Biodiversity conservation Essays

Biodiversity conservation Essays Biodiversity conservation Essay Biodiversity conservation Essay 2004 ) . The combined effects of such activities have led to the debasement of countries that have been held sacred by peculiar civilizations for 100s or even 1000s of old ages. Linkss between sacred land ( and H2O ) and preservation are non confined to minority religions, as they exist virtually in all religions around the universe. The mainstream religions, with many 1000000s of followings, have a immense influence on the manner in which we view and interact with the natural universe. This influence is reflected in big portion by determining people s doctrine and moralss. However, this is linked to the ownership of land, investing, and political and societal factor. The pattern of biodiversity preservation is profoundly rooted in scientific discipline along with the associated layman and mercenary world-view. This can present a menace to sacred infinites, if religious, cultural, and spiritual values are non included in the planning phase of preservation direction. Although protecting a sacred site officially or through statute law prevents its traditional usage, it is likely to do a cultural split and outrage by degrading the well preserved sacred nature ( WWF, 2005 ) . Background of the country Uttarakhand is divided into two administrative divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon. The Garhwal part extends from 29AÂ °26 to 30AÂ ° 28 North latitude and 77AÂ °49 80AÂ °06 East longitude. It is situated between the feeders of Ganges- Alaknanda and Mandakini and was designated by Aryans as the heavenly land or Dev Bhoomi . In fact, Eden ( Swarg ) in those yearss was sought to be identified with the part of Garhwal Himalaya, where the mountains ( like Meru , Kailash , Gandhmadan ) and blessed home ground ( like Kuvela , Shiva , and Vishnu ( Mahabharata ) ) were found. After the Vedic Age , this piece of land had been known as Brahmarishi Deha ( Manu:11. 1919 ) , while during the heroic period it was known as Panchala Desha . Afterward, the part was known as Garhwal which stemmed from two words Garh ( district ) and wal ( the name of the male monarch in that period ) . The Kumaon part extends from 28Â ° 44 and 30Â ° 49 N ( latitude ) and 78Â ° 45 and 81Â ° 1 E ( longitude ) . The word Kumaon can be traced back to the fifth century BC. The Kassite Assyrians left their fatherland Kummah , on the Bankss of river Euphrates and settled in the northern portion of India. These dwellers formed Koliyan folks, as they settled freshly in Kumaon . Lord Buddha s female parent, Mayabati belonged to this kin. As another version of the beginning, the word Kumaon has been believed to deduce from Kurmanchal a hill near Champawat which was the old capital of the Chand male monarchs. Kurmanchal was the land of the Kurmavatar ( the tortoise embodiment of Lord Vishnu, the refinisher harmonizing to Hindu mythology ) ( Gajrani, 2004 ) . The earliest historical mentions to the part are found in the Vedas. The being of the mountains was specifically addressed in the Mahabharata, dated back to about 1000 BC, when the supporters of the heroic poem, the Pandavas, are said to hold ended their life on Earth by go uping the inclines of a extremum in Western Garhwal called Swargarohini literally, the Ascent to Heaven . Physical geography of Uttarakhand Uttarakhand is the youngest mountain province of the Republic of India and was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on the 9th of November 2000. It consists of two words uttar intending north and khand intending portion . It occupies 17.3 % of India s entire land country with 53,566 sq. kilometer of which 92.57 % is under hills and 7.43 % under fields. Uttarakhand is located between 770 34 27 to 810 02 22 E longitude and 280 53 24 to 310 27 50 N latitude ( Figure 1 ) . The province has diverse home grounds runing from the snow bound extremums of the Himalayas with the highest Nanda Devi ( 7,817 m ) to the sub-tropical Terai part. It has a population of about 8.48 million at 158.3 individuals per sq. kilometer ( FSI, 2005 ) . The boundary line of Uttarakhand touches with Nepal in the East and China in the North. Traditional cognition and Environmental preservation Traditional societies are characterized by their close interconnectedness with nature and its resources. They depend upon natural resources and biodiversity for their support ( Ramakrishnan, 1996 ) . This bond with nature and natural resources extends beyond the economic kingdom, as societal, cultural and religious dimensions besides play a important function ( Ramakrishnan et al. 1998 ) . Ecosystems sustain themselves in a dynamic balance based on rhythms and fluctuations, which are nonlinear procedures. The subject of traditional ecological cognition is of import in the consideration of a wide scope of inquiries related to nature-human relationships. Different groups of people in assorted parts of the universe perceive and interact with nature otherwise by sharing different traditions of environmental cognition. Their perceptual experiences and cognition are in portion shaped by their values, worldviews, environmental moralss, and faith. In the geographic expedition of environmenta l moralss and faith to an ecologically sustainable society, autochthonal peoples and traditional ecological cognition have attracted considerable attending from both bookmans and popular motions. As a cognition and pattern belief, traditional ecological cognition includes worldview and spiritual traditions of a society. Every cultural group portions a scope of environmental values and moralss along with their patterns. Environmental dealingss of a group are non unvarying but they are shaped by the daily interactions every bit good as their worldview and moralss. The Hindus in India accept nature as deity, manifestation of God ; as such, natural elements like workss, animate beings, H2O, Earth and fire all become portion of ceremonials and worship. Traditional cognition can run from what are called old married womans narratives to highly complex, formal and statute systems, e.g. , the Indian medical cognition system of Ayurveda ( Nadkarni and Chauhan, 2004 ) . Plant preservation is frequently presented based on scientific contexts of world and truth every bit good as related subjects of single to ecological reclamation. For many visitants, their cardinal religious or spiritual positions frame their beliefs, values, and actions, including all facets of works preservation, instruction, and reclamation. In Garhwal Himalaya, there are communities that are the depositories of huge accretions of traditional cognition and experiences that link humanity with its antediluvian beginnings. The local communities and their wealth of local cognition are seen as the heroes of resource preservation, instead than scoundrels of resource depletion as known earlier. ( page 9, Agarwal, 1997 ) . Traditional cognition of H2O direction in Uttarakhand was reported by a few writers ( Rawat and Sah, 2009 ; Sharma, 2008 ) The disappearing of these communities is a loss for the society, which otherwise could hold informed us a great trade of their traditional accomplishments ( WCED, 1987 ) . Traditional cognition and H2O direction Water is a cherished gift of nature and indispensable for the endurance of all signifiers of life. The usage of H2O has been an built-in portion of human life, every bit old as civilisation itself. The great Harappan civilisation developed in this continent during 2500-1500 BC chiefly because of H2O. Vedic literature ( 800-600 BC ) , particularlyRig-Vedais full with anthem about irrigated land, fluxing rivers, pools, and Wellss ( Agarwal and Narayan, 1997 ) . As an built-in portion of the Indian heritage, the Himalayas of which woods provide vegetive screen for the major river systems in India serve as H2O reservoir and a warehouse of biodiversity ( Rawat, 2000 ) . Uttarakhand is the catchment country of the Indo-Gangetic field and the cradle of the Indo-Gangetic civilisation. Water is revered and regarded as sacred from clip immemorial. In Garhwal and Kumaon part, small towns have a set of cultivated land, human colony, and forest country ; in the upper catchment of the small towns, they used to hold smaller or bigger H2O thumping constructions such as Tals, Khals, Chals and Rou. About 95 % of the small towns in Uttarakhand have such types of construction in its district or catchment. Their acknowledgment of H2O retaining constructions and H2O buffeting constructions has been built through their tradition. In scientific position, their cognition of smaller H2O recharge constructions ( khals ) or bigger H2O organic structures ( tals ) in higher ranges of the habitation or agricultural land played an of import function in the recharge of springs, rills, and gadheras. Traditional medical system The traditional medical systems of northern India ( such as Ayurveda and Tibetan ) are a portion of clip tested civilization ( Kala et al. 2006 ) . Medicative workss have strong credence in spiritual activities of north Indian native communities, who worshiped the workss in the signifier of God, goddesses, and minor divinities ( Silori and Badola, 2000 ; Dhyani, 2000 ) . To call some of them, Origanum vulgare, Saussurea obvallata, Ocimum sanctum, Cedrus deodara, Cynodon dactylon, Aegle marmelos, Juniperus communis, Musa paradissica, Nardostachys grandiflora, Zanthoxylum armatum, Ficus benghalensis, and Ficus religiosa are illustrations of the medicative workss used normally for medicative every bit good as a spiritual intents by the Hindus in northern India ( Kala et al. , 2006 ) . Apart from human usage, many works species were besides used in carnal husbandary as the primary beginning of health care ( Samal et al. 2004, Kala et Al. 2004 ) . Bhotiyas are an cultural community of Mongoloid beginning. They were traditional trans-border bargainers who traded between India and former Tibet ( now China ) and Nepal until trans-bordering was terminated in 1962 due to Sino-Indian struggle ( Farooquee et al. 2004 ) . Until the 1960s, people shacking in the remote and unaccessible high heights of Himalaya were non exposed to any signifiers of medical intervention. Hence, they were wholly dependent on the Bhotiya system of traditional intervention. The autochthonal Bhotiya intervention chiefly focused on complaints like stomachic jobs, digestive system, dysentery and diarrhea, liver malfunctioning, kidney rock, fever, blood purifier, common cold and cough, tegument diseases, and energy and verve of the organic structure. Taboos as a agency of works and animate being preservation Taboos are the unwritten, orally transmitted traditional and societal regulations that regulate human behaviour ( Colding and Folke, 1997 ; Banjo et Al. 2006 ) . In Uttarakhand, there are a figure of workss, animate beings, and lakes that are regarded as sacred in the sense that no felling or development was carried out. As a consequence, it means that different species of trees and animate beings which are economically of import are preserved in such a manner that they will organize a good familial reservoir and service as a usher against extinction of these species. It will be worthwhile to analyze the cognitive foundations of the autochthonal cognition, ethnoecology, and ethnoforestry. Ethno-forestry is the survey of continued pattern of creative activity, preservation, direction, and usage of forest resources, through customary ways in local communities ( Pandey, 1996, 2003 ) . Religious beliefs, tradition, and civilization are the merchandises of logical internalisation of human experience and acquisition. Historically, several faiths have explicitly or implicitly prescribed learning related to responsibility of its followings toward the environment ( Banjo et al. , 2006 ) . This position was substantiated by Anderson as cited by Pandey ( 2003 ) , when he stated that ecological wisdom in tabu, symbols, and cosmologies of traditional societies transmit the cognition of preservation to the younger coevals. It helped them pull off resources good through spiritual or ritual representation. Trees have a really particular function in the ethos of the people in Uttarakhand. Chandrakanth and Romm ( 1991 ) stated that sacred trees symbolize specific arrays of human conditions, possibilities, and expectancy. Speciess of trees are worshipped as ( 1 ) manifestation of Gods, ( 2 ) representatives of peculiar stars and planets, and ( 3 ) symbols of the natural elements ( energy, H2O, land, and air ) each of which has its ain independent and rational significances. There are illustrations where communities regulate the usage of resource by curtailing the entree to resources and implementing conformity through spiritual belief, ritual, and societal convention which in fact aid biodiversity preservation in such community. Trees have long been protected or conserved through spiritual tabu, values, and patterns ( Pandey, 2003 ) . The functions of spiritual and cultural beliefs in protecting trees have been observed by other research workers ( Pandey, 2003 ) . The dependance of rural people on the wood and their involvements in its saving have been institutionalized through assorted societal and cultural mechanism ( such as tabu ) . Despite their evident unreason, spiritual limitation such as tabus may therefore be extremely rational ways of conserving resources: Pandey ( 2003 ) described societal restraints such as tabu which led to autochthonal biological preservation like supplying entire protection to some biological communities, home ground spots, and certain selected species. The flower of Brahmkamal (Saussurea obvallata) , an alpine species is the most valued as the offerings to Lord Shiva (Shri Kedarnath) and Lord Vishnu (Shri Badrinath) in Garhwal Himalaya. These flowers are non plucked before Nanda Astami ( falls in the last hebdomad of August or the first hebdomad of September ) as the seeds mature at this clip. These people have a impression that if the flowers ofBrahmkamalare plucked before this day of the month, there will be a natural catastrophe. In Indonesia, as in Garhwal Himalaya,Ficus bengalensisis considered to be sacred. Springs are frequently found under banian trees in Indonesia, as they have a belief that holy liquors reside in the trees and guarantee the handiness of clean H2O. Dodital and Devariyatal a two lakes in Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag territory of Uttarakhand are considered sacred so that fishing is wholly restricted. There is a tabu that if fishing is done in that lake, fisherman will endure from leprosy. Speciess such as sac red fig (Ficus religiosa ) ,mountain king of beasts(Felis concolor) ,and southern pocket goffer (Thomomys umbrinus emotus) areprotected by Hindus tabu for specific species all across the Indian subcontinent ( Colding and Folke, 2000 ) . Sacred Groves and Biodiversity Conservation There has been a close linkage between human existencesand nature preservation since the beginning of runing and garnering societies. The relationship between world and Earth is based on a belief that the planet s biospheric life support system is sacred ( Cairns, 2002 ) . In India, as elsewhere in many parts of the universe, a figure of communities pattern different signifiers of nature worship. Early worlds worshipped nature with fear and exploited its resources sustainably to run into their lower limit needs merely. Every civilization has beliefs which answer in different ways the cardinal inquiry about how and where people originated, and how they should act with their environment ( Elder and Wong, 1994 ) . Forests are the topic of a great trade of myth, fable, and lore. Societies most closely entwined with woods tend to see them in a healthy regard, awe at their luster and stateliness, and sometimes experience awful and fright of the powerful liquors that lurk within them. They have been the line of life for tribal and other forest-dwelling communities. For preservation of this critical resource, people began to utilize the construct of sacred Grovess. The historical links of frightened Grovess have been traced back to the pre-agricultural, runing and garnering phase of societies, when human society was in a crude province ( Gadgil and Vartak, 1975 ; Khumbongmayum et Al. 2004 ) . The most ancientvedicBibles demonstrate an ecological consciousness and great regard for the natural universe through the congratulations of divinities. There are many specific instructions on environmental affairs throughout the texts, and ecological activitists have drawn much inspiration from those ( Vanucci, 1999 ) . Such constructs have been a portion of rich tradition and diverse civilization in Indian societies through many coevalss. Sacred Groves ( SGs ) and temple woods are one of the oldest signifiers of preservation. These little wood spots with tall trees, lianas, and bushs stand foring the celebrated construction of good maintained woods are sc attered amidst the debauched landscapes all over the state. These woods, although little and scattered, portion two common characteristics,i.e., sacredness and religion in a divinity. A sacred wood can hence be described as any wood or flora strand that is considered valuable by local communities and protected by the community for spiritual and religious grounds ( Spencer, 1998 ) . One of such important traditions is the protection of spots of woods dedicated to divinities and/or hereditary liquors. A few illustrations described by Vanucci ( 1999 ) ( as in Ramasubramanian, 2008, Page 5 ) are: Do non cut trees, because they remove pollution ( Rig Vedic literature, 6:48:17 ) . Do non upset the sky and do non foul the ambiance ( Yajur Vedic literature, 5:43 ) . Destruction of woods is taken as devastation of the province, and re-afforestation an act of reconstructing the province and progressing its public assistance. Protection of animate beings is considered a sacred responsibility ( Charak sanhita ) . No animal is superior to any other. Human existences should non be above nature. Let no 1 species encroach over the rights and privileges of other species ( Isha-Upanishads ) Plants ( Oshadhis ) and trees ( Vanaspatis ) are embodied as goddesses and divinities and jointly aroused as jungle goddess or Aranyani in the Vedas. All faiths and civilizations of the South Asiatic part are ingrained in woods, non out of fright and ignorance but due to the ecological perceptual experience that SGs are the sections of landscape incorporating flora and other signifiers of life and geographical characteristics. These SGs are delimited and protected by human societies under the belief that maintaining them in a comparatively undisturbed province is of import to worlds. A figure of human societies in Asia, Africa, Europe, America, and Australia had long been continuing certain subdivisions of their natural environment as sacred Grovess ( Hughes and Chandran, 1998 ) . The Grovess have evolved under different socio-ecological and cultural state of affairss to offer many ecological, environmental, and socio-cultural maps to the society. During the ancient times, autochtho nal people depended on woods and rivers for their day-to-day subsistence and regarded a assortment of natural objects as sacred. The billboard and greedy inclination for over development of the resources neer existed in the early adult male s idea. Largely all the spiritual shrines in Garhwal Himalaya are located beside the meeting of five feeders in the sacred river Ganges. Although biological diverseness of Himalaya is really rich, comparatively small is known about the sacred Grovess of this part. A assortment of natural objects are regarded as sacred by the Hindu community, which include the river Ganges, its feeders and their meeting along with the spiritual shrines ( Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri ) and sacred mountain extremums ( Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kailash, Binsar and Shivling ) . Trees are an indispensable portion of life, and their importance described in the heroic poems Ramayana has left a great impact on world which maintained equilibrium for the subsistence of life until the last century ( i.e. , twentieth century ) . However, increasing population and inclination toward industrialisation brought an instability to this natural equilibrium. The basic elements of naturePrithvi( Earth ) , Agni( Fire ) ,Jal( Water ) ,Vayu( Air ) , andAkash( Space ) were worshipped in one signifier or another since antediluvian times in the Hindu mythology which as a consequence acquired the protection for religious and spiritual grounds. It was through the worship of trees that human existences attempted to near God ( Sinha, 1979 ) . Many works species are considered to be sacred in the Himalaya and are used in rites ( Table 1 ) and offerings to Gods such as Ficusbenghalensis,Ficus religiosa, Ocimum sanctum,Cynodon dactylon,Mangifera indica,Astromoniumspp,Azadirachta indica,Sassurea obvallata( Anthwal et al. 2006 ) . Because many works species ( Table 2 ) have medicative value, they are used in ayurvedic medical specialties to bring around complaints ( Anthwal et al. 2006 ) . The sacred animate beings include: tiger, cow, elephant, Inachis io, bullock, cobra, rat, cat, and birds ( like neelkanth, hilas, ababil, and vulture ) . In India, particularly the people shacking in hills have a rich tradition of environmental preservation through their socio-cultural and spiritual interactions. Sacred Grovess in the hills of Garhwal are mentioned in old Hindu scriptures like the Puranas. Malhotra ( 1998 ) in his partial numbering of Grovess in India reported 5,691 sacred Grovess. Around 14,000 sacred Grovess have been repo rted from all over India, which act as reservoirs of rare zoology and vegetation. Some experts believe that the entire figure of sacred Grovess could be every bit high as 100,000 ( Malhotra et al. 2001 ; Guha, 2000 ) . The rejection and replacing of those traditional patterns with the coming of modern industrial society changed undoubtedly the ethos from an orientation toward preservation to development of nature. However, certain spiritual tabu and societal patterns are still observed among the hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, and even some subdivisions of modern society, which help in preservation. Sacred Grovess are ecologically and genetically of import. They are the residences of rare, endemic, and endangered species of vegetations and zoologies. Besides, they serve the map of continuing familial diverseness of common tree species. The hill community of Garhwal Himalaya regards a assortment of natural objects, i.e. , rivers, lakes, rills, springs, meetings, mountain extremums, workss, animate beings, flowers, and even the full Himalayas as sacred. The Himalayas have been considered the place of LordShivaandVishnu. The typical local belief systems were woven together into a composite cloth by pl acing many of the liquors with a few cardinal Gods in the Hindu pantheon. Predominant among these wereShivaorIshwara( male phallic worship ) and the female parent goddess ( female birthrate worship ) . A good proportion of local liquors were identified with these two, while others were associated with them. Therefore, elephant worship became the worship ofGanesa, one of the boies ofShivaandAnapurnas.Shivais besides calledPasupati Godhead of animals. He rides a male bull,Nandiand around his cervix is an intertwined cobra.The Deodar (Cedrus deodara) has been considered the tree of God and is planted around temples in Garhwal Himalaya. Many landscapes ( Chiplakedar, Tarkeshwar, Haryali, Binsar, Kuinkaleshwar, Tapovan, Thal ke Dhar, Nagdev, Kalimath, Goldev, Maywati, Kot, Syahi Devi, Chandrabadni, Paabo, Dewal and Chapdon ) represent rich biological diverseness and complex ecosystems in Garhwal Himalaya. These landscapes have been considered sacred due to association with a divinity and are conserved in pristine status by prohibiting the development of any resource from these landscapes ( Table 3 ) . This scheme is correspondent to the present twenty-four hours s construct of biodiversity preservation through protection of sanctuaries, national Parkss, and biosphere militias. A brief description of some of the sacred Grovess located in the Garhwal Himalaya are listed below: 1. The Haryali sacred grove is located at an height of 2,850 m above mean sea degree in the Rudraprayag territory of Garhwal Himalaya. Fetching of fresh fish and fuelwood and the motion of adult females andSudras( scheduled castes ) have been purely prohibited in this grove since the Epic period ( Mahabharata period ) . A temple of Goddess Hariyali Devi is located in this forest spot. 2. Devban sacred grove is located 16 kilometers off from Chakrata at an height of 2896 m above average sea degree in the Dehradun territory of Garhwal Himalaya. It is surrounded by dense woods. 3. The Binsar sacred grove is located at a distance of 20 km North of Thalisain ( Pauri Garhwal ) at an height of 2,567 m above mean sea degree. A close linkage between cultural properties and forest preservation has been clearly seeable here since the station Vedic period. 4. Surkanda Devi sacred grove is situated at an lift of 3030 m above average sea degree. The temple is situated on the top of a mountain and is of great spiritual significance. A just is held every twelvemonth on Ganga Dussehra during May-June. 5. Tapkeshwar sacred grove is situated on the bank of a rill in the Dehradun territory and is an ancient topographic point of worship. It is named Tapkeshwar as H2O droplets, arising from a stone, autumn on the shivling placed in the shrine. It is devoted to Lord Shiva. 6. Sahastradhara literally intending the 1000 fold spring is situated at a distance of 11 kilometers from Dehradun. The Baldi River and caves provide a breathtaking position. There is a sulphur spring in which people bathe in the belief that bathing in the spring cures skin infections. 7. Chandrabani sacred grove ( besides known as Gautam Kund ) is situated 7 kilometers off from Dehradun. Harmonizing to fabulous beliefs, this topographic point was inhabited by Maharishi Gautam, his married woman, and girl Anjani who are widely worshipped by the people. It is believed that Ganga had manifested herself on the topographic point that is popularly known as Gautam Kund. 8. Kedarnath is considered the holiest of Shiva s shrines in the Himalayas. It is likened in the Skanda Purana to Jahnavi ( Ganga ) amongst rivers, the Brahmin amongst work forces, and gold amongst metals. Hindus believe that whoever dies here becomes one with Shiva and that the belongingss of the sacred land are believed to cleanse the most hard-boiled evildoer. The temple bases at the caput of the Mandakini river in the shadow of the Kedarnath extremum. It is dedicated to the worship of Sadasiva, the unseeable signifier of Shiva. The symbolic Phallus, the Jyotirlinga or resplendent lingam, one of the 12 scattered over India, is in the signifier of a natural stone ; it is besides called the Shankaracharyashiva. Beyond the temple stretches, the snowy sweep is known as the mahapanth, the main road of Eden. A short distance off is a precipice known asBhairav-jhanp-Shiva s spring. Until the first one-fourth of the last century, certain fans would perpetrate ritual self-destruction by th rowing themselves off the border in the belief that Shiva would thereby allow them instant redemption. Not really far off is the Chorabari Tal, now renamed the Gandhi Sarovar, where the river Mandakini originates. 9. Dhwaj sacred grove is 15 kilometer from Pithoragarh near Totanaula. There is a mountain called Dhwaj situated at an lift of 2134 m above average sea degree. It is an residence of Goddess Jayanti ( or Durga ) and Lord Shiva, atop the hill. Hindu legend states that at this topographic point, Devi killed the devils Chanda and Munda . Dense forests in the mountain are considered sacred, so it is in an first-class province of conserved biome with a big figure of endemic workss. 10. The Tapovan sacred grove ( 2,744 m above mean sea degree ) is situated 17 kilometers off from Joshimath ( Chamoli territory ) of Garhwal Himalaya. This country has dense forest screen with rich wildlife. The full country of Tapovan is sacredly preserved for its rich biodiversity. 11. Nilkanth Mahadeo is situated at a tallness of 1,675 meters on a hill above Swarg Ashram. It is one of the most august temples of Rishikesh. Hindu mythology says that in the antediluvian times when there was a conflict between Devtas and Ashuras, the ocean was churned for amrit ( Potion for immortality ) and a pot of toxicant emerged from the ocean. To protect the universe from its evil effects, Godhead Shiva drank that toxicant at a topographic point which is now called Nilkanth Mahadeo. It is 12 kilometer from Rishikesh and is surrounded by dense and peaceable woods. There are many freshwater organic structures in Garhwal Himalaya which are considered sacred since the immemorial clip. The full Ganges and its feeders ( Bhagirathi, Bhilangana, Alaknanda, Mandakini, Pindar, Nayar, and Dhauliganga ) and their meetings ( Karnaprayag, Vishnuprayag, Rudraprayag, Ganeshprayag and Deoprayag ) have been considered sacred by the people of Garhwal. Entire stretches of Ganges at Rishikesh and Hardwar have been declared as spiritual fish sanctuaries in Garhwal Himalaya. Any sort of fishing in this stretch of river is purely prohibited. Some of the lakes ( Masar tal, Dodital, Deoria tal, and Nachiketa tal ) in Garhwal Himalaya are considered sacred where development of fish has been purely prohibited. Some of the hotsprings ( Tapta Kund ( Badrinath and Yamunotri ) , Garam Pani and Gauri Kund ) and sulphur springs ( Tapovan, Sahastradhara ) are considered sacred. Madkot, 22 kilometer from Munsiyari, has hot H2O springs that are good for skin complaints and remedy rheumatism and arthritis. Any sort of pollution is non permitted in these H2O organic structures. Some of the wild animate beings, particularly wild caprine animal (Nemorhaedus goul goul) , Cobra (Naja Naja) , Jackal (Canis aureus) and wild birds like Ababil (HirundOdaurica) , Neelkanth (Coracias benghalensis) , and Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus aureus) have been considered sacred in Garhwal Himalaya. Forest Motions in the Himalayas Forests in India and the Himalayas are characterized by a huge diverseness of dirt types and climes. The Himalayan part has a assortment of moist and dry temperate woods altering into alpine flora at the highest heights. In India, forests play three major functions, i.e. , economic, endurance, and market. Forest regulates the H2O supply and preserves soil to back up the viability of the critical economic map, therefore lending to the economic development. On the other manus, woods provide the supply of basic domestic demands of fresh fish, fuel, and fertiliser. Therefore, one can lend to the endurance of economic system and eventually the market economic system by supplying wood for developmental demands in industries and commercial intents. The protection and extension of woods is profoundly rooted in the Indian civilisation, while being apparent from the being of sacred Grovess in the small town woods, springs, and extremums. These patterns are of ecological and economic value. In the ecological sense, endemic and natural flora stabilizes dirt and H2O. Economically, woods provide lumber, fresh fish, fuel, fiber, medical specialties, oils, and dyes. In Ayurveda, more than 2,000 species of workss, both wild and cultivated were used. The function of trees for both endurance and economic well being has created the demand for their preservation and was achieved through the construct of sacredness. In the archeological remains of the Harappan civilization, trees were held in high regard and were worshipped until the 3rd or 4th millenary BC ( Shiva, 1991 ) . Planting trees, either for their fruit or for the proviso of shadiness, has been a pattern in India since antediluvian times. For case, in the Himalayas, people still gat her below theFicustrees for village meetings and treatments. The forest Act of 1927 aroused a new response against the denial of traditional rights of local people. During the 1930s, forest motions started against the sole development of the wood for commercial intents by the British and against the transmutation of a common resource into a trade good. This forest motion was successful peculiarly in this part. In the Himalayan part, local populations are largely dependent on the wood for fuel, fresh fish, and lumber. In Tilari small town of Tehri Garhwal in the Himalaya, several villagers were killed, and 100s injured on 30 May 1930 due to their protest against the limited usage of their community woods. The motions were eventually successful in resuscitating their traditional rights to forest merchandises as recognized privileges. This forest Satyagraha was resorted by Dewan Chadhradhar Juyal in the absence of the King of Tehri. The Satyagraha was by and large the protest against t he statute law imposed by the British disposal which transformed the critical common resources into reserved resources for gross and net income generation.A Hence, the forest Satyagraha was a response to struggles for the resources which were needed for the endurance of the local people. For successful biodiversity preservation within the complex and altering landscapes of India, one needs to see non merely ecological factors but besides socio-economic issues. The displacement in biodiversity preservation from a protectionist signifier of saving toward one with a sustainable use has focused on the demand for engagement in preservation direction. The society will be responsible for the realisation of preservation ends, if they are involved in reading and execution. To this terminal, deliberative decision-making can be utile when people s supports are influenced by preservation actions ( White et al. 2005 ) . In India, conflicts over forest resources can be categorized into a figure of stages. Large piece of lands of woods were reserved by the British for commercial development during the first stage ( late 19th and early twentieth centuries ) for military and other demands which led to forest battles and forest motions. The forest policy of the twelvemonth 1952, which promoted the rapid enlargement of wood based industries, led to a large-scale felling of natural woods and their transition to monocultures of commercial species during the 2nd stage. During the 2nd stage ( 1970s-1980s ) , Chandi Prasad Bhatt, an activitist in an NGO named Dasholi Swarajya Seva Sangh ( DGSS ) raised their voices against the authorities along with the people of Mandal small town. In the twelvemonth 1973, the forest section refused to assign a batch of hornbeam trees from which the local people use to do agricultural implements. To their discouragement, the same trees were auctioned to a featuring goods compa ny. The DGSS along with the people of Mandal small town in the propinquity of the disputed wood threatened to embrace the trees alternatively of leting the lumbermans in. Another illustration of actions against commercial forestry is that the successful Chipko motion was initiated in Chamoli territory in Garhwal Himalaya by an illiterate adult female named Gaura Devi, as she protested against the tree film editing. She believed that trees are God, as they are needed for endurance ( eg. , fuel and fresh fish ) . The 3rd stage was brought in by the barren development plans ( in 1980s ) . Plantations were done by the industries on agricultural and village lands due to a deficiency of natural stuffs for wood-based industry which so gave rise to struggles during the 1880ss ( Shiva, 1991 ) . The present clip is the 4th stage, as we are looking for energy replacements or biofuel to replace crude oil merchandises. These energy replacement plans will be supported by major investings in fores try that will take to forest struggles in the whole state. Doon vale in Garhwal Himalaya shows an illustration of how the colonial wood policy replaced traditional direction systems of forest usage for basic demands with the debut of commercial forestry. Status and Importance of sacred grovesA Sacred Grovess are a good illustration of ethno-environmental direction. Our ascendants were cognizant that the natural resources which sustained them should be conserved. However, today s fast growing of infra-structural installations and on-farm activities has caused the impairment of the Grovess. Many valuable tree species for lumber have been exploited therefore replacing oak woods with pine woods. This alteration has left considerable ecological harm. As the dirt becomes more acidic, it can impact alimentary cycling and dirt birthrate to a grade. Sacred Grovess are the victims of touristry industry every bit good, as it is deteriorating the religion in divinities and Grovess. Such sacredly protected countries provide a comprehensive and rich ecological niche as depositories of familial diverseness. Furthermore, it is felt that there are enormous sum of force per unit area both straight and indirectly on these Grovess which are therefore endangering their being. These menaces can be related to increasing chances of touristry ( with the deficiency of an in-built preservation attempt ) , higher demands for NTFPs, fuel wood aggregation, and lessening in the spiritual religions along with the decreased committedness of the present coevals toward such natural sacred topographic points. Last, one may see the heavy load of developmental intercessions that little provinces like Uttarakhand are prepared to set about. The Grovess located near the colonies are vanishing at a faster rate. Merely a few sacred Grovess are still under their pristine conditions and these include Hariyali, Tapovan, Binsar, and Tarkeshwar in Garhwal Himalaya. Other Grovess are vanishing, as the woods are being cleared and utilized for the building and repairing of divinity houses. Most temple Grovess are seen to vanish due to inevitable factors ( e.g. , carnal graze and human intervention ) . A More attendings have been paid toward sacred Grovess for their possible as a tool and theoretical account for biodiversity preservation due to high preservation and biodiversity values held in these Grovess. In its 1996 sacred sites- Cultural Integrity, Biological Diversity ( 1996 ) , UNESCO recognized that ( as in Maniyath, 2006 ) : Sacred Grovess have served as of import reservoirsofbiodiversity, continuing alone species of workss, insects and animate beings. Sacred and forbidden associations attached to peculiar species of trees, forest Grovess, mountains, rivers, caves and temple sites should therefore continue to play an of import function in the protection of peculiar ecosystems by local people. Particular works species are frequently used by traditional therapists and priests who have a strong involvement in the saving of such sites and ecosystems. In some parts of the universe, beliefs that liquors inhabit relict countries have served to rapidly renew abandoned swidden secret plans into mature forest. In other countries, sacred topographic points play a major portion in safeguarding critical sites in the hydrological rhythm of watershed countries. Furthermore, in a figure of cases,sacred sites have besides been instrumental in continuing the ecological unity of full landscapes. For these grounds, sacred s ites can assist in measuring the possible natural flora of debauched ecosystems or ecosystems modified by worlds . The sacred Grovess are topographic points that symbolize the dynamic societal forces linked with entree and control over resources. They have a great heritage of diverse cistron pools for many forest species with socio-religious fond regard and medicative values. Sacred Grovess are ecologically and genetically really of import, as they are the residence of rare, endemic, and endangered species of vegetations and zoologies.Quercusspp ( Oak ) is adored and is used for many intents. It is an of import fresh fish and fuelwood species, while being an of import constituent of the mountain forest ecosystem. It improves dirt birthrate through efficient alimentary cycling. It conserves soil wet through humus build up and partially through a deeply placed root system which has a root biomass distributed uniformly throughout the dirt profile. Sacred Grovess are of huge value, as they are good beginnings of non-wood wood merchandises, fatso oils, and many other species ( like Piper nigrum, cinna mon and Myristica fragrans, and medicative workss ) . The faunal wealth of sacred Grovess is besides rich. Sacred Grovess should be considered in future surveies, as they play an of import function in H2O preservation and ordinance of microclimate in the cragged countries of Uttarakhand Himalaya. Decision Sacred Grovess serve as tools that permit the direction of biotic resources through people s engagement. Knowledge and consciousness about sacred Grovess is really of import for developing new schemes for rehabilitation and Restoration of debauched landscapes. This should affect local people and supply preparation for the publicity of traditional and societal norms. There is an pressing demand for preservation, Restoration and proper direction of bing Grovess. Traditional attacks for nature preservation include a figure of prescriptions and prohibitions for the sustainable usage of resources. These forest landscapes need proper preservation, direction and protection. To protect them from farther debasement, preservation schemes must be employed. Increase in developmental activities and substructure installations in Garhwal Himalaya are deteriorating the proper operation of sacred groves.A It therefore reflects that these Grovess can no longer be of import contrary to what they used t o be in the yesteryear. Today, preservation and keeping ecological balance has become the chief challenge for the people. Forests in the cragged countries are confronting huge anthropogenetic force per unit area ( discerping for fuel wood and fresh fish, graze, illegal harvest home for lumber, forest fires, etc ) for subsistence life. Degradation of woods in many topographic points has reached a phase where recovery is hard. In a state where woods sustain the support of 500 million people, pull offing woods is important, peculiarly in the Himalayan part. In such state of affairss lessons can be learnt, and schemes can germinate from common people wisdom to assist conserve nature. The autochthonal pattern of biodiversity preservation should be nurtured in sacred Grovess. As this pattern involves local peoples engagement, the SG will be a large measure toward biodiversity preservation. This is because any preservation scheme is worthless without affecting local people. Small attending or apathy of decision m akers toward the deteriorating status of holy topographic points and the Grovess may add another dimension. These imposts and traditions should be emphasized through the intercession of authorities by sharing its function with the local communities in determination making.A The sacred Grovess in Garhwal Himalaya clearly reflect the close linkages between the cultural properties of the Garhwal community and its preservation. As small towns form the anchor of Uttarakhand, preservation scheme must underlie the spiritual and economic venue of the small town, represented by the sacred grove. The workss in the sacred Grovess have really high intrinsic value and are frequently considered Godhead. There is an pressing demand of people with sufficient love for ecosystems and sound cognition of civilization and tradition to protect nature from the inordinate greed of world. There is a demand for rejuvenating ancient ethos that the planet s biospheric life support system is sacred and that it should be protected for sustainability. The mission of these frightened Grovess is to carry people to alter their behaviour in the spirit of a co-evolutionary relationship with nature. Religion and belief should be respected before declaring them abominable, as they have an o f import function toward the preservation of the natural resources that sustain the biospheric life support system. Recognitions The writers are grateful to Dr. B.P. Nautiyal, Tara Joy and Stella Joy for their aid in garnering information from the local people. The corresponding writer acknowledges the partial support from the National Research Foundation of Korea ( NRF ) grant funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ( MEST ) ( No. 2009-0093848 ) . Mentions Agarwal A, Narayan S. Dying wisdom. Centre for scientific discipline and environment, New Delhi 1997 ; 13. Agrawal A. Community in preservation: Beyond captivation and disillusion, Discussion paper, Conservation and Development Forum, Florida, USA ; 1997. Anthwal A, Sharma RC, Sharma A. Sacred Groves: Traditional Way of Conserving Plant Diversity in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttaranchal.Journal of American Science 2006 ; 2 ( 2 ) :35-38. Banjo AD, Otufale GA, Abatan OL, Banjo EA. Taboo as a Means of Plant and Animal Conservation in South-Western Nigeria: A Case Study of Ogbe River and its Basin. W Appl Sci J 2006 ; 1:39-43. Bisht S, Ghildiyal JC. Sacred Grovess for biodiversity preservation in Uttarakhand Himalaya. Current Science 2007 ; 92 ( 6 ) : 711-712. Cairns JJr. Sustainability and sacred values. Ethical motives in Science and Environmental Politics 2002 ; 15-27. Charadrakanth MG, Romm J. Sacred Forests, Secular Forest Policies and People s Actions. Natural Resources J 1991 ; 31: 1741-1756. Colding J, Folke C. The dealingss among threatened species, their protection, and tabu. Conservation Ecology 1997 ; 1 ( 1 ) : 6. Colding J, Folke C. The tabu system: Lesson about informal establishment for nature direction. 2000. Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3970/is_200001/ai_n8896402 ( cited on 20 Dec 2009 ) . Dhyani PP. Common works species have possible for economic upliftment of rural populace- Bantulsi a instance in point. Hima-Paryavaran2000 ; 12:11-13. Elder J, Wong HD. Family of Earth and Sky: Autochthonal Narratives of nature from around the universe. Beacon Press, London. 1994 Farooquee NA, Majila BS, Kala CP. Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in a High Altitude Society in Kumaun Himalaya, India. J Hum Ecol 2004 ; 16 ( 1 ) : 33-42. Gadgil M, Vartak VD. Sacred Grovess of India a supplication of the uninterrupted preservation. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 1975 ; 72 ( 2 ) : 313-320. Gajrani S. History, Religion and Culture of India, Chawla Offset Press, 2004. Guha R. The Unquiet Woods, University of California Press, 2000. Hughes JD, Chandran MDS.Sacred Grovess around the Earth: An overview In Ramakrishnan PS, Saxena KG, Chandrashekara UM editors. Conserving the Sacred for Biodiversity Management,Oxford and IBH Publishing Co, New Delhi ; 1998. p. 46- 69. Kala CP, Dhyani PP, Sajwan BS. Developing the medicative workss sector in northern India: challenges and chances. J Ethnobio Ethnomed 2006 ; 2:32. Kala CP. The Valley of Flowers: Myth and Reality. Dehradun: International Book Distributors ; 2004. Khumbongmayum AD, Khan ML, Tripathi RS. Sacred Grovess of Manipur ideal Centres for biodiversity preservation. Current Science 2004 ; 87: 430-433. Malhotra KC, Ghokhale Y, Chatterjee S, Srivastava S. Cultural and Ecological Dimensions of Sacred Groves in India, INSA, New Delhi, 2001. Malhotra KC. Anthropological dimensions of sacred Grovess in India: An overview. In Ramakrishnan PS, Saxena KG, Chandrashekara UM editors. Conserving the Sacred for Biodiversity Management,Oxford and IBH Publishing Co, New Delhi ; 1998. p. 423- 438. Maniyath J. Forest of belief. Kerala Calling 2006 ; 28-32. Nadkarni M, Chauhan M. Assessment and authorization. In conference proceedings Bridging graduated tables and epistemologies: associating local cognition and planetary scientific discipline in multi-scale appraisals , Alexandria, Egypt, March 17-20, 2004. Pandey DN. Beyond Vanishing Forests: Participatory Survival Options for Wildlife, Forests and people, CSD and Himanshu, Mussoorie/New Delhi/Udaipur, 1996, pp: 2-22. Pandey DN. 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A research study by WWF, Equilibrium and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation ( ARC ) ; 2005.

Idiom and Expression Resources for ESL Learners

Idiom and Expression Resources for ESL Learners Sooner or later all English students learn idioms because English uses so many idiomatic expressions that it is truly impossible to learn English without learning at least a few, but these figures of speech and colloquialisms may be hard for some English as Second Language learners to immediately grasp, especially because they often rely on cultural norms in English-speaking countries to provide meaning for their use. In any case, ESL learners should employ the use of context clues to attempt to understand what someone might mean when they say I just killed two birds with one stone by uncovering that video of both of them at the scene of the crime, which means achieving two objectives with one effort. For this reason, stories involving a number of idioms - oftentimes folk tales and those written in dialectic (spoken) style - are some of the best resources for teachers and students of ESL alike. Context Clues and Weird Expressions Oftentimes a simple English-to-Spanish translation of an idiom will not make immediate sense because of the multitude of words and connotations the English language has to describe our everyday world, meaning that some of the actual intentions of the words might get lost in translation. On the other hand, some things just dont make sense taken out of the cultural context - especially considering many popular American English idioms have dubious and untraceable origins, meaning oftentimes English speakers say them without knowing why or from where they came into existence. Take for instance the idiom I feel under the weather, which translates in Spanish to Sentir un poco en el tiempo. While the words may make sense on their own in Spanish, being under weather would probably entail getting wet in Spain, but it implies feeling sick in America. If, though, the following sentence was something like I have a fever and havent been able to get out of bed all day, the reader would understand being under the weather means to not be feeling well. For more specific in-context examples, check out ​Johns Keys to Success, An Unpleasant Colleague, and My Successful Friend - which are all full of beautifully expressed idioms in easy-to-understand contexts. Idioms and Expressions with Specific Words and Verbs There are certain nouns and verbs that are used in a number of idioms and expressions; these idioms are said to collocate with a specific word such as put in put a fork in it or all in all in a days work. These general nouns are used repeatedly in English, and in the idioms are used to represent a commonality shared between multiple subjects. Like, around, come, put, get, work, all, and as [blank] as are all commonly used words associated with idioms, though the full list is fairly extensive. Similarly, action verbs are also often used in idiomatic expressions wherein the verb carries with it a certain universality to the action - such as walking, running or existing. The most common verb thats used in American idioms are forms of the verb to be.   Check out these two quizzes (Common Idiomatic Phrases Quiz 1  and  Common Idiomatic Phrases Quiz 2) to see if youve mastered these common idioms yet.

Management - Report on RSE plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management - Report on RSE plc - Essay Example After the evaluation, it has been concluded that the marketing division is mainly responsible for the overall planning, promotion, and sales of RSE products. In addition, the responsibility of the human resource department in making necessary changes has been indicated. The following set of recommendations is given to address the current management problems of RSE: take advantage of large opportunities for overseas expansion minimize the threat of economic crisis and trading costs launch an integrated marketing system create general integration and linkage across organizational systems enhance communication networks address organizational weaknesses employ an IT-based human resource system 1. Introduction In the face of the economic crisis, the Strategic Operations of Richard Shaw Enterprises (RSE) could only see the light in the future through expanding the business overseas. Over the last years until its initial public offering in 2006, RSE has been faring well in the UK Stock Exch ange market -- trading at 233p per share, and maintaining a decent profit margin. It had also significantly improved its brand image -- the company is increasingly acknowledged. In fact, its owner and founder, Richard Shaw, was recognized as the â€Å"Businessman of the Year† by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in 2000. However, like any other businesses, RSE is not spared from the threat of the economic crisis. Along with this, company is also experiencing serious problems in its business processes primarily in the Marketing Division. In addition, there is also an ongoing problem with regard to the integration and information linkage between the domestic and foreign offices, as well as across the major divisions in the organization. With these issues, this paper seeks to accomplish three things: (1) to report the current status of RSE’s business processes and its emerging business needs, (2) to present detailed information systems solutions that would addre ss such needs, and (3) to explain the relevance of implementing information systems and Internet applications to current business operations of RSE. 1.1 Background (Current Business Processes) Richard Shaw Enterprises (RSE) was founded in the year 1994, and was named after its owner Richard Saw. The company went public by the year 2006, and it has remained competitive in spite of the recession, and the high costs involved with the organization's trading operations. At present, RSE is situated in different locations, namely: Maidstone (Kent), Rome, Paris, as well as in Lagos, Nigeria. It is currently operating in two main trading strands: (1) buy and sell, and customization of shop fixtures, fittings, business machines, and other company equipment, and (2) auctioning of bankrupt office equipment, fixtures, and fittings. To top it all, RSE is equipped with technologically innovative information systems. In order to assist marketing managers in carrying out their functions, particularl y in closely monitoring product selling and distribution, the collateral reporting systems was installed. Moreover, in 1995, a computerized system for the payment of staff salaries was also installed. This was followed by the computerization of sales and purchase order processing in the year 2003. 2. Findings (Current Business Processes) Data used to present these findings were obtained from RSEs strategic review of operations in

English Law Position of the Hijab on Muslim Customary Laws Essay

English Law Position of the Hijab on Muslim Customary Laws - Essay Example Hijab comes from the Arabic word Hajaba, which means to hide or conceal from view. Generally, it refers to modest dressing for Islamic women. It is extended to mean privacy and modesty. Hijab is not just a piece of cloth on the head, but rather it is a way of life. Hijab requires much more than just covering the head. Hijab is the way you carry yourself, the way you talk, the way you walk. Hijab as a matter of fact is a whole way of life and hence an attitude in itself. For those who are non-Muslims, Hijab is mostly associated with a modest way of clothing that is worn by Muslim women. It is also called the headscarf and it is one of the most noticeable things of Muslim women. Hijab is a duty that is expected from all Muslims. Some Muslims see the concept of Hijab as being consistent and balanced with ideas of gender equality; others view the religious requirement on female covering as patriarchal, chauvinistic, and oppressive and an enforcement of women against their rights (Bahi, 2 008). The wearing of Hijab impacts on so many human rights issues both philosophical and practical and has much currency given recent events. The issue of Islamic dress is linked with immigration issues. The reasons given for prohibition vary but in most cases legal bans on face covering clothing are undertaken as an anti terrorism measure and is justified on security grounds. However there is public controversy which indicates the possibility of polarization between western European societies and the Muslims. In the year two thousand and six, the then British Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair described it as a mark of separation (Werner, 2011). Terrorism is the criminal enactment or acts expected or ascertained to incite a state of fear in the overall population. It’s an aggregation of persons or specific persons for political purposes and such gestures are in any circumstances outlandish whatever the contemplations of a political, philosophical, ideological, ethnic, racial, religious or other nature that may be conjured to support them. In virtually every corner of the world we can say that the human cost of terrorism has been felt. Terrorism has a very direct and real impact on human rights. Its consequences are very devastating in regards to liberty, physical integrity of victims and enjoyment of the right to life. Terrorism has the ability to undermine civil society, threaten social and economic development, jeopardize peace and security and destabilize governments. An individual’s security is a basic human right and thus the protection of the individuals is considered a fundamental obligation of the government (Macmillan, 2010). States therefore are obligated to uphold human rights of their citizens and others by taking positive measures to keep them safe from terrorists and their threats and bring such perpetrators to justice. Lately however the measures to counter terrorist acts have by states have been challenging to the rule of law and human right s .The bedrock of fighting terrorism should be the respect for the rule of law and human rights. The development of national counter terrorism strategies whose aim is to prevent the acts of terror, prosecute the perpetrators and offer protection of human rights and the rule of law is a major requirement. This implies measures to address the drivers to motivation of terrorism. Terrorism threatens the security and dignity of human beings everywhere, takes innocent lives, endangers lives, and creates an environment that destroys the freedom since the people are in fear. Through acts of terror, fundamental freedom is jeopardized and there is destruction of human rights. It undermines the pluralistic civil society, affects the rule of law and its establishment and it has the ability to destabilize governments that are legitimately constituted. Research shows that terrorism has links with organized crime that is transnational, drug

Is Microsoft a monopoly Essay Example for Free

Is Microsoft a monopoly Essay In order to understand if Microsoft is a monopoly one must first know the definition of a monopoly. A monopoly is a firm that is the sole seller of a product that has little or no substitutes. This automatically should arouse many thoughts in the minds of â€Å"us† as consumers. For all these years have we been monopolized by a producer of a product just because there were limited sources in the same fields? Yes and no should be the floating answer. Microsoft for years has been the producer of almost every necessary component associated with our electrical devices. Microsoft is the developer of multiple operating systems or OS that first entered the market in 1981 but did not officially appear until 1984. In 1984, the Applesoft Basic for Apple Computers was introduced by Bill Gates. Due to the fact that the Apple system was first in this technologically advanced field it was set in the direction of being a monopoly. This is the evident sign that lack of other operating systems would set both Bill Gates and Microsoft in a monopolistic state. So if this monopolistic sign was so evident then why wasn’t it stopped by the government? This is a direct form of a government-created monopoly. Government-created monopolies exist because of patents and copyrights. The government has allowed Microsoft to exist because it was seen to be within the best interest of the public. The government does not actually predict whether a producer or firm will be a monopolist, it only allows a firm or producer to own the rights to the specific fields that they want to create. The communications field often has their own set of economical rules which is commonly set at the understanding that every must benefit from the product. Microsoft has often perfected this with their operating systems by staying consistently up to date with the consumer’s way of life. So what exactly allowed Microsoft to become a monopoly? Microsoft (Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Tim Patterson) would create and enforce universal data interaction standards for computer systems. The timing for this was perfect because businesses were in a technological era that the computer was in necessary and high demand. Microsoft became one of the largest monopolies because of their ability to be in almost every market that had use of a computer system. This was a great thing for Microsoft and for users but it was also a bad thing for users as well. Since the market was so unregulated it would allow Microsoft to not produce a quality product. This was allowed because of their monopoly. This monopoly would be out of the control of the government because breaking up the Microsoft Company into little companies would only cause damage to the consumer. In this I mean you the consumer would have to purchase multiple operating systems in order to maintain computer interacting standards. This would not be the best interest of either the government or the consumer. So unfortunately this monopoly would be allowed to carry on its position in the computer operating fields. Just think by chance that the government did break this monopolistic company up? This would allow so many small companies to produce the same product under the same outdated set of rules. So question, if the same set of bendable rules applied what would stop those small broken up companies from becoming a monopoly as well? Exactly nothing. So the government sees it better for consumers to have to deal with one monopoly compared to multiple. A company like Microsoft falls into a classification of a large monopoly. There are many smaller monopolies that go unnoticed. Some of these companies are Nike, Reebok, New Balance, etc. You may hear about some of these companies monopolistic traits, but choose not to pay much attention because they are not as large as a company as Microsoft. Let’s face it we tend to have a thought that they are just brands. Just a thought, when you walk into your local retail store are you looking for a pair of shoes or a certain style of shoe by name (i. e.Nike Jordan’s, Converse All-Stars or commonly known as â€Å"chuck taylors†, Reebok Zigtechs, New Balance 855’s)? These are the monopolies we do not pay much attention too because they are mainly companies that are in deep competition with one another. In order to compete in their respective fields the company must make a shoe or an article of clothing that is unique whether it carries a label or not. So what exactly makes Microsoft a monopoly instead of a competitive market? Since Microsoft is the only producer in the operating system market it has the ability to set and stay with its own price. Microsoft in recent years have gained a few other competitors that are making their way up the ladder with free trial periods or just general free use with things like email, search engines, and even software purchases through computer brands, printers, etc. A common name that we all use on practically a daily basis is Google. Google Inc. has won a growing number of customers for its Google Apps software, a collection of word processing, email, spreadsheet and other tools that are hosted and accessed online. The company is also reportedly preparing an expansion of its solutions marketplace, to sell software to businesses that can augment Apps. When confronted with questions of their products, an all too modest Google made no response. Unlike Microsoft, Google tends to not make broad promises of software updates until they have perfected the process. This is what commonly makes Google a most used search engine. Google also offers Gmail which carries its own form of complete virus software which sets it in a field of its own unlike Yahoo mail that only offers a low version of spyware with a premium account purchase. Other competitive companies that are climbing on the Microsoft ladder are Oracle Corp. and LotusLive iNotes. When Microsoft was confronted if any of these companies were the reason behind the downed sales of their â€Å"Microsoft Office† version they replied with it is unclear if they had a hand in the matter. This is another â€Å"big headed† response because Microsoft does not want to even think at this time that they could possibly have competition. When a monopolistic company is confronted with competition you will usually see a drop in product prices that may or may not go unnoticed. It is my opinion that this competitive edge brought to Microsoft will not go unnoticed. With the growing state of these other companies, I cannot wait until Microsoft has to become a competitive market instead of a monopoly. Another way to tell whether a company is a monopoly or not, is to follow its revenue. Since a company like Microsoft does not have their â€Å"books† out their like public records, we have to follow media theories and articles. When you see an increase in the company revenue this means that their output has went up. This means that they are producing more and making more because the demand has gotten higher. When revenue has dropped then the company has lost money and no longer producing because the demand has dropped. All too commonly you may see a drop in price because the company is wanting to sell their items rather than taking a complete loss on them. The will also set their prices above marginal cost. This will tend to be a seasonal thing because annually they try to place newer products on the market. Now noticing that other companies like Windows, Macintosh, and Linux are in competition with Microsoft is a huge deal to us as the consumer. To Microsoft this is no real big threat because of the huge market share that they own. This allows a monopolistic company to carry on their threat of being the â€Å"big man† on the block. In this I mean that they are allowed to place what seems to be ridiculous price because they do not see the competition as a true competitor. Consumers frequently take notice to this when they are in the market for the produced good of computer systems. Consumers commonly watch for the better deals while taking â€Å"name brand† and â€Å"off brand† into high consideration. Even though Sony may be the better brand, it is possible that Acer could sell more because of the consumers desire to pay less and receive more. This is just the way that things go in a time of economic struggle. The only time that things like this change is if the consumer has a specific desire for a certain brand over the lesser price. So as a monopoly could Microsoft force these other competitive companies out of their market? Yes they could and it has been accused that they have in the past. To include the list of companies that Microsoft has bought out in order to maintain at the top would be completely ridiculous but to name a few would be ok. Microsoft has purchased companies like Skype, Nokia, and of course we all heard of the Microsoft-Apple buy out in order to stop them from sinking. There is a lot of talk about what should be done to the Microsoft Company with the Department of Justice, Attorney General’s, and Microsoft. Many think that breaking the company up would be a mistake while a majority agree that it would also make them list a fairer price and focus on a better product. This in my opinion is not to the judgment of anyone. Is Microsoft wrong for being the best in their business? In my opinion, absolutely not. It is at the decision of the other competitive companies whether to stay in or back out. Many people think that the treatment they receive while purchasing items from the producer is unfair. I would like to disagree because if you need the item bad enough then whatever dollar amount the producer places is the dollar amount the consumer will pay. Take gas for instance, when gas was hitting its record highs two years ago. All I heard were complaints of how ridiculous it was, we should petition, protest, or even not purchase for days. Where were their complaints when they were driving to McDonalds to get a burger instead of cooking at home? People only complain about the abuse that they cannot control. This is the same with items like the personal computer. Everyone wants to complain about the price they paid for their computer but not the eBay items they are purchasing while they use that same computer. This reminds me of a conversation between the course instructor and myself. He asked one time if there was a sale on hamburger at the store but you really wanted steak which would you choose? I replied with I am going to choose steak because it is what I want. I chose this answer because regardless of the price of hamburger if I want steak, then ultimately steak is what I will get. This is my choice. I choose to not complain about the items that I cannot control because at the end of the day I still need it. So in conclusion, if you ask me if Microsoft is a monopoly or not, my answer will still remain yes and no. Yes, because they are the primary holders of operating systems and they are getting filthy rich. No, because they have made themselves the best. If the other companies want to be on top then they need to fight to be on top. But also in the mean time they shouldn’t complain about the actions that Microsoft takes in order to remain the best. References Mankiw, N. G. (2012, 2009). Principles of Microeconomics (Sixth ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Mankiw (2012, 2009) Fisher, G. A. (2000, May 30). Why is Microsoft a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. zaimoni. com/George/MicrosoftMonopoly. htmFisher (2000) South-Western College Publishing (2003). Is Microsoft a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www.swcollege. com/bef/policy_debates/microsoft. htmlSouth-Western College Publishing (2003) ThisNation. com (2008). Is Microsoft a monopoly? If so, why does it matter? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. thisnation. com/questions/027. htmlThisNation. com (2008) Albro, E. N. (2007). Eight Years Later, Is Microsoft Still a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. pcworld. com/printable/article/id,139458/printable. htmlAlbro (2007) Jackson, E. Forbes (2012, March 1). Steve Jobs Used Patents to Get Bill Gates to Make 1997 Investment in Apple. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from.

Douglass -- The Narrative Essay -- essays research papers fc

Debunking the Southern Secret â€Å"Sincerely and earnestly hoping that this little book may do something toward throwing light on the American slave system, and hastening the glad day of deliverance to the millions of my brethren in bonds †¦ relying upon the power of truth, love, and justice, for success in my †¦ efforts and solemnly pledging myself anew to the sacred cause, I subscribe myself† (Douglass 76). With these words, Frederick Douglass (c. 1817-1895), an emancipated slave with no formal education, ends one of the greatest pieces of propaganda of the 19th century America: that slavery is good for the slave. He writes his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, as an abolitionist tool to shape his northern audience’s view of southern slaveholders. Through personal anecdotes, Douglass draws an accurate picture of slave life. Simultaneously, he chooses these events for how they will affect the northern audience’s opinion of southern slav eholders (Quarles ii). By using the written word, Douglass targets educated northern whites because they were the only group capable of changing the status quo. Illiterate northern whites and free northern blacks could not vote, while white Southerners would not vote because they did not want change. For that reason, Douglass used his life story as an instrument to promote abolition among literate northern whites (vi). Douglass uses family relationships, starting with his own birth, to gain the compassion of his target audience. He never knew the identity of his father, but it was â€Å"whispered† (Douglass 2) that it was his master. Douglass mentions this to demonstrate how the â€Å"master in [many] cases, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and father† (2). This was so commonplace that it was â€Å"by law established that the children of women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mother† (2). This meant that these bastard children were slaves despite their paternal heritage because their mother was a slave. The effect of this revelation was to shock and offend the morals of the conservative northern whites. Northern society scorned people in adulterous and interracial relationships. By portraying these Southerners as immoral and adulterous, Douglass wanted to cultivate in his audience a damaging opinion of southern slaveholders (Quarles ix). Continuing with the theme o... ...streated and punished their slaves, and how they used religion as an excuse to legitimize their immoral actions. â€Å"Slavery was a most painful situation; and, to understand it, one must experience it, or imagine himself in similar circumstances †¦ then, and not till then, will he fully appreciate the hardships of, and know how to sympathize with, the toil worn and whipped-scarred †¦ slave† (64). Douglass’s own words are meant as a plea for his readers to imagine themselves in his situation he and other slaves endured to better understand the hardships he and other slaves endured (Quarles xi). Frederick Douglass used family values, basic human rights, and religion to persuade the northern white audience toward the cause of abolition. He expects his readers will share his â€Å"hate [for] the corrupt, slaveholding, woman whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of [southern slaveholders]† (Douglass 71). American slavery does not exist in today due partly to Douglass’s effort to help advance the cause of abolition. Works Cited Quarles, Benjamin, ed. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. By Frederick Douglass. Cambridge: Harvard Press, 1988.

More Than Just a Dead Moth Essay

Annie Dillard wrote an essay, â€Å"Death of a Moth,† which is from her book, Holy the Firm. Dillard’s essay, â€Å"Death of a Moth,† starts off with the author talking about a couple of dead moths behind her toilet in her bathroom. Then Dillard starts reminiscing about an encounter she had with a moth on a camping trip she took by herself in Virginia. While Dillard was reading a book, a moth flew into her tent and into her candle’s flame and burned. Then, Dillard starts analyzing the burning moth and starts taking notes on it in her journal. From the events of that camping trip, Dillard wrote the essay â€Å"Death of a Moth†. The reason Dillard wrote journals on the burning moth and devoted an essay on the moth is because she gained a lot of insight from the burning moth. One of the many things that Annie Dillard saw in the dying moth was a theme of life. â€Å"†¦a saffron yellow flame that robed her to the ground like any immolating monk. † (Dillard 4) Back around the 1960’s, monks would set themselves on fire to go against government oppression. The theme that Dillard saw in the moth was from every loss came a gain. When the monks would set themselves on fire, it would draw attention from the world. So, from the death of the monk, which was the loss, came the attention of the world to what was going on, and that was the gain. Another example of the theme of loss and gain that Annie Dillard saw in the burning moth was connected to herself. On this camping trip, Dillard was reading book The Day on Fire which inspired her to be a writer when she was sixteen. Dillard was hoping that reading the book would re-inspire her to want to be a writer again because she wasn’t as motivated to write. While Dillard was reading the book, a moth flew into her candlelight and burned for a long time. The death of the moth happens to be what inspired Dillard, â€Å"†¦while I read by her light, kindled. † (4) So, the theme of loss and gain was shown here again, where the death of the moth was the loss and Dillard being re-inspired was the gain. The last thing Annie Dillard saw in the dead moth was the value of something after death. Even though the moth was dead, it was serving a purpose, a role after its death. And then this moth-essence, this spectacular skeleton, began to act as a wick. She kept burning†¦. She burned for two hours. † (4) No matter how small something is, it will always serve a purpose, especially after it death. The moth served a small physical purpose after its death by give of a light, but it also served a much bigger purpose for Dillard, which was it re-inspired her to write again. Also, Dillard wants to do the same thing with herself and her writings when she passes away. Dillard wants people to read her works so that her legacy, her flame will keep on burning. The reason Dillard wrote journals on the burning moth and devoted an essay on the moth is because she gained a lot of insight from the burning moth. From the burning moth Dillard saw a theme of life, the theme of loss and gain in more than one way. Another thing Dillard understood from the dying moth that after something dies, it has a role. So, did Annie Dillard waste her time when she wrote this essay devoted to a moth? Dillard did not waste her time when she wrote this essay because she saw things in the burning moth that most people wouldn’t have seen and so, she shared what she saw and the insight she had learned from the moth.

Development of Political Theories Essay

This paper seeks to discuss what two philosophers say about feminism and the importance of what they have said or the effect of their ideas to the policy of life. The two persons are Mary Wollstonecraft and Simone de Beauvoir. Mary Wollstonecraft states that unwilling submission to any person, institution, or custom is not good to women as the same could limit, degrade and destroy the person. The philosopher in effect believes in reason so that she further asserts that infallible and God-given reason should control all human thought and action (Philosophy Professor, 2008a). In support for having reason, she further argues that women must have the freedom to cultivate reason, which she believes be to the key to self-improvement and social change. Wollstonecraft has also her strong belief in environment and education which shape character and morality. In support of her belief, she forwards that idea that education is the right of all humankind, including women, so that through education women can gain independence and equality (Philosophy Professor, 2008a). The ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft are very important to making policies on life particularly or equality of humankind regardless of gender because unwilling submission connotes lack of freedom and necessarily of reason. That education is important is beyond question since the same opens up the minds of people to knowledge about the truth that would lead them to perform their roles according to the dictates of said truth and reason. Her dream to have independence and equality is consistent with basic human rights. Simone de Beauvoir, on the other hand, believes that human beings tragically live under an ambiguous condition but still they must assume responsibility for the direction of their lives. She also believes that every person is originally free and that women have been compelled by men to be the second sex (Philosophy Professor, 2008b). Implying loss of freedom of women, there is strong basis for her assertion that historical and cultural conditions under which women have been oppressed should not stop these women from assuming their human dignity as free and independent persons (Philosophy Professor, 2008b). In other words, losing the freedom need not be a hopeless for she believes that not doing anything to restore that lost freedom that will lead these women to become free and independent indeed is an abject of failure for in the end fate is still a matter of choice. The philosopher’s position is important for it reasserts responsibility of humankind, not only women to whatever is happening to them. It can be concluded that each thinker had a part in having promoted the cause of feminism which basically include equality, freedom and independence. Mary Wollstonecraft may have put it more dramatically by describing what is not to have freedom by making an unwilling submission while Simone de Beauvoir essentially has pointed responsibility for lost freedom– that is if women suffer their fate, it was because of their failure to assume responsibility in invoking that lost freedom. While Wollstonecraft states the importance of education that would lead to opening up the minds of women to knowledge, truth and dictates of reason, Simone de Beauvoir was still assuming a freedom of choice to be reasserted by women because of her premise of human beings having to live tragically under an ambiguous condition. It could be deduced that both thinkers have their own followers who are led to the common objective of women to get what they deserved as human beings. References: Philosophy Professor (2008a) Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797){www document} URL http://www. philosophyprofessor. com/philosophers/mary-wollstonecraft. php, Accessed November 30, 2008 Philosophy Professor (2008b) Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) {www document} URL http://www. philosophyprofessor. com/philosophers/simone-de-beauvoir. php, Accessed November 30, 2008

Multistate Health Corporation Case Study

Multistate Health Corporation Case Study At the end of 80s, Multistate Health Corporation was focused on provision of indigent people and those who represent less able members of society. The strategy was quite successful until the changes that occurred in the external environment. Specific attention should be given to shifts in insurance policies and governmental regulations.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Multistate Health Corporation Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The strategic planning involved the establishment of standardized price that replaced the â€Å"cost-plus† system of payment (Blanchard Thacke, 2010b). The pressure was also posed by the federal government to make the hospital reduce their costs. However, the integration of new technologies was expensive and, therefore, it was impossible to implement them under those circumstances. Currently, the MHC has a three-dimensional structure in which each subsidiary has a chi ef executive officer who reports to the vice president. The divisions are represented within MHC and have their own staff including regional staff and corporate staff that connect all the regions into one model. Regional staff is involved into the corporate staff. Each corporate division possesses employment department, payroll and compensation office, employee and labor relation department, director training and development department and, finally, organizational development. The leaders focus on a specific target group of patients. To respond to the challenges of the external environment, the company has worked out a two-prolonged strategy that touches on technology integration and efficiency improvement. The first aspect is necessary to introduce because it can significantly contribute to cost reduction, as well as define further plans for development. Second aspect focuses on advancing the competence and education of human resources. It also refers to the governmental grants and investment that would serve the needs of the less fortunate population. Although their competitive strategy is effective, it does not align with the existing trends in managed care. This is of particular concern to reasonable distribution of responsibilities among the personnel. There should also be a balance between technology integration and training program that would allow manager to coordinate actions effectively.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Within the context of mission and values of MHC, the implemented strategy can be improved significantly as soon as the hospital introduces right people to the right places. Each employee should be assigned with a strict set of duties to take greater control of the entire procedures. Additionally, the company should also consider how human resources information system could be improved to monitor the changes and i ntroduce improvement to the recruitment process. Orientation on technology and efficiency improvement is beneficial because it provides new directions for the development of the hospital. However, certain changes should still be implemented in terms of the allocation of human resources and ethical framework within which they operate. At this point, the main emphasis should be placed on the analysis of collaborative techniques that nurse leaders employ because high quality of information storage, as well as high competence of the personnel is not enough for ensuring exceptional quality of care. Implementing HRIS introduces a number of advantages to the hospital in relation to higher accuracy of information exchange and process, as well as greater efficiency in data collection. Paper recording is out-of-date because it is very time-consuming and, therefore, employees should learn to work with digital information to foster date gathering and analysis. Additionally, it is also possible to launch a training program that will allow nurses and their leaders to get a better idea of how electronic databases should be used. Design Consulting Fitzco Solution Consulting provides design of laboratories, departments, and management to meet the specific requirements of each organization. Training services are also included into responsibilities that the consulting company takes for their clients and, therefore, the design process is carefully considered throughout all stages of its accomplishment (FITZCO, n. d.).Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Multistate Health Corporation Case Study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A combination of process improvement, outsourcing and training can promote the facility development. Unlike, APS, Inc, which was chosen by my classmate, this company is more person-oriented because it does not only provide updated technology, but also introduces training programs for employ ees who should master new equipment and develop new strategies for processing and analyzing digital data. In addition, the company introduces specialized equipment for laboratories, which is not presented in APS, Inc. Dotmar Case Study While implementing Kaizen at Dotmar, specific focus was made on employees who acquire new skills and who should be encouraged to gain knowledge on recent innovative techniques introduced at the market (Blanchard, Thacker, 2010a). Trainees should address the new methods of educating employees to define their merits and shortcomings. They should also be oriented on enhancing workers’ competence. Due to the fact that the new strategic direction at Dotmar refers to customer service and investment, the main objectives of employees’ training should include: Ability to meet consumer demands and recognize new potential buyers; Developing strong communication and collaboration skills; Enhancing employees’ readiness to challenges and risk y situation, which will help them deal with conflict consumers and make important decisions in critical situations; Introducing a healthy environment under which human values are highly appraised. For the identified groups of employees, a number of organizational constraints could arise, including, economic, social, and environmental factors. To begin with, economic obstacle relate to the external stakeholders, influencing the welfare of employees. Social backgrounds of the personnel should also be considered to be able to define their needs. Finally, environmental concerns can also be an obstacle to employee training. Therefore, the design process should strike the balance between technical skills advancement and performance assessment. Hardware Store Case Analysis The main purpose of TNA, or training needs analysis, is aimed at defining the reasons for the lower level of employee performance than it was expected.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, this procedure is indispensible for highlighting the causes of low performance and defining new approaches to improving employees’ competence and skills (Blanchard, Thacker, 2010c). Sometimes managers do not consider it important to conduct needs analysis because company’s performance is high. However, implementing TNA is still beneficial because it will find new ways for improving performance and increasing competitive advantage. Proactive TNA are implemented to meet the established TNA practices. In other words, they are necessary for defining whether employees have sufficient knowledge and skills to accomplish organizational goals. The needs analysis of this type is designed to prepare employees for new positions and responsibilities. Unlike proactive method, reactive TNA is more concerned with the differences in job performance, which allows a manager to decide whether this shortcoming could be fixed or not. With regard to the above-presented descriptio ns, it is purposeful to state that reactive TNA is much more effective because it does not only rely on the consistency with existing standards, but also conducts a comparative analysis of employees’ productivity. It also provides explanation for competencies which are important for highlighting the main characteristics of job position. Due to the fact that reactive TNA is concerned with a complicated picture of organizational performance, I would also choose this method for conducting the needs analysis at my university because it produces accurate results on students’ performance, as well as define what strategies should be implemented to change the situation for the better. The assessment process should be systematic and involves several stages of analysis performed at different departments. Further, the results should be processed to define the discrepancies in performances of the analyzed departments. Finally, as soon as the examination is over, it is possible to make amendment to the department that experiences the lowest rates of performance. Certainly, a mere performance assessment can provide results for further investigation. However, it does not provide the pitfalls that an organization may encounter. The results of the employees’ productivity could further be examined in comparison with other outcomes to define whether their results conform to accepted standards. Such an approach to appraising the company’s productivity is much more efficient because it introduces a holistic strategy of evaluating the overall productivity of the organization. Additionally, identifying the drawbacks and discrepancies in performance motivates managers to interview those people and define what constraints these employees face while taking duties and responsibilities at an organization. Introducing self-rating is an important process, creating an opportunity for employees to estimate their personal contributions to the company. Such a proced ure does not only provide information about the level of employees’ objectivity, but also expands on the comparative analysis of workers’ behavior. Therefore, TNA is much more effective as compared to one-dimensional assessment of employees’ skills, experiences, and knowledge. References Blanchard, P. N. Thacker, J. W. (2010a). Dotmar Case Study. In. P. N., Blanchard J. W. Thacker (Eds.). Effective Training: Systems, Strategies, and Practices. (pp. 1-3) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Blanchard, P. N. Thacker, J. W. (2010b). Effective Training: Systems, Strategies, and Practices. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Blanchard, P. N. Thacker, J. W. (2010c). Needs Analysis. In P. N., Blanchard J. W. Thacker (Eds.). Effective Training: Systems, Strategies, and Practices. (pp. 96-149) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. FITZCO (n. d.). Fitzco Solutions Consulting. Web.

Comprised of Revisited

Comprised of Revisited â€Å"Comprised of† Revisited â€Å"Comprised of† Revisited By Maeve Maddox More than one reader has chided me for writing â€Å"comprised of† in a recent post. Here’s the culprit: In the ancient Roman army, a centurion was the officer in charge of a century, a unit originally comprised of 100 men. Anyone who has ever read a popular language blog has seen this dictum stated as an adamantine rule: One must never use the phrase comprised of. I’ve certainly read many articles that explain in great detail why â€Å"comprised of† is not only merely wrong, but really, most sincerely wrong. I was on the verge of writing to Daniel to ask him to change comprised to composed, but then I read my sentence again and had to admit that I don’t see anything wrong with it. Plenty of other writers reach for â€Å"comprised of† without remembering that it’s a no-no. The usage is found in edited articles published in The American Scholar, The Atlantic, The Christian Science Monitor, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. This confession from Francine Prose, a contributing editor to the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus and author of a string of books published by the world’s most prestigious publishing houses, illustrates the writer’s dilemma: It has been pointed out to me, more often than I care to admit, that you can say: The book comprises five sections. But you should not say: The book is comprised of five sections. In the second example, use compose instead: The book is composed of five sections. I have lost hope of ever getting it straight, so for now I find synonyms, and wait for so many others to make the same mistake that- as so often happens- grammarians simply give up, and decide that both usages are correct. I mistrust a rule of usage that is not only supremely forgettable but also targets a phrase that writers of formal English have been using for centuries. Even respected language commentators who officially uphold the notion that â€Å"comprised of† must not be used with the meaning of â€Å"consists of† recognize the hopelessness of remembering this particular â€Å"rule†: And no one will mind if you avoid â€Å"comprise.† Just say, â€Å"made up of.† Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl. But there’s so much confusion surrounding the usage of [comprise] that it may be better to avoid it altogether. Paul Brians, Common Errors in English Usage. The editors at Oxford Dictionaries Online state that â€Å"comprised of† is â€Å"more or less synonymous† with â€Å"consists of† and that this usage is â€Å"part of standard English.† The Oxford English Dictionary- without any indication that the usage is nonstandard- includes this definition for the â€Å"passive form† of comprise: â€Å"To be composed of, to consist of.† The earliest OED citation for this use is dated 1874. Several linguistic discussions of the topic reference earlier uses dating from 1704. Even the editors at Merriam-Webster, after defending the use of â€Å"comprised of† as acceptable usage, capitulate to the bogus rule: You should be aware, however, that if you use [â€Å"comprised of†] you may be subject to criticism for doing so, and you may want to choose a safer synonym such as  compose  or  make up. Geoff Nunberg calls the â€Å"comprised of† proscription â€Å"a pedant’s veto†: It doesn’t matter if you consider a word to be correct English. If some sticklers insist that its an error, the dictionaries and style manuals are going to counsel you to steer clear of it to avoid bringing down their wrath. That can be the prudent course, especially in an age when email and Web comment threads make things easy for what William Safire used to call the â€Å"gotcha gang.† All of us have our linguistic pet peeves, usage that produces â€Å"blackboard moments† of discomfort. They may not be defensible, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying to us. In deference to readers who cringe when they hear or see the phrase â€Å"comprised of,† I won’t use it in future DWT articles. But I will permit my centurion sentence to stand. Related post: Usage That Provokes â€Å"Blackboard Moments† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About NumbersDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm