ultimate freedom which is death. I feel Chopin faults Leonce as much as Edna for Edna's problems. He is a cold fish. He is controlling and he puts on a show for friends and neighbors "proving" he is a model husband which he is not. He is Creole and I think Edna, being as reserve as she is, is not the best mate for him. He possibly needs an outwardly passionate woman to keep him interested and alive as a husband. For a Creole he is reserve and he does not know how to respond to Edna's reserve. By the end of chapter V we know the Pontelliers have problems and we know Robert is sympathetic towards Edna merely because she is a woman and he likes women. We have also seen the "ideal" woman in the person of Madame Ragtignolle. Chapter VI is very different. Chopin lets us know that Edna has begun to realize her world and its relationships are less than desirable. She and Leonce don't have a happy, fulfilling marriage. She is not the mother-earth type and can not appreciate her children. Although, some of the problem here is because Leonce undermines her mothering efforts and has done so from the beginning. His mother epitomizes motherhood and no one can measure up. I doubt she would have been a demonstrative mother but she would have been a loving one. The last paragraph of Ch... ... the very end of the story just before Edna enters the ocean for the last time End watches the coast. There is no living thing all along the beach, but there is a bird, a wild free bird, with a broken wing who †was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water .† Even the wild birds need support. End had no support, just like this bird and her fate is the same â€Å"down, down into the water.†I’m hung up on the lack of communication between Edna and Leonce. I wonder if Leonce has a comparable story of misery. In the first several chapters Edna says four lines and they are in response to someone or something else. They are not ideas originating with her. Leonce’s words to Edna are aimed at control. He goes off to the hotel and says he’ll be back whenever This leaves her waiting for his next move, his next demand (request).

We Must Put an End to Frivolous Inmate Lawsuits Essay -- Argumentative

We Must Put an End to Frivolous Inmate Lawsuits Our forefathers were bright enough to establish a system of government with a series of checks and balances to maintain a balanced government. For the past decade a series of checks and balances has begun to fail our government. In our failing system of government inmates have taken advantage of the court system and have flooded it with an inconceivable number of frivolous lawsuits. Laurel Walters, a writer for the Christian Science Monitor, investigated inmates' lawsuits and found that these "recreational litigators...are suing the courts as an intramural sports activity." Action needs to be taken in order to rectify and protect "US" from this squandering of our tax payer provided funds and resources. Today in a world when knowledge is power, I'm ready to hand other tax payers an entire empire. The United States (US) and "us" the tax payers are being taken advantage of and it is time that those in power begin to notice. Linda Greenhouse, in a New York Times article, cites one of the few to become aware of this problem. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist feels, "prisoners often squander judicial resources with little offsetting benefit to anyone." Our Supreme Court Chief Justice has realized this shortcoming, and it is about time the rest of "us" wake-up too. For over a decade our legislative branch has been dragging its feet and slow to react to this extremely costly prison industry. Eight-hundred inmate lawsuits costing $1.7 million were filed in Ohio in 1995 and as many as 95 percent of those cases were dismissed. A total of 53,312 inmate lawsuits were filed nationwide in federal courts in 1994, this comes at a total of $113 billion dollars* of tax money esse... ...Cited Duhaime, Lloyd. "Outrageous Lawsuits." WWLIA: World Wide Legal Information Association. http://wwlia.org/lawsuit.html Freedman, Eric. "Two inmates ordered to pay costs of lawsuits." Detroit News. Aug. 13, 1993. B6. Fugate, Larry. "New law cracks down on frivolous inmate lawsuits." Source News & Reports." July 19, 1996. http://sddtsun.sddt.com/~columbus/Files3/9607193.html Greenhouse, Linda. High court, changing recent course, makes it harder for prisoners to sue. New York Times. June 29, 1995. B7. Harris, Sandra Ann. "People Are Talking: Crime: Inmate lawsuits costly to taxpayers." Detroit Free Press. October 23, 1995. Officials to fight frivolous inmate lawsuits." New York Times. February 5, 1996. B2. Walters, Laurel Shaper. "States rewrite laws to week out suits for cruel and unusual Jello." Christian Science Monitor. October 16, 1995. Â   Â   Â   Â  

Oscar Romero Essay -- essays research papers

Remembering a Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You can only describe him as a man of determination. Someone who demonstrates extraordinary courage in the face of injustice and inhumanity. He had a resolute intent to do what is right, true, and just, which made him the Archbishop that people remember and make movies about. Because of him, the world was informed about basic human rights and dignities and how this was being ignored in his country of El Salvador. He took it upon himself to use the church as a light of hope to the oppressed and a challenge to the oppressors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oscar Romero was born in 1917 and taken away in 1980. He was appointed Archbishop in 1977. Before he served his term, the Church in Central America was being protested by two political ideals. One was those priests who wanted non-confrontation with the Church and the state. And those who thought the Church should have say in the government and what it was doing. Romero was chosen because he was thought to be a â€Å"middle man† whom all could agree with. Although, soon after being appointed Romero’s close, personal friend Father Rutillo Grande was assassinated by the government’s soldiers. Obviously, this had a significant and intense effect on his life, changing him from a moderate and equal lookout to a ferocious and impetuous activist against injustice. His dramatic and passionate change in view shows how if you put your mind behind...

Health and Social

Hollie Kelly- D1 Justify how the two-day diet plan meets the dietary needs of the two service uses Type-two diabetes Roger I have transformed Rogers two day diet plan to ensure he does not take in low carbohydrates as they are high in fats. I have only used complex carbohydrates to form part of Roger’s diet. I have tried to keep Rogers diet low in fat and sugar with only obtaining a small amount of fat and sugar in his two-day diet plan. In general, people with type 2 diabetes have a lifespan that is five to ten years less than those without the disease.The most common long-term effect of type 2 diabetes is damage to blood vessels. Because of this, diabetics are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease, which can result in blocked arteries, and eventually lead to a stroke or heart attack. The main cause of death in type 2 diabetes sufferers is cardiovascular disease and associated complications. Obese Susan I have transformed Susan’s two-day diet plan to ensure her calorie intake isn’t as high as it was. I have maintained a balanced diet that should fill her up for both days. I have ensured her intake of fats and sugar is to a minimum.I have balanced out her intake of dairy products, carbohydrates and protein so it helps her lose weight faster to obtain a healthy lifestyle. Obesity can reduce your life expectancy by up to 9 years and many chronic diseases can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight can also put extra pressure on joints and limbs, making activity quite difficult and sometimes any movement at all can be painful. Other physical problems caused by obesity are that obese women who become pregnant have a higher risk pregnancy that than of a healthy weight.

Product of My Environment

Xavier Rodriguez Expos 101 Assignment # 3 F. D. Professor: Debra Keates 10/22/12 â€Å"What Means the World to You† What is important to someone varies from person to person. These things can be displayed in different forms and approached in various ways. This is seen within O’Brien, Stout and Fraser’s essays. O’Brien understands what inspires human connection and he manipulates the truth of his story in order to capture the attention and respect of others. He justifies his decision to distort his story based on the impact it has on the reader.For every author, O’Brien argues that the aim is to get one’s point(s) across; to bring attention to what matters the most to them. Regardless the category, this is done by expressing one’s objective with feeling and a sense of importance. In Caroline Fraser’s, â€Å"Rewilding North America,† she uses convincing evidence to prove to the reader that reserves and corridors promote the well-being of wildlife and humans alike. Similarly, Martha Stout has a biased opinion.Stout sets out to demonstrate to readers in â€Å"When I Woke Up on Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday† that counseling is important for clients who have experienced trauma by sharing individual client stories. The way people define truth and the information they provide can determine how others will evaluate the story. There are different ways to connect to a reader. The writer’s objective and the audience both influence these decisions. O’Brien’s storytelling method may involve embellishments that bend the truth rather than adhere to it.Had he authored either Fraser or Stout’s essays, the objective may have been the same, but the style would likely have been quite different. Within their respective essays, Fraser and Stout’s definitions of truth can be observed and interpreted. Both authors cite massive research projects, specific cases and general statistic s to communicate their theory. It would appear, that unlike O’Brien, both Fraser and Stout are more concerned with providing support for their story and/or objective. O’Brien did not bother with ensuring that his facts were correct, but rather that the message was clear.Facts and evidence, however, are very important components of Fraser and Stout’s â€Å"truths†. Fraser relies on scientific evidence to gain attention from her audience. While O’Brien may not disapprove of this method, he may see it as unnecessary. As she writes â€Å"In the United States, for example, deer-vehicle collisions alone occur up to one and a half million times each year, costing some two hundred lives and $8. 8billion annually; collisions also imperil the survival of twenty-one endangered and threatened species†(123).Another example of Fraser’s tendency to provide explicit scientific evidence is when she describes Fraser writes about the Banff Project scien tists and their impact on the concept of Rewilding as they collected â€Å"footage from cameras mounted on the underpasses [which show] bears and mountain lions approaching the wire cautiously, sniffing, and peering around† (123). The animals questioned the underpass at first, just as any creature would do when coming upon something unfamiliar. Shortly thereafter, â€Å"most of them burst over or under the wires, galloping off† (123).O’Brien would say that Fraser’s method of getting attention to her theory would be a great approach, however, if all that evidence is needed then his way to get through to people would not be relatable because to his own because he believes in simplicities and getting through to people with tantalizing and basic approaches such as emotions to capture the attention of people and his ability to tell a story and his way of articulating the facts or details. Regarding O’Brien’s argument that a piece of writing or a story should create an emotional connection, Fraser’s writing falls short.Fraser does make some attempts to build a feeling of empathy for the animals whose lives are positively impacted, as she writes â€Å"in 1993, Pluie lost her collar, which was found with a bullet hole in it. The wolf herself was shot dead two years later, along with her mate and several pups† (112). Even still as she integrates statistics and hard facts when she wrote â€Å"in the last 15 years or so, 27-percent of the known wolf deaths have been from the railway, and 60-percent were on the highway. Just 5-percent were natural†¦ The Bow Valley used to have three packs.Now it has one. In 1996, three of the four pups born to this pack were lost to the highway. The next year, none of the five pups born survived, and we know at least one was hit on the railway. During 1998, the pack had no pups and was down to three members† (112). In this segment, Fraser uses a specific story to draw in the reader and build a connection. However, these moments are too few and far between, as Fraser spends a good deal of the essay providing long descriptions of scientific theory and jargon relevant to her field.For example, Fraser spends five pages outlining the development of the term â€Å"ecosystem†, â€Å"equilibrium theory† and the consequent theory supporting the use of corridors and reserves, which she is generally supporting throughout her essay. Further she has a tendency to provide irrelevant and ridiculous amounts of detail, which loses the reader’s interest. For example, Fraser writes, â€Å"Conservation biology is a small world:† and she elaborates, â€Å"Michael Soule sat on the committee at the University of Michigan that supervised Newmark’s dissertation. The study percolated in Soule’s mind as went to his next job, at UC Santa Cruz.Sitting in his kitchen one day, Soule was talking to his friend Arne Naess, the Norwegian phi losopher who founded ‘deep ecology’†¦ † While these details may be an attempt to grab the reader’s attention, they have the opposite effect. O’Brien might describe Fraser’s approach as dry and fruitless. The author’s have various styles they attempt to use to get across to their audience, as is their technique. When compared to Fraser, Stout’s approach would be more favorable to O’Brien because there is less technicality used, less use of attempt to convince the reader that her topic of dissociation is fact and is somewhat curable.She uses interconnections to demonstrate her therapist to client bond. The method that she uses is relaxed and simple yet effective by exposing the way dissociation is triggered, and how it happens to everyone whether or not the individual realizes it or not. â€Å"Sometimes dissociation can occur when we are simply confused or frustrated or nervous, whether we recognize it or not† (S tout 384). After her clients get an understanding they begin to feel and get a better sense of the things that matter to them and are more important them by working to get a grasp on the things which are simpler to connect with.Stout convinces people that her evidence is true by walking through alongside her patients in defining lost memories and times and situations and fills in the gaps necessary in order to help her clients feel closure, happy( satisfaction) and free. Allowing them to function with a more clear mind. She sees the way people are deeper than what is seen on the surface and have the ability to do the same things as anyone else can. Stout says, â€Å"All human beings have the capacity to dissociate psychologically, though most of us are unaware of this, and consider â€Å"out of body† episodes to be far beyond the boundaries of our normal experience.In fact, dissociative experiences happen to everyone and most of these events are quite ordinary† (388). Due to dissociation being an occurrence that is not identified with ease, the majority of society does not recognize that we all in fact dissociate. When it comes to straightforwardness, a person can be sincere but not report the truth due to naivety or in order to try to get a deeper meaning. O’Brien states, â€Å"In any war story but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen† (71). The truth is not out in the open and is hidden. This in turn plays on the accuracy of an experience.When retelling an experience, the sequence of events has to be objective or have an unbiased view. Often unbiased or objective views can be lost. O’Brien uses the statement â€Å"true war story† throughout his essay. The use of the word â€Å"true† causes the essay to have a biased view Stout’s ability tot be effective and connect with the reader is kept at a strong tempo when she gives strong interesting and powersfl insights How effective is Stout at connecting with the reader? If she is effective, find an example of a time in which she is. In Stout’s essay, she writes how â€Å"we can go somewhere else.The part of consciousness that we nearly always conceive as the ‘self’ cannot be there for a few moments, for a few hours and in heinous circumstances for much longer† (p 388). Everyone has moments where they go somewhere else in their own heads to cope or protect themselves from a situation, being distracted by something, mentally escaping into a film at a movie theater, or getting lost in a day dream are all little examples of how ordinary and everyday individuals dissociate. Add something about use of language. How does O’Brien use language? How about Fraser? Stout? What might O’Brien think of their uses of language? Examples: O’Brien use metaphors? artsy, elaborate descriptions? Fraser: scientific language? dry at times? Stout: person al anecdotes? also vivid descriptions? † Both authors illustrate the problems that animals and humans face and the ways they go about coming to conclusions and solving situations and problems. The role that language plays in determining truth to O’Brien, is the studies and usage of the manmade effects have on animals and what gets into the minds of humans. Fraser and Stouts style of writing differ from O’Brien’s by one (Stout) using counseling and the other (Fraser) using convincing evidence.Stout uses counseling as a means to support her assessments of her clients individual case. As Fraser uses convincing evidence in order to support her promotion of resources and corridors as being beneficial to both animal and humas. Fraser motivates people to act In â€Å"Rewilding North America,† by writing about the development of the concept of rewilding, a conservation method designed to save species from extinction by restoring â€Å"connectivity† i n nature, â€Å"holding out the hope and promise that [through this project] humanity could heal the environmental damage that had already been done† (119).Her evidence is adequate proposed solution to a problem must be tangible and realistic. Rewilding encompasses both aspects exactly. Another reason why rewilding has a better chance for success is the fact that it is natural. The combination of these three aspects makes rewilding the favorable and more effective solution to eliminating animal suffering Animals roamed planet Earth for nearly 600 million years prior to the appearance of the genus Homo. During all that time, many creatures and species came and went. By and large they evolved, disappeared and became extinct all due to nature, geography, environment and natural events.Animal extinction is a natural process, but nonetheless the rate has heightened because of mans’ interaction with animals. Humans tend to cause our wild animal neighbors much more trouble th an they do to us, as each day we invade thousands of acres of their territories while destroying their homes. These crises occurring in nature beg for humans to do something to eliminate or lessen the foreseen calamities. Caroline Fraser, in the essay â€Å"Rewilding North America† provides what can be appreciated as a balance between the latter two potential solutions.She explains the concept of rewilding, a large-scale conservation method aimed to restore and provide connectivity between animals and humans. The idea of rewilding is a marriage between synthetic biology and interspecies empathy because it constructively encompasses aspects from both approaches. Rewilding is a feasible solution to eliminate animal suffering that is not only natural but also is a tangible and realistic one, in comparison to the ideas of stout and o’brien. Rewilding is an appropriate solution to the problem of species extinction because it is primarily a natural process.Rewilding, like mo st natural processes, does not affect animal’s lives in any significant negative way. Fraser writes about Banff Project scientists and their impact on the concept of Rewilding. They collected â€Å"footage from cameras mounted on the underpasses [which show] bears and mountain lions approaching the wire cautiously, sniffing, and peering around† (123). The animals questioned the underpass at first, just as any creature would do when coming upon something unfamiliar. Shortly thereafter, â€Å"most of them burst over or under the wires, galloping off† (123).O’Brien would say that Fraser’s method of getting attention to her theory would be a great approach, however, if all that evidence is needed then his way to get through to people would not be relateable because to his own because he believes in simplisties and getting through to people with tantalizing and basic approaches such as emotions to capture the attention of people and his ability to tell a story and his way of articulating the facts or details. One patient in particular, named Julia, is a successful producer of documentary films.As a child, Julia underwent child abuse and was skillfully able to remove herself from the horrific situations. The trauma Julia experienced as a child causes her to dissociate now as an adult yet, she carries her life as anyone else would. â€Å"I met her when I she was thirty-two, and an intellectual force to be reckoned with. A conversation with her reminds me of the New York Review of Books, except that she is funnier, and also a living breathing human being who wears amethyst jewelry to contrast with her electric auburn hair† (Stout 385).From the description given by Stout in her essay, Julia does not fit into the category that society has placed her in. She overrides the stereotypes and labels because she is not any different from what society perceives as â€Å"normal. † She is intelligent and successful; everything soci ety wants her to be but for some reason she is perceived otherwise. Patients like Julia commonly experience dissociation more severely because of the traumatic experiences they have been through. Why should someone who dissociates, and receives therapeutic assistance to confront their issues, be perceived in society as being different from someone who does not?Dissociation should not negatively categorize its victims, but rather serve as a common ground between people because all people dissociate. â€Å"We can go somewhere else. The part of consciousness that we nearly always conceive as the ‘self’ can not be there for a few moments, for a few hours, and in heinous circumstances, for much longer† (Stout 388). Everyone has moments where they go somewhere else in their own head to cope or protect themselves from a situation. Being distracted by something, mentally escaping into a film at a theatre, or getting lost in a day dream are all minuet examples of how ordi nary, everyday individuals dissociate.Dissociation is an obstacle that Stout’s patients encounter on a day to day basis, and, unfortunately, classifies them in society to be â€Å"abnormal. † Society has a picture of what â€Å"normal† is supposed to be; but what makes one individual more â€Å"normal† than the next? While Stout’s patients are looked upon negatively as being strange because they dissociate; they are no different from a man who enjoys a film at a theatre. â€Å"This perfectly ordinary man is dissociated from reality. Effectively, he is in a trance.We might label his perceptions as psychotic, except for the fact that when the movie is over, he will return to his usual mental status almost instantly. He will see the credits. He will notice that he has spilled some popcorn, although he will not remember doing so† (Stout 388). Someone who society would categorize as a â€Å"normal man,† experiences an example of what Stout ’s patients bear regularly. The film watcher is in no contrast with Julia, or any of Stout’s other patients; therefore, society has misinterpreted what is considered the norm.Stouts essay would be evaluated using o† brien’s definition of truth by agreeing in the wyas that there are many times that people allow their minds to drift and take over. Imagination is what O’Brien uses and the imagination of these characters are what allow them to face and deal with their traumatic experiences and allows them totake stances in their places that may or may not be realistic. She uses language by its literal form in human communication with her clients, talking and assessing what they lack and how they is a solution through language and rehearsal processes assist in one having an ability to adapt to normalisity.This is like o’briens as he is most effective with speaking and using language and mind as his tools to paint pictures to the stories he makes. These two are more natural and effective and simplistic yet powerful. When frasers compared to the authors approaches she takes more of a scientific stance as to where she provides evidence and actual facts from her discoveries. Stout says, â€Å"I believe that most of us cannot know what we would do, trapped in a situation that required such a seemingly no-win decision† (382).Stout’s patients are wrongfully perceived as â€Å"insane†, yet no one has bothered to put themselves in their position. Dissociation experienced at the caliber that Stout’s patients do, is normal to them. What society perceives as â€Å"normal,† and what Stout’s patients perceive as normal, is identical because Stout’s patients see themselves that way. Dissociative episodes are what they have been experiencing for most of their lives; therefore, it is what they see as the norm and society should not reprimand them for that. â€Å"A True war story is never mora l.It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things they have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it† (347). In short, it gives you a view of how to take in the war story. It differs from the usual happy and uplifting war story and gives a realist and somber approach to reading a war story. The following will explain the importance of this passage and how it relates to the short story. Reason why he wouldn’t agree with fraser. â€Å"True war stories do not generalise. They do not indulge in abstraction or analysis;.For example: war is hell. As a moral declaration the old truism seems perfectly true, and yet because it abstracts, because it generalizes, i can’t believe it with my stomach. Nothing turns inside. It comes down to gut instinct. A true war story, if told truly, makes the stomach believe† (O’Brien, p. 274). * In â€Å"Rewilding North America†, Fraser mentions a man named Harvey Locke, and how he said â€Å"I choose those words, ‘Yellowstone to Yukon,’ because they’re deep symbols in peoples brains. If I say those words in Stuggart, Germany, in Toronto, in new York, or in Tokyo, everybody knows what I’m talking about† (Fraser 121).He was talking about the title of his catch phrase because it would grab the attention of people who shared a common interest. He knew that there were people who would be interested in â€Å"Y2Y† because they shared a common concern that mattered to them when it involved rewilding animals. Similarly, in her essay, Martha Stout writes about a conversation she was having with a woman named â€Å"Julia† and how she had asked, â€Å"do other people remember those things, about their teachers, and going to their graduation, and learning to drive and so on? (Stout 387). Meaning the way other people think about situations that have occurred in their p asts. Things that were at some point so important, things that mattered to them, at least in those years of age and time. The process that pertains to what matters comes in all forms. In Fraser’s excerpt she was talking about the sciences and how the topic of concern would have the ability to bring awareness to her idea of restoration.There are other ways like in Stouts, she being the psychologist who works with clients, discusses and rehearses situations alongside her clients in order to recover what was supposed to be significant and have some level of importance at one stage in her client’s life. In these cases the process of restoration. There are unlimited topics of discussions which coincide with interpersonal relationships like the ones that Tim O’Brien attempts to establish by using war as the main topic, something that has long time been a concern of people.Something that he knows will draw people in and make them invest their time and feelings into wha t matters to him. However, each individual designs their stories from past and present experiences differently. There is a diverse level of severity and truth. Things that really happened and things that could have happened and how story tellers fill in those gaps, is completely up to their discretion. In â€Å"how to tell a true war story,† O’Brien writes, â€Å" you can tell a true war story by the questions you ask.Somebody tells a story, let’s say, and afterward you ask, ‘is it true? ’ and if the answer matters, then you’ve got your answer† (p276). In O’Brien’s story he writes a letter to his fallen friends relative. In it he goes into great detail that is both deep and disturbing. He mentions both the ways â€Å"Lemon† was a person he has deep love for and the gruesome ways his life ended. The truth came out towards the end after what mattered to him was not reciprocated by Lemons sister, which left a gap, a p lace of question to the person who leaves the questioner questioning.This then makes him give up in a sense, as if he were to break down which ironically is done mainly by his own accord because there was never a simple response to his letter of make believe. There are many things that happen in all our lives both good and bad and these things contribute to who we are, the ways we communicate and how we communicate, how we present ourselves and go about every day life. These things make us aim to make what matters to us a factor and a reality when it comes to achieving.What matters in each individuals life of course varies. There are times when what matters becomes something that is shared by many, creating a movement, like in Fraser’s Rewilding how there was a problem she assisted in shining light into the problem and successfully there was others who began to share the importance of restoring wildlife. In Marta Stout’s story creating an ability to connect the missing parts of her clients’ lives contributed to a better life. What mattered to her was helping her patients get a grip on their mental stabilities.Then there are some who some, when thought about can seem selfish because what matters to them is how they feel on account of others and in the process if others get left in question to fulfill what matters. In all the stories there was something of importance to the writer, something that mattered at some point enough to write about it. Sometimes those things are not relevant or seem to be when first thought about, but then many stories are designed to the knowledge of the person whose captivated your attention and sometimes afterward you might ask, ‘is it true? and if the answer matters, then you’ve got your answer† so O’Brien says. As long as the things that are being exchanged consist with a level of importance it does not matter how real or how fake it may be. What matters is the lessons learned, the com munication and the processes that go into exchanging. As long as you know what you believe and know, truth will always be left for your decision to what is and is not true.