Religion and Economics in Robinson Crusoe and Protestant Ethic and the

Religion and Economics in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Max Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most recognized and influential theories in sociology appears in Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which links the development of capitalism to social and cultural factors, primarily religion, instead of economic factors alone. In his theory Weber concludes that the Protestant Ethic greatly influenced the development of capitalism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. According to Gordon Marshall, Weber argues that the two most important factors of Protestantism contributing to capitalism were "diligence in worldly callings or vocations" and the notion of predestination (71). If indeed these religious factors did influence the rise of capitalism, it would make perfect sense that other cultural elements, such as literature, would reflect both Protestant and capitalist ideology. This essay shows that in fact such Protestant notions as calling and predestination, which were present in the religion of the time, interact with capitalist ideas in Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, who was himself a devout Protestant that used his writings to influence both the religious and economic views of his readers (Earle 31). If Weber's argument is tenable, then Robinson Crusoe may serve to represent in fiction the Protestant Ethic in early eighteenth century society and its developing spirit of capitalism. An especially interesting question that arises from this analysis is how a social structure that is traditionally considered a-moral, unfair, and materialistic (i.e., economics) can be justified by a structure that is considered moral, just, and spiritual (i.e., rel... ...ork: Scribner's, 1954. Earle, Peter. The World of Defoe. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1976. Forell, George W. The Protestant Faith. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1960. Marshall, Gordon. In Search of the Spirit of Capitalism: An Essay on Max Weber's Protestant Ethic Thesis. New York: Columbia UP, 1982. Pauck, Wilhelm. The Heritage of Reformation. New York: Oxford UP, 1950. Reshef, Yonatan. "Max Weber: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism." n. pag. Online. Internet. 5 October 1999. Available: http://courses.bus.ualberta.ca/orga417/weber.htm Tawney, R. H. Religion and the Rise of Capitalism: A Historical Study. London: Hazell, Watson, and Viney, 1926. Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Online. 10 October 1999. Available: http://www.spc.uchicago.edu/ssrl/PRELIMS/Theory/weber.html#weber2.   

Maturation in Bless Me, Ultima Essay -- essays research papers

In Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya defends the assertion, â€Å"for in much wisdom there is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow,† from Ecclesiastes. Tony endures many trials throughout the novel, therefore increasing his knowledge of life but also increasing his grief and sorrow. After witnessing Lupito’s death, Tony realizes that people are not always what they appear to be. Tony also begins to question his religion because of trials in the novel, some of which include Lucas’ cure and the sighting of the golden carp. In his trek during the blizzard, Tony learns of his brother’s sinful doings and he witnesses the death of a good man. Tony gains much knowledge in these scenes, but, unfortunately, with this knowledge comes grief. Lupito’s death marks the first scene in the novel in which Tony’s grief is a direct consequence of his knowledge. Tony’s naivetà © causes him to take people at their face value, not realizing that they may not be as they seem. Narciso is the town drunk, yet he is the only man on the bridge that maintains his common sense. â€Å"’I...

Low Income Students Barriers

RANIA ZOUHAIR SOC 101 Children living in poverty have many home and community factors that Contribute to performing below their potential in literacy achievement. This background Knowledge and experience of low-income students begins a literacy â€Å"achievement gap† That compares their literacy knowledge to that of children who do not live in poverty. Understanding social class diversity enhances the learning of all students. And Class differences in child-rearing practices may sound alarming or oversimplified.Lower-class children are more likely to have unstable family situations. Their parents typically have low-wage jobs and are more frequently laid off, causing family stress and more arbitrary discipline. This paper explains how language and attitudes of low income families act as barriers to success in education. And what types of programs or interventions are most useful in overcoming those barriers. The environment where a child develops has influences on language deve lopment. Success at school depends very heavily on language for reading, writing, speaking and understanding.The children exposed to extensive vocabulary and complex grammatical structures more quickly develop language and also have a more accurate syntax than children raised in environments without complex grammar exposed to them. Low income household uses informal, simple language, sometimes ungrammatical and with limited explanation and vocabulary which is used between friends or family member. Unlike middle class household who uses formal language, when explanation and details are required and they uses a wider vocabulary They often have had fewer words spoken to them, with shorter utterances.They hear only the most commonly occurring words. By age 5, the child of a parent who is language focused has heard 50,000,000 words spoken as opposed to the child of a parent who is not language focused. That child has only heard10,000,000 words (Hart and Risley, 1995). At the same time, t he fact that poor children are geographically concentrated in neighborhoods that are segregated by race and social class presents special challenges for education policy, given that children have traditionally attended neighborhood schools. Another enormous factor that affects low income student achievement is their parent’s attitude towards education. ow income parents do not value education in the same way, that middle class parents do, and their children are more likely to drop out of school early low income parents are more likely to work long hours, so it is difficult for them to visit schools, and they might also see education as of less importance because they might have found their own education had little relevance to their jobs. That’s why some low income students are less motivated in school and thus they have lower level of achievement Contrary to Middle class people who highly value education, and begin promoting its value to their children at a very young age.For instance, middle class people will generally teach their child to read before reaching school age. As the child progresses through school the parents will promote education to their child by encouraging reading, homework and extra-curricular activities. The effort put forth by parents has a bigger impact on their children’s educational achievement than the effort expended by either teachers or the students themselves. The content of parents’ conversations with kids matters too. While the conversations parents have with their children change as kids grow older, the effect of these exchanges on academic achievement remains strong.The â€Å"No Child Left Behind† Educational law Act of 2001 (2002) was created as a means for, student learning to close the achievement gap between low income and middle-income students, and to make sure that all students become academically proficient in their grade level. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has stringe nt accountability measures and includes the Reading First initiative, which focuses on five areas of literacy for beginning readers: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.Reading is fundamental to this legislation Among the programs that were set to overcome the low income student’s achievement gap, and to enforce the â€Å"No child left Behind† law, we quote the KIPP schools and the ACE program The KIPP schools the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools designed for low income families, with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life.They build a partnership among parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. By providing outstanding educators, more time in school learning, and a strong culture of achievement. , KIPP is helping all students climb the mountain to and through college. The Knowle dge Is Power Program (KIPP). chools seek to actively engage students and parents in the educational process expand the time and effort students devote to their studies, reinforce students’ social competencies and positive behaviors, and dramatically improve their academic achievement Students in KIPP schools spend more time on learning, both in academics and extracurricular activities, each day, week, and year to improve their skills, and to decrease the achievement gap between low income students and middle class student.The KIPP schools tend to prove that low income students can also succeed since they got the attention and care they need. There is no arguing that making transition to college can be challenging for many students. The ACE program has proven to help participants face problem during the first semester The ACE program (achieving a college education) is a nationally recognized program that targets students who may not consider going to college and attaining a ba ccalaureate degree to be an achievable goal.Upon graduation from high school an ACE student may earn up to 24 transferable college credits The ACE Program Is designed to help students make a smooth transition from high school through the community colleges on to a university and completion of a bachelor’s degree.Recruits high school students in their sophomore year to participate in the program in their high school junior and senior years Ace students are enrolled in concurrent college courses as high school juniors and seniors Students attend college classes during the summer and on Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters Students can earn up to 24 college credits by the time they graduate from high school.The ACE program tends to first, to increase the number of students graduating from high school, second, to increase the number of students continuing on to college, and third to increase the number of students earning a degree or certificate. .Poverty impacts child development. Families have little income; are not able to afford many educational and school activities, which are vital to the development of the children’s learning skill.In addition the influence of the home environment and school environment on a child’s performance is pronounced. Family characteristics predict early reading skills, and Low-income students often have home environments with material hardships and resource-related disadvantages that affect their family dynamics. Children from low to income households are at a disadvantage. They are twice as likely to be held back and more likely not to graduate from high school.

Sammy will definitely feel this event all his life

The basic plot of John Updike’s A & P is that Sammy clerks in a grocery store.   Stokesie is a young man who also works at the store, but he is there to support his family.There are some bold girls that come into the store and are frowned upon by the management.   The girls are dressed in beach attire and when Lengel (the manager) refuses to serve them, Sammy quits his job.   Lengel warns him â€Å"You’ll feel this for the rest of your life,† (Updike) and Sammy agrees.Sammy will definitely feel this event all his life.   By quitting his job, he is rejecting Lengel and his middle-class, uptight attitude.  Ã‚   In Sammy’s mind, the girls should be able to come in dressed in beach ware and not be judged.   Frivolous behavior should be tolerated and not frowned upon.  Ã‚   If they are dressed to scantily and cause people to look at them, that’s okay.   They’re young.   If men look at them, that is okay too.   It’s okay to look at pretty girls without feeling guilty.Sammy really grows up throughout the course of the story.   As Sammy walks away from the store he realizes â€Å"how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter† (Updike).   Sammy realizes that much of the world is filled with people who think like Lengel, and that he will be the one to buck the system.   He is not willing to go along with the status quo, and that will make his life difficult.The Lengels of the world are just too narrow to simply enjoy watching a pretty girl.   Sammy will be able to enjoy those simple pleasures without condemning them.In rejecting Lengel’s values, he is also rejecting the values of his family or his circle of society.   He decides that he wants more in life than vying for a manager position in an A & P.   He refers to the shoppers as â€Å"sheep† and decides that he does not want to be a sheep.The girls in their swimsuits simply help bring about that epiphany.   Sam my has really won according to his own values, but in the minds of many others, he has lost.   Everyone will know that he quit.   His parents will most likely be disappointed and might think his reasons frivolous.   It is only the beginning of bucking the system for Sammy.Works CitedUpdike, John.   A & P.

Mechanical Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Mechanical Ethics - Article Example This is an ethical concern because the engineers had the knowledge of the problem and failed to communicate on the issue. The company had to recall the vehicles for proper fixation. General motors paid more attention to the ignition problem. The engineers became more innovative in the process. They had to install a key ring that prevented the movement of the ignition key in an up-down motion. The company had to invest more in research and development. The aim of the research was to understand the ignition problem for the betterment of the product. The company was able to address the safety concerns and became alert to potential problems. It was unethical that the company knew the problem through its engineers, but decided to ignore the concern. Most of the crashes occurred where the drivers exceeded the speed limits on unpaved roads. Ethically, the company needed to issue a disclaimer that the vehicles were not fit for high speed on such roads. The recall was not cost effective for the company as it embarked on actions that would save the situation. My opinion on the issue is that the company was ethically wrong to ignore such a concern. It is not in order to put the lives of people at risk with an aim of profit maximization. The company should embrace and uphold customer safety rules and regulations. This would ensure that the customers became satisfied with any decisions that the company made. The company has clear ethical policies laid down in its Memorandum of Association. It should ensure the production of safe and clean products that are consistent with the generally accepted international standards. I will use my knowledge and expertise to ensure that the human welfare is enhanced. I will be honest in every project that I undertake. I will ensure that the decisions I make are free of bias. I will strive to become a professional of integrity to my employer, the clients, and the public.  

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketing - Research Paper Example This paper will look at marketing in general, as a process of moving products or services from the manufacturers or providers to the hands of their customers. Marketing Definition Marketing is a large process as Pride and Ferrell (3) defines it, encompassing quite a lot of processes. According to Pride and Ferrell (3) â€Å"marketing is the process of creating, distributing, promoting and pricing goods, services, and ideas to facilitate satisfying exchange relationships with customers to develop and maintain favourable relationships with stakeholders in the dynamic world.† According to this definition, marketing is includes more than just movement of goods from the plant to the customers. Marketing Process Sandhusen (2) defines the marketing process as the manner in which a firm seeks to identify the unfulfilled needs of the customers and coming up with various strategies to meet these needs. It does not involve just the process of moving products from the manufacturing plant to the customers. It involves the various processes that a marketing department goes through in order to come up with a marketing plan. Marketing process involves a number of steps, which include situation analysis in the market to identify the needs of the customers. ... Marketing mix decisions helps the firm to identify how to best get their products to the markets. Implementing the plan is the last step of the planning process where the firm ensures the laid down plans are followed by the teams supposed to implement the plan (Pride and Ferrell 195). Pride and Ferrell (3) state that â€Å"the essence of marketing is to develop satisfying exchanges from which both customers and marketers benefit.† This means that proper marketing is of benefit to both the firm and the customers. Marketing Mix When marketing a product, a firm need to develop an effective marketing mix which involves offering the right product, sold at the right price, in the right place and should offered using the most suitable promotion (Burrow and Jim 440-445). A number of conditions have to be met by a company seeking to create a successful marketing mix for its products. The features of the product that the company seeks to offer to the people must possess the right featur es which are desirable to the people. 4P’s of Marketing Price Gitman and Carl (295) points out that price is the most important integral of the marketing mix, since it is creates revenue for the firm. According to â€Å"pricing strategy is based on demand for the product and the cost for the producing it.† Thus, the price set should cater for all the expenses incurred by the product. Price is the only factor of the marketing mix which is not a cost, when compared with the others. The price of a product largely determines the value of sales made by a particular company. Price of a product or a service is largely affected by what the customers believe is the most appropriate value of the item on sale. If a company sets very high prices for its products so as to gain more profits, it

Human Trafficing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Human Trafficing - Research Paper Example As defined by the United Nations (2000), human trafficking ultimately entails the exploitation of the less fortunate by means of deceit, force or intimidation. Many cases have been reported of poor people, most frequently from developing countries, who are invited to apply for work abroad - only for the work in question to be something less than legal, such as prostitution or some other form of involuntary servitude. Regardless of the form it takes, though, the evil of such a practice cannot be denied. The most frequent victims of human trafficking tend to come from developing countries. This can be explained at least in part by the lucrative nature of the human trafficking industry, in spite - or perhaps because of - its illegality. Even 8 years ago, the estimated total annual revenue of the industry reached as high as $9 billion (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 2004). Today, it has been singled out as the single fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and is second only to the drug trade in terms of profitability (Haken, 2011). And while the nature of the problem of human trafficking might lead one to assume that only the developing countries are victims, the fact of the matter is that things are not so simple. For a start, while it is true that people from developing countries tend to be the ones most frequently victimized by human traffickers, a report by the UN (2008) told of 25 million human trafficking victims from 127 different countries. Such statistics actually do make sense in context, the year in question coinciding with the peak of the economic recession that swept through the world. Given the precarious situation of the economies of these 127 countries, it can be assumed that their citizens sought greener pastures abroad, only for things to end up going wrong in the worst possible way. Needless to say, not even citizens belonging to a