Preventing Teen Pregnancy with Bill Alberts Article,...

â€Å"Parental Influence and Teen Pregnancy† is article written by Bill Albert who is part of the national campaign to prevent teen and unplanned pregnancy organization. This article was found on the Education.com, it is a website where parents can get information that will help them be a better parents and teach them proper ways to raise their children from a young age. I consider Education.com credible because the website is updated and also because they do research on the tops they talk about and have citation on where they got the information from. For example, they got the article â€Å"Parental Influence and Teen Pregnancy† from a different website that is also credible. The information in the article is up-to –date because most of the information stated throughout the article is accurate. You can also tell that the information is up-to date because it was written not too long ago and because in the original website that this article came from the origination is still updating their informations about teen pregnancy. The author intended to target parents of adolescents. The author was trying to tell parents that they can stop their children from having unprotected sex and also can prevent their teenage girls from getting pregnant at a young age. There was some information in the article that was not presented in class or in the text book. The article stated that about 59% of adolescent boys were told that having sex and getting girls pregnant isn’t a big deal (Albert,

Belgium Cultural Analysis Free Essays

I. Introduction II. Brief Discussion of Belgium’s relevant history III. We will write a custom essay sample on Belgium Cultural Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Geographical Setting a. Location – between France (S) and Holland (N); Germany and Luxembourg (E); and North Sea (W) b. Climate – Belgium has temperate weather, warm in summer (May to September) and cool to cold in winter, with snow very likely. temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy c. d. Topography – The coastal region, extending about 16–48 km (10–30 mi) inland, consists of sand dunes, flat pasture land, and polders (land reclaimed from the sea and protected by dikes), and attains a maximum of 15 m (50 ft) above sea level. Eastward, this region gradually gives way to a gently rolling central plain, whose many fertile valleys are irrigated by an extensive network of canals and waterways. Altitudes in this region are about 60–180 m (200– 600 ft). The Ardennes, a heavily wooded plateau, is located in southeast Belgium and continues into France. It has an average altitude of about 460 m (1,500 ft) and reaches a maximum of 694 m (2,277 ft) at the Signal de Botrange, the country’s highest point. Chief rivers are the Schelde (Scheldt, Escaut) and the Meuse (Maas), both of which rise in France, flow through Belgium, pass through the Netherlands, and empty into the North Sea. IV. Social Institutions a. Family i. The nuclear family – Belgians are among the happiest, most satisfied people in the world and among the least likely to leave their country. happiness is a safe and comfortable life shared with family and friends. Much of the Belgian culture revolves around their family. The Belgian family has remained very close-knit despite great changes in society due to industrialization. Most children have a strong sense of loyalty not only to their parents, but also to grandparents, siblings and cousins. The extended family has remained relatively close. It is not unusual for a family to live in the same neighborhood or even the same house throughout a lifetime. The average Belgian family size is 2. 9 people. ii. The extended family – The extended family has remained relatively close. It is not unusual for a family to live in the same neighborhood or even the same house throughout a lifetime. iii. Dynamics of the family . parental roles – parents in Belgium sent their children to preschool programs so that they could learn to become more independent and socially adept. Most Belgian children over age 2 attend these state-funded programs full-time. Belgian parents listed smaller classes and more physical education and music as desirable improvements. 2. Marriage and Courtship – Long marriage engagements are common, as is living together before or instead of marriage. Only civil marriages are legal, but many couples also have a religious ceremony. As you declare your wedding in Belgium, the first thing that you must do is to print two wedding invitations, one from the groom’s family and the other from the bride’s family. The invitations are a symbol of the union of the two families as well as the beginning of the new union. Following the ancient Belgium tradition the bride must walk up the isle to hand her mother a single flower which is followed by an embracing. After your marriage is over the bride presents the groom’s mother a single flower and then the two of them embrace. This symbolizes the bride’s acceptance of her new â€Å"mother† which is simply fantastic. Another noteworthy wedding feature in Belgium is that the bride must carry a specially embroidered handkerchief with her name on it. This is required as after your marriage celebration is over this handkerchief is framed and hung on the wall in a place of honor. There is more to add to this tradition. This very handkerchief is passed on to the next female member of the bride’s family when she plans to get married. iv. Female/Male Roles – Fathers are ultimate decision makers. Mothers discipline and rule household matters v. Education 1. The role of education in society a. Primary b. Secondary c. Higher d. The structure of the educational system consists of pre school (3-6 years); six years of primary school and six years of secondary school. Belgium has two systems of education: the state system and the private (mostly Catholic) system. Education is free in both of these systems, and the curriculum is the same. There are four types of education: †¢General Secondary Education (ASO): general education; mostly theoretical that prepares students for higher education. †¢Art Secondary Education (KSO): Along with general subjects, students take visual arts, music, dance, drama, etc. A previous knowledge of the subject is required. †¢Professional Secondary Education (BSO): in this category students may choose from a selection of courses such a hairdressing, car mechanics, and sewing, among others. Students completing the 12th year level receive certificate of higher secondary education. This diploma is sufficient for higher specialized study: interpreting, architecture, technical engineering, pedagogy, etc. Only 16 17% of Belgian students graduate at this level. Education is considered very important in Belgium. Therefore standard are high and students take school very seriously. At Christmas and Easter schools are closed for two weeks. Carnaval and All Saints Day (Nov. 1) bring short breaks of a week each. Summer holidays (vacation) last from June 30 to September 1. 2. Literacy rates – 99% over 15 can read and write vi. Political System 1. Political Structure – federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy 2. Political Parties – Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CDV [Marianne THYSSEN]; Dedecker List [Jean-Marie DEDECKER]; Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Bart SOMERS]; Groen! Mieke VOGELS] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens); New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER]; Social Liberal Party or SLP [Geert LAMBERT]; note – prior to 19 April 2008, known as Spirit; Social Progressive Alternative or SP. A [Caroline GENNEZ]; Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Bruno VALKENIERS] Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Isabelle DURANT]; Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel HUYGENS]; Reform Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; other minor parties 3. Stability of Government – Very Stable; Original member of EU and debt = 80% of GDP 4. Special Taxes – Expatriates in Belgium are generally regarded as Belgian tax residents and are therefore subject to Belgian income tax on their worldwide income. However, the Belgian authorities have encouraged multinationals to transfer foreign executives to Belgium by introducing special tax concessions to non-Belgians who are ‘temporarily’ working in the country. The tax concessions allow such expatriates to be treated as non-residents for tax purposes. The concessions do not apply to inheritance tax. To qualify for these special concessions, a number of factors are considered e. g. ‘does the employment contract specify a limited time? ’, ‘has the expatriate’s family moved? ’, ‘is the expatriate’s centre of economic and/or personal interest in Belgium? ’, ‘is the employment with a qualifying entity? ’. Under the special concessions: Only Belgian sourced income is taxable, including property income and dividend income, although total world-wide, earned income must be declared. Municipal taxes are payable at 7% of total income tax payable. There is no capital gains tax, except for certain types of sale of Belgian property. Expatriates who benefit from the non-residents special tax regime cannot invoke double taxation agreements because they only apply for the benefit of Belgian residents. 5. Role of Local Government – Each of the provinces has a council of 50 to 90 members elected for four-year terms by direct suffrage and empowered to legislate in matters of local concern. A governor, appointed by the king, is the highest executive officer in each province. There are 589 communes. Each municipality has a town council elected for a six-year term. The council elects an executive body called the board of aldermen. The head of the municipality is the burgomaster, who is appointed by the sovereign upon nomination by the town council. Recently, the number of municipalities has been greatly reduced through consolidation. vii. Legal System 1. Organization of judiciary system – The judiciary is an independent branch of government on an equal footing with the legislative and the executive branches. Minor offenses are dealt with by justices of the peace and police tribunals. More serious offenses and civil lawsuits are brought before district courts of first instance. Other district courts are commerce and labor tribunals. Verdicts rendered by these courts may be appealed before 5 regional courts of appeal or the 5 regional labor courts in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Mons, and Liege. All offenses punishable by prison sentences of more than five years must be dealt with by the eleven courts of assize (one for each province and the city of Brussels), the only jury courts in Belgium. The highest courts are five civil and criminal courts of appeal and the supreme Court of Cassation. The latter’s function is to verify that the law has been properly applied and interpreted. The constitutionality of legislation is the province of the Council of State, an advisory legal group. 2. Code, common, socialist, or Islamic law country? Belgian Civil Code 3. Participation in Patents, trademarks, other conventions – Yes viii. Social Organizations 1. Group behavior – 2. Social Classes – There is a relatively even distribution of wealth, with 5 to 6 percent living close to the poverty line. The majority of the population is middle class. The vast majority has equal opportunities for education and a professional life. There is a very inclusive social security system. 3. Clubs, Other organizations – Belgium hosts many international organizations and hundreds of lobbying-groups, but their presence has little direct impact on social life. The most influential organizations are the Catholic Church and its affiliates and social organizations related to the pillars, such as trade unions. 4. Race, Ethnicity, and Sub culture – The nation’s cultural diversity has been enriched by international and local immigration. The high numbers of Flemish names in the south and Walloon names in the north indicate long time internal mobility. In the last hundred years the most important immigrant groups were Jews who form a sizable community in Antwerp; Poles, who came in the early 1930s and after the fall of communism; Italians (in the 1930s and 1950s); and North Africans and Turks, who arrived in the 1960s. There are many recent immigrants from other countries in the European Union as well as many expatriates working in or around European Union institutions and NATO headquarters. The percentage of noncitizens in the population is high at 15 percent nationally and 28 percent in Brussels. ix. Business customs and practices- Relationships Communication. Although third-party introductions are not necessary, they often smooth the way. .  Regardless of how you are introduced, you must always be polite and well mannered. .  Belgians are careful and prudent so take time before they trust others, be they individuals or representatives of companies. .  Business dealings tend to be bureaucratic. There are many procedures and a great deal of paperwork.   Belgians are excellent linguists and many are sufficiently fluent to conduct meetings in English. .  Belgians prefer subtlety to directness, believing that subtlety is a reflection of intelligence. .  Although they are more direct in their communication than many cultures, if a response is too direct it may be seen as simplistic. .  They prefer communication to be logical and based on reason . Belgians oft en engage in long, critical discussions before reaching a decision so that they can be certain that they have considered all the alternatives.   They believe it is rude to be confrontational. Business Meeting Etiquette .  Appointments are necessary .  The person you are meeting will generally set the time for the meeting, usually mid morning or mid afternoon. .  Avoid scheduling meetings during July and August, which are prime vacation times; the week before Easter; and the week between Christmas and New Year. .  Everyone is expected to arrive on time .  Arriving late may brand you as unreliable. .  Meetings are formal .  First appointments are more socially than business oriented, as Belgians prefer to do business with those they know.   Do not remove your jacket during a meeting. Dress Etiquette .  Men should wear dark coloured, conservative business suits with white shirts and silk ties. .  Women should wear business suits or conservative dresses. .  Men s hould only wear laced shoes, never loafers or other slip-ons, as they are too casual. .  Polished shoes are an integral part of a professional image. Business Cards .  Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual. .  Have one side of your business card translated into French or Dutch. This shows respect and understanding of the linguistic heritage of your colleagues.   If you have meetings in both areas, have two sets of business cards printed, and be careful to use the proper ones. .  Present your business card so the recipient can read the side with their national language. V. Religion and Aesthetics a. Religion and other belief systems i. Orthodox doctrines and structures – Catholicism is the main religious faith. The government financially supports the Catholic and Protestant churches as well as the Jewish and Muslim faiths. The Catholic Church controls an important network of schools with 70 percent of the pupils in secondary education and two main univer sities. Religious beliefs and practice declined during the twentieth century, but approximately 65 percent of Belgians believe in God. Many people who say they do not believe in God take part in religious rituals for major events such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Minority faiths include Muslims, Jews, and Protestants. ii. Relationships with the people – The Catholic Church controls an important network of schools with 70 percent of the pupils in secondary education and two main universities. iii. Prominent religions – Catholicism iv. Membership of each religion v. Any powerful or influential cults? No b. Aesthetics i. Visual Arts – The golden age of graphic arts lasted from the fourteenth century to the seventeenth century and was embodied mostly in painting. The Flemish Primitives school of painting (fourteenth and fifteenth centuries) made the region the main artistic center of Europe outside of Italy. Artists such as Jan Van Eyck (1395–1441) and Rogier Van Der Weyden (1400–1464) were interested in spatial composition and psychology and rendered the colors and textures of living and material objects with realism. The main artistic figure of the next century was Pieter Breughel the Elder (1525–1569), with his lively paintings of peasant life. Pieter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) was the most famous painter of his time, receiving commissions from European sovereigns. His main focus was on the human figure. Rubens influenced Anthony Van Dyk (1599–1641) and Jacob Jordaens (1593–1678). The graphic arts declined until the late nineteenth century, when James Ensor and Rene Magritte (in the twentieth century) revived the avant-garde. The most innovative works of living artists can be seen in contemporary art museums in Antwerp and Ghent. ii. Music – Classical, Blues and Jazz, Folk, Pop and Rock iii. Performing arts – The Franco-Flemish style dominated European music in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with composers such as Josquin des Prez and Orlando di Lasso. In the twentieth century, the most famous Belgian musician was the singer Jacques Brel. Several living classical composers are active. The harmonica player Toots Thielemans is the most famous jazz musician. The Blindman Kwartet combines jazz, pop, and classical music. The presence in Brussels between 1959 and 1987 of the French choreographer Maurice Bejart stimulated a new generation of choreographers. The main theatrical centers are De Singel in Antwerp and the Kaai Teater in Brussels. Several theaters and orchestras are supported by the government. iv. Folklore and relevant symbols – The calotte (plural calottes, French from Provencal calota or Italian callotta), is a skullcap worn by students at catholic universities in Belgium. In the front of the calotte are stripes representing the Belgium flag (black, yellow and red) and stripes representing the colors of the city or the university where the calotte has been received. At the back of the calotte, the faculty of the student is represented by a color and a symbol, with if needed an additional symbol to determine the speciality. Golden stars around the calotte represent the number of years that the student has studied successfully (if a year has to be retaken, a silver star will represent it). In addition to that, a number of official and personal pins will be added to the calotte, all representing something about its owner examples include: †¢ Official position in a student organisation (above the considered year’s star) Hobbies and occupations (cardplayer, partyer†¦ ) †¢ Character (patriot, lazy†¦ ) the meaning of the calotte has evolved, but whatever the theories may be on its origins, the calotte is mainly a sign that indicates the student’s belonging to a group. The student is also able to express his individuality by wearing several insignia on the calotte that will reflect their academic curriculum, their perso nal interests and even their character. VI. Living Conditions a. Diet and Nutrition i. Meat and vegetable consumption rates – Bread and potatoes are the traditional staple foods. Most meals include, pork, chicken, or beef, and Seafood is popular in the northern part of the country. The national drink is beer, but wine is imported in large quantities. In northern cities, popular dishes include mussels with fries and waterzooi a broth of vegetables and meat or fish. Throughout the country, French fries are eaten with steaks or minced raw meat. Cooking is traditionally done with butter rather than oil; there is also a high consumption of dairy products. ii. Typical Meals – Traditionally, the noon meal is the main meal of the day: businessmen take a two-hour break and most children come home from school. This is the meal that begins with soup or hors d’oeuvres, then a hearty meat or fish dish with potatoes, followed by a separate course of salad or cooked vegetables. Frequently the meat is carved in the kitchen and the platter garnished with seasonal [pic]vegetables. It is interesting to note that [pic]vegetables and salads are almost a social status symbol – the higher the level, the more [pic]vegetables and salads are used. For most families, however, potatoes are the only vegetable requirement. A dessert for dinner would be fruit and cheese, a tart or pudding. Wine or beer is usually served as well iii. Malnutrition rates – n/a iv. Foods available – The Belgian market offers good opportunities and has enjoyed considerable growth in recent years in the following areas: 1. health and organic foods, 2. energy foods and sports drinks, 3. snack foods, 4. ethnic foods, 5. ready-made and microwave products, 6. frozen and fresh food and vegetables, 7. ried fruits and nuts, 8. wine, 9. specialty meats such as bison and pet food, 10. seafood, and 11. specialty products (e. g. kosher food, wild rice,maple products and other confectionery goods etc. ) b. Housing i. Owning your own home isn’t considered such an important an investment as it is in some other countries. Types of housing available – While property in Belgium is cheap by UK standards, the various fees, charges and deposits a ssociated with buying a house and securing a mortgage are likely to discourage all but the most determined buyers. There’s no mortgage relief on income tax ii. Do more people own or rent? More own iii. Do most live in one family dwellings or with other families? One family c. Clothing i. National Dress – Belgians, especially those in the cities, wear modern Western-style clothes. The ethnic costumes of the Flemings and Walloons are seldom worn today. On some farms women still wear the traditional dark-colored clothing and white aprons, and men wear the old-fashioned caps. ii. Types of clothes worn at work – Men who work in offices are expected to wear suit jackets to work. It is generally acceptable for women to wear slacks to work. d. Recreation, sports, and other leisure activities i. Types available and in demand – The most popular participant sport in Belgium is bicycling. Belgians also participate in and watch soccer, and there are many regional teams. Other sports popular in Belgium include tennis, horseback riding, hiking, and skiing. Belgians also enjoy the popular European sport of sand sailing. A sort of minicar with sails called a â€Å"sand yacht† is driven along the coast, powered by the wind. Also popular, especially in Wallonia, is pigeon racing. As many as 100,000 pigeons may be entered in a single race. Like many other Europeans, Belgians are avid soccer fans. There are over sixty teams in the national league. Concerts and theater are popular evening pastimes in the cities, and Brussels also has opera, ballet, and cafe cabarets (restaurants with musical entertainment such as singing and dancing). ii. Percentage of income spent on such activities – 9. 5% e. Social Security – Belgium has a comprehensive system of social security, which applies to all residents. It covers family benefits, unemployment insurance, work accident insurance, health care, old age and invalidity pensions, and long-term care insurance. Belgium takes great pride in its benefits systems and the quality of its social security services, although the high cost of providing those services and benefits (employer contributions of up to 40 per cent plus employee contributions of up to 20 per cent of gross pay) has recently prompted the government to consider changes to the social security system in an attempt to encourage individuals to assume greater responsibility for the costs of retirement, disability and even health care. . HealthCare – Health insurance is mandatory in Belgium, and basic cover is generally provided by the national social security system. Contributions are paid by both employers and employees, and most forms of public assistance (unemployment benefit, old age pensions, certain forms of sickness and maternity benefits) are paid net of withholdings for health insurance, the benefit authority effectively paying the employer contributions. Foreigners coming to live in Belgium without working (e. . retirees and the ‘idle’ rich) must generally produce proof of health insurance in order to obtain a residence permit. There are special health insurance plans, valid in a number of countries, designed specifically for the needs of expatriates and those who travel frequently. If you qualify for ‘non-resident’ tax status, you may not be required to contribute to national social security, in which case you will probably be covered by your employer’s health care plan. (You should check! All employees and self-employed people in Belgium must contribute to a health insurance fund ( mutualite/ziekenfonds) as part of the normal social security enrolment process. Some funds are restricted to members of various religious, political or professional organisations for historic reasons, but most are open to all. Your employer should be able to provide you with information about available funds, and you should ask neighbours or colleagues for recommendations. All funds charge the same basic contribution and pay similar benefits, but some take longer than others to make reimbursements. Health insurance contributions are made by your employer directly to your chosen fund. These amount to 7. 35 per cent of your gross salary, of which 3. 55 per cent is withheld from your pay and the remaining 3. 8 per cent contributed by your employer. If you’re self-employed, you contribute the full 7. 35 per cent through your quarterly social security payments. Cover is automatically provided for dependent family members, including spouses (if they don’t have their own cover) and children up to the age of 18. When you enrol in a Belgian health fund, there’s a six-month waiting period before you can claim benefits. This waiting period can be waived if you were previously included for at least six months in another person’s health cover (i. e. as a dependant) or, in many cases, if you were covered by a state health care plan (or the equivalent) in another EU country for at least six months before your arrival in Belgium. For most medical services, you must pay the bill and then submit the receipt for reimbursement. Reimbursements are usually less than the charges incurred, and most Belgians take out supplementary health insurance to cover the unreimbursed portion or to upgrade their cover from the statutory level. Many employers provide supplementary health insurance cover as an employment benefit, or you can purchase individual cover. Supplementary health insurance is also available to self-employed people through professional associations and private insurers. In typical Belgian fashion, the exact nature of what is and isn’t covered by the state system is rather complicated. Services rendered by most doctors and specialists, hospitalisation, prescriptions, pregnancy and childbirth, rehabilitation and other forms of therapy are normally covered, although the self-employed are covered only for ‘major risks’, which include mental illness, tuberculosis, cancer, hereditary diseases and birth defects, most types of surgery and childbirth. There are no fewer than 18 categories of medical procedure and service, each with its own reimbursement level, varying from 0 to 100 per cent (although the number of items qualifying for 100 per cent reimbursement is constantly diminishing because of funding problems). There are also certain ‘preferred’ categories of people who are entitled to a higher level of reimbursement for many items, including widows, orphans and those receiving certain forms of public aid (e. g. the blind). A standard doctor’s appointment, for example, is normally reimbursed at 75 per cent, whereas those in a preferred category may be reimbursed at 85 or 90 per cent, depending on their circumstances. It’s wise to keep copies of all receipts and any other documents you send to your health insurance fund in case anything is lost. Rather than sending each receipt separately, it’s often better to collect all receipts for a given illness or accident or all receipts during a three or six-month period before submitting them for reimbursement. If you have supplementary insurance, your health fund usually forwards information to your private insurer, and both insurers normally pay reimbursements directly into your bank account. If you’re hospitalised, you must usually pay a fixed daily accommodation fee, either in advance or when you’re discharged, but the hospital normally sends all other bills directly to your health insurance fund. In the case of prescriptions, if you take most of them to the same chemist, it’s usually possible to register with him so that he bills your health insurance fund directly. In this way you pay only the unreimbursed portion of the prescription fees, as well as saving yourself the headache of keeping track of your payments. Prescriptions are subject to a particularly complex scale of reimbursement percentages, according to the ‘social and medical usefulness’ of each medicine and whether it’s available ‘off the shelf’ or must be made up by a chemist. Certain types of medicines have maximum patient contribution levels, where 100 per cent of charges are reimbursed after a certain period. VII. Language a. Official Language(s) – Belgium has three official languages: French, German, and Flemish, which is similar to Dutch. b. Spoken vs. Written languages- N/A c. Dialects – Dutch in Belgium is virtually identical to Dutch in the Netherlands, with the exception of a few local terms and expressions, although certain areas in Dutch-speaking Belgium have local dialects that can sometimes be incomprehensible to speakers of standard Dutch. The French spoken in Belgium is standard but with its own distinctive accent (at least according to the French! ) and a few specialised words, notably the use of septante and nonante for 70 and 90 instead of soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix. (Oddly, the Belgians do use quatre-vingt for the number 80 rather than octante, which is used in Switzerland and some other francophone areas of the world. ) VIII. Executive Summary IX. Sources of Information How to cite Belgium Cultural Analysis, Papers

Contingencies on the Moral Ethics of Qu’ran Free Essays

Moral ethics or moral philosophy involves the systemization, defense and recommendation of the concepts of right and wrong behavior. Currently, we define morality within the religious tomes and its dictates. The normative concept of what is right and wrong is religiously determined; that is to say that the moral dictums we follow or pattern is dependent on what the religious tomes, like the Bible [for the Christians] and Qu’ran [for the Moslem] impose on its’ followers. We will write a custom essay sample on Contingencies on the Moral Ethics of Qu’ran or any similar topic only for you Order Now Take for instance, the suras of Mohammad in Al-Isra’ [ The Night Journey of the Children of Israel] , a Moslem disciple of Allah, defines the virtues and duties of a faithful Moslem. Hereto we investigate the moral dictums of Sura 17 of Qu’ran and moral implications on the contemporary society as well as several other important issues like the Sura politicization and current social relevance. Mohammad’s Sura 17Al Isra’ titled The Night Journey of the Children of Israel is equivocal to the Abraham’s Ten Commandments in the Christians Holy Bible. As human beings, we are differentiated from the rest of the animal kingdom by our ability to ‘reason’ and to play by the set of rules and obligations as members of the holistic society. The imposition of ‘rules’, ‘regulations’, and ‘duties’ are complex but the foundation is basically the same—they appear obligatory irrespective of the consequences that may follow. One major tenet of duty theories is duty/obligation to God/Allah and arguably, any religion for that matter, would necessitate or allude to the practice of inward and outward worship to God. For Moslems, such practice is neatly outlined in the ‘commandments’ imposed by Allah through the writings of His disciple Mohammad in Sura 17 of the Qu’ran. The precepts of Moslem moral duty are basically the same with that of the Christian, ‘Do not kill’, ‘Honoring parents’, ‘Do not lie’, ‘Avoid adultery’, ‘Do not covet, and ‘observing Sabbath’. Because such moral duties were defined thousands of years ago, they would naturally lose the characteristic elasticity especially if correlated to the current demands of the changing society. The contention is that with the rise of technology and the current trend of globalization, moral duty is now questioned with the concept of Darwinian adaptation. Looking at it this way, Moslem moral duty would need to rectify the age old wisdom to answer to the demands of the societal evolution. Would Allah’s commandments be suffice to feed the moral need of the people? Apparently, Allah puts emphasis on prima facie duties described in Qu’ran Sura 17. In actuality such duties lay conflict on our daily life. Poverty is a pox of the society and one of the major problems correlated to it is overpopulation. To combat this, the [most] government prescribed or legalized ‘abortion’ to control increasing population. Naturally, abortion is a huge no-no to Moslem duty and this was explicitly defined in Sura 17: YUSUFALI: Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin. PICKTHAL: Slay not your children, fearing a fall to poverty, We shall provide for them and for you. Lo! the slaying of them is great sin. SHAKIR: And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance and yourselves (too); surely to kill them is a great wrong (v 32). The notion is laughable considering that raising children is a responsibility which entails financial sustenance and not just from abstract provision from Allah. While it true that abortion is an unorthodox method of population control from the religious view, it cannot be contested that it is a ‘legal’ right in most Western and Westernized countries alike. Additionally, the verse is also in contra with the women empowerment on their right to choose to deliver life of their own accord. Herein there is a question on individual moral conviction; in a sense, abortion is not religiously right by the premise of Allah’s Sura which is in contrast with the current trends on upholding women empowerment and the stabilizing force of the government-erected constitution. Perhaps the most debated issue on Allah’s commands is the verse concerning murder and the justice system underscored by it: .YUSUFALI: Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). PICKTHAL: And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right. Whoso is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let him not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. SHAKIR: And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause, and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided (V. 3). While it is true that murder is forbidden in Islam, there also constitute a just compensation for the victim and the allusion of Allah as the Supreme Being, Him being a cause to die for. Compensatory damages proceed by an almost unprecedented manner; Sharia law of qisas (retaliation) dictates an almost undemocratic treatment of the murder victims with biased favors for the Islams and only half of blood money allowed for the non-Islams. Such system of compensation is far-fetch from the now-favored legislative system which does not pass down court decisions on compensatory damages depending on the type of religion. The notion of Supremist religion of the Islamic community is instigated by the fact that Qu’ran and any Islamic texts (if not abrogated) states the omnipotence and the due reverence that must be bestowed to Him [Allah], and if otherwise not followed, will incur the curses of Allah and all mankind. YUSUFALI: And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. PICKTHAL: And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers. SHAKIR: And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressor (v. 93). While mercy killing is condemned, jihad is ‘just’ because it is for the cause of Allah and it is an acceptable means to obliterate the unbelievers. Over the course of history, and more so now, jihad is politicized by Islamic communities; Islam government and in some small discrete communities who practiced Islamic faith claimed that jihad is just if for the cause of retaliation and Allah. YUSUFALI: The prohibited month for th e prohibited month,- and so for all things prohibited,- there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, Transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves. PICKTHAL: The forbidden month for the forbidden month, and forbidden things in retaliation. And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who ward off (evil). SHAKIR: The Sacred month for the sacred month and all sacred things are (under the law of) retaliation; whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)(v. 194). Jihad then is a defensive mechanism for the Moslem community. Looking at it this way, genocide is permissible given that the victims are Christians or Islam non-believers. What is most daunting is that such principle/concept destroys diplomatic international relations between Moslems and Christians. Such moral principle lay conflict to the recently instigated international law banning warfare after the World War II. While it is true that religious laws lay foundation to our basic moral principles and ethics, it must be remembered that our greater obligation is to produce good for the greater mankind. An inspection on some Qu’ran laws display the importance of reconsidering or rectifying the foundations of Moslem moral ethics based on several social and universal moral considerations. How to cite Contingencies on the Moral Ethics of Qu’ran, Papers

English as an International Language Free Essays

There are lots of languages in the world and some of them fall into the category of international languages or languages of wider communication, such as French, English, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian and Arabic. All these languages are the official languages of the United Nations. Among all these languages English is rightly considered to be the international language of the world, though English has assumed the function of the ‘world language’ quite recently. We will write a custom essay sample on English as an International Language or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was only in the 1930 that the British Foreign Office stopped using French for all its official memoranda. Nowadays it is estimated that besides 300 millions native speakers, there are 300 millions who use English as the second language and 100 millions use it as a foreign language. It is listed as the official or co-official language of over 45 countries and is spoken extensively in other countries where it has no official status. A very marked rise is evident in the use of English for occupation purposes: English is the international language of the air, and failure to use it efficiently can endanger passenger safety. English is the language of banking and industry: many international firms, based in non-English countries conduct their entire operations throughout the world in English. Two thirds of all scientific papers are written in English. Over 70% of all mail is written and addressed in English. Most international tourism is conducted in English. There aren’t any linguistic reasons why English might be the world language, because to anyone learning English it’s neither more simple nor more complex than any other language. English is easy to master to some extent, because it has a simple system of declension. Some linguists divide the use of English into three circles. The inner circle is the traditional base of English and includes countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, the USA and former colonies: Australia, New Zealand and some others. English is the native language or mother tongue of most people in these countries. In the outer circle are those countries where English has official or historical importance. This means most of the Commonwealth (the former British Empire), including high-populated countries such as India and Nigeria and others under the American sphere of influence, such as the Philippines. Here English may serve as a language for mutual understanding between ethnic language groups. Higher education, the legislature and judiciary, national commerce and so on may all be carried out predominantly in English. And the expanding circle refers to those countries where English has no official role, but nevertheless is important for certain functions, notably international business. This use of English includes most of the rest of the world. In conclusion I would like to say that the knowledge of the English language nowadays is important for career. It increases your salary by 30%. How to cite English as an International Language, Papers

Monte Carlo Recommendation Essay Example

Monte Carlo Recommendation Essay The Monte Carlo structure basically exhibits the total present value of tax paid and distress cost. The optimal interest coverage ratio, which is EBIT to interest expense, should be set to 4. 2 because this is where the firm can attain the minimum cost. In another word, the reason that is the most advantageous position is because the sum of tax paid and distress cost is the smallest among all other points. The downside is that Diageo will not be rated BBB instead of A due to the fall in interest coverage ratio from 5 to 4.2. The total debt is projected to be   9491 million. According to treasury groups recommend, the total capitalization will increase from 12,167 to   14,777 million4, which represents a 21% increase going forward. Debt to equity ratio will proliferate from 1. 3 to 1. 8. Book gearing will escalate to 64% and market gearing to 34%. Allied Domecq has book and market gearing of 88% and 29% respectively. They are still able to maintain a rating of A-. Since the rating for Diageo is going to decrease regardless, a higher market gearing understandable as they are now able to pay less tax and not withstanding a huge distress cost. Though the Monte Carlo model captured several important features of the dynamic capital structure, a number of features are still missing. In order to fully capture the dynamic nature of the capital structure, an ideal model has to be able to adjust to the optimal capital structure over time, which means the D/E ratio and interest coverage ratio should be reverting around the optimal level. We will write a custom essay sample on Monte Carlo Recommendation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Monte Carlo Recommendation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Monte Carlo Recommendation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The model developed by Diageos treasury group only incorporated half of this ideal feature: when the interest coverage ratio was too high, the company issued a special dividend to gear itself back to the targeted coverage range; however, there was no provision in the model for issuing equity to pay down debt when coverage fell, consequently no effort was taken to revert the coverage back to the target level. In addition, too many specifics of the financial distress costs were missing as the model only provided a simplification of the real world situation. For instance, court costs and agency costs were both hard to estimate and therefore were missing from the model. Moreover, instead of assuming a likelihood of bankruptcy, the model attempted to estimate the costs of financial distress as a one-time permanent 20% reduction in firm value when the EBIT was less than the interest. The motivation was from the research paper Designing Capital Structure to Create Shareholder Value by T. Opler, M. Saron, and S. Titman, as they showed highly levered firms lost an additional 7% of market value during industry downturns relative to the average firm. However, there was no justification for using a 20% reduction. In addition, the model did not consider the affect that company will be going through major changes in the next 2-3 years, such as acquisition of potential beverage companies and selling off Burger King. These deals would probably result a substantial change on Diageos capital structure. Lastly, Monte Carlo model was not able to capture the dynamics of the market condition over time. For the model to be more efficient, it has to be adjusted constantly to reflect the current situation of the market condition. Pillsbury and Burger King Strategically, if a company is running a set of businesses, in order to achieve the optimal profit margin it would either choose to go full-scale or to be a niche. In Diageos case, food business is as a middle segment of the pack, therefore demerger Pillsbury and Burger King would allow Diageo to focus on beverage alcohol business. Concentrated business would make it more feasible for growth through innovation around unrivalled portfolio of brands and providing an improved base for later sustained profitable top line growth. Pillsbury, which contributed a quarter of Diageos operating profits, was too small to prosper on its own and at the same time its core business Old EI Paso Mexican was under a fierce competition in American market. Therefore by selling Pillsbury to its rival General Mills, the Pillsbury could have greater potential for cost synergies. Since Diageo still owns 33% of the new General Mills/Pillsbury business, the cost synergies would also benefit Diageo as a shareholder. Burger King, which resembles the smallest part of operating profit, is also the fastest-growing segment of Diageo which might enjoy a higher rating than Diageo itself since it is in the fast food industry. Therefore from a long term perspective, the demerger of Pillsbury and Burger King would provide more capital for further expansion. There was a remarkable performance of the core business in Diageo: the alcoholic beverages-Spirits and Wine segment and Guinness Brewing segment both revealed to experience increase in the market share. The profits attained from those two segments accounted for half of Diageos operating profits during 2000. In addition, concentrating solely on its core business would allow Diageo to enjoy marketing synergies, production and purchasing efficiencies. These benefits could arise from cost saving in manufacturing, procurement and supply; the savings could also pass through distribution system and have enhanced ability to reach consumers. As the case indicates, Diageo was in the process of integrating its two core businesses, which might result in cost reductions of i 130 million annually. Moreover, by concentrating on beverage alcohol business, Diageo is able to capture more cost synergies when acquiring rival firms. Lastly, concentration also reduced the chance for the sub-companies under Diageos alcohol beverage category to become the potential acquisition targets of its rival companies.

Sample Rhetorical Analysis Outline To Get You Started

Students often freak out when they hear the professor assigning a rhetorical analysis essay. It is considered to be one of the most challenging tasks and it sure is a little complicated, but definitely not impossible. The first step for writing a rhetorical essay is to understand exactly what it is. The reason why students find rhetorical essays to be a daunting task is the fact that writing such essays requires analysis of anything ranging from a literary work to a piece of art, or even an advertisement. The writer’s task is to analyze it and figure out the goal of the creator, author or painter, and the way he conveyed his views. The explanation also includes the extent to which he achieved his goal. However, there is absolutely no need to be intimidated by it. Once you figure out the design to follow, writing a rhetorical analysis essay will be a piece of cake. Quick Links 1. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Thesis Statement 1.3 Tools 1.4 Body 1.5 Ethos, Pathos, Logos 1.6 Conclusion 2. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline Template 1. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline The outline for any piece of writing is just like a skeleton, keeping a human body erect and well-structured. Following the correct rhetorical analysis essay outline will make the writing process logical and ten times easier. Before you jump straight to writing, take your time to read and understand the original text carefully and analyze the information side by side. Focus on the author, his intended audience, his purpose, the setting and other details. To learn how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, continue reading the section given below. 1.1 Introduction The introduction section of your essay is the part where you inform your readers about the original text that you are going to analyze. Consider the following elements of the text when doing the analysis: Author Target audience Background context Keep this information clear and to the point by focusing on important aspects of the text only. Also, the introductory paragraph must specify whether or not the author was successful in achieving his goal. Start your introduction with an interesting hook. Briefly describe the author and the work, followed by your judgment and purpose of choosing it. Write a strong thesis statement at the end of the introduction and highlight the point that you are going to discuss in the essay. A thesis statement is the most important component of the essay as it provides a brief guide on what is going to be discussed in it. 1.2 Thesis Statement Thesis is usually one to two sentences long, written at the end of the introductory paragraph to define the purpose of your essay. The thesis statement should be clear and concise, with the sole purpose of informing the reader what to expect from your paper. Point out the tools used by the author and how they supported his argument. 1.3 Tools As mentioned above, the thesis statement must outline the tools that you are going to analyze in the essay. Typically, the authors use the following kinds of tools in their work: Simile - a direct comparison of two things by using "like" and "as." Imagery visually descriptive language. Diction the writer's choice of words and style of expression. 1.4 Body Paragraphs The body of a rhetorical analysis essay should analyze the original text, or work. Analyze how the tools used by the author helped fulfill the purpose of the text. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that should refer back to your thesis statement and fortify it further. In addition to the topic sentence, it should also include a short quote from the original text that you will use to stress on the idea and analyze it. The body should be made up of the analysis, which should be three times more than the quoted text. The persuasive methods ethos, pathos and logos, will be used in the body paragraphs to analyze the content. Also, respond to the questions that are mentioned in the previous step and describe the strategies used by the author. You can also use quotes and findings to support your thesis. 1.5 Ethos, Pathos, Logos Did the author use rhetorical appeals such as ethos, logos, pathos? When analyzing the text, notice how the author has used them to prove his point. Ethos displays how the writer establishes reliability and integrity through tone or credentials, or both. Pathos is the use of feelings as an appeal to the audience's emotions. The writer may add pathos by using emotional language or personal stories. Logos indicates logical use of the author's ideas and how he concludes things. Make sure you keep them in your mind while analyzing your text, and employ these tips in your paper. 1.6 Rhetorical Strategies Authors use different types of rhetorical techniques or strategies in order to examine and better analyze the paragraphs and the content of the entire essay. These strategies help the authors to express their point of view by following a pattern. The most common strategies leading to an engaging rhetorical analysis include: Description Cause and Effect Process Analysis Exemplification Compare and Contrast Narration 1.7 Conclusion The concluding paragraph is the part where the reader leaves you, make sure that you address your main argument to strengthen its effect. Provide an overview of the positive and negative points of the text and state whether or not the text was effective. This was the basic outline that needs to be followed when tackling a rhetorical analysis essay. 2. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline Template If this is your first time dealing with such essays, then this sample rhetorical analysis essay outline template will definitely come in handy. Just go through it once and fill out the sections one by one. Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline (PDF) Hopefully, you have understood the basics of rhetorical analysis essay outline by now and you are confident and willing to give it a try. If you want to learn more about rhetorical analysis essays, here is a detailed guide that covers everything about writing a rhetorical analysis essay. However, if you lack time or writing skills, then hand over your problems to 5staressay and the expert essay writers will take care of the rest. Whether it is a rhetorical analysis essay for your AP English class, or a research paper for a science class we have got it all covered. Reach out to us today and enjoy quality work!

Racial Stacking in Football Essay Example

Racial Stacking in Football Essay Sport as an institution has seen many of its records and barriers shattered over its countless years of existence. For instance, sport has seen Jackie Robinson break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, and Billie Jean King defeat former champion Bobby Riggs in â€Å"The battle of the sexes†. One barrier that still exists in sports today is racial stacking and stereotyping. The social phenomenon of racial stacking and stereotyping within the institution of sport has profoundly hindered the development and participation of particular races in different dimensions of sport. Racial stacking is a term coined by sociologists which refers to the over or under representation of certain racial group members in particular positions on a sports team (Woodward, 2002). Some instances of racial stacking seen in football include the majority of quarterbacks, centers, and middle linebackers being Caucasian, as well as the majority of defensive backs, running backs, and wide receivers being African American. An explanation as to why racial stacking occurs is the existence of stereotypes in football. A stereotype is an exaggerated generalization of a group that can be both positive and negative. Unfortunately, even in today’s society stereotypes are still prevalent parts of institutions, especially sports. The stereotypes that affect sports can be both positive and negative, and in most cases can be a significant determinant in who excels in their particular sport. In football, African Americans are thought be to be both aggressive and athletic, as Caucasians are viewed as intelligent and hard working individuals. These are some examples of positive stereotypes in football. We will write a custom essay sample on Racial Stacking in Football specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Racial Stacking in Football specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Racial Stacking in Football specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some negative stereotypes that can relate to football include African Americans being unintelligent and lazy, as well as Asians being too small to play the game. Although stereotypes are not true statements about groups of people, they will not be dropped anytime soon as sport is an institution that is typically reluctant to change. Although it will be difficult, in order to implement change in the future we must first understand where these stereotypes came from and how they impact the institution of sport, in this case football. By analyzing the stereotypes of African Americans, Caucasians and Asians in football, society can look to try and eliminate the close mindedness of those who believe in such labels. To begin with, the race that makes up the majority of football players on all levels including the National Football League (NFL) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is African Americans. In the National Football League, the largest stage for football in the world, during the 2008-2009 season, the African American race made up 67% of the entire league (Lapchick, 2009). During the same year as those statistics were released, African Americans only made up 12. 8% of the entire United States population (Bureau, 2008). So the question remains why African Americans make up such a large percent of the National Football League when they only attribute to nearly 13% of the population. When asked to answer this question the general public may often attribute these findings to stereotypes. For example, the sport of football requires individuals to be both athletic and aggressive, traits in which are commonly associated with African Americans. Although there are justifiable social reasons to explain these statistics, people still want to attribute the success of African Americans in sports to biology. The stereotype is that African Americans carry genes that make them biologically more athletic than other races. This theory dates all the way back to the 1936 Olympics in which Jesse Owens put on the single greatest individual track and field performance ever in sports (Schaap, 2009). Following Owens domination of the field in 1936, questions arose as to how African Americans had become such dominant athletes and where does their athleticism come from. The easiest explanation was that it must reside in their biology rather than their history or culture. Speculations arose as to Owens having an extra bone in his leg, or elongated bones, all of which were proven to be false. Scientist found that biology was not a determinant in an individual’s ability to excel in sports; rather dedication, determination, and training are more influential factors (Dyreson, 2008). One socioligical explanation as to why African Americans excel in athletics is because it is viewed as a way of upward social and financial mobility. Being one of the world’s largest institutions, sports generate billions of dollars in revenue each year. Specifically, the National Football League generates six billion dollars in revenue a year (Sports Industry Overview, 2009). The life of an NFL player is filled with fame, fortune and limitless opportunites, something that the majority of young children dream about. The reason we see more African Americans succeeding in sports is because they have limited resources and opportunities for upward social mobility elsewhere. With the poverty rate among African Americans so high (24. %) they often do not have the resources to excel in education so instead they look to sports as a way of socio-economic advancement (Bureau, Poverty, 2009). Sports sociologist Harry Edwards defines this concept of black youth using sports as a way of social mobility as â€Å"blind faith†. Edwards explains three reasons as to why black families push their children toward sports careers. The fir st of which is because of the long-standing presumption that â€Å"links black athletic superiority with intellectual deficiency† (Edwards, 2000, p. 9). The second being that media often portrays sports as a widely accessible route to social mobility. For instance, it is not uncommon for children to grow up watching ESPN, a television station dedicated to featuring athletes succeeding in their particular sport. The media also plays a major role in the last of the three reasons for this â€Å"blind faith†. Edwards says that the final explanation is that there is a lack of comparably visible black role models outside of the realm of sport (Edwards, 2000). The key words in this last justification are comparably visible. There are plenty of successful black lawyers, doctors, and businessmen and women, yet the media only glorifies the athletes. Hopefully with the election of President Barack Obama, black youth will have a visible black role model to look up to. Another explanation as to why African American families focus on athletics more so than academics is because â€Å"Whether you agree or disagree, Caucasians have been known to obtain jobs based solely on their skin color, with Blacks its just the opposites† (Butler, 2007). Many parents feel that because they are already at a disadvantage in terms of employment, they might as well put their focus towards athletics if their son or daughter has athletic ability. So then why do African American parents push their children towards sports such as football and basketball rather than golf or tennis? For the many African Americans who are living in poverty, affording a football or basketball is much more realistic than signing their child up at a country club or buying a set of clubs. Clearly, socioeconomic status plays a significant role as to why African Americans focus on excelling in athletics such as football and basketball. This brings up a question as to why athletics is typically seen as the way out of poverty for young African Americans rather than academics. The negative stereotypes in football help contribute to why academics and hard work are not typically an option. In football, African Americans are viewed as less intelligent, disciplined, and not as hard working as other races are. So if they are going to be lazy on the field, then it may be unrealistic to assume that they would be able to put in the hard work and determination to succeed academically. When generalized into society, stereotypes such as these are detrimental to the African American race and make it increasingly difficult for the advancement of this entire group. On the other hand, Caucasians make up nearly 80% of the United States population, yet they only account for about 30% of players who play in the National Football League (Tomlinson, 2010). The main reason behind why there is a relatively small percentage of Caucasian football players in the NFL compared to the population is because of stereotypes and values associated with the race. In football, players are expected to be both naturally athletic and aggressive, stereotypes which do not typically describe Caucasians. Furthermore, values associated with Caucasians play a critical role as to why such a minimal amount of Caucasians play in the NFL. For instance, unlike African Americans, Caucasians usually have supplementary opportunities to succeed in life other than athletics. Contrary to the majority of poor African American households, Caucasian households typically stress academics over athletics (Butler, 2007). An explanation to this theory may be that Caucasian families see the few amounts of whites that excel in sports such as basketball and football and feel that they should put their funds towards higher levels of education. In a way, Caucasians look to follow the traditional path of the â€Å"American dream†, which includes going to college and getting a well paying job. In addition, stereotypes such as â€Å"white men can’t jump† and that Caucasians are slow and un-athletic may also factor into why there are less white athletes than there are African American. Caucasians may be shying away from participating in sports such as football and basketball which require such athletic ability and aggressiveness. The struggle of former Stanford University running back Toby Gerhart is a perfect example as to how racial stereotypes affect athletes in football. In the 2009 season Gerhart rushed for 1,871 yards with 27 touchdowns against some of college football’s toughest competition. In addition, Gerhart was runner up to Alabama’s running back Mark Ingram in the closest Heisman vote ever (Silver, 2010). With such mesmerizing stats and credentials one may wonder why Gerhart is not seen as a top prospect in this year’s NFL draft. Many say the answer lies in his skin color, as Toby Gerhart is white. Despite the advice of numerous NFL general managers, Gerhart is entering this year’s NFL draft as a running back. With such large size, (6 feet, 231 pounds) scouts are saying that he will be too slow and unable to break tackles at a professional level. What is so frustrating for Gerhart is that he ran a 4. 50-second 40-yard dash and registered a 38 inch vertical, both which are very impressive for an athlete his size (Silver, 2010). Despite his tremendous outing at the NFL combine he is still being considered a fullback at the NFL level. Michael Silver brought up a great question when he said â€Å"Why was Toby the only running back who had to run under 4. 6 to not be classified as a fullback? Fifteen other guys ran in the 4. 6s at the combine, and nothing was said about them playing fullback† (Silver, 2010, para. 19). The answer is stereotypes. Gerhart is a projected second round pick at the earliest in this year’s draft yet he fits all of the characteristics of a professional running back picked in the first round except for his skin color. One NFL scout said, â€Å"He’ll be a great second-round pick up for somebody, but I guarantee you if he was the exact same guy – but he was black – he’d go in the first round for sure,† (Silver, 2010, para. 8). Despite the barriers that Gerhart already faces in terms of becoming a premier running back in the NFL, his determination and work ethic will look to reverse the traditional operation of the institution. Despite how much stereotypes affect both African Americans and Caucasians in terms of success in football, there is undoubtedly one group that has been most affected by stereotypes. With sport being such a large institution, Asian athletes are hardly seen or heard of here in America, particularly in football. Being one of the largest growing minority groups n the United States one might wonder why there is such a lack of Asians in all levels of football. In the National Football League, African Americans and Caucasians make up nearly 97% of all players. As of the 2008-2009 season, there were only four players of Asian descent in the NFL. The four players being Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (Korean), Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen (Vietnamese), Giants safety Will Demps (Kore an), and finally Baltimore Ravens Safety Haruki Nakamura (Japanese) (Will, 2009). The lack of Asians in football can be attributed to stereotypes associated with that particular race. Asians are constantly criticized in sports because they are considered too short, not athletic or even because of their facial features. For instance, former NFL quarterback Timmy Chang was criticized by NFL scouts for being too small to play the position. Chang is 6 foot 1, which makes him taller than many NFL quarterbacks. When asked about these height comparison one scout said, â€Å"But he plays short† (Lapchick, 2006a, para. 18). This quote is a reminder how even in today’s society stereotypes can create barriers in the institution of sport. To conclude, despite setting a NCAA record for most career passing yards whiles playing at Hawaii University, Chang went undrafted during the 2006 draft. Another sociological explanation as to why there are such a small number of Asian football players is because of the culture they grow up in. Unlike racial groups such as African Americans and some Caucasians, Asians do not typically look at sports as a way of social mobility. Yun-OhWhang, a professor of sports marketing at the University of Central Florida says â€Å"Asian Americans put huge value on education. Becoming a doctor or lawyer is the ultimate goal of many Asian American kids, which is heavily imposed by their parents† (Lapchick, 2003, para. 3). Whang’s statement is backed up by the fact that according to the 2000 census, Asian families in the United States had the highets average income as well as highest graduation rates for both highschool and college (Lapchick, 2006). For the Asian culture, it is more important to put hard work and dedicaiton into education so one can support their family rather than waste time trying to be one of the few atheletes to make a living in sports. Stereotypes not only affect which sports racial groups excel in or why they excel in those sports, but they have a direct impact on the position members of racial groups typically play. This idea of over or under representation of certain racial groups in a particular position on a sports team is known as racial stacking (Woodward, 2002). In football, especially at the professional level, there are positions on the field that are traditionally played by a particular race. For instance, traditionally the quarterback position is played by a Caucasian. During the 2008-2009 NFL season, out of the 32 starting quarterbacks, 26 (81%) of them were white (Spicer, 2008). Although African Americans make up 67% of the National Football, they only account for 19% of the starting quarterbacks. So why are there so many white quarterbacks starting in the NFL? When this question was posted on a popular Yahoo blog, â€Å"John and Stephanie† responded, â€Å"Because they are the leader. They are the ones who have to make GOOD and quick decisions. They do not dance around acting stupid all day and get thrown in jail for killing dogs. QBs are hard to come across so you have to get a white one and be guaranteed they won’t be put in jail after 3 years† (John Stephanie, 2008, response 5). The authors of this post are basing their response on the play and decisions of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. In 2007, Vick was sentenced to two years of prison on felony dog fighting charges (Werder, 2007). As ridiculous and foolish as this response is, unfortunately many people have a similar view on African Americans playing the quarterback position. The false belief that successful quarterbacks at the professional level are typically Caucasian often prevents other races from even getting the opportunity to combat that stereotype. This stereotype may cause many African American youth to try and play another position in which they see more individuals of their race succeeding (Vance, 2009). This idea even spills over to the collegiate level where some of the greatest African American college quarterbacks convert to positions such as wide receiver and running back. As of the 2008 NFL draft, 96 African American quarterbacks had been drafted. Out of the 96, over one third (33) have been converted to a position other than quarterback (Vance, 2009). For instance, Washington Redskins wide reciever Antwaan Randle El played quarterback at Indiana University where he was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate only to be converted upon his transition to the NFL. More shocking than the amount of African American quarterbacks who get converted to other positions is the few Caucasian quarterbacks that have to do the same. Only 1. 6% of Caucasian quarterbacks who have been drafted have been converted to another position. Vance, 2009). As previously stated, negative stereotypes of African Americans include being unintelligent, lazy, and troublemakers. These stereotypes typically limit the opportunity for many African Americans to play quarterback at a professional level. Traditionally, along with the middle linebacker and center position, the quarterback position has been known as a â€Å"thinking position† which requires much intelligence to play (Woodward, 2002). Unfortunately, intelligence is not a stereotype of African American football players. In a study done by sports blogger Steve Sailer, he plotted offensive and defensive positions in football by average IQ based on the Wonderlic Test. The Wonderlic Test is a general test of problem solving that has been used by the NFL for nearly 30 years to assess NFL draft prospects (Wonderlic Sample Test ,2010). After converting the Wonderlic Test results to an IQ score, Sailer found that those positions that play closest to the ball have the highest IQ. With an exception to defensive lineman, 79% of which are African American, those positions that play closest to the ball are primarily played by Caucasians (Spicer, 2008). Interestingly enough, those positions that play furthest away from the ball are dominated by African American players. For example, 96% of defensive backs, 92% of wide receivers, and 100% running backs who were starters during the 2008-2009 season are African American (Spicer, 2008). Besides intelligence, there are additional stereotypes that help explain why racial stacking occurs in these positions. All of the previous mentioned positions dominated by African Americans have similar requirements to be successful. They all call for speed, athleticism, and aggression, all of which are stereotypes of African American athletes. Not only do racial stereotypes affect the athletes on the field, they have a prominent impact on the league office, owners, and coaching staff. Since 2004, the NFL has been receiving a letter grade for their hiring practices of women and people of color. The Racial Report Card considers the racial and gender make up of players, coaches, and the front office of professional sports organizations. Essentially, it asks, â€Å"Are we playing fair when it comes to sports? Does everyone, regardless of race or gender, have a chance to score a touchdown and operate the business of professional football? † (Lapchick, 2009, p. 2). As of the 1989 season, there had been no African American head coaches or general managers in the history of the NFL (Lapchick, 2006b). Over the past decade the National Football League has been making a concientious effort to address the lack of colored individuals in the organziation. During the past season, the NFL had received its highest grade ever of A- for racial hiring with six out of thirty-two coaches being African American (Lapchick, 2009). Although the NFL has seen an increase in the number of African American coaches and in league offices, there has still yet to be one African American CEO/President. In addition, Amy Trask, of the Oakland Raiders, is the only woman CEO/President in the NFL (Lapchick, 2009). Despite stereotypes such as lack of intelligence that once restricted the opportunities for minorities to interview for head coaching positions, those who have been able to land such positions have shown that skin color is no determinant in success. In the past four seasons there have been four African American head coaches who have led their team to the Super Bowl (Lapchick, 2009). Over the next few decades we can expect the number of African American coaches to increase exponentially due to the â€Å"Rooney Rule†. This NFL policy (Named after Steelers owner Dan Rooney) mandates that at least one person of color must be interviewed for all new head coaching positions. Since being implemented in 2001, this policy has tripled the number of African American head coaches (Lapchick, 2009). To conclude, despite the lingering stereotypes of African Americans, the NFL has seen a steady increase in the number of minorities in both coaching positions and league offices. All in all, the social phenomenon of racial stacking and stereotyping within the institution of sport has profoundly hindered the development and participation of particular races in the sport of football. Although stereotypes such as African Americans being unintelligent or Caucasians being slow have affected the advancement of these races in certain aspects of the game, they are deeply based on false perception. Most races have to face stereotypes throughout their lifetime. Whether positive or negative, these stereotypes have a prominent affect on how one goes about pursuing their goals, particularly in sports. Although stereotypes have hindered the participation of certain races in football, the culture and society in which an individual has grown up in often plays a larger role in determining success. For African Americans raised in poor families, the perspective of making millions of dollars playing in the NFL may be seen as their one opportunity for upward social mobility, while Caucasians and Asians are typically brought up in wealthier families that stress the importance of education as a way of becoming successful. In conclusion, society must realize that whether one is white or black, male or female, poor or rich, they should have an equal opportunity to participate in sports. Due to the nature of the institutions reluctance to change, it is going to take great mental strength, dedication and perseverance in order for society to break down the barriers in sports for good.