Saint Augustine’s View on Sexuality Essay -- Religion

Saint Augustine’s View on Sexuality The famous bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine, is claimed as a cornerstone of Christian theology by both Catholics and Protestants. Many of his views are regarded by Christians as authoritative interpretations of the Bible because they have withstood heated debate throughout the centuries. Christians ought to ask, however, whether such allegiance is justifiable in all cases. Augustine's idea of sex after matrimony, for example, is very narrow, restricting actions and emotions married Christians today consider part of the beauty of intercourse. A logical assertion then, is that Augustine's view of sexuality, as delineated in many writings, is a response to his life of sensuality prior to salvation; therefore, his idea about the intent for sex within marriage stems more from his former sin than from Biblical perspective. St. Augustine's sordid lifestyle as a young man, revealed in Confessions, serves as a logical explanation for his limited view of the purpose of sexuality in marriage. His life from adolescence to age thirty-one was so united to passionate desire and sensual pleasure, that he later avoided approval of such emotions even within the sanctity of holy union. From the age of sixteen until he was freed of promiscuity fifteen years later, Augustine's life was woven with a growing desire for illicit acts, until that desire finally became necessity and controlled his will. His lust for sex began in the bath houses of Tagaste, where he was idle without schooling and "was tossed about†¦and boiling over in†¦fornications" (2.2). Also during that time, young Augustine displayed his preoccupation with sexual experience by fabricating vulgarities simply to impress his peers. In descript... ... Anderson, Douglas L., ed. Augustine. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1979. Augustine. The Confessions of St. Augustine: Books I-X. Trans. F.J. Sheed. New York: Sheed & Ward, 1942. Babcock, William S., ed. The Ethics of St. Augustine. Atlanta: Scholars P, 1991. Battenhouse, Roy W., ed. A Companion to the Study of St. Augustine. Grand Rapids: Baker,1955. Halsall, Paul. "St. Augustine: From 'On Marriage and Concupiscence.'" Internet Medieval Source Book. Oct. 1998. 3 Nov. 2000 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/aug-marr.html>. Hooker, Richard. Early Christianity: Augustine. 6 Jun. 1999. 3 Nov. 2000 <http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/CHRIST/AUG.HTM>. Oates, Whitney J., ed. Basic Writings of Saint Augustine. 1948. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980. Rist, John M. Augustine: Ancient Thought Baptized. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Fredrick Frankenstein Essay

Fredrick Frankenstein is a young brain surgeon and medical lecturer trying not to live in the shadow of his infamous grandfather, Victor Von Frankenstein. However, this proves to be difficult when he is taken to his grandfather’s estate in Transylvania to collect his inheritance. He continues to be determined to estrange himself from his grandfather’s legacy as a scientist who created a monster. However, upon discovering a book by Victor entitled â€Å"How I Did It†, he decides that his grandfather’s work was not such idiocy, and decides to try and create his own legacy for the Frankenstein name. He accomplishes this with the help of his two comedic sidekicks – the assistant Igor and the pretty young Inga. However, the world is not ready for such a scientific advancement, particularly after the disastrous results of Victor’s experimentation, and Fredrick and his creature experience much discrimination at the hands of the creature. However, after Fredrick further experiments in the sciences, the creature is made more socially acceptable and allowed to live life with his bride, Elizabeth. Explanation: Young Frankenstein is a challenge to the way both the traditional Frankenstein text is read, as well as the whole gothic film genre. It parodies all the aspects that are considered â€Å"traditionally Frankenstein-esque†, such as the mad scientist shouting, â€Å"It’s alive! † and the lumbering, groaning creature. However, as a text, it recognises the value of the classics, and not only satirises, but pays homage to them also. â€Å"It wasn’t about saying ‘how can we make it fun? ‘, but ‘how can we make it real, which will make it more fun? ‘†1. By recognising the artistic value but also the ultimate ridiculousness of traditional Frankenstein films, Brooks allowed Young Frankenstein to not have to resort to continuous slapstick in order to gain its hilarity. The text was written in the context of the early 1970s, where people were more inclined to doubt and question the norms put forward by Hollywood and the media in general. Brooks, as a composer, has recognised this cynicism and used it to extract humour from a great modern classic. Unlike many of the predecessors of the Frankenstein genre, Young Frankenstein questions the original values of Shelley’s text and explores many themes which had traditionally been ignored by previous Frankenstein films, such as the creature’s ability to love and be human. It does not follow the exact storyline of the original text, choosing instead provide commentary on the preceding Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, and Bride of Frankenstein; to have a grandson who has not learned from his grandfather’s mistakes. Aside from the monster itself, the majority of characters in this text have been changed. However, Fredrick is much like his infamous grandfather – a scientific genius, and engaged to a beautiful young woman named Elizabeth. This pays homage to the protagonist of the original text, which still maintaining its status as a parody. These changes have been made to demonstrate the ultimate ridiculousness of the original Frankenstein, while still being able to examine its many themes through the use of humour. Young Frankenstein is not meant to be a serious appropriation of Shelley’s text. Its main purpose is to challenge the traditional Hollywood interpretation of the Frankenstein monster, and to â€Å"have a little fun in the process†2. However, through its use of humour and satire, it manages to explore the deepest theme of Shelley’s text – what shapes and defines us as humans? This text is valued in a number of contexts. It is considered one of the greatest comedy films of all time, and remains highly popular nearly 30 years after initially being composed. A secret government program called ‘The Initiative’ is capturing demons and other mystical creatures in order to experiment on and neuter them. One of the leading scientists involved in the project, Professor Maggie Walsh, is experimenting with different body parts, of man, machine and demon in order to create a being – Adam. He is intellectually and physically superior to man, and kills his creator, only to reanimate her as a worker. Buffy Summers, a girl chosen from birth to fight supernatural forces, is determined to overcome Adam, despite his superior physical strength. A vampire in alliance with Adam, Spike, works to defeat her by estranging her from what she draws strength from – her friends. However, Buffy overcomes this estrangement, and rebuilds her friendships. They then band together to destroy the source of Adam’s power, succeeding by combining their most human elements – heart, mind, spirit and body. Explanation: There are three central figures to this story arc – the scientist (Maggie Walsh), the experiment (Adam, and to a certain extent, Riley Finn), and the hero (Buffy Summers). Although, like the original text itself, there are a number of other characters, the storyline depends primarily on the actions of these three figures. In many ways, the Adam story is almost entirely true to the original text, in that it focuses on two main issues of Shelley’s text: the nature of isolation, and the effect of man overstepping scientific boundaries. Additionally, it partially examines the nature of behaviour, namely whether evil is intrinsic or circumstantial. The creation’s name – Adam – a direct inter-textual reference, referencing Milton’s Paradise Lost -â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam† (p128) and the Bible story in Genesis, which articulates ‘Adam’ as the first man. Regardless, his name, meaning ‘first born’ is significant because, like Frankenstein’s creature, he is the first of his kind, and remains the only one of his species. Like the original text, he learns of himself through his creator’s diaries. â€Å"I’m a kinematically redundant, biomechanical demonoid. Designed by Maggie Walsh. She called me Adam and I called her Mother . . . Mother wrote things down. Hard data, but also her feelings. That’s how I learned that I have a job here. And that she loved me. † (â€Å"Goodbye Iowa†). The issue of intrinsic evil is potently illuminated here. Unlike Frankenstein’s creation, who is abandoned by his creator and shunned by society, Adam himself says â€Å"she loved me† and was considered his mother, but he kills her regardless. The original plan for his existence had been to create a race of those like himself, to diminish the U. S. A. ‘s military vulnerability. He also offers the demons something humans cannot – full use of their power, thus strengthening the army he is building to bring his ‘new race’ into power. Throughout many of the episodes in which Adam features, it is implied that he was built for the purpose of creating a new, indestructible species. In â€Å"Primeval†, he says to Riley â€Å"This is how [Mother] planned it†¦ Only she thought she’d be alive. † Like Victor in the original text, she is a victim of her own vision, drive and selfish lust for success. â€Å"Maggie Walsh’s vision was great, but ultimately insupportable. † (Primeval) She has altruistic intentions of wiping out death and weakness in the human race, like Victor, claiming, â€Å"This is for the greater good†. (The I in team). However, similar to Victor, she has no real sense of the moral implications this entails. She is different to Victor in that she has some sense of the consequences of her actions. However, both are unable to face those consequences. This represents the idea of the scientist with no idea of the moral implications of playing with the natural order of life. Both in an 18th and 21st century context, the idea of leaving the natural order alone is discussed, implying that although between Shelley’s time and now there have been a great number of scientific advances, some boundaries remain philosophically rigid.

Julian Assange; Hero or Villain?

Julian Assange Hero or Villain? The question of whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose organization can be credited with releasing thousands of classified documents from various countries, is a hero or a villain depends entirely on one’s political opinions. Those who believe in transparent government and freedom of speech/publishing would call Assange a hero. Those who believe governments must have some secrecy from citizens would call him a villain. As a believer in the ideals America was founded on it is clear that Assange’s actions are heroic. He is fighting to keep the average citizen informed of any corruption within their government, fighting for the mainstream press to stop supporting the government’s views on everything, fighting to introduce the power of technology into a political system that has become outdated and corrupt. The United States is looked on as the ideal example of democracy. People have freedom of speech, elect the officials who represent them and the government works to benefit the everyday person. Right? Wrong. How can we try and set up a new government where the people are actively involved in countries such as Iraq when the average American doesn’t know anything about what’s going on in our own government. Julian Assange’s organization revealed 1,500 civilian deaths in Iraq previously unreported to the American public. (4) Our relatives are fighting for their country and we’re told that civilian casualties are going down when in fact there are 1,500 previously unreported deaths, there’s something wrong with that picture. Outside of the U. S. WikiLeaks has made an impact in Tunisia when they published remarks made by Ambassador Robert Godec stating that the government’s inner circles were corrupt. The leaks added with the already tumultuous anger at the government pushed Tunisians over the edge, and they overthrew the corrupt government. (1) Those who believe Assange to be a villain site his â€Å"vendetta† against the U. S. as the primary reason for distrust and hatred, but the publication of Robert Godec’s statements helped the U. S. gain power in the Middle East and succeed in their, â€Å"efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems†. Hillary Clinton) The leaks posted on WikiLeaks aided the U. S. more so than it harmed them, making Julian Assange a hero, not a villain. If Julian Assange’s crusade isn’t against the United States, then what is he fighting for? How about for the mainstream press to report more than one side of the story? The mainstream press refu ses to even acknowledge Assange as a legitimate journalist and publisher; in fact the freedom of the press committee of the Overseas Press Club of America in New York City declared Assange â€Å"not one of us†. 2) This seems odd when the duty of the press has always been to inform the people, which Assange is doing, albeit in an unconventional way. Take for example the war in Afghanistan, without WikiLeaks the public is subjected to claims that the Taliban is losing — and that al Qaeda has been severely weakened and yet we’re told that our country will have to stick it out until 2015, rather contradictory! Organizations such as WikiLeaks force the traditional press to acknowledge inconsistencies in Washington’s story. Although they do continue to try and control the narrative so that it does not radically digress from the official Washington storyline. Without the pressure put on by Julian Assange freedom of press would be declining, making him a hero, At least once a century governments encounter radical change. In the 1700’s it was the American Revolution, in the 1800’s it was the French Revolution, in the 1900’s it was the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution. What will the revolution of the 2000’s be? Governments have already been de-stabilized in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Who says that the protests won’t continue over to the United States? Protests in other countries happened because the systems were outdated and corruption was suspected. This is certainly true in the U. S. , where the government’s inefficiency is being blamed on outdated technology. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget admitted that the gap between the public and private sectors results in â€Å"billions of dollars in waste, slow and inadequate customer service and a lack of transparency about how dollars are spent,† this â€Å"lack of transparency† is exactly what Assange is fighting against. (3) WikiLeaks forces the United States government to think about the extreme secrecy it operates under and whether this is the best for its citizens. Without Assange the â€Å"lack of transparency† would only grow, making him a hero. Julian Assange has been called many names; traitor, anarchist and even a high-tech terrorist, but the proper name for him is hero. WikiLeaks is an organization that truly works for the people. Keeping people informed with the inner workings of government, putting pressure on the press to acknowledge the truth and forcing change within government. WikiLeaks is driving journalism into the future and Assange is the driver. Sources: 1) Jackson, William E. , Jr. â€Å"A Liberated Press and WikiLeaks: Bulwarks Against Claims of ‘Victory’ in Afghanistan . † The Huffington Post. N. p. , 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. . 2) Zapata, Xavier. â€Å"Is Julian Assange a hero or a villain? † World Have Your Say Blog. BBC, 7 Dec. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. http://www. bbc. co. uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2010/12/is_julian_assange_a_hero_or_vi. html 3) Swanson, Ian. â€Å"Budget director blames old computers for ineffective government. † The Hill. Capital Hill Publishing Co. , 14 Jan. 2010. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. . 4) Assange, Julian. â€Å"Julian Assange; The Man Behind WikiLeaks. † Interview by Steve Kroft. 60 Minutes. CBS News. 30 Jan. 2011. CBS News. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. .

Payment security

Most online customers expect to be able to pay for their goods online by credit or debit card. However, they want to be insure that their details will be kept confidential. To be secure all online payments must be: * Private and confidential only between customer and seller. * Conveyed intact and without any changes during transition. * Deleted fro the system after payment has been completed. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) allows standard browser such as Internet Explorer to send and receive information securely. Provides its users with secure payment, its users can check it by looking locked padlock symbol or â€Å"https† on the address line. SET (Secure Electronic Transfer) is more secure for online payments then SSL because information of the card e.g. card number wont be shown to seller, as when a cards company will authenticate the card through a digital signature. Unfamiliar trading conditions Unfamiliar trading can affect both, the business and its customers. The main reason for this is that online trading was relatively slow to take of, as customers were worried about buying services and goods online. However, once a new customer bought something online without any problems he/she becomes more confident to shop online. Businesses that are less successful than anticipated could have unsold products therefore they may struggle to pay money back which they have borrowed to pay website development. If customer that shop online won't get their answer quickly and receive the order on time then customers are unlikely to use their service or buy goods from that business in future. Read this  Chapter 2 – Why Security is Needed Errors in ordering However, order forms to be foolproof. This is possible to minimize customer errors. This corresponds to other customers making this error, such as making duplicate the original form twice. There has to be a comprehensive return policy which takes the legal right of customers present. You must enter the information before the order can be accepted. Most of the forms are designed this way. This could be useful in large amount of quantities or other similar errors that are reported before the order is complete. However, this could be an automated process. In order to this very large (or preferably copying) orders may be singled out so that the customer can be contacted by a call phone or email before they can go ahead with anything. Customers that do online shopping are guaranteed to be protected by the law, that states the Sales of Goods Act and also the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 this also applies to all other customers. There is also another act (The Sales and Supply of goods to Consumers Regulations 2002) which also gives customers right to return any goods that are damaged, this refers if the were bough in a store or on the net. Customers have the right to hand in any items which has been damaged for another item of better quality for whatever reason it may be. For an example items such as clothes that are not of the correct size or that is not a real product (duplicate, this can be checked on the actual website) can be refunded. Potential use of personal information Due to personal information organisations that keep forwent information about individuals whether on a PC system or in written words should be vital to register the information commissioner and comply with the terms with the Data Protection Act 1998. This means that the data in the PC or on paper must be accurate. This must be kept secure as long as necessary. However, this means that other businesses cannot make this information be visible on the website or misplace any details of customer to other individuals. In relation to this website must include privacy policy that ensures how information is to be used wisely by the business. This also relates to visitors which have collected by cookies and/or during a registration or ordering process. The PCECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) also gives other businesses permission to send people via emails to individuals who have opt in by giving the permission to receive them. This means the do not have the right to send promotional emails without the candidates/clients promotion. This refers to why such emails also include the option for the client to unsubscribe at any time. Vulnerability to hostile attack It states that accordingly to the (NHTCU) which stands for National Hi-Tech Crime Unit. Cybercrime could cost UK businesses a tremendous worth of billions of pounds per annum. Not only large scale business which are threatened by hackers, spoof websites or denial of services attack. For example when few set up his highly successful website which was a million dollars he was also treated by the (DOS) attacks this to black mail blackmail demands which were high. In this case a DOS attack only occurs when a certain website is overloaded with highly useful data via email in the short period of time so that the website is brought back down. Websites are together by same users which are most known as hack mailers when they are at the most vulnerable state these for times such as seasonal times for example Christmas at time like this hack mailer would loose a retailer a sum gaining up to a million worth of pounds. A spoof is the definition of when a hijacker duplicates a website as a version of which customers may use, this will make customers think that they were dealing with actual organisation. However, this is easy to spot because it is copied very badly and links are replaced which lead to some illegal pornographic sites this is usually to mislead the companies reputation. This could be fatal as customers are asked to enter their bank details or credit card details which can be obtained by hackers which take all the customer money. Financial fraud can be caused by hackers getting into the organisations bank account. To the firm when payments are siphoned off or directed to the spoof site or even when customers are sent spoof mail asking for details which are personal this is also known as (phishing) Operational risks Website updating All websites must have someone to look after it and be updating it regularly so information is correct, up to date and all the products that are not in stock have a note â€Å"out of stock†. The inferior thing is for customer to see that pages where not updated for a long period of time, for example a year or more. In some ways wrong or out-of date information can cause serious issues. Liability for wrong or out of date information Under the act of Trades Descriptions Act and E-commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 the information which is provided on the website must be stated correctly. A business that purposely gives wrong information could be recognised under these two acts. If customer chooses to react based on the outdated and incorrect information there might be a case to give an answer- even thought many websites have a ‘disclaimer' to covet that type of issue. In relation this refers to website. For example NHS has to be more aware about accuracy of the information it gives than Asda. Language problems with global customer base World wide businesses that usually have a lot of customers should give their customers a choice of different languages. To help customers to notice that website has different languages that they can use. They can put a country flag at the top corner of the site. Other smaller businesses that are national businesses do not provide this feature to their customers. Therefore there is bigger possibility that other nationality customers might get mixed up when they will want to buy goods. This is the main reason why many organisations take disclaimer clauses. Therefore websites such as Marks and Spenser only take orders that matches description accurately that is on the site, also firm is not responsible for any product to be used out of the country. Small businesses which wish to sell goods to outside businesses have two options to choose from. They can to work through a local agent or to have expectation for their service translation. It must be completed by specialist because online translators that can be found via Google are only useful for phrases to a pen friend, not for significant documents. Hardware and software failures All of PC users are depended on their internet service provider to have access to go online. However all internet services have technical faults and user will lose access to the internet until fault is not repaired. This can cause serious trouble to any online business especially if the website is not working for any period of time. There might not be any problems with ISP. However, the system itself can build up a fault. Software can be spoiled and hardware could break down. This is the mail reason why many online businesses have a back up servers, therefore if one server breaks down it will automatically switch to the second server. Software problems can be caused by several things for example programming error or in the course of a virus. None of these methods will help, even if there is a foremost failure. That's why some online businesses have their websites hosted offsite in a safe area where they have experts that are accessible to fix and re-establish the system quickly. Data loss There are many reasons data to be lost. In fact there are 1.7 million reports acknowledged in Europe of data loss every year. The main reasons for data lost are: * Theft, for example laptop theft- 5% of data loss every year * Computer virus – 7% of data loss every year * Software file corruption- 13% of data loss every year * Human error, for example unintentional removal-31% of data loss every year * Hardware failure, for example drive failure-41% of data loss every year * Hardware loss for example during flood or fire- 3% of data loss every year It is very recommended for online businesses to do daily back ups because if there are any problems they can always reinstall its system within 24 hours of the problem happening. In addition it is also ordinary to back up system before making any changes, therefore if there are any problems system can be restored easily. Individual users should also train them selves to keep important data safe and back up their files regularly. Global business regulations Many people know that there are many differences between Britain and other countries. A packet of crisps or box of chocolate that you buy on holiday, even if they are made in UK they will still have a different package and will be in a language of that country the they are sold. Cars are made with left or right hand drive, record distance travelled in miles or kilometres, and is intended to fulfil with specific system on emissions and noise levels- which again vary from one country to another. Any type of business that is intending to sell on a global basis have to be ensure that all products fulfil with the appropriate law and technical policy that apply in that country of sale. Even if the country is English speaking it doesn't mean that it will have the same laws. For example Australia has different principles than UK, therefore many goods have to be customized or â€Å"Australianised† before the can be sold there. Many countries have different laws, for example in USA health and safety equipments are different from UK and other European countries. Therefore if specific product fails to meet the terms that apply in that country, then product will be banded from entering the country.

Urinary Tract Infections Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Urinary Tract Infections - Research Paper Example Furthermore, there are also three types of urinary tract infections, with each one affecting a certain organ, and they are as follows: urethritis is when the urethra is affected, cystitis is when the bladder is affected, and pyelonephritis is when the infection has traveled up the ureters and attacks the kidneys. The most common causative agent of urinary tract infections is uropathogenic Escherichia coli, or E. coli. However, there are also more rare causative agents in regard to urinary tract infections, and they include Proteus mirabilis, S. Aureus, S. saprophyticus, Group B streptococci, Enterococci, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter, Proteus spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The causative agents vary based on the types of urinary tract infections, which are cystitis, urethritis, and pyelonephritis, as well as the gender affected by the infection. While these causative agents arise on a few occasions, since E. coli is the most frequent causative agent, it will receive the most attention in this report. E. coli is a â€Å"Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (Manning, 2005).†The majority of E. coli strains are innocuous, with the harmless strains providing the body with vitamin K2 and hindering the formation of pathogenic bacteria inside the intestine, but there are serotypes that are capable of causing illnesses or infections. E. coli bacterium are a typical part of the normal flora of the intestines, though strains are capable of becoming virulent, which prompts the development of urinary tract infections. The urinary tract is the most typical site of E. coli infections, with approximately 90% of all urinary tract infections being caused by E. coli strains (Madappa, 2011). The sole portal of entrance for bacteria in both males and females is the urethra, but due to a male’s anatomy, they have a more difficult time in developing a urinary tract infection. Women are more s usceptible to developing a urinary tract infection due to the ease at which the bacteria can enter the urethra and gradually move its way into the bladder as the urethra is within close proximity of the vagina and the anus. The most common mode of transmission is when an individual, after urinating or a bowel movement, wipes from back to front, which spreads bacteria from the anus to the urethra. Sexual intercourse can also transfer bacteria from the anal-vaginal area to the urethra, which has prompted many doctors to label urinary tract infections as sexually transmitted diseases, though this is seldom the case. There are many methods in which a urinary tract infection can be developed. As aforementioned, the bacteria E. coli plays a large role. When an individual does not wipe properly after a bowel movement, they risk spreading E. coli from the rectum to the urethra. Pregnancy can cause a urinary tract infection during a vaginal birth, which can â€Å"cause trauma to the bladder , preventing urine from being expelled (Mobley &Warren, 1996).† Menopause brings about changes in hormones that have the ability to cause physical changes, thus making it easier for a woman to develop a urinary tract infection. Finally, a person can develop a urinary tract infection if they have kidney stones, which can block the bladder, preventing urination. The signs and symptoms of a urinary tract infection differ depending on where the infection is located and how

An investigation into the current success factors for small and medium Essay

An investigation into the current success factors for small and medium enterprises in Thailand - Essay Example That is, identifying those characteristics of the enterprise relating to its management, relationships with other entities, contextual variables, etc. that either lead to or contribute in some way to the enterprise being successful. This research thus makes use of the construct of ‘success factor’, which is also mentioned in the hypothesis. The success factors themselves are qualitative because they are not quantifiable. These are possible underlying factors, which could indirectly contribute to the success of the SME based on the information gathered during the literature review. Examples are as a highly knowledgeable manager or a strong link to a supportive larger enterprise so they are not apparent as such. The success however, is measurable, for example, in terms of total sales growth, number of customers, and amount of profits as done by Vichitdhanabadee et al. (2009) or volume of exports. The major research question, which derives directly from the stated purpose o f the study, has been framed as follows: What are the underlying success factors for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand?The major hypothesis that will be tested in the quantitative phase of the study will be: There is a significant degree of positive underlying success factors that are contributing to the success of the SME. We assume that it is the preponderance of underlying success factors, such as those identified in Chapter One that lead to the success of a SME. A number of null hypotheses can be constructed, as in the two examples below, for testing the validity of the major hypothesis based on measurable quantities. There is no causal relationship between the value of capital and business performance. There is no causal relationship between the size of the enterprise in terms of the number of employees and total sales. 3.3 Research design and method This study will combine both quantitative and qualitative methods for the data collection and data analysis. It will thus take a mixed method approach, as il lustrated in Figure 1. These will then be compared and combined to construct a composite model of the study findings. This research design is shown in the figure below. It is to be noted that the quantitative phase will commence first followed by the qualitative phase. This will therefore be an explanatory sequential model. Figure 1: Mixed method (explanatory sequential) research design to be employed During the quantitative phase, data will be collected from the return of questionnaires from a mail-administered survey. During the qualitative phase, data will be collected by conducting a few case studies, which will involve carrying out interviews of Thai SME managers. In addition, some document analyses will also be conducted for gathering relevant information, such as from company profiles, reports and websites. The analysis of the quantitative data will be in the form of descriptive statistics of the data gathered from the survey. Descriptive statist

Doubt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Doubt - Essay Example In USA, there are lots of untold stories revolving around intelligence, security and the government. Ordinary Americans do not understand the operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and National Intelligence Agency (NIA). They do not let people know the exact reasons behind their activities such as domestic and international surveillance on individuals’ secret communications. In order to make this play more appealing, Shanley had to incorporate the use of antithesis, motif, metaphor, symbols, themes, and analogy. These are very important devices which enabled him to deliver his message to the intended audience. The element of antithesis is evidenced when he juxtaposes two opposing ideas. For instance, it is successfully used by comparing and contrasting the young liberal and friendly Father Flynn and the conservative Sister Aloysius; Irish students and black students; and the guilty and innocent Father Flynn. These are instances which are very important in the play because they help in promoting the development of the plot and thematic concerns. For instance, by comparing the guilt and innocence of the priest, the play brings out Sister Aloysius as a very suspecting and doubtful character that can not actually make a concrete decision based on the ‘allegations labeled against the priest’ (Brantley). Just like her, the audience is left wonder ing about the actual truth about this matter. In my own imagination, I think the best word to use to describe Father Flynn is shrewd. Although Sister Aloysius accuses him of molesting the young Donald, the actual truth about his innocence or guilt is not known. However, I would like to suggest that he is innocent of all the accusations. After failing to prove them, Sister Aloysius tries to screw him by allegedly learning of his misconduct in his previous mission through a phone call. With all the unresolved mysteries surrounding this matter, I would like to