Document Imaging and the Role of Health Information Management Essay

An automated record system will ultimately replace paper-based record to provide timely access to health information for health surveillance, resource planning, and health care delivery (e. g. , statistical reports can easily be generated to display health care trends, and so on) (Green & Bowie, 2004). According to Green & Bowie (2004), there are three types of automated record systems, which include: Electronic Health Record (EHR) or computer based patient record (CPR); Electronic Medical Record (EMR); and Optical Disk Imaging or Document Imaging. The high capacity physical media for storage of medical information, the increasing CPU power for processing complex images, and the advancement in the imaging and workflow technology has underpinned the growth of document systems (Armoni, 2000). Optical Disk Imaging or document imaging which provides an alternative to the traditional microfilm or remote storage systems because records are converted to an electronic image and saved on a storage media; optical disk imaging uses laser technology to create the image (Green & Bowie, 2004). Based on Green and Bowie (2004), a scanner is used to capture paper record images onto the storage media allowing for rapid automated retrieval of records. American Management System (AMS) architects an enterprise-wide workflow and imaging solution in support of health information management (HIM), financial services (PFS), and human resources processes (Armoni, 2000). Based on Armoni (2000), the AMS solution has eliminated the paper problem, saved record storage spaces, enhanced the productivity, and reduced labor cost. Most profound is the impact of the HIM management. Many headaches of the paper-based system have been eliminated as one physician user of the system commented, ‘†¦hours-long delays getting the old chart, lost medical record, charts lost, the need to store records off-campus, etc†¦ no longer occur with electronic medical records’ (qtd. n Armoni, 2000). As Armoni stated (2000), physicians are able to make better medical decisions with the system because they can access the patient’s records efficiently and timely from anywhere and at any time; the availability of the files for more than one person is a great advantage with the system; more importantly, the system is able to capture information more accurately, thus reducing the unnecessary errors while increasing the efficiency.

Christian Foundations By: Kathleen Fischer & Thomas Hart Essay

Many people would agree that without faith, the world would be in chaos. The book Christian Foundation by Kathleen Fischer and Thomas Hart gives an interpretation on faith in our time. Many people would question the definition of faith. Faith is a gift, which is given by God to have trust in him and belief in him. This book is a great entry in anyone’s life that has speculation on his or her own faith. The book has many ways into understanding ones own religion. It discusses the Bible, Jesus, Church, God’s existence and Images of God. All of these chapters helped me get a better interpretation of what my religion entailed. To understand God you must first get a decent understanding of the bible. The bible has been translated from the original languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. It now exists in every language known to man. It also remains to be the best selling book in the world. In the book they ask the question, â€Å"Why is this book so important?† (Pp. 47). Well to fully understand that question, you have to know what the bible entails. The bible is divided into two major parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word Testament means covenant. Both books are extremely different. However, they both help develop a better understanding of faith. The Old Testament is composed of six historical books, three Major Prophets, twelve Minor Prophets, thirteen writings and seven books of the second canon. These books are all part of a revelation unlike any other. The Old testaments purpose is to give us focus. God wants to reveal what we could never discover on our own. It also gives us heroes who helped believers see that God did exist. One major story, that everyone has probably heard a million times, is the story of Moses. Moses is recognized for the saving of his people from Egypt. The Old Testament also shows how God created the world and how he wants us to act in his world. In the New Testament the main focus is on the four gospels, which take place in the life span of Jesus. It is written by four disciples of Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The New Testament focuses on Jesus’ life, how he was sent to be our Savior, his healing miracles and teachings of his father. The first three gospels show a huge resemblance to each other. They  are called â€Å"synoptic gospels†. The book defines this as being able to line them up in parallel columns. The fourth gospel by John has a character of its own. He only has about eight percent of synoptic material. John is set to be the only one of the four to have a distinctive interpretation of Jesus. The book uses this example when John describes Jesus’ washing of the feet at the last supper. John’s description of the last supper goes on for five chapters, enabling him to be the most distinctive. Another great part of this book is the breakdown in the importance of Jesus. Jesus has great significance in religion. To me, Jesus is the key element to understanding religion. He was very different from other heroes in the bible. For Jesus is the essence of a major part of religion’s creation. He has been called other names such as Christ or the Messiah. Jesus was sent by God to deliver us from evil. Through Jesus’ preaching, he stated that he was the reign of God that had been sent to be our savior. He was executed for political charges of Blasphemy by Roman authorities. Blasphemy is claiming the power of God. He was crucified through Pontius Pilate, who was convinced that Jesus was harmless, and gave his people a chance to declare Jesus innocent. Under the pressure of the crowd, Pilate sends Jesus to his death. Jesus was crucified with an inscription over his head that read † Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews†. After his death, he was laid to rest in the tomb of a wealthy friend. The real revelation takes place a few days after his death where he is seen alive by many witnesses and individual groups of people who grieved his passing. People who witnessed his resurrection believe that God raised him from the dead to be glorified, and that his message was to be preached to the ends of the earth. Jesus’ death was an act of love that represents his final testimony to his trust in the faithful and loving God he proclaimed as his father. The beginning of church is said to have risen from the resurrection of Jesus. In fact after the Pentecost, the disciples were celebrating the blessing given to Moses at Mount Sinai in which he experienced the presence of God. After this experience, the disciples were believed to be bold, understanding and Courageous. These characteristics till this day are still celebrated on Pentecost Sunday and are used for the sacrament of Confirmation, which is  receiving the responsibility of a Christian and accepting the Holy Spirit. Church has been the backbone of people’s faith. It has given them a comforting home to pray and be one with God. Today, however, more people are practicing faith outside the church. The majority of followers believe in God and life after death, however, many have lack of interest in the church. Church must be looked as a community of disciples. The book uses a suggestion from a Roman Catholic theologian Avery Dulles. He suggests, â€Å"that most appropriate image of the church for our times is the church as a community of disciples†(pp. 157). I totally agree with his suggestion. In order for Christians to find fulfillment in ones faith, one must help others understand their faith. We need to be grounded in grace; by being a Christian community your focus on believing is responding freely to a personal call and reminds us that we ourselves are the church. Church should be places where any one could feel comfortable praying and receiving Christ. It is so amazing to know that even at an early age you believe in God. We start believing in the existence of God as early as the age of two. As we get older and realize the other eras in life that have occurred, such as science and other advancements, we start to develop curiosity and doubt. We have the desire for questions to be answered. Is there truly a greater life out there for me? Does God truly exist? There are three beliefs in God atheism, agnosticism, and theism. Atheism is the belief that there is no God. Agnosticism is a person who simply doesn’t know if there is a God. And last but not least, theism, which is a person that believes that God does truly exist. Although there are many evidences that God exist, there are many hints in which lead to an existence. Some examples of God’s existence are the testimony of Conscience, where we feel ourselves bound by certain moral obligations (pp. 21). It’s interesting when we obey them how we feel at peace. We don’t feel guilty or troubled in any way. Another example is time, in which the Hebrew scripture’s record a period of almost 2000 years (pp. 22). We have seen countless generations of various circumstances and belief in the same God. Faith in some people is so recognizable that it has made an extreme impact on their lives. Images of God come from the fact that no one has ever physically seen God.  Although many people have claimed to experience God, he remains a mystery. Jesus shared images of God with his disciples when he preached but never gave a description of his appearance, which leaves us to use our imagination. He just paints pictures by presenting images of action. Biblical images of God are presented in two different aspects theologians have used personal ones, which are masculine and Feminine. In a masculine image God is presented as a King, Lord, Warrior, Master and a Judge, and Father, which have all predominately been traits of a male. When they describe God of a feminine image, they present God as a women giving birth. Sometimes the Holy Spirit and Christ are reflected in female images as well (pp. 34). There are also impersonal images where God is described as a rock, shield, fortress, water, mountain, light, or as a great protecting bird. Reading this book gave me a great explanation to my own faith. Some of my own questions were in the book and helped me answer them clearly and concisely. Recently I have found doubt in my own belief. In fact coming to the realization of that, it is very natural for a college student to have doubts in their own faith. It gave me hope that one day I will understand religion. Religion must come naturally and can’t be forced on any individual at any time. The sad thing is that the majority of the time people instill faith and interpretation on individuals, thinking that this will bring them salvation and peace of mind. However, it leaves people confused and doubtful. The book made me see that each individual will have their own quest for meaning and purpose of their own faith. When you read this book you will also know that the understanding of God will not only come out of one book and that Jesus’ life and teaching is an on going challenge and process of interpretation. As you grow the meaning of certain scriptures become different. Every time you read the bible you will incorporate a new meaning or a new interpretation. The bible reflects our own life and destiny. Therefore it becomes inevitable that any person will read the bible and get the same meaning. God made us all to be different and that I guess is his true acknowledgment to us. Individuality! In conclusion faith is the most important part of religion. Christian Foundations helps you see what faith is, it helps develop and answer your  own struggles in religion. And gives you a balanced foundation of what being a Christian entails. The book is very clear reading and is very knowledgeable. It will help you see a new light in the path to God and his existence. In order to live productive religious lives, one must have spiritual guidance and wisdom. I believe this book is a great first step to this challenge.

A Stylistic Study of Netspeak in Internet Chatroom

The Internet is one of the most remarkable things human beings have ever made. It has exerted great impact on various aspects of people’s lives, among which the change of language is obvious. Netspeak is a young topic, so it is of great necessity for us to have a systematic analysis, which will meet the need of the development to netspeak.The present descriptions are not able to account for or accommodate chatroom netspeak in an all-round way. Some of the researches are prescriptive rather than descriptive and there is little stylistic analysis on the distinctive features of netspeak. Therefore, some deeper approaches are required. This thesis provides much-needed descriptions of netspeak in Internet chatroom from the perspective of stylistics. Stylistic theories are then the major theoretical basis for this thesis. The current situation inspired my enthusiasm in this relatively new and unexplored area of netspeak studies. Research Objectives The present study is conducted in the hope that it can arouse people’s attention and help people to develop an interest and appreciation for netspeak in Internet chatroom;It is aimed to reveal the stylistic distinctiveness of netspeak in Internet chatroom;It is hoped that this study will be helpful and beneficial to the evaluation of netspeak and the development of online-learning or the foreign language learning and teaching; This paper is also hopeful of having some practical value, and making theoretical contributions to further study of netspeak.Research QuestionsIt is the design of this paper to answer the following questions:1.   What are the stylistic features of netspeak on different levels?2.   What are the implications for the development of online-learning, and the future of netspeak?Research DesignThe basic methodology adopted involves both qualitative and quantitative study.There are two main sources used in this study in the collection of samples and material s.   The first resource is from related books, newspapers and magazines.   The second is a group of randomly selected contributions from Internet Chatroom.   The method used is mainly a descriptive approach supported by statistical analysis on the samples selected.The organization of this thesis will be in two parts: Literature Review and Stylistic Description and Analysis followed by a summary and conclusion.

BP Russian Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BP Russian Analysis - Case Study Example While partnerships are vital for the success of an organization, they may become sources of business failure if their construction is not efficient. BP Russia is one of the companies that have engaged in partnerships that have undermined its potential to grow and take advantage of the market. An analysis of BP Russia will reveal the various aspects of partnerships that determine its failure or success and the way organizations can benefit from such business partnerships. BP proposed an alliance with Rosneft as part of the organization commitment to take advantage of mergers to increase organization productivity. The proposed partnership between BP and Rosneft would have numerous benefits if successful. The main aim of the strategic alliance was to use a collaborative approach on the development of oil reserves of the Kara Sea in the Russian Arctic (University of Virginia 6). The first benefit of the alliance is that the two would have a greater financial worth, which would help to explore the Kara Sea in a more profitable manner. Since the exploration of oil and development of oil reserves is a costly operation, it is difficult for any organization to go it alone without a partnership. On this note, the alliance would allow BP to take advantage of the oil reserves, develop them and hence increase productivity, which means higher profits for both organizations. Secondly, BP had a long-term plan in the terms of the partnership. The terms of the strate gic alliance was that BP secure 9.5% of Rosneft bringing its total share of Rosneft at 10.8%. This share swap condition would have a long-term benefit for BP Russia. Increasing its share value in Rosneft would be an increase in its share value. On this note, it is possible to term the strategic alliance as a worthwhile development strategy for BP Russia. On the other hand, managers must be aware that there are always implications for success or failure of a partnership. The success of the BP-Rosneft alliance would

Soil order Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soil order - Essay Example The vertisol order of arid soils comprises of soils that contain swelling clays that develop deep wide cracks at specific periods of the year. Entisol, on the other hand, comprises of soils that exhibit very little or absolutely no signs of formation of pedogenic horizons. From the surface, arid soils comprise of torrifluvents followed by the torriorthents as one digs deeper beneath. Torrifluvents are recent deposits of alluvial plains that are flooded periodically. They make up the irrigated soils in arid climates. Torriorthents, on the other hand, have highly soluble salts and aridic moisture conditions because they are found deeper beneath the surface (Dregne 92). Climate in the arid regions experience largely uninterrupted sunshine for the entire year. This comes as a result of the high pressure in the air and the stable descending air. Arid regions are found 30 degrees latitudes north and south of the equator. Temperatures in these regions range between 400C and 450C all round the year. Ordinarily, arid regions have little rains during winter. However, they are devoid of rains all through the year. Usually, the difference between the highest and the lowest rainfall in arid regions that is recorded in different years is approximately 50% of the mean annual rainfall (Schwabe 76). The ephemeral annuals are plants that appear after the rains and complete their life cycles in a short season of about 8 weeks. Succulent perennials accumulate and store the absorbed water. These are cacti. Nonsucculent perennials make up the majority of vegetation or plants in the arid regions. They include hardy grasses, shrubs and woody herbs that can endure the harsh environmental conditions in the arid zones (Ribot, Antonio 95). It goes without noticing the adaptive features of the vegetation that thrive in the arid zones. For instance, some have extensive root systems that run deep beneath the surfaces to reach the relatively

How did the Revolution in Tunisia lead to all other Revolutions in the Personal Statement

How did the Revolution in Tunisia lead to all other Revolutions in the Middle East - Personal Statement Example What was the history of the region? Tunisia is the northernmost Maghreb country in Africa and borders Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. It measures 165,000 km ² in area with an estimated population of about 10.3 million. It has a coastline measuring 1,300 km in length, harbors the Sahara desert in the south with the rest consisting of particularly fertile soil. The authoritative Ben Ali was the president of the Republic of Tunisia from 7 November 1987 up to the rise of the jasmine revolution in Tunisia (Carvin Web). He was authoritative, undemocratic and did not observe international standards of human and political rights. There were poor living conditions, rampant unemployment, and corruption in Tunisia prior to the revolution. In fact, thousands of young people from North Africa would enter Europe illegally to look for a better life. How did the Middle East divide into separate countries after world war one? After World War 1, many countries gained boundaries, others lost, yet others were unchanged. In the Middle East, Lebanon separated from Syria in a treaty signed in 1936. This was because of rising trade and education connections between Lebanon and Europe, and the large Christian population of Lebanon (Skahill 40-41). The population of Lebanon was either wealthy or very poor. The Middle East countries include Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, and Yemen. What is revolution? The self-burning of Al Bouazizi who was a poor, young, and educated Tunisian who lacked employment was the beginning of expressing the injustices in the Ali regime (CNN Web). Revolutions are facts because they relate production and political power. When the oppressed majority refuses to be intimidated and recognize the fundamental weakness of their oppressors, they embrace redemption and act. They organize and

Business Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business - Article Example Similarly, their analysis that their customers generally liked driving a Skoda indicated that they needed to actually make no changes to the actual car. The most interesting element was that Skoda realized that other manufacturers focused on the car, despite nominal changes in performance, and that they should instead focus on the experience of the brand and intangible assets. Microsoft Hafner and Hibbert performed a SWOT analysis of Microsoft in 2001. Some of the conclusions were obvious: Linux and Macintosh were potential threats, Microsoft had been slow in coming to the Internet and had been beaten out by companies like Google, etc. But others were more interesting. For example: â€Å"Currency exchange rates affect demand for application/operation software and hardware, and fluctuating currencies can negatively impact revenues in the global marketplace†. Hafner and Hibbert point out that Microsoft had not done the management to protect against that kind of volatility. Concl usion SWOT in practice, then, can help companies do two things: 1) Catalog for the obvious that has thus far escaped attention or has simply been assumed and not been critically analyzed; 2) Perceive past the obvious to the non-trivial. Works Cited Skoda Autos. â€Å"SWOT Analysis in Action†. Times 100. 2008. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/downloads/skoda/skoda_13_full.pdf . Accessed 1/9/2011.

Geochemistry Physics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geochemistry Physics - Coursework Example Mechanical infiltration also plays a vital part in the downward movement of clay sized particles. Carbonate rocks such as limestone are affected by inversion, recrystallisation and grain growth as well. Typical processes that affect carbonate rocks are (sequentially) biochemical degradation, polycondensation and insolubilisation. 2. Why is the smectite to illite transition important in the process of petroleum formation? The smectite to illite transition is an important diagenesis reaction especially for shales with progressive burial. This transformation has the potential to flush hydrocarbons from various shales, accelerating the generation of hydrocarbons, producing high pore fluid pressures and for provision of various cementation agents to different sandstones. 3. How would you expect the alkane/alkene ratio to change as a hydrocarbon mixture matures over geological time, and why? The alkane/alkene ratio would tend to decrease with time as a hydrocarbon mixture matures over geol ogical time. This would take place as the biodegradation process would tend to remove alkanes so that the hydrocarbon mixture moves towards aromatics. 4. ... 5. What is a geochemical fossil? A geochemical fossil is the remains of any organic object that has been transformed by diagenesis into a fossilised state. The resulting fossilised state may not have been able to preserve the original structure of the fossilised object. 6. Explain how crude oils can be grouped based on their sulfur content. Crude oils are classified using sulphur content such that low sulphur content crude oils are known as â€Å"sweet† while high sulphur content crude oils are known as â€Å"sour†. Typically low sulphur content crude oils are preferred because sulphur tends to display acidic behaviour. PART 2. 1. Draw the van Krevelen diagram and explain how it illustrates several important facts concerning the formation of petroleum. A van Krevelen diagram is generally plotted to evaluate the origins and maturity levels of kerogen and petroleum content. The van Krevelen diagram plots the ratio of hydrogen to carbon against the ratio for oxygen to carb on. Figure 1 - van Krevelen diagram sourced from (Monash University, 2008) Looking at the diagram above, it becomes obvious that the van Krevelen diagram differentiates between various hydrocarbon products depending on certain regions on the plot. The formation of liquid petroleum can be seen as resting between oxygenated products and gas products which signifies petroleum formation. Additionally the van Krevelen diagram illustrates the evolution paths of various kerogens through the various paths shown on the plot. The plot above shows four possible paths (I, II, III and IV) that denote increasing burial. Based on this the particular mix of petroleum obtainable is arrived at. 2. What is

Nursing Research Day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing Research Day - Essay Example It feels like the system we have that time only focused on the disease and not on what we can do to prevent occurrence of diseases. It is quite sad that ‘prevention’ was only a word because if not, should public health nurses receive more professional development trainings to help the community prevent diseases? Should more facilities and better health care delivery be obtained to prevent worsening of diseases or ease recovery? Attending a research conference like this will lead participants like me to examine current practices and advocate for change. Sometimes, it will leave you asking yourself a number of questions about the result and your immediate experience as you critically examine the findings. You see yourself in the process – directly or not directly involved. The second presentation entitled â€Å"An Update on the State of Nursing† has helped me realize that statistics and numbers would not matter unless it will be put into words and will be given interpretation. At first, participants of the research were only given demographics of the nurses’ educational pursuit, position in government and organization, and employment rates. These were not much appreciated until these results were interpreted and benchmarked. I have felt the need to fulfill several vacant opportunities, especially on the administration path. We, nurses, advocate for change in our status and in the delivery of care. However, how will the administration understand us if those who are seated are businessmen, stockholders, or others not from the health profession? How can we advocate for change in Congress if our voices were so little? Conducting and disseminating research findings are important in imbibing awareness of the current situations, changing our stand in the society, and becoming actively involved in the process. Without these, change will not be

Explain what it means to be educated. Make sure you use at least one Essay

Explain what it means to be educated. Make sure you use at least one reading as the base of your argument - Essay Example In reality, to be educated means to have knowledge, potential to think, ability to learn, and the capacity to make use of language. The mental capability of such an individual enables one to have awareness of any vagueness, realize when knowledge is missing, open minded, readiness, capability to doubt, questions things, logical curiosity, and happy to learn. Education has the potential to enhance knowledge, skill, and attitude which empowers individual’s to deal with problems. In this way, an educated person is one who has the power to deal with life problems using the experiences that come from education. For instance, in â€Å"Coming to an Awareness of Language† by Malcolm X, it is clear that Malcolm was uneducated because he could not read or write. However, he transformed himself and began to teach himself vocabulary from the dictionary and from this he began gaining knowledge. This knowledge opened his language skills to begin writing coherently and precisely in wo rds that could be understood (Buscemi and Smith, 2012). An educated person should have not only knowledge but also the potential to make informed decisions. It is a case where someone is enlightened about issues and realizes the need to make a certain decision for the betterment of one’s life. An educated person is therefore, familiar with various ideas which shape one’s view of reality. ... Thinking abilities are part and pursue of an educated person because this is what leads to making of rational informed resolutions. This thinking ability is still what results in knowledge that an individual holds. Just like if a person is analytically thinking about a physician’s suggestion, one would be required to have a bit of knowledge about medical information. It is now possible to think if the recommendation the doctor is offering makes sense or not. This is because with the thinking ability, the knowledge to make rational decisions for the betterment of one’s life is realized. For instance, Malcolm admires Bimbi from prison because he is eloquent and can contribute in any conversation. It is apparent that Bimbi is educated and can converse easily because his thinking abilities translate to knowledge. In the same, way Malcolm assumes this thinking ability by taking Bimbi as his role model and works hard to learn the language (Buscemi and Smith, 2012). It is also evident that an educated individual has learning abilities to independently cope with the changing society. It is not possible for a person who cannot learn independently to be regarded as educated. Independent learning is not only reading books or internet materials but the ability to acquire knowledge through personal effort. This could be to learn through the existing material or creating understanding where there is none. This is the art of rational inquiry where a person has the potential to absorb or acquire information without any reliance on other people’s opinion. Learning is the process of expanding, modification, and refining existing knowledge which further, strengthens the thinking potential. For instance, from â€Å"Coming to an Awareness of

Holborne - Pavane and Galliard Essay Example for Free

Holborne Pavane and Galliard Essay Holborne’s Pavane ‘The image of melancholy’ and Galliard ‘Ecce quam bonum’ (Behold, how good a thing is) are two pieces that belong to the genre of ‘consort music’, a form of domestic music that made its appearance in Elizabethan England. A consort may have derived from the French ‘concert’ which implied an ensemble of instruments or voices that perform. In later years, from about 1575, ‘Broken consorts’ were introduced and these included mixed ensembles. The usual instrumentation for a broken consort was lutes, viols (treble and bass) and flute. Consorts of viols began to appear during the time of Henry VIII with the earliest source of the music being a songbook of Henry VIII, found after his death that included copies of Viol consorts. There are three main types of consorts, one being the Pavane and Galliard, which is a dance form. In many of the pieces, the writing was very similar to that of contemporary writing for voices; therefore it was usually polyphonic in texture. When paired together, the Pavane usually takes the more melancholy character, while the Galliard a more cheerful one which is shown in these two movements by Holborne. Although dance forms were used for both movements, the dense counterpoint provides melodic interest for all five players and also listeners, which suggests the music to be more for listening than dancing. Not much is known about Holborne, but he did publish two collections of music with about 120 works altogether.

Managing Change in Organisations - Improved HR onboarding process Essay Example for Free

Managing Change in Organisations Improved HR onboarding process Essay The main goal of this change initiative is to improve the financial results of the company by improving the engagement and performance of the new HR employees at Mars, Inc. It’s aimed to be achieved by introducing a new, globally aligned, best-in-class 1-year-long induction process with supporting tools and learning events. The target group of new HR associates1 includes those who joined HR at Mars less than 12 month ago, either from externally (from other company) or internally (from other department). As Mars,Inc. is a large family-owned business with over 100 years of history and globally well known brands. It has unique and mature company culture which is driven by its 5 principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Effectiveness and Freedom. These principles drive the behaviour of the employees at all level of the hierarchy and have been shaping the characteristics of the organisation. Mars, Inc. fits well to ‘elaboration of structure phase’ (Granier 1972) of the organisational life-cycle: the company is led by a team of professional managers and is very much decentralised with a small headquarter. The business units of the countries therefore enjoy a lot of freedom and responsibility to drive the local business effectively. This approach reflects also in the way they shape the processes within the company: the global process standards are mainly just broadly defined with limited (if any) written documentation about them, which lets the local teams shape it and use it as best fits to their needs. As it has the advantage to allow tailor-made solutions to best assist local business objectives, it also has disadvantages. It is not uncommon that extra local resources are needed to shape the process, and when the process has changed too much, it becomes difficult to compare the practices and results of different units. It also often happens that local units come up with very similar best practices after investing significant resources locally in process development, which resources could have been reduced if globally – or at least regionally – someone would have co-ordinated these development initiatives. As part of the company culture, Mars, Inc. refers to employees as associates, therefore in my paper I will use both terms to reflect the same concept. Realising the potential of this kind of centralisation led the business leaders to setting up global functional centres of expertise, like the Mars University (Mars U) is for learning and development within Mars, Inc. The Mars U is responsible for designing and deploying world-class learning programs, which enable the competency building of employees, so they can achieve their full potential in contributing to the business to achieve its goals. It has matrix structure and its smaller teams are set up by functions (named â€Å"Colleges† of HR, finance, supply, etc.), regions (they coordinate the deployment of functional development programs in a region) and special learning and development related areas (like learning technology). Mars U therefore faces the challenge of balancing between centralisation and decentralisation by providing centrally defined and globally aligned learning solutions in a matrix organisation with decentralised leadership. That is the same challenge in case of the new induction process initiative. In the near past an introductory training program existed for new HR employees, which was similar in all the regions, but inconsistent in content, so it gave a lot of space for local solutions to flower. Moving from this decentralised approach to a more centralised one may cause push backs from the associates in these local units, thus careful change management is essential. Nature of change By assessing the nature of change based on the description above, this change can be categorised with the terms of Ackerman (1997) as ‘transitional’ as the intention is to â€Å"achieve () a desired state† by setting up a globally aligned world-class induction process for new HR associates, which is a significant difference from the current decentralised approach. One can argue whether it is not defined as ‘transformational change’ as it can result a difference in an organisational process and change in the culture, but as it won’t change fundamentally neither areas, the definition of ‘transitional change’ fits better in this case. To give a full picture about the nature of change, it need to be emphasised that after finishing this particular change project, the change itself will not stop, it will continue as ‘developmental change’ by continuously improving the set up induction process. From another perspective, using the categories of Mintzberg and Waters (1985) this change initiative can be identified as ‘determined’ or planned change as the goal, that need to be achieved, is clearly set, as well as the process how to get there. It does not mean though, that ‘emergent’ changes will not come up during the project, as it may happen that a locally designed induction process which works well will have an improving effect on the globally designed process and tools to ensure the implementation of the best possible practices. Drivers of the change This change initiative has mainly internal triggers. First and foremost, improve the productivity of every new HR associates by providing them all the essential knowledge, competencies and network they need in their new role. Improving their engagement level is also an important trigger, as engaged associates have usually better performance and they less likely to leave the business (Buckingham and Coffman, 2005). In case of HR department, better performance of associates, among other things, could lead to better internal and external customer satisfaction or decrease of costs by effective ways of working, while improved retention cut the costs and time invested in recruitment and training of a new employee. Although the internal triggers are more relevant in this case, the external drivers also need to be mentioned. Mars, Inc. had several acquisitions in the last few years which led to an incoherent culture in the different business segments. To enable exchangeability of human resources and best practices, setting up centrally aligned processes is a key. Also, considering that Mars, Inc. operates in a quickly changing market (FMCG), being innovative and best-in-class in its processes could ensure competitive advantage and retention of employees. Nonetheless, the change needs to be done in a global environment fitting to the expectations of different cultures in different regions. Key Stakeholders As in case of most major changes in an organisation, winning the support of top level management is essential. In this case the management means the Global HR Leadership Team of Mars, Inc. who also plays the role of sponsor of the project and expected to play a key role by being role model in using the new induction process. Their influence is very high as they could stop or change this initiative any time. Their attitude toward the change to be expected very positive, still, contracting with them is critical as many priority projects are currently going on in the business so need to ensure proper focus. Driving the change process requires change agents to ensure smooth implementation: the Mars U associates in the regions and other (local) learning or talent development specialists. As the project aligns well with their general purpose of their roles – to improve associates capabilities, – their attitude is expected to be positive. As they will play the role of connecting the project leaders with associates in their regions or units, their influence is also very high, but mainly only in their area of responsibility. The communication and deployment of the change will focus mainly on the HR managers as they will be the most affected by the change, as they need to change their ways of working the most. Thus, 5 their attitude can be either positive or negative depending how valuable the new process seems to them. Their influence can be high in the area of their responsibility – so the more senior the manager is the higher is the influence. Also important stakeholders, but less influential, are the new HR associates. The new process is all about them, but from change management perspective they play a smaller role, as their attitude to be expected very positive. In any case, careful communication toward them needs to be planned to ensure their full involvement in the process and gain feedback from them to identify potential areas for improvements. There are also some other key stakeholders, like the trainers of the courses, whose contribution to the success can be very important, but as they are interchangeable in the roles, their influence on the process can be categorised as moderate. Furthermore, there are some other subject matter experts (e.g. learning technology or global communication specialists), who will be involved during the design and communication phases, but their influence is rather small and their attitude is expected to be supportive. Management objectives To summarise the main objective, the goal is to implement in all business segments and units of Mars, Inc. a newly designed, globally aligned, efficient and engaging functional induction process with its supporting tools (guides and learning modules) for every new HR employees, which supports their development in the first 12 months after joining in their new role and covers the essential Mars specific knowledge and provides network needed for achieving high performance. The new process and tools should be used by mid of 2013 in all business units. Task 2 For a successful change project it’s not only important to see where we would like to go, but to be able to define how we will get there, we need a careful and detailed analysis on where we are at the moment. Besides a general process overview in the organisation (e.g. by the support of models like ‘McKinsey 7S’ (Waterman et al. 1980) or ‘Burke-Litwin Causal model’ (Burke Litwin, 1992)), we also need to understand why do we have the problem in our organisation. For this we may use problem analysis models, like the ‘Fishbone diagram’ or the ‘5 Whys?’ (Taiichi 1988) model. Input-Transformation-Output model To better understand the functional induction process, by the ‘Input-Transformation-Output model’ (RDI, 2012a) the main elements can be summarised visually: This model can support the planning process in several ways. It is easier for the change leaders to identify the key stakeholders (see the detailed stakeholder analysis above), to keep objectives always in mind and focus on the processes which need to be changed in order to be able to achieve the desired output. Furthermore, it gives a great overview about who shall be involved in reviewing and developing the process by providing feedback before, during and after the change. Nonetheless, it is essential to be clear on both the transformed and transforming resources required for the whole process to avoid disturbance due to the lack of them. Cause-and-Effect Analysis After having a broader overview of the issue, before taking any actions, a thorough problem analysis is a must. Even though having an initial idea about what can improve the current situation, in a complex organisation with a huge overall impact of the topic, the change leader need to ensure addressing the right issues and providing the right solutions based on that. In defining all the relevant causes of a problem can help the Cause-and-Effect Analysis (Ishikawa, 1968) or Fishbone diagram. In case of our described example, the model looks like this: After defining the list of important causes, the major ones to be selected by the analysing team then the potential actions can be planned. When it’s presented to the management team, their duty is then to decide on which topics to focus on the actions. In this example case, a globally aligned process with supporting tools and metrics are very much missing. When it’s designed and ready to be deployed, then these should be available to all HR managers to be able to drive the induction processes locally and measure their own efficiency. Plan the change After the green light of the management team concerning the project initiative, can start the proper, detailed planning: the development of the change strategy, in which the desired outcome, key actions, milestones, action owners and resources needs are defined. Winning the commitment of the key stakeholders also need to be carefully planned with a supporting communication plan. As unexpected situations are likely to disturb the planned flow of actions, to minimise the potential disturbance, a risk analysis in advance of doing actions can help the project management team to prepare for these scenarios or totally avoid them. Also, a continuous review of the change project is highly recommended to ensure the project execution is on track to achieve the project goal (see the 8 potential feedback sources in the Input-Output model) – this also can be part of the change strategy plan. The next step is then to execute the plan. When unexpected situations happen, continuous adjustments of the plan may be required to ensure proper improvement and keep the progress to achieve the final goal. After all planned actions are executed, the project leader should control that the project goal has been achieved as defined. If no, the project still continues. If yes, the project shall be formally closed with the involvement of the project sponsors and the success should be feed back to the key stakeholders. Task 3 Business Process Transformation Although Mars, Inc. in this situation chose to go on with a change project concentrating on only one function (HR) to improve its induction process, using the Business Process Transformation (BPT), i.e. Business Process Re-engineering model could have led to better results. By talking generally about the BPT model, one can say that improving the customer engagement and cutting the operational costs by improving and simplifying processes (cross-functional) within the company, is in the heart of this approach (Hammer 1990). Let use the definition of re-engineering by Hammer and Champy (1993) to show the key characteristics of this model: the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary modern measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed. This approach is one of the favourites currently in change management, as it promises â€Å"dramatic improvements† in business performance and customer satisfaction, even though it has its own challenges. The most important is that it requires a holistic view from the business leaders to face the issues within an organisation. It needs broad perspective to be able to come out of functional silos and to view the process as a whole, from the very beginning till the very end. If the change project happens only within a single function, there is high probability of missing some important opportunities of improvement. By using the example of Mars, a cross-functional approach could lead to a different, although very thorough solution – like implementing a standardised, world-class induction experience in every part of the company, during which the new employees can learn the most important functional and business knowledge to best support the customer focused processes. Based on its holistic view, the BPT approach requires more complexity from change management perspective as well as total alignment and drive from the top management team. The process improvement strategy should be aligned with the vision, mission and business strategy of the company, while the desired behaviours and key performance indicators should be also clearly defined and communicated to support the process and the measure of success (RDI 2012b). The process improvement initiative should start with a company-wide analysis of the current situation, keeping in mind not only how the processes can be simplified, but also what could be the benefits for the customers by the change initiative. The analysis then will be followed by the definition of the detailed plan: to where and how the company would like to get. To achieve great improvement in company results, increasing the amount of invested efforts and resources and high risk taking is unavoidable – although most probably in mid- and long-term the investment of these extra resources will pay. All these mentioned characteristics of the model lead to the fact that this model can’t be used without a heavy top down and centralised approach due to its holistic nature and complexity. Starting a process improvement initiative from any other level of the organisation without the full support and involvement of the company top leaders can lead to only a temporary and restricted (to a region or function) solution. Managing the implementation of the change at Mars, Inc. Although the change project defined by Mars also intends to improve the measures mentioned in the re-engineering definition, the main difference lies in the adjectives used by the authors: dramatic, fundamental and radical. So in this case we can’t really talk about BPT approach, as it would rather mean taking the whole on-boarding and induction process in all functions of the company and use that to work on, even though it could be very beneficial for the company. Also, without winning the top management support for a holistic change approach, the project leader of this initiative better use a general Change management (RDI 2012c), or preferably, the Total Quality Management (TQM) 2 methodology with using some holistic OD models – like the ‘Burke-Litwin model’ (Burke Litwin 1992) or the ‘McKinsey 7S model’ (Waterman et al. 1980) – for analysing the potential areas of change interventions. Definition of TQM by Kanji (1990): â€Å"TQM is the way of life of an organization committed to customer satisfaction through continuous improvement. This way of life varies from organisation to organisation and from one country to another but has certain principles which can be implemented to secure market share, increase profits and reduce costs.† The principles of the TQM approach fits well to the culture of Mars, Inc. by focusing on continuous improvement opportunities, on customer needs and motivating employees at all level of the organisation to take part of this and drive innovations. It also reflects in all of the 5 principles of the company3. The management style also resonates well with the principles of TQM, as it engages the collaborative company culture with empowering and motivating the employees to drive continuous improvement for achieving better quality in everything within the business. Although a lot of things fit well to use this model for the change case at Mars, to fully benefit of the TQM methodology, the project leader and the participants shall be skilled to use all its principles to achieve the best possible result, which is currently not yet the case. Task 4 Measure of Success – Processes There are certain elements of the change process, which we can check and measure during and after the project to evaluate the success. Firstly, it is inevitable to set with involvement and communicate to the key stakeholders a clear vision, a well defined ‘S.M.A.R.T. objective’ (Doran, 1981) and some key performance indicators regarding the desired end result of the change initiative. Additionally, it is also important element of the second success factor, which is the level of commitment to the change of the key stakeholders. During the implementation phase, the success of the process can be measured at the key milestones: whether they were achieved on time by providing good quality results within the allocated resource limits. In this phase, the ability of flexible to any disturbance and opportunities through the process is also essential, to keep or even improve the result quality of the change, or to use less resources to achieve the original goal. It may be measured by reaction the quickness of the response or the amount of extra resources needed to keep the good progress. In connection to this, reviewing the key challenges and capturing the lessons learnt for the future also shows the efficiency of the process. Last, but not least, a clear project closure can also indicate how well the project went. Measure of Success – Outcomes If we have a closer look on the change initiative of Mars, Inc., the desired outcome which we wish to measure lies in the main objective4. The company’s main goal is to improve the efficiency and Quality, Mutuality, Responsibility, Effectiveness and Freedom For details see the Management Objective paragraph performance of the new HR employees. As HR is a support department with less direct impact on financial results and the quality of end products than other areas in the business, measuring these goals may be difficult, especially if we need to focus on only the new employee. So it’s advised to define other measures, like the individual performance or future career potential of the new employee, which can be measured by the company globally standardized performance evaluation system. Although the improved employee performance is difficult to be described with exact figures, we can also use historical data to compare the past and the present, and measure factors which can influence performance (e.g. the Line Manager’s evaluation of the performance or the engagement level of the new associate). Besides the employee performance, the efficiency of the new process shall be measured as well (e.g. could we involve everybody we intended to use the new process). Furthermore, as in case of all change projects, defining the return on investment can show the level of success. For example the cost of resource investment of the change project may be compared with the amount of money were saved by better retention of the new associates. By measuring the outcome of a new process we also need to investigate the resource needs of sustaining the process efficiently on long term. 1References: Ackerman, L., 1997, Development, transition or transformation: the question of change in organisations. In: Van Eynde, D., Hoy, J and Van Eynde, D (eds) Organisation Development Classics. San Francisco, Jossey Bass. Buckingham, M. and Coffman, C., 2005. First, Break All The Rules: What the Worlds Great Managers Do Differently. Simon Schuster. Burke, W. W. and Litwin, G. H., 1992. A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18 (3), 523-545. Doran, G. T., 1981. Theres a S.M.A.R.T. way to write managements goals and objectives. Management Review, Volume 70, Issue 11, pp. 35-36.

Democracy in Nigeria Challenges

Democracy in Nigeria Challenges NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY TODAY: THE EXPECTED DIVIDENDS AND CHALLENGES BY FRANKLINS A . SANUBI, Ph.D Abstract After a long period of military interregnum, the anxiety and high expectations which characterized the disposition of the local Nigerian polity shortly before 1999 had almost waned in barely a decade of the country’s democratic experiment due to bad and corrupt governance resulting in some fresh pessimism about the workability of democratic governmentt in the country These expectations which have been encapsulated into a new paradigm in Nigerian politics known as â€Å"dividends of democracy† have aroused some academic and policy concern about the claims of those who professed to have secured some â€Å"dividends† for their people and those who believed that such acclaimed dividends are a ruse. Using a structural-functional analytical framework in a descriptive research design, this paper presents some of the relevant arguments for and against the claim to the dividends of democracy in Nigeria, pointing out some of its key challenges. It observes among others, th at while the claim to attaining dividend of democracy may be arguable under the platform that the adoption of democratic governance in Nigeria may have secured some favourable external image for the nation in recent years, there are ample evidence that much of the claims by political actors to dividends of democracy are not supported by tangible functional structures of an enduring democracy The paper recommends among other things, a vigorous pursuit of the institutional fight against corruption and an expedited reform of the country’s electoral system. Introduction The peculiarities of a nation’s practice of democracy distinguish it from another’s. As a social process, democracy should naturally be expected to respond to the dictates of its immediate milieu while as much as possible it aspires to some universal principles or standards in its practice. From its definitions as ‘a government of popular sovereignty’ democracy permits the majority of the governed to have its â€Å"will† enthroned in governance at least in deciding who should direct its own affairs in political authority at elections. In Nigeria’s barely half-a-century of political independence, some attempts at democratic governance may have totalled up only to nineteen years of its nationhood. Of this however, much will be desired of any one to identify the boundaries of a ‘true democracy’ as defined above if any, that is existing in the Nigerian experience. Typically, a democracy is characterized among others, by a regular general election, a highly defined electoral procedure, a high degree of the rule of law (with an independent and transparent judicial structure) and a people whose human rights is optimally guaranteed by existing executive, legislative and judicial institutions. While it may be argued at some academic forum that no ideal (true) democracy can be found in any nation today, there is however much compelling impulse to associate some current western democracies with a high degree of ideal democratic phenomenon. The Nigerian democracy would, comparatively rank very low in such continuum in terms of both practice and dividends. Democratic Dividends: A Definition Our discomfort with the use of the term â€Å"dividend† in the analysis of political performance, and especially in Nigeria where self-interest seems to vehemently override nationalistic aspiration, lies not in its auspiciousness but in its origin. The term â€Å"dividends† is a business one, particularly in the area of investment. To expect a dividend in future is to invest today. Investment is seen from the point of view of economics as â€Å"part of present income spent on goods or services in order to generate a high future income†. Such goods however are investment goods as distinguished from consumer goods. This view of investment sees the process as a â€Å"risk taking† endeavour. To assure a risk-taker of a dividend is to minimize his risks elements while investing. Higher risks bring higher dividends. The most successful investors therefore belong to the class of high risk takers. By importing this process into politics, Nigerian politicians may b e described as political investors who see their attainment of political office as a management of political investment rather than a call to service for one’s fatherland. Hence, when you hear an average political office holder talk of dividends of democracy, he is implicitly referring to the size of the national cake he is able to cut for himself, albeit his people. Democratic dividends in Nigeria may therefore not be seen merely as yielding a desired purpose of attaining national good governance for the benefit of the entire polity but particularly as an expression of a competitive struggle for natural economic resources to the satisfaction of competing individuals or groups often defined in ethnocentric terms. Yet this term â€Å"dividend† of democracy has been a household one in the language registers of political actors in Nigeria. Structural-Functionalism and Democracy: A theoretical framework An auspicious social theory under which the analysis of the â€Å"dividends of democracy in Nigeria† may be comfortably made is the theory of structural-functionalism. The functionalist school believes that the understanding of a given system (under this circumstance, the Nigerian political system in the democratic dispensation) must necessarily comprise not only the understanding of the institutions (or structures) which make up the system but also their respective functions1. The adherents of structural-functionalism insist that these institutions must be placed within a meaningful and 1 Igwe, O. (2007) Politics and globe dictionary, New ed., Aba: Eagle Publishers dynamic historical context if they are to be properly understood an idea that stands in sharp contrast to the prevailing approaches in the field of comparative politics such as the state-society theory and the dependency theory. The structural-functional approach is based on the view that a political system is made up of several key components including interest groups, political groups and branches of government. According to Almond Powell, a political system performs some key functions such as political socialization, recruitment and communication2. Socialization may be seen as a process by which a society passes along its values and beliefs to succeeding generations while from a point of view of politics, socialization (and hence political socialization) may be described as a process by which a society inculcates civic virtues, or the habit of effective citizenship. Political recruitment on the other hand may be seen as a process by which a political system generates interest, e ngagement and participation from citizens while communication describes a process by which a system promulgates its values and information. A variant of structural-functionalism based on the analysis of Gabriel Almond sees all political systems as comprising four major characteristics namely: that all political systems including the simplest ones have political structures; that the same functions are performed in â€Å"all political systems even if they may be performed with different frequencies and different structures; that both the political structures of the primitive and the modern societies are multifunctional no matter how specialized they are and; that all political systems are mixed in the cultural sense†3. 2. Almond, G.A. Powell Jnr. B.G.(1966) Comparative politics: A development approach, Boston: Little Brown.. 3 Offiong, O.J. (1996) Systems theory and structural functionalism in political analysis. In A.O. Oronsaye, (Ed.) Nigerian government and politics, Benin City: United City Press. As a political system in transition (as Nigeria,) moves from one state of equilibrium to another, the various political institutions or structures should be expected to bring about a required social change in their performance of the socialization, recruitment and communication functions. A social change according to Talcott Parsons occurs through four distinct and inevitable processes namely: differentiation ( that is, the increase in the complexity of social organizations); adaptive upgrading (that is, social institutions becoming more specialized in their processes) inclusion ( where groups previously excluded from a society because of such factors as race, gender, social class etc are now accepted) and; value generalization (that is, the development of new values that tolerate and legitimate a greater range of activities) 4. The application of democratic governance in Nigeria should therefore be seen from a structural-functional perspective as a desire to effect a required social change in our political development by the various democratic institutions performing their required functions in that respect. The Nigerian democracy therefore will be not meaningful, that is, not structurally functional, if it is not performing its required social functions (or yielding the expected dividends). The Dividends of Nigerian Democracy and the Challenges If any thing else, Nigerian democracy should be directed at fulfilling the nation’s philosophical goals as expressed in the official document of its Second National Development Plan (1970-1974) namely: â€Å"the creation of a free and democratic society; a just and egalitarian society; a united, strong and self reliant nation; a great and dynamic 4Kuper, A. (1988) The invention of primitive society: Transformation of an illusion, London: Routledge economy and, a land of full and bright opportunities for all citizens†5. Expectedly, Nigerian democracy should ensure the enthronement of a national consciousness, integrity and service. There should be strong desire to build one’s own nation by its citizen rather than a plunge-it-down syndrome typical of much of our current dispensation. Democracy should provide equal opportunities to genuine service-minded individuals to express themselves in seeking political office through elections. Democracy should be a platform for the provision of political enlightenment for the teeming apathetic and economically-emasculated people of the countryside and metropolises. Democracy is expected to guarantee an un-biased allocation and application of naturally determined national economic resources for the benefit of the entire polity while providing relevant opportunities for component region or states to harness local potentials for healthy competitive development initiatives. Democracy should provide relevant safeguards against corruption and unauthorized acqu isitions of national resources by individuals and groups who see themselves high above the corporate goals of the nation. Judicial safeguards in terms of regular prosecution and punishment should especially be adequately entrenched into such a political system. Democracy should provide relevant and adequate checks and balances between the three organs of government and as much as possible a freer press as the fourth estate in the realm. The phenomenon of wanton arrest, detention of journalists and the forceful closure of media-houses whenever they purvey any information acclaimed by political authorities 5. Federal Republic of Nigeria, (1970) Second National Development Plan 1970-1974, Lagos: Federal Ministry of Information,,p.32 as inimical to their existence (albeit the corporate existence of the nation) typical of our current democratic experiment will therefore require some policy refinement and for policymakers to demonstrate subtlety. Democracy should be expected to yield the above ascribed â€Å"dividends† to Nigeria through its practice over the years. Alternatively, the Nigerian democracy has yielded few, if any, of the ascribed dividends to its citizens. The typical dividends however has remained the propagation of ethnic dominance in the appropriation of national resources through what Deutsch6 describes as aa zero-sum game approach in form of appointments to vital national and state positions, regional self determination through the core vs. peripheral perception of resource allocation7, , thus engendering a clamour for regional economic independence popularly called â€Å"resource control† by the oil bearing peoples of the Niger Delta. Notwithstanding and on the positive side, democracy may have succeeded somewhat in sensitizing the citizens in appreciating the need for good governance among political office holders. There is a growing wave of civic awareness among people in Nigeria today than it had ever been. The increasing quest for probity and accountability and the adoption of due process principles (even with its default) may be regarded as a vital recipe for the re-branding of our local democratic culture and practice. But for the seeming inadequacies such as the area of official responsibility and accountability, and electoral malpractice, the Nigerian practice of democratic governance may have helped to 6 Deutsch, M. (1973), The resolution of conflicts: Constructive process, New Haven: Yale, 7 Noel, C.L. (1969), A theory of ethnic stratification: Social problems. Journal of Sociology, Vol. 16.(2). grow the nation’s international image as a major regional power in the African sub-region. The United Nations has often called on Nigeria to lead its team in the execution of its major international (especially African regional) economic, social and military initiatives. Nigerian’s growing involvement in regional peace keeping and other humanitarian missions and the African continent derives mainly from its recognition not only primarily as an economically-endowed nation, but also as a democratic entity with abundant hope. This perhaps may be adjudged as the most important dividend of the Nigeria’s democracy so far. Much however is yet to be desired of this image as its electoral process undergoes reform. The impetus provided by Ghana and South Africa in their respective recent elections have further strengthened the national call for electoral reforms and political transparency. The relevance of such call is underscored by a growing optimism in the national popu lace about the possible workability of the democratic arrangement as a better alternative in governance after having been overwhelmed by military dictatorship (with it accompanying slow pace of economic development) for over two-thirds of its nationhood. By a tacit recognition of the â€Å"expected† and â€Å"perceived† dividends of the Nigerian democracy, it becomes a little easier to identify some of the major challenges of the Nigerian democratic experience so far. At the apex of the challenges is the issue of electoral reforms. The want of a credible independent electoral process has unfortunately created institutional safeguards for political parties (especially incumbents) to exploit the existing political machinery for their electoral advantages. The office of the president has most often exploited its advantage as the appointing institution to impact significantly on the activities of the successive electoral commissions in the country. The result is that electoral rigging have been institutionalized often with threats of arrests on credible opposition. In the 2007 state and federal elections particularly the former, this anomaly was not only typical of but also rampant. Democratic government are expected to be less prone to corruptive tendencies since there are supposedly more institutional safeguards against them than the military regime. Unfortunately, the Nigerian democracy is yet to vindicate itself as a better alternative in this respect. Phenomenally, what may be regarded as some institutional arrangement created by government against corruption and other economic crimes though looked initially very impressive and praiseworthy during the moribund Obasanjo’s civilian regime, were later overrun by the same political structure (particularly the executive and legislative arms) which had seen such an arrangement as an erosion of their political and economic ambitions. Thus, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) became after an initial euphoria, figments of their creator’s imaginations. Corruption still remains a major challenge to Nigeria’s democracy. The ethnocentric clamour for economic self determinism, especially by the people of the Niger Delta has aroused a new awareness about the inevitability of good governance in the area of equitable distribution of natural resources especially in a plural society like Nigeria. The hydra-headed problem of the Niger Delta crisis is a logical aftermath of governments’ inability to address the special environmental and economic needs of the Niger Delta peoples and symptomatic of the continuing absence of agreement on a workable revenue sharing formula after a trial of several sharing principles over the years. This phenomenon has created additional challenges for the attainment of the expected dividends of democracy. Conclusion and Recommendations The claim to the attainment of democratic dividends by political actors in Nigeria will remain as contestable in certain areas as there exist elements of political inadequacies in the three key theoretical areas of political socialization, recruitment, communication. By consolidating on its growing international image as a regional centre of hope, Nigerian policymakers should invest much energy on the institutional fight against corruption by allowing the relevant statutory agencies already created for this purpose to exercise their mandate without unnecessary executive intervention. The pursuit of electoral reform in an attempt to enthrone a great degree of (if not total) internal and external credibility in our public elections should be more vigorous and expeditious so that as early as 2011, fresh and enduring dividends in that aspect can be become visibly clear. Until democratic practice in Nigeria provides more functional evidence in terms of enhanced political participation, eq uitable and acceptable process of resource allocation, credible electoral practice and a political culture of national integrity and transparency, it will remain sharply contestable to lay claim to the attainment of a meaningful dividend of democracy in Nigeria. 1

Essay --

The Views of Hawthorne on Puritanism Nathaniel Hawthorne's knowledge of Puritanism and his close relationship with the religion has impacted his views on those in the society. Hawthorne is critical of the Puritans and he thinks that they are hypocrites for having rules and morals that they do not follow. He sees the underlying sin that others may not. Through his many writings he makes known to his readers that everyone is guilty of sin. The Puritan's main goal was to save themselves from the sin in the world, but Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays their morals and society as troublesome through his works, "Young Goodman Brown," "The Minister's Black Veil," and The Scarlet Letter. Through the work of "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne is able to express his views of hypocrisy in Puritanism. Goodman Brown was convinced that his Puritan family was sinless and deserved to be honored. When traveling through the forest he says, "My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs" ("Young Goodman Brown" 238). What Goodman Brown does not know is that his previous generations have taken part in these sinful actions that occurred in the woods. Although Brown's ancestors were supposedly righteous Puritans, they were involved in lashing a Quaker woman and setting fire to an Indian village, according to the traveler speaking with Brown. Through these stories that the traveler tells, Hawthorne makes known to his readers that Puritan's are hypocrites because they say they are holy and pure when in reality they are committing impious actions. Throughout this stor y Young Goodman Brown takes his journey through the woods and sees nearly eve... ... like Hester. He is implying that she is the victim and that the Puritans are actually at fault for this sin. Hawthorne's main goal is to convey the Puritans as sinful and unholy. He does not approve of the sin they hide and he thinks there should be punishment for their actions. To Hawthorne there are many problems in Puritan society. He exposes their transgressions of secret sin and hypocrisy. Hawthorne was haunted by his Puritan past, as he saw all the sins and immoral acts that the society committed. He expresses that everyone sins, no matter how holy or pious they may appear. Hawthorne points out their unrighteousness despite the Puritans claim to be pious. He sees no benefits in being involved in the society. Hawthorne expresses his negative views on Puritanism through his three works, "Young Goodman Brown," "The Ministers Black Veil," and The Scarlet Letter.

Comparison Of Love Poetry: Essay -- English Literature

Comparison Of Love Poetry: Rememberby Christina Rossetti, How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron The three poems, Remember by Christina Rossetti; How Do I love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron, each explore love and loss in their own unique ways. Remember is, as expected from the title, a solemn lament which is a farewell sonnet to her treasured one. How Do I Love Thee? is again a sonnet of love but is of a love that is present and hopefully will remain forever. The third poem that will be examined is When We Two Parted which tells of a lost secret love that has left a scar on Lord Byron's life. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's impressive How Do I Love Thee? is, as you might suppose, a poem describing the extent of the author's love of her partner. It is one of her "Sonnets from the Portuguese" which were written in her Italian days at the Casa Guidi. Like many of them How Do I Love Thee? takes the form of a patriarchal sonnet which is the most common sonnet form and is for the most part the more appropriate form for love poetry over the English or Shakespearian sonnet or the Spenserian sonnet. Using sonnet form, you would expect the change in tone after the first octet but in this the change is less pronounced with a subtle change to a graver side of love. Though it is so understated it could be debated that it isn't there at all. The second poem to be analysed is Lord Byron's When We Two Parted. This is written from a different perspective to How Do I Love Thee? where the relationship has ended and his feelings can be simply shown in language. The overriding tone is one of hostility and bitterness towards his pas... ... love in a different way, Remember shows it as a platonic love between friends where it is going away. When We Two Parted tells the story of a lost love edged with the feelings of bitterness that come with an ended relationship and How Do I Love Thee? recounts an absolute love that is flawless and perfect in every way. The presentation of loss in How Do I Love Thee? is virtually non-existent with only one mention where the love will grow stronger after death. In When We Two Parted loss is the main theme of the poem and is shown as a very grave matter that is not good for any person. Remember shows loss differently as though it isn't necessarily an awful thing. It isn't good but you cannot dwell on it, you must move on and live your life. Ultimately, love and loss can be presented in many different ways and these poems show us some of these ways very well.

Suffering in Job and The Aeneid Essay -- Comparison Compare Contrast E

Suffering in Job and The Aeneid      Ã‚   Throughout Virgil's Aeneid and Job   from the Old Testament, great obstacles block the paths of the protagonists.  Ã‚   Mental and physical, anguish is placed upon Job and Aeneas.   Though both men suffer extreme pain, the extent and content of the tribulations are different.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Job's suffering is placed upon him without provocation.   Aeneas also believes his  ³pain [is] so great and unmerited! ² (Virgil 2.89).   Juno's hatred towards the Trojans, however,   is fueled by many things such as the descent of the Trojans from Jupiter's illegitimate son and the fact that the Trojan people are fated to destroy Carthage, her favorite city.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  God takes away everone deat to Job.   He is physically alone except for Eliphaz, Bilad, Zophar and Elihu.   These men, although they are the only people to speak to Job, offer very little sympathy.   They blame him for his misfortune and tell Job that he has probably angered God to an extent that his punishment is deserved.   Aeneas, though,   has the companionship of his men and other friends which help him along his journey.   Not  Ã‚   only are his men friendly and admiring of Aeneas, they are on his side.   They   help him on his journey.   They are all fighting for the same cause.   This fact alone makes Job's misfortune more taxing.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their mental anguish is not limited to matters of this world.   Each man is faced with dillemas concerning their spiritual beliefs. Though he begs and calls to God for an explanation, Job receives nothing.   This causes alone causes more mental anguish than anything else that happens in either work.   Job's family is exterminated, he is pile of fermenting flesh, and he has no sign from God as to why t... ... He has thousands of mortals working with him, not to mention the fact that he has the gods working to protect him too.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The proportionate level of suffering weighs heavily on Job's side. Aeneas has some tough times, but Job suffers almost beyond human capabilities. Aeneas had moments of excitement and adventure along his path, while Job had utter misery.   Aeneas had far from a pain free voyage, but he was also worlds away from feeling the desperation and unheralded torture of Job.    Works Cited Block, Elizabeth. The Effects of Divine Manifestation on the Reader's Perspective in Vergil's Aeneid.   Arno Press, New York, 1981. Green, Joel B., & Longman, Tremper (Eds.).   Holy Bible -- The Everday Study Edition. Dallas: Word Publishing. 1996. Quinn, Kenneth. Vergil's Aeneid, A Critical Description. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London. 1968.

Analysis of My Big Fat Greek Wedding

During the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, there was a lot of positive and negative communication that influenced the main character’s life decisions. The story is about a young woman, named Toula, that is of Greek decent who is fearful of being stuck in the life she is now living. She is a frumpy girl that works in her family’s restaurant because she has not been able to find a Greek man to marry, and because of this, her family claims that she is old and has failed in life. She is allowed to attend college, which in turn, gives her new confidence and she is able to fall in love with a non-Greek man that is named, Ian.During the movie she struggles to get her family to accept him as the man she loves, and she also finally comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity. At the end of the movie, Ian is accepted into the family, he becomes a baptized Greek, agrees to marry in the Greek Orthodox Church and participate in the Greek culture. Despite the happy ending of the movie, Toula struggled to follow the rules and values of her culture, practiced nonverbal communication with Ian, and received empathy from her mother while Ian had to deal with a language barrier of English and Greek.Toula has a hard time accepting the culture of her family. From the movie, it seems as though the Greek culture is a high context culture. High context cultures have a strong sense of tradition and history, and they do not change much over time. In the beginning of the movie, Toula states that her family expects her to â€Å"marry a Greek boy, make Greek babies, and feed everyone in the family till the day she dies. † Since she has not been married she is stuck working in the family restaurant until she does. She breaks tradition when she starts dating and then marries, Ian, because he is not a â€Å"Greek boy, and not from a Greek family. She also does the unthinkable since she marryed Ian and changes the history and tradition of the culture, as high c ontext cultures do not change over time. It is also a tradition for the Greeks to have big families; Toula explains to Ian that she has twenty-seven first cousins and Ian seems to be very interested in what she is telling him because he only has two cousins. Ian’s family is American and they are the opposite of Toula’s family, they are part of the low context culture, like many other American families.One of the biggest differences is that Toula’s family is loud, big and always together and Ian’s family is small, quite, and only see each other on special occasions. Toula and Ian practiced different forms of nonverbal communication during the movie. Nonverbal communication means messages expressed by nonlinguistic means. Ian and Toula have both used face and eyes as a form of nonverbal communication. When Toula was still working as a waitress in her family restaurant, the dancing Zorba’s, she was caught staring at Ian by Ian and his friend.Her stari ng suggests that she was very interested in Ian and thought that he was handsome but Ian’s friend assumed that she was crazy because of how she was staring at Ian. Toula also caught Ian staring at her in the window of the travel agency that her aunt owns. Ian’s staring at Toula suggested that he was interested in her and thought that she was pretty. Ian used substituting, a form of nonverbal communication, to say hi to Toula in the window of the travel agency by waving and smiling at her. There were no words spoken to each other during this scene.Toula used body orientation to hide from Ian in her family’s restaurant behind the counter as he was leaving. She did this because she may have been embarrassed for getting caught staring at him and she may have also been shy. The same thing also happened in the travel agency when Toula hid behind the water dispenser when Ian turned his back to her to talk with his friend. When he turned back around he could not find he r and he walked off. Before Ian ran into the older lady on the street in front of the travel agency, he was using the gesture of possibly a duck, to get Toula’s attention and to make her laugh.This gesture made her laugh and smile and it was able to help her loosen up and feel a little more comfortable. Ian had to deal with the language barrier a few times in the movie, but there were two scenes that were quite comical. Ian asked Nick, how do you say â€Å"thank you† in Greek and he also asked Angelo, Toula’s cousin, how to say â€Å"everyone let’s go in the house,† and both times he was told something entirely different. This is similar to the â€Å"English-speaking representative of a U. S. soft drink manufacturer naively drew laughs from Mexican customers when she offered free samples of Fresca soda pop.In Mexican slang, the word fresca means ‘lesbian’(Adler). † In both of these cases, Ian and the representative thought they were saying one thing but it meant something else in the other language. Empathy was shown in the movie when Toula was turned down by her father for wanting to go to college for computer classes. When this happened her mother, Maria, showed empathy. Empathy means being able to experience the world form the other person’s point of view. Maria explained to Toula that Toula was just like her when she was her age.Maria stated that she knew how she felt and she would talk to Toula’s father about the computer classes. Maria showed the emotional dimension that helped her to get closer to Toula’s feelings. She also showed genuine concern for the welfare her daughter Toula. I can relate to people being interested in my culture just as Ian was very interested in Toula’s culture because it is different, but unlike Toula, I enjoy my culture and I embrace it. I have found that having a different culture, because most of my family is not from America, as a good thing.E ven though it makes you a little different, it also makes you unique and it adds to your identity as a person. If I were in the situations that Toula was in, I would have done some things different. If I were her, I would have told my parents before anything got serious, because it was shown in the movie that lies only lead to more problems. Telling them early that she found someone non-Greek would have also cause problems but because they wanted her to get married so bad, I think they would have became welcoming sooner.It is important to be proud of your culture and not ashamed because your culture and the people that raise you make you who you are. Also, many facial expressions can be perceived as in ways that you would not want or expect, like Toula getting caught staring at Ian and his friend, thinking that she was a little crazy. So sometimes when communicating nonverbally, it may be best to use words to communicate your actual feelings. ? Works Cited Page(s): 187, Looking Out, Looking In, 13th Edition by Ronald B. Adler, Cengage Learning

Religion and Homosexuality in the United States Essay

I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction Religion-led moral crusades are not novelties in American history. The abolitionist movement, for instance, originated from religious teachings about freedom and equality among all human beings. Early education reforms and laws barring commercial business on Sundays also had similar foundations (Walzer 4). In the early 20th century, the temperance movement agitated for a prohibition on sales of alcohol due to religious beliefs about the evils of liquor. In the 1960s, black churches and religious leaders took the lead in the struggle for equality for African-Americans (Walzer 5). Since the late 1960s, however, conservative Christian denominations have increasingly become the voice of religion-based moral fervor in the United States. The 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, is generally acknowledged as the root cause of this phenomenon. Many right-wing Christian organizations held the aforementioned ruling responsible for the prevalence of premarital sex, easier access to birth control, decriminalized abortion, homosexuality and no-fault divorce laws. They believed that for a sound and healthy society to take place, these social â€Å"evils† must be stopped (Walzer 5). Fundamentalist Christians considered homosexuality to be the most dangerous among the above-mentioned social â€Å"evils.† This is because the sexual orientation and behavior of homosexuals â€Å"(clash) with the moral and religious teachings of the Bible† (Walzer 5). Simply put, homosexuals are â€Å"immoral† for the reason that their gender and lifestyle deviates from the Judeo-Christian principle of sexual relations as a means of procreation. They must therefore be denied any venues in which they could â€Å"spread† their â€Å"immorality,† such as gay civil rights (Walzer 5). The conflict between faith and homosexuality in the US eventually divided Christians between those who regarded homosexuality as a morality issue and those who viewed homosexuality as a social justice issue that both society and organized religion must address instead of ignore (Dawkins 290). This research paper will utilize the Marxist theoretical frameworks of dialectical and historical materialism. Dialectical materialism is based on the argument that history is defined by an endless struggle between different social classes. Historical materialism, meanwhile, asserts that the present state of a given society can be explained and understood by studying its past (Boobbyer 142). These theoretical frameworks are applied to the research paper through the study of the histories of gay civil rights and church-state relations in the US. To prove the thesis, the researcher will conduct a critical analysis of current government statistics or research data that are related to the topic. Qualitative descriptions of relevant government policies or research data will likewise be carried out. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Data and Data Analysis Conservative Christian denominations often attack homosexuality by warning the public about the increasing number of homosexuals in the US. As they are operating on the premise that homosexuals are â€Å"immoral,† these religious groups would therefore claim that the rise in homosexuality would translate to an increase in social â€Å"evils† such as HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. They would further drive this point home to audiences by bombarding them with related statistics from â€Å"reputable† sources. In the end, bigotry and homophobia are reinforced among the addressees. Recent statistics do show an increase in homosexuality in the US from previous decades. The 1994 National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) showed that an estimated 4.3 million Americans (2.8 million men and 1.5 million women) identified themselves as â€Å"homosexual or bisexual† (Sprigg 78). In addition, about 1.4 million Americans (0.9% of men and 0.4% of women) were exclusively engaged in same-sex relationships since age 18 (Sprigg 78). By 2000, according to the Washington, D.C.-based gay rights organization Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the gay and lesbian population in the US reached about 10,456,405. Data from the 2000 US Census, meanwhile, revealed that the number of same-sex couples in the country rose to 601,209 from 145,130 in 1990 (Burda 1). But the aforementioned figures are misleading. The institutions that produced these statistics do not have a clear idea of what constitutes â€Å"homosexuality,† â€Å"bisexuality† and â€Å"same-sex relationships.† Numerous studies on human sexual behavior have proven that it is possible for human beings of the same sex to engage in sexual activities regardless of sexual orientation. The term â€Å"homoerotic behavior† refers to same-sex sexual behavior that is performed for reasons that do not include homosexuality. Possible motivations for homoerotic behavior are identity crisis, exploration, same-sex bonding, glorification of maleness or femaleness and lack of opposite-sex partners (Turner 158). Mistaking homoerotic behavior for homosexuality is dangerous, as doing so has detrimental effects to both homosexuals and society in general. Positive qualities that could grow out of same-sex bonding, like caring, intimacy and nurturance, are suppressed and undervalued because such traits are associated with homosexuality (Abramson and Pinkerton 239). Furthermore, negative gender stereotypes are reinforced. â€Å"Masculinity† is linked with emotional detachment and superficial forms of socialization such as drinking, smoking and gambling. â€Å"Femininity,† on the other hand, is connected to submissiveness and lack of initiative. Experts have long debunked the â€Å"connection† between homosexuality, HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. It is true that HIV/AIDS was initially called the â€Å"gay cancer† because majority of its first victims were homosexual men. But this does not mean that HIV/AIDS is a disease that is restricted to homosexuals or that homosexuals alone are responsible for its spread. HIV/AIDS is spread by behavior and not by sexual orientation. A heterosexual who practices unsafe sex is just as prone to the disease as a homosexual who has a similar lifestyle. It is also not true that homosexuals are more prone to pedophilia than heterosexuals. As a matter of fact, about 90% of sexual abuse on children was committed by heterosexual men. A 1994 study that was published in the journal Pediatrics revealed that out of 296 cases of child sexual abuse, there were only two in which the perpetrator was a homosexual. Moreover, a heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child was the alleged offender in about 82% of the said cases (Moe 70). Apart from baseless and damaging myths, another assault that Christian fundamentalists carry out on homosexuality is the elimination of gay civil rights. Proposition 8, passed in California’s general elections on November 4, 2008, was a constitutional amendment that prohibited same-sex marriage in the state. Catholic and Mormon organizations overwhelmingly supported the proposition, arguing that same-sex marriage threatened the sanctity of marriage and the family. These groups were likewise concerned that allowing same-sex marriage to remain legal in California would deprive children of the right to have a â€Å"normal† family – one that was composed of a father and a mother (Kuruvila n. pag.). The enactment of Proposition 8 is ironic, considering that one of the largest and most active homosexual communities is based in San Francisco. There were already about 18,000 same-sex couples who got married in California just four months prior to the passage of Proposition 8 (Garrison, DiMassa and Paddock n. pag.). The proposition would thus force the state’s homosexual couples to get married in one of the five remaining US states where same-sex marriage is legal – Maine, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont (Montanaro n. pag.). Although Proposition 8 won 52% of votes (The Huffington Post n. pag.), some of California’s leaders are questioning its legality. The Democrat-controlled state Legislature, for instance, argued that the Constitution cannot be revised by a mere majority vote – it would strip the minority group of their constitutionally protected right. At present, California’s Supreme Court is dealing with a series of lawsuits that involve the contention of Proposition 8 (Ewers n. pag.). III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Findings Even if the US Constitution clearly stated that there is an official separation between church and state, American society remains to be a â€Å"deeply religious polity† (Walzer 5). Simply put, American society is a democracy that continues to be heavily based on religious doctrine. This phenomenon is a legacy of the country’s colonial past – the first whites that came to the US were members of spiritual communities fleeing religious persecution in England. Consequently, the Founding Fathers declared that the US would not have an official state religion. All citizens were allowed to worship as they pleased and to openly propagate their faiths (Walzer 5). But this did not mean that the debate about the role of religion in American life has ended. The leaders of the US in its formative years were overwhelmingly of Christian faith. Thus, it became inevitable that the legislative and judicial philosophies of American society were founded on Christian principles. The Founding Fathers, for instance, believed that despite the absence of an official religion, the US should be a â€Å"Christian nation whose morality should be reflective of Christian values† (Walzer 4). It is true that many Christian denominations were responsible for instigating much-needed social changes in various parts of American history. But as American society became increasingly pluralistic in the succeeding centuries, the need for more secularism in its major institutions emerged. This dilemma resulted in a conflict between conservative Christian denominations and a Christian populace that was slowly becoming tolerant of behaviors that were used to be considered as deviant, such as homosexuality. In the process, certain aspects of the societal and legal discussions of gay civil rights were negatively affected (Walzer 6). Although judges are supposed to be neutral interpreters of the law, personal experiences (including religious training and beliefs) still shape their perspectives both consciously and unconsciously (Walzer 6). Indeed, Christian fundamentalist groups are notorious for their attempts to hinder the passage of or weaken laws that promote homosexual rights (Walzer 7). In the name of religion, conservative Christian organizations will not think twice about harassing homosexuals and gay rights associations, as well as interfere with the creation and enactment of gay civil rights laws. It is no longer surprising, therefore, if legal rights for homosexuals such as same-sex marriage, protection from workplace discrimination and adoption by gay parents were attained only in the recent decades. Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church is an example of how far fundamentalist Christians could go just to prove their homophobic stance. He once organized a picket at the funeral of homosexual rights activist Coretta Scott King, proclaiming that her soul would be punished in hell due to her advocacy. Since 1991, Phelps has reportedly organized 22,000 anti-homosexual demonstrations in the US, Canada, Jordan and Iraq. These protest marches of his often displayed homophobic slogans such as â€Å"THANK GOD FOR AIDS† (Dawkins 291).   IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion Conservative Christian denominations in the US were unprepared for the increasingly liberal atmosphere of American society. They therefore harshly criticized everything that was associated with it, particularly homosexuality. For Christian fundamentalists, homosexuals were â€Å"immoral† because they do not comply with the Judeo-Christian principle of sexual relations as a means of procreation. Such a way of thinking eventually spawned all forms of harassment against homosexuals, such as damaging and baseless myths, deceptive statistics and laws that hinder the enactment of gay civil rights. It would be impossible for the US to claim that it is a Christianity-based democracy when homophobia is rampant in its turf. Homophobia can be eliminated from the country by educating people regarding the myths and the facts surrounding homosexuality. Stiffer penalties for and stricter implementation of laws against hate crimes would also help. As long as people are discriminated upon for any reason other than involvement in criminal activity, there can be no such thing as a free or just society.