The Role of Religion in Contemporary Irish Society Essay

The Role of Religion in Contemporary Irish Society - Essay Example Contemporary sociologists have judged that â€Å"any sociological study of Ireland must reflect the importance of religion in the shaping of our contemporary society, its continuing relevance in terms of everyday social life and the still central role of religious institutions† (Tovey and Share, 2003, p. 384). This observation, however, runs counter to the belief that was a cultural shift in all Western societies which started in the period of the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, which introduced a whole new set of scientific tools. Max Weber, Émile Durkheim and other early proponents of the new discipline of sociology described evidence of a shift away from religion and towards rationalisation. The term â€Å"secularization† is used to describe this change, and the â€Å"secularization thesis† is a belief that religion will slowly fade in the face of new scientific, and by implication better, ways of seeing the world. This paper shows, however, that there is evidence in the recent history and sociology of Ireland to prove that the secularization thesis does not hold, since contemporary Ireland fully reflects modern cultural trends and yet it is by no means an increasingly secular country. Origins of the secularization thesis. In the Middle Ages, a Christia n world view dominated the whole of Europe, with close links being maintained between Church and State, and other religions such as Judaism and Islam being classed as outsiders. Secular monarchs reigned in the firm belief that they had a divine right to rule, and they often used their powers to enhance the dominance of the Christian Church, leading to the Crusades and the demonization of other faiths and other nation states. The reformation polarised Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity so that in Europe, at least, religion became associated with conflict between factions within Europe. Ireland played a decisive role in the early stages of the Christian colonisation of Europe, and Ireland’s continual loyalty to Rome in the face of British rebellion is a reflection of political differences as much as it is a religious position. The relationship between Church and State remains close in Ireland, since there was no split between the monarch and Rome, and this explain s the influence that religions continues to have at the present time on Irish political and social affairs. In Victorian Britain and Imperial Germany the protestant work ethic was credited with producing the beginnings of the capitalist system, and Karl Marx theorized religion in this context as a logical an necessary part of this culture of trade and industry. In the analyses of Marx, Engels and Lenin, religion was a thriving force to be reckoned with, and they very much supported the underlying motivations that led people to put their faith in it: â€Å"Religion is a many-faceted reflection of the real world, including deep-seated human needs for security, consolation, and beauty. They (Marx, Engels and Lenin) do not want to take away from people the solace, comfort of beauty that religion brings to their lives †¦ religious beliefs are not merely illusory; they stand in the way of man’s mastering both nature and his social relations in the interests of a better and fu ller life† ( Selsam and Martel, 1987, p. 225). A combination of these political ideas,

Philosophy of the Person and Self Concept Essay - 1

Philosophy of the Person and Self Concept - Essay Example Locke in his  An Essay Concerning Human Understanding  and Jacques Rohault in his  Ultimate Questions: Thinking About Philosophy  use primarily ‘reason’ as their major tool for scientific research and methodological strength. He initially expresses doubt for ‘being’ and goes further to prove the reality of ‘being’. For him, when we doubt a thing or being, we then  ipso facto, by virtue of the existence of ‘doubt’, must know that what we doubt exist as a reality. Doubt we must for Descartes. Otherwise, all apparent reality is a dream or an illusion. This is not an instance of contradiction in Descartes. Here, it is the order and tool of argument is important than any other thing.  Descartes’ critics such as Johannes Caterus, Friar Marin Mersenne, Thomas Hobbes, Antoine Arnauld, Pierre Gassendi and Jesuit Pierre Bourdin point out quite a few criticisms.     

The Influential Factors, Key Current Issues and Future Directions for Essay

The Influential Factors, Key Current Issues and Future Directions for International HRM in China - Essay Example The move from traditional closed door economy to ‘open door’ economy, has attracted foreign direct investments or FDI which have given considerable boost to its image as nation that is ready to embrace new culture of cooperation. The facilitating employment policies, labour law, joining world trade unions and forging alliances with international business community have been few of the major elements of its liberalization. The Government’s recognition of the importance of human resources has been critical to the expanding business opportunities for both within and outside the country. The new labour policies and laws that incorporate the international parameters and conform to the wider international regulations have proved the efficacy of international HRM that Chinese companies and corporate bodies are increasingly adopting within their core business strategies. Scholars assert that new IHRM practices have introduced new formats which are based on investment and stake owner equity (Bell, Khor and Kochhar, 1993). These are important issues as they cater to the wider welfare of the workforce. But according to Child (1994), there is still strong influence of sociologist ideology of the government towards work, performance and rewards in local joint ventures partner in business alliance of MNE in Chinese SOE. The contributory factor could be strong political regulations that favour local people. In the contemporary environment of competitive business, business practices of the domestic market are inadequate in the global market. Expanding business must take cognizance of the changed equation of business practice with reference to the changing socio cultural background of the country, where one needs to establish the business interests. National cultures are critical elements that determine the negotiator’s assumptions and help to form business strategy based on behavioral pattern (Cohen, 2004; Rubin & Sander, 1991). Hofstede, (1984) has also emphasized the importance of culture in business paradigms. China being culturally distinct economy, must be understood for making successful foray into business partnership and alliances. The increasing trend in IHRM to understand cross cultural values therefore become vital part of business in China within and across the business entities that are looking for exploiting business opportunities there. 2. Key current issues in IHRM Dowling et al. (1999) says that complexities of Chinese socio-political and cultural environment have posed serious challenges to the businesses, especially their IHRM practices. The cross cultural understanding and the wide diversity of national cultures and most importantly the tight control of government over international business are issues that need careful considerations. Poole (1999) believes that use of local talent and resources are important part of joint ventures that promote local economy. The socio-cultural value systems are vastly diffe rent and business practices are very sensitive to behavioural pattern and intrinsically linked to their socio-cultural value system. Schuler (2001) says that there is strong bond of national culture that prefers to deal with local people rather than expatriate managers. This is important issue with the MNCs as they often incur huge cost on training

Gun control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gun control - Research Paper Example However, in my opinion, I support that we need strict gun control laws in each country. In my country-China only policemen and military can have guns. The citizens can’t have guns. Due to the strict gun control laws, China’s murder rate was nearly the lowest in the world, well below countries such as Japan and Switzerland. China’s homicide rate stands at 0.8 cases per 100,000 people, Japan’s rate is 14. Therefore, strict gun control laws are needed in order to decreasing the murder rate. There are few ways we can strict gun control laws in the follow. One does not need to look very hard to find evidence that gun control is needed within the current era. The rash of mash shootings, to include the Colorado Theater shooting, Sandy Hook, as well as a great litany of others, underscores the fact that guns legally obtained through the proper channels are oftentimes utilized to commit these brazen acts of terror. As such, the issue that this comes down to is what the government can seek to do with regards to limiting the supply of guns while at the same time seeking to preserve the civil rights of individuals within society. Accordingly, the following arguments will present a case for why gun control and stricter gun laws are required; while at the same time presenting the case for why stricter gun laws will not necessarily improve the situation that has been thus far evidenced throughout society; relating to gun crimes and/or mass shootings. Firstly, there is he stance that further gun control would help to mimic the actions that have been taken in other nations around the globe. One does not have to delve too deeply into the statistics to realize that developed economies and societies, such as Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain, do not experience anywhere near the same levels of gun crime as does the United States (O’Brien et al. 7). This is of course due to a number of reasons. The first of these has to do with the fact tha t the right to bear arms is not unique to the European nations that have thus far been listed. However, this inherent â€Å"right† is built into the United States Constitution with regards to the Second Amendment. This particular amendment guarantees that Congress will not impede the right of the citizen to own and bear arms. However, even a cursory analysis reveals the fact that laws such as a minimum age for purchasing firearms and/or the requirement to obtain a legal permit in order to conceal a weapon have already infringed upon this Second Amendment right. In this way, those who continually assert that the Second Amendment is hallowed ground that the government will never be able to infringe upon are sorely mistaken; as it has already been infringed upon, defined, and hedged by a great many different laws. An argument against further gun control in order to present the atrocities that have thus far been listed has to do with the fact that criminals are, by their very nat ure, disinterested with the impacts or repercussions of breaking the law. In this manner, seeking to engage further gun laws as a means of reducing the supply of guns available to these individual via legal channels will not necessarily solve the situation. Instead, it is reasonable to assume that if an individual intends on breaking the law in the first place, then they will equally be willing to purchase a firearm or ammunition on the black market; outside of the channels of supply that the United

Playing Dual Roles in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Playing Dual Roles in Organizations - Essay Example These people were voted on by a review committee and part of the determining factor was that these people were not meeting the standards and objectives that Enron created. Those who did meet the standards often received millions of dollars in bonuses. Therefore, this particular system made it so that employees were rewarded for doing what Enron wanted and punished for when they didn’t. This fostered a dangerous mindset, especially since the company was unethical. Following groups norms is similar to peer pressure in that people are persuaded to do something or behave in a certain way solely because everyone else is doing or behaving in the exact same manner. In this particular documentary, traders followed group norms by being very ruthless. It was noted that due to the competitive atmosphere, people would slit each other’s throats or stomp on each other’s throats in order to get to the top. Additionally, one trader said that he did not ask questions about the unethical practices because nobody else was. Both examples illustrate an overall acceptance of values and standards due to the fact that â€Å"everyone was doing it† or was commonplace behavior. Andrew Fastow who was the CFO of Enron was assigned the role of being in charge of the money and financial aspects of Enron. The movie discusses how Fastow essentially lied to investors by convincing them to put money into the company without really receiving anything of actual value in return. He kept Enron afloat by creating a variety of bogus companies and having investors such as banks place money on them. Additionally, he skimmed money off the top of these accounts to the tune of $45 million. Fastow’s role as CFO gave him access to a lot of money and power. It appears that he was set up as a fall guy in a way since a lot of the crime had to do with the accounting aspect of the business which Fastow was largely in charge of. It can either be said that the role of CFO corrupted Fastow and he perpetrated fraud as a means of fulfilling his greed.

Free market in the economical world and business Assignment

Free market in the economical world and business - Assignment Example Explain how the system works to allocate resources The allocation of resources depends on supply and demand of those resources in a free market economy. The buyers and sellers, or their agents undertake all the exchanges and transaction voluntarily (Friedman, 2003: 36). Both the seller and the buyer accept the transaction because both expect to gain from it. Consequently, the two may repeat the exchange conditions the next time (or refuse to transact) if their expectation was met (or disregarded) in their past transactions. Ultimately, the reason for engaging in the transaction is that both the parties expect to benefit from the exchange. This is the main reason that distinguishes the free market from the free trade of the mercantilist period, expounded by French essay-writer Montaigne. According to Montaigne, the mercantilists held that in any trade transaction, there must be a loser and a winner: the loser is the â€Å"exploited party† while the winner is the â€Å"exploite r†. The mercantilists’ belief is invalid because the eagerness and even willingness of both the sellers and the buyers mean that they expect to benefit. Translating the trade of free market in modern game-theory jargon, transactions are a win-win exchange. They result to a positive sum rather than the conventional â€Å"negative sum† or â€Å"zero sums† game. Two factors determine the availability and allocation of resources in a free market: the value of the resources according to each participant, and the bargaining skills of the participants. How the buyers value the resources comparative to the other resources they could buy largely determine the distribution and allocation of these resources in the market (Friedman, 2003: 82). The exchange terms, or prices, depend on the quantity (measure) of the particular resource in the given market set up. Ultimately, the allocation of the resources depends on their availability measure in the market in relation t o the evaluation of the buyers. In summary, resource allocation relies on their demand and supply. In the supply of a resource, an increase in its price reflects an increase in demand on the mind of the buyers resulting to more money bidding for it, thus the price of the resource shoots up. The reverse will occur if the price, and thus the demand, for the resource decrease. In contrast, the buyer’s evaluation is that the increase in supply of a resource brings the value of the resource down. The reverse occurs when the supply of the resource decreases. From the demand and supply effects on the allocation of resources, the free market incorporates a highly interactive and complex pattern of transactions. Arguments in favor of this system The manner in which the free market works to allocate resources has come under debate and criticisms by economists. Nevertheless, the free market has four distinct arguments that enforces it existence, and which are discussed accordingly. The first argument is the efficiency of allocating scarce resources in the economy. This argument relates to the neoclassical economic tradition of benefits for all the participants in the transaction. In a completely free market, supply of goods and services matches their demand. The participants maximizes their benefit in the exchanges, everybody is a

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Economics - Essay Example competitor lowers its price it may attract some - but not all - buyers because product differentiation makes it possible for some to remain with the sellers product despite the price increase, and they will not switch. Rivalries among oligopolists can be circumvented by some form of open or tacit collusion among members, in the process converting the oligopoly, at least temporarily, into a sort of monopoly. One example is price leadership, where one company, usually the biggest among them, sets the price and the others follow. It is somewhat risky because unless the others expect to benefit or are not harmed by the move, they can undercut the price instead, and a price war among the participants can ensue. A company may also behave in such a way that it does not make things difficult for its competitors. Companies may set their prices so that they are only a few cents apart and thus somehow avoid accusations of having colluded in setting prices. Open collusion (a cartel) is possible but is illegal in the United States. A successful cartel can charge a monopoly price at the expense of the consumers and obtain monopoly profits. An exception in the United States applies to regulated industries such as telecommunications and gas pipeline transportation where members are allowed to behave as cartels provided they do not undercut the prices set by government regulatory agencies (Baumol and Blinder, 1997). A monopoly is either a pure monopoly or a natural monopoly. A pure monopoly is one where there is only one supplier of a product that has no close substitutes and where it is impossible or extremely difficult for another firm to coexist. A natural monopoly, on the other hand. is an industry in which advantages in large scale production make it possible for a single firm to produce the entire output of the market at a lower than average cost than a number of firms each producing a smaller quantity. It is the latter kind of monopoly that can evolve from a