Amway Essay 9

Amway summary Introduction Amway is one of the world’s largest direct sales companies. It was founded in 1959 and is still owned by the families that founded it. It employs 14,000 people worldwide and markets over 450 product lines. A key part of its success is its three million ABOs (Amway Business Owners) spread round 80 countries. Amway enables these people to have a business of their own. Amway recognises that it has other responsibilities, for example, to the communities in which it works. Its global vision is to help people lead better lives. Stakeholders Stakeholders are groups or individuals who have an interest in the decisions of the company and its business. Stakeholders can be external, like suppliers, customers or the public or internal, such as employees, or shareholders. Different types of stakeholders may have different priorities or interests. Amway has to balance out the different priorities. The families that own Amway are its only shareholders. Amway communicates regularly with stakeholders through websites, email, events, publications and membership of trade bodies. How stakeholders affect Amway Amway is a direct selling company, cutting out retail outlets and selling straight to consumers. It has its own supply chain through ABOs. Amway needs feedback from ABOs and customers to know how well it is doing and to improve service. ABOs are independent small businesses, but rely on Amway suppliers to produce quality goods. How Amway affects stakeholders Amway’s vision to ‘help people lead better lives’ explains how it works with communities. It promotes corporate social responsibility (CSR) around the globe. This means that it meets its wider duties to the communities in which it works. This involves supporting good causes and acting in an ethical way. Amway supports its stakeholders in a number of ways. These include making good products and giving support to social programmes. It has a partnership with the children’s charity UNICEF. It helps provide vaccinations to combat the world’s six most deadly diseases. It has chosen this charity because its ABOs were most concerned about families. Ethical business Ethical businesses act to improve the communities where they work. Amway’s business ethics give it a clear framework in which to work. Acting in an ethical way, however, also gives it a positive business advantage. Its ‘One by One’ programme is good for the environment and also good for business. This programme supports organic farming, aims to reduce waste and packaging and aims to switch to renewable energy sources. These actions carry a cost, but this can be balanced against the benefits to both the business and the community. Conclusion Amway has to balance the needs of its many different stakeholders. It sets high standards of ethical behaviour and codes of conduct to make sure these are upheld. Its CSR programme helps the environment, its own employees and disadvantaged children all around the world.

Max weeber

Max Weber is the father of father of the bureaucratic management theory. ‘This theory has two essential element . The prime one is configuring a institution in hierarchy and second one is the organization and the its people are administered by specific legal decision making rules. He believed that once bureaucracy has established in organization it is extremely defiant to any attempt to remove Its power. Weber Identified three basic types of legitimate authority, Traditional authority- where people accept the authority due to tradition and custom.Charismatic authority- In this the acceptances take place from the loyalty to and the confidence In the personal qualities of the rules. Rational-legal authority- Here the concurrence comes from the office position and the person who Is bounded by the rules. In current environment we can see the third legitimate authority. Weber theory still exists In many organizations we can see In current business environment very organization Is di vided In hierarchy.In an organization structure follows the Dillon system for Instance at top level, managing director give have and the other apartment are divided according to their rights and obligations. In the given diagram we can see the division of work into departments in organization. Second principle of bureaucracy says that the decision making power is conserve to the Top level management and the lower lever are only to follow the direction prescribed to them. We can apply Weeper's principle of bureaucracy here as follow Division of labor -This principle can be seen here the every department have their specific work and delegation authority.Structure based on hierarchy a pyramid of control is there managing director supervise its subordinate at lower level and the lower level managers supervise floor workers like in the military where higher-level officials supervise lower-level officials inside the organization authority. Employment which presupposes expert training-ever y employee should show their ability to adapt and work in training process and almost every company provides training to their employees to check their ability.Employees are full-time career worker- this principle refers to the increased control of the organization on employees. Operation of the organization is based upon rigid and impersonal rules of behavior-this is some time perceived as the bureaucracy is against human. In some organization employees are suppose to work as machine without thinking. Some of the organization use modified version of it, in this scenario employees get some to provide suggestion which scan be considered by the top level management In decision making process.

Financial Crisis Impacts on the Employees' Motivational Aspects Research Paper

Financial Crisis Impacts on the Employees' Motivational Aspects - Research Paper Example Based on the responses of these employees, who belonged to different levels in the two organizations, the research concluded that there was indeed a lowered morale and motivation during the crisis. The reason for this was lack of resources and tools available to perform work at optimum levels, lack of incentives and motivators, lack of managerial support and fear and insecurity.The research also found that the managers can help alleviate the situation by taking a more dynamic role, making themselves available to the employees, setting clear targets, giving clear directions and guidance for achieving targets, and by showing their support and commitment to the employees. The managers can encourage employees, even when there are no external motivators, by simply showing their concern and by being honest and open with them.The research, therefore, concluded with a list of these recommendations that the organizations can follow in order to keep their employees motivated even during the cr isis.The economic and financial crisis of 2008/9 led to massive changes in the understanding of how business and organizations needed to be run. While there were very drastic implications for all, like job losses, pay cuts and loss of benefits and incentives, there were also several lessons that were learned about people management and work culture. Though the crisis may well have receded, there is widespread unemployment and loss of investor confidence that is dampening any prospects of growth. Employees have been seeing a downturn in their prospects due to non-availability of alternative jobs as well as due to lack of interests that their organization may be showing in retaining them.

Italy's Cultural Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Italy's Cultural - Research Paper Example Italian society highly values individuality and is comfortable interacting with individuals in their personal capacity rather than as representatives of a company. Hence, it is always advisable that sales letters prominently display the name of the person who is sending the letter rather than a faceless designation. But it must be remembered that however important personal relations might be to strike a successful business deal, such relations take a long time to develop and need interactions over long periods of time. So, it might be necessary to write several letters before one can expect any sort of response from an Italian company (Gorrill, 2005). Italian companies have strict norms of hierarchy and almost all business decisions are generally taken by the top management. Our company solicits business outsourcing which is most certainly a very vital decision for any form of business. Thus, it is only natural that the topmost managers of a company will come to a decision after a lot of thought and numerous interactions among themselves and with our company representatives. This is a long drawn out process and polite patience will be the key to success in such a scenario. Any quick decisions from prospective clients or quick closing of a deal with a new client is usually not possible in Italy. The situation is made even more critical by a general sense of lethargy about taking any type of decision that permeates all forms of bureaucracy in Italy (Priest, 2008). Italian culture accords tremendous respect to positions of authority and the power that goes with it and also the age of the person wielding that authority. White hair over black and experience over exuberance of youth is always given more importance in Italy. Therefore, all sales letters should be signed by the highest authority available simply to provide an accentuated sense of seriousness and urgency to the whole issue. Keeping in mind Italian

Problems in ethics codes of TV, Radio, and Newspapers Essay

Problems in ethics codes of TV, Radio, and Newspapers (www.journalism.org) - Essay Example In reality however, there are systemic challenges to adhere to this principle. Given that most of the media coverage revolves around information released by government spokespersons, the veracity of the information given cannot be easily verified. For one thing, it is implicitly accepted that any message from government sources is an authentic and accurate one. To question or suspect elected representatives and authorities is not natural to many journalists. Hence, there are practical difficulties in implementing this particular code of journalistic ethic. Further in the code of ethics one finds mention of separating the two distinct functions of news media, namely editorial opinions and factual news reports. The former is an area of subjective judgment and opinion while the latter is supposed to be objective and factual. While this dichotomy is more relevant to the print media, it is also applicable to the radio and television news media as well. Maintaining this dichotomous separation is easier said than done. What one finds in reality though is the imprint of the editorial policies on the process of selecting stories to report. A factual report is not in and of itself a neutral and objective one. Editorial pressures usually decide which stories are picked and which are left. Hence, under the apparent disguise of objectivity and factuality there can be an ideological thrust, which can serve against the interests of the common consumer of the particular news media, be it radio, television or newsprint. Another area of consensus that journalists from various mediums have agreed upon is in the judicious choice of facts and photographs that is published or shown in their reports. This code was accepted on the grounds that blatant truth can sometimes offend or hurt the sentiments of certain communities. But the flip side of this argument is the subtle

Case Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Law - Essay Example The focus of this report will be to examine the two decisions to discover the inconsistencies and assess the reasons for them. The basic issue at stake in both the cases is that of defining the extent of individual liberty and freedoms that may be exercised under the constitutional amendments to the Constitution in the context of the wider moral framework of public morality and codes of behavior. The suit was brought by defendant Hardwick who was charged by the Georgia State Government for criminal violation of the state’s statute that criminalized sodomy. Hardwick challenged the constitutionality of his criminal conviction, since it violated his fundamental rights. The District Court supported the State’s position but the Court of Appeals reversed the decision. However, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Georgia statute. In connection with the issue of fundamental rights of the defendant, the Court stated: â€Å" None of the fundamental rights announced in this Courts prior cases involving family relationships, marriage, or procreation bear any resemblance to the right asserted in this case. And any claim that those cases stand for the proposition that any kind of private sexual conduct between consenting adults is constitutionally insulated from state proscription is unsupportable† [pp 190-191] The Supreme Court supported its position by quoting the case of Stanley v Georgia3:†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..the fact that homosexual conduct occurs in the privacy of the home does not affect the result.† (pp 195-196). During the period when this case was prosecuted in the courts, most states had laws that criminalized homosexual behavior between two consenting adults even if it was carried on in the privacy of their bedrooms and the decision reflected the predominant view of the majority of Americans about the illegality of homosexual behavior. A 5-4 majority in the Supreme Court upheld Georgia laws on sodomy which criminalized the act on grounds of

The Influence of EU Policies on the ROCKWOOL Group Essay

The Influence of EU Policies on the ROCKWOOL Group - Essay Example The company has a long standing generational production through manufacture of stone wool insulation products. The stone wool is a product that is used to enhance the life of people both in homes and offices by alleviating most of the problems associated with the environment. Some of the problems alleviated are greenhouse effect, smog and acid rain in the air. Other products and areas of specialization include ship building, petrochemicals as well as horticulture. Rockwool group was founded in 1909 and to date, has factories in over 20 countries in 3 continents all over the world. With an employee population of over 8,000, the company has regional networking groups that cover European sub-region of the Benelux countries. In 2009, the company, a large scale corporation realized a revenue high of $ 2.7 billion. It is therefore a company that operates on the basis of economy is of large scale production and distribution. It should be noted that though the country operates in three conti nents only, its products are universally used. The structure of the company is based on a very high level of computerized systems that creates a very easy performance criterion across areas of operation. The company has in the recent past harnessed use of a better control of its infrastructure in which case there is a high level of computerized technology that keeps all the company operations all over the world as a worldwide centre of operations. ... The organizational structure of the company is based on the international company act sequences in which case there is a high level of dependence on the articles and memo of association. The company management on an internal scale is based on group management where there is a chief executive as well as a board of directors. There is also an established audit committee that authenticates the running of all the internal and external issues on finance in the company (Rockwool, 2009, p. 21). With all these, the company benefits from the general performance of all the activities that is relevant in integrating all the branches of the company for a worthy cause. How Policy Developments in the European Union Affect the Company There are several policies that govern the trade in the European Union. These policies affect every aspect of the trade and are therefore helpful in creation of healthy trade factors in the region. The policies that are regulated in the union are broad-based but serve very specific purposes. The policies touch on areas that deal with integration of the market, available opportunities, and the effects of the political economy and venture laws into the international markets (Clarke & Morgan, 2006, p. 33). Integration and Competition Policies The integration policies in the union have had a big market influence in the market. There are some countries that have high stake integration than others. For instance, some countries in the eastern part of Europe do not have a direct relationship with those in the west. Therefore, the companies with a base in either region do not enjoy all the rights associated with closeness. The level of competition therefore is not as creative as it

Marketing Services of Damia Spa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Services of Damia Spa - Assignment Example The health facility embraces the people from this wide and diversified culture all interested in harmony of Singapore (Damai Spa Singapore n.d.). Damai symbolizes the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of these various cultures as practiced in Singapore. Numerous services are offered at the Damia Spa. The Spa treatment offers customers services that are beyond their expectations and that they would enjoy. The naturally beautiful and serene environment ensures that the patients enjoy their stay in the Spa. Damai Spa offers treatments that are based on the different healing philosophies (Damai Spa Singapore n.d.). This makes the patient get customized treatment and services depending on their traditional beliefs and practices. The traditional Chinese medicine ensures balancing by unblocking the vital energy. The Malay Jamu philosophy heals by the use of herbal and natural well being. Moreover, the European spa therapy energies the body connection while the Indian ayurveda purifies and detoxify the body (Zeithaml & Mary, 1996). When customers attend treatment at Damai Spa, they are guaranteed other supplementary services. These include the provision of a robes and scandals for comfort. Secured lockers will make the patients keep safe their personal belonging even though the management is not responsible for the losses (Damai Spa Singapore n.d.). The Spa further prohibits smoking and drinking in the premises to ensure patients enjoy tranquility and peace. In addition, the spa etiquette enables the patients to shower before body checks and Damai Spa has the fitness center that is geared towards wellness enthusiasts while looking for innovative ways that restores balance in the lives and for total rejuvenation. The fitness center includes yoga, bollywood, capoiera and hip hop dance. All these enables the customers to engage in fat burning, strengthening exercise and provides professional advice on nutritional and healthy lifestyle. To supplement the fitness center, recreational facilities like swimming pool, studio, badminton courts, and oasis poolside restaurant are available (Damai Spa Singapore n.d.). The marketing of services requires customization of services and this explains why the wellness center offers attention to each member (Vedulla, 2005). Special fees charged attracts customers and affordable to the members. The technology wellness key is easy to use by the members and stores data that is communicated to the gym equipment. The key can also guide the members through each exercise hence a training strength. In addition, Damai Spa salon services provide a variety of services. These include hair cut, hair color, shine lights, and hair permitting and hair treatment at affordable rates. This wide variety ofi services makes customers have selection choice and therefore enhancing their satisfaction. The services are charged at different rates, which make the spa serve various classes of people. The salons are situated in natural and ser ene environments that ensure comfort and satisfaction. In all the categories of services that are provided, Damai considers the diverse nature of people’s values, customs, and rituals. These diversities are blended in a manner that ensures harmony of the four-wellness philosophies. The Damai couples journey a selection and seasonal fruits served and herbal tea

Two Cultural Practices Among The Yanomamo Essay

Two Cultural Practices Among The Yanomamo - Essay Example He describes them as a society constantly â€Å"living in a state of chronic warfare† (p. 22). The purpose of this paper is therefore to show that contrary to popular portrayal of the Yanomamo as a community dominated by senseless violence, instances of warfare are only sporadic and waged for specific purposes (Harris, 1979). In expounding on this view, the paper will look at two main cultural practices among the Yanomamo society that shapes their beliefs and practices as a people. Festivals as a cultural practice Festivals play an important role among the Yanomamo people, and are part and parcel of their culture. They are important to the Yanomamo people because they serve both social and political functions. They are held to cultivate and reaffirm friendships among the villages. Feasting among the Yanomamo involves the sharing of meals, which in a larger extent, symbolizes the sharing of goods through trade and other economic practices that are prevalent among the Yanomamo. These festivities are therefore used to form a social bond among the tribes, despite their warring nature, and to honor and appease the spirits of their ancestors. The Yanomamo people practice a lot of festivities and rituals which include hunting rituals, marriage festivals, songs and dance festivals, and the hugely shocking endocannibalist ritual, which involves the consumption of a deceased’s ashes. ... The hunting festival plays an important role among the Yanomamo culture. They practice two main hunting festivals, the â€Å"rami† which provides them with meat, and the â€Å"heniyomou† which is practiced by the whole community collectively for special guests (Micheli, 2011). The festival is carried out in the evenings and is characterized by songs and dances. Here the young men are required to compose songs amidst laughter from the older members of the society. Whereas the Yanomamo consider marriage to be an important event in their culture, they have no actual marriage ceremonies. The Yanomamo marriage is basically a handing over affair as the suitors were already predetermined by the parents of the girl when she was at a tender age (Micheli, 2011). Such marriages are usually organized as a means of creating alliances with the men and other tribes. Perhaps the most elaborate and well organized festivity/ritual among the Yanomamo is their funeral ceremonies. To the Ya nomamo, death is a great source of grief and anger, no matter the age, gender or position of the deceased, to the whole society. This is because they believe the cause of such death results from sorcery or witchcraft from the rival tribes (Fergusson, 2001). They thus mourn their dead with passion, and mark a ritual where they cremate their dead and ingest the remains of the deceased. This form of endocannibalism is a unique feature among the Yanomamo, who believe by ingesting the remains of the dead member of the society they are preserving his spirit within the society. The major significance of these festivities among the Yanomamo was that they acted as social activities where the community

Dance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dance - Research Paper Example The Egyptians danced ceremoniously as a law by the pharaoh while in Hindus believed dancing to be sacred, as they believed the creator a dancer who danced through seasons. In the ancient times, dancing was a form of worship for the early Christians. Most communities around the world danced in their own methods to show the mood that was in the atmosphere at the time. Dance evolves over time not only in the old days but even presently. Dancing varies with the type of music one is dancing to; romantic music tends to be slow and therefore should have a slow dance in order for the song to synchronize with the moves. I, however, prefer hip-hop dancing style, which involves popping, breaking and locking. It came into existence in the 1970’s with American crews popularizing it. The African-Americans have hip-hop as a culture and the dance has been a major identifier of the hip-hop culture. This from of dance has continually gained popularity all around the world due to the many shows commercializing it. In the eighty’s the show soul train premiered the hip-hop shows with many topnotch dancers participating. This trend has been continually pulling a crowd with and the films starring hip-hop dance styles including ‘step-up revolution’, which premiered in 2012. Hip-hop is a street dance and after its development, it had to have choreography in order to attract professionalism. This led to the birth of jazz music. Jazz has a cool dancing style, which is a cooler more relaxed version of the hip-hop street dance. The main distinguishing feature of hip-hop is that it depends mostly on improvisation from activities in the daily life. This dancing style started competitions between various hip-hop crews that known as dance battles. This dance is a way of entertainment for those who participate while to others it is a mode of livelihood and supporting themselves financially. Hip-hop involves three major styles the first is breaking

Statistics and Prevention of Gonorrhea and Chlamedia in New Mexico Essay Example for Free

Statistics and Prevention of Gonorrhea and Chlamedia in New Mexico Essay Topic There are a plethora of sexually transmitted diseases that exist in our society today. Two of the most well-known and highly contractible STIs are Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. These STIs are especially prevalent among people ages15-19. Because this age group encompasses high school students, and as nurses and thusly teachers, we find it necessary to impart what information we can about these infections to high school students. Therefore, our teaching project encompasses the topics of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Client Population The client population that we will be teaching is high school students. People of this age group are generally 15-19 years of age. Here in New Mexico, the population is predominately White and Hispanic. However, there is a wide range of ethnicities in the state, so we will be sure to be culturally sensitive in broaching our topics. High school students are motivated to learn about sex and topics revolving around sex because they are experiencing puberty and the increasing desire to have sex. Whether the students are sexually active now or not, it will benefit them to know about infectious diseases associated with having sex and how to protect themselves. While trying to impart information about sex and related factors to high school students, there will be many obstacles and barriers to overcome. Students of this age range are still learning how to be comfortable in their own skin, let alone be comfortable with talking about sex. Inevitably we would have to deal with and work around the students laughing, making jokes, and talking to one another. To make the students as comfortable as possible, we would put ourselves on their level from the start of our presentation. We would do this by using appropriate humor and language appropriate to the age group. Assessment of the Learning Needed We will assess our audience’s learning need by asking them questions such as: * â€Å"Does anyone know what Chlamydia is?† * â€Å"Does anyone know what Gonorrhea is?† * â€Å"Has anyone here ever known anyone who’s had either of these infections? If so, what happened?† * â€Å"Can both guys and girls get these infections?† * â€Å"If you contract one of these infections, do you know what that looks like, or what any of the symptoms are?† * â€Å"If you think you might have Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, do you know where to get tested?† * â€Å"If you think you might have Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, do you know how the infection is treated?† Nursing Diagnosis Primary nursing diagnosis: * Deficient knowledge related to lack of exposure and embarrassment about the topic, shame, and fear as evidenced by multiple questions and inappropriate or exaggerated behaviors. Learning Outcomes Students will verbalize the methods of transmission, symptoms, prevention, and treatment of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. This will be demonstrated by students answering several questions on each topic that will be posed to the class. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the situations in which it is important to get tested for STI’s, where they can get tested, what services are available to them, and what their rights are as teenagers. This knowledge will be demonstrated by students answering several questions on each topic that will be posed to the class, and by open ended discussion with the students. Students will demonstrate understanding of the importance of using STI prevention methods such as abstinence and use of condoms. This knowledge will be demonstrated through an open-ended discussion, guided by the instructors, in which the students will logically draw their own conclusions of the importance of the use of prevention methods based on the information provided in the lecture. Students will also be able to demonstrate proper condom use. This knowledge will be demonstrated by the students applying a condom over a banana. Learning Environment This lesson will be conducted in a classroom setting at a High School. There are many variables in the environment that might have an impact on client learning. For example, students may have no knowledge of sex or the subsequent topics to be discussed, and feel embarrassed, which may make them laugh or make jokes about the subject matter. Student’s religious beliefs may conflict with the discussion of the topic. They may feel that the topic should be reserved for speaking about with their parents only or, perhaps in the church. If there are students that do know about Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, they may be judged negatively by their peers as being overly sexually active. The students with prior knowledge of the subject matter may falsely be viewed by their peers as having contracted these diseases in the past. In order for the environment to be maximally conducive to learning we would take these measures: * Ask the primary teacher to leave the room. * Let the students know that what we are about to discuss may be uncomfortable or embarrassing, but that the environment which we have created is a â€Å"safe environment† and that it is important to be appropriate. * Let the students know that what they say will not leave the room. * Use appropriately informal language while still maintaining credibility. * Use appropriate humor. Teaching Plan Content Teaching Plan Outline: We will be educating high school students on the topic of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The flow of our presentation will be as follows: * Defining Gonorrhea * Transmission Process * Signs and Symptoms * Treatments * Complications if left untreated * What information and help is available * How to prevent Gonorrhea Instructional Materials To aid in the process of education, we will be using instructional materials such as, an interesting and engaging power point presentation, informational brochures, instructional videos, posters from a local clinic, pictures of the effects of the STIs, and demonstration of correct condom application. Using these instructional materials will help to reinforce our learning outcomes by ensuring the students have a complete and well-rounded knowledge base of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Evaluation of Client Learning There are three orders of business that we will conduct in evaluating client learning. Firstly, we will hand out an evaluation tool comprised of three sections. The first section will be a matching question with 6-8 pieces of information we had discussed during the teaching section. The second section will be five stars, of which the students can circle as many as they wish to reflect how well they think we did overall. The third section will be an area for the students to leave any additional comments they have for us. Secondly, we will have the students verbalize what they have learned by asking them questions based on the information provided in the teaching session. For example, â€Å"Where would you go to be tested if you feel you may have contracted Gonorrhea or Chlamydia?† Thirdly, we will pass out bananas and condoms to each student in the class. They will then demonstrate how to correctly apply a condom. References New Mexico Department of Health, Epidemiology and Response Division. (2012, January 6). Indicator Report New Mexico Population Demographics: Race/Ethnicity. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from NM-IBIS New Mexicos Public Health Data Resource: http://ibis.health.state.nm.us/indicator/view/NMPopDemoRacEth.NM.html Chlamydia Reduce Your Risk. Publications for Schools, Organizations, Businesses, AgenciesChanning Bete Company Booklets, Folders, Handbooks, Presentations, Workbooks, Prevention Programs. (1997, January 20). Chlamydia Reduce Your Risk. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from Chlamydia Reduce Your Risk. Publications for Schools, Organizations, Businesses, Agencies 1997. Web. 23 July 2011. http://www.channing-bete.com. : http://www.channing-bete.com Bridges, D. M. (†¢ Bridges, Debbie, MD. Chlamydia in Women/Men: Symptoms, Treatments. WebMD Better Information. Better Health. 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 23 July 2011. http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/chlamydia?prin.., March 12 ). Chlamydia in Women/Men: Symptoms, Treatments. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from WebMD Better Information. Better Health: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/chlamydia?prin Date, W. K. (2010). Gonococcal infection in the newborn. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from Wolters Kluwer Health: Up to Date : http://www.uptodate.com/contents/gonococcal-infection-in-the-newborn Elaine N. Marieb, R. P. (2012). Anatomy Physiology. Hygene, N. Y. (2012, July 6). Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygene: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/std/std4.shtml Lance Lloyds Clean N Safe Website. (n.d.). Claean N Safe, Chlamedia and Gonorrhea Facts. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from Clean N Safe: http://www.clean-n-safe.com Lewis, S. L., Dirksen, S. R., Hietkemper, M. M., Bucher, L. R., Camea, I. M. (2011). Meducal Surgical Nursing. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. Linda Gorgos, M. D.-C., Smelser, C. (2012, August 20). New Mexico Department of Health. Retrieved November 9, 2012, from Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Diseases in New Mexico: http://www.health.state.nm.us/erd/healthdata Prevention, C. f. (March, 25 2011). STD Facts Chlamydia . Retrieved November 12, 2012, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia.htm SafeintheCityVideo. (2008, June 3). How to Use a Condom. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcpfZKvOFZ4

Reflective Essay on Coping with Stress

Reflective Essay on Coping with Stress Psychology can be defined as the study of behavior as well as mind, embracing all aspects of the entire human experience. In other words, it is an applied science discipline that seeks to understand humans along with groups by ascertaining general principles as well as researching specific cases. On the other hand, psychological adjustment is the process of adapting to, coping with, as well as managing the emerging challenges of the daily life. Adjusting to your life in terms of subjective well-being, Subjective well-being is an individuals perceptions as well as self-adjustments of health and well-being (Webb Wills, 2012). It entails a persons feeling of happiness and life satisfaction. With regard to my life, I can say that I am satisfied with my subjective well-being. However, since I am a veteran, I think that the veterans administration needs to be more attentive when it comes to veterans healthcare for me to be extremely satisfied with this adjustment facet. Context on its part is the historical, social, economic, and cultural factors as well as settings that influence our lives. I am able to adjust to different contexts effectively and for that case; everything I think, say, and do is often colored by where I come from, whom I am with, and what is happening at the moment. Besides, diversity entails different cultures and ethnic settings. On this part, I am culturally competent, and therefore I can adjust well in diverse settings. Balancing Priorities Balancing my priorities, specifically with home, work, school, recreation, and / or family has to be an ongoing plan. I am a student and at the same time, set aside time for working in order to pay my bills. I also need enough time for my family alongside recreation. All this might not be possible, with the limited resources in our disposal. To that effect, I have an effective work-life balance that adequately enables me to follow my daily schedule according to plan. In this case, I ensure that I give attention to my most pressing needs and demands at home, work, school, and even recreation. Of course I give more attention to work and school since these priorities are so fundamental to my prospective economic stability. However, each day I must devote my free time to my family and for recreation activities in order to keep fit. Developing Identity I develop my identity by raising my self-esteem along with establishing a unique self-concept that enables me to stand out in different ethnic platforms.ÂÂ   In review, self-esteem is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude towards the self, whereby; it reflects an individuals subjective emotional evaluation of his/her own worth (Fennell, 2009). I have been able to develop my self-esteem effectively through constant practice. In addition, self-concept is the sense of being distinct and separate from others as well as the persistency of the self. Here, I have fully developed myself concept by having my own unique way of doing things. I always come out with thought provoking ideas that are based on my own analysis and perception of life, something that helps me develop my self-concept. Ethnicity is often rooted in cultural heritage, race, nationality, language, and religion. I often adjust to different ethnic groups by being culturally competent. Coping with Stress Stress is a reaction to a stimulus that distracts an individuals physical or mental equilibrium (Tummers, 2013). I often cope with stress by engaging in relaxing activities, or practicing calming techniques, that help to manage my stress and improve my overall coping. Besides, among my coping strategies include; being proactive, following my interests, and seeking out peer support from others that I am loved and cared for, esteemed and valued (Taylor, 2003). Improving my social skills, asking for help, and always learning from mistakes. When its all said and done, I do believe that I have a more optimistic outlook on life to a point, but not over exaggerated. References Fennell, M. J. V. (2009). Overcoming low self-esteem: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques. Australia: Accessible Publishing Systems. Tummers, N. (2013). Stress management: A wellness approach. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Taylor, S(2003). Social psychology (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Webb, D., Wills, H. E. (2012). Subjective well-being and security. Dordrecht: Springer.

Substance Abuse And Mental Disorders Social Work Essay

Substance Abuse And Mental Disorders Social Work Essay Dual diagnosis between drug abuse and mental illness is very common. The two problems affect and interact with each other. The number of people diagnosed with a mental illness and substance went from 210,000 to 800,000 between the years of 1998-2003. (Druss MD, Bornemann, Fry-Johnson MD, McCombs PhD, Politzer, Rust MD, 2006) Substance abuse is the most common and clinically important dual disorder among adults with severe mental illness. Studies show that fifty percent of people with mental illness also have a substance abuse problem. (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010) And more than half the persons with a substance abuse diagnosis also have a diagnosable mental illness. (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010) Clinicians believe that mental illness and substance abuse are biologically and physiologically based. Although substance abuse and mental health disorders like depression and anxiety are closely linked, one does not directly cause the other. (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010) Both conditions can mirror each. PROBLEM STATEMENT: More and more people are suffering from a combination of substance abuse and mental health problems. Alcohol and/or drugs are often used to relieve the symptoms of a mental illness, side effects from their medications or just to cure symptoms they are having at the time. Alcohol and drug abuse can increase original risk for mental disorders and can make symptoms of a mental health problem worse. Substance abuse and mental illness commonly co-occur due to genetic factors, environmental factors, a brain disorder and/or a development disorders. Co-occurring disorders, two disorders or illnesses occur simultaneously in the same person, they are called dual diagnosis or co morbidity. (Topics in Brief, 2007) Treatment for this dual diagnosis has not been well designed. Clients have to go a treatment facility for mental health treatment and a different facility for substance abuse treatment. This kind of treat is not successful because this leaves the client trying to cope/manger a disorder on their own. It is almost impossible for them to manger the other disorder because if they could quit on their own they would not need treatment. It can be hard to diagnose a person with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse. One of the things that makes diagnose hard is denial by the patient. Substance abuse and mental disorders commonly co-occur because of overlapping genetic vulnerabilities, overlapping environmental triggers like stress, involvement of similar brain regions, and drug abuse and mental illness are developmental disorders. (Topics in Brief, 2007) Having a dual diagnosis put a person at greater risk for relapse. Violence and suicide attempts are also more prevalent among the dually diagnosed population. BACKGROUND: The problem of dual diagnosis became clinically clear in the early 1980s. (Drake R. P., 2001) Substance abuse and mental illness hinders your ability to function, handle life and have a healthy social life. Mental illnesses are mental conditions that disrupt a persons thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. The World Health Organization has reported that four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US are mental disorders. (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2010) Some of the major and the most common mental illness that occur with substance abuse are manic depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalize anxiety disorder and antisocial personality disorder. It is reported that about 57.7 million Americans experience a mental health disorder in a given year. (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2010) Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not need to sustain life or to make it better. One in four US deaths can be attributed to alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug use. (Innovatory Combating Substance Abuse, 2010) The commonly abused drugs by people with a mental illness are alcohol, cocaine and/or marijuana. Substance abuse complicates some aspect of care for a person with a mental disorder. It provides challenges for the counselor to engage the individual in treatment. About 50% of individuals with severe mental disorders are affected by substance abuse. (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010) Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers also have at least on serious mental illness. (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010) See the chart below. The risk of developing a drug abuse problem while having a disorder goes as high as 15.5% for antisocial personality disorder and as low as 02.1% for phobias. The mental health problems that most commonly co-occur with substance abuse are depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder. (Saisan, Smith, Segal, 2010) When a person has a dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness the clinician has to determine what are the symptoms/signs of the substance abuse and what are the symptoms/signs are from the mental illness. Disorders with Increased Risk of Drug Abuse Disorder Risk Antisocial personality disorder 15.5% Manic episode 14.5% Schizophrenia 10.1% Panic disorder 04. 3% Major depressive episode 04.1% Obsessive-compulsive disorder 03.4% Phobias 02.1% Source: National Institute of Mental Health. (Drug Abuse and Mental Illness Fast Facts, 2006) At least 60% of people fighting substance abuse or mental illness are fighting both at the same time. (Bouchex, 2007) Patients with mood, anxiety or drug disorders are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with the other as well. Figure 1 (Topics in Brief, 2007) The prevalence of these dual diagnoses does not mean that one condition caused the other, even if one appeared first. The high rates show the need for better treatment and treatment centers able to deal with both at the same time. WORKING DIAGNOSIS: Substance abuse can cause mental disorders due to the fact that, drug abuse can cause a mental illness, mental illness can lead to drug abuse, drug abuse and mental disorders are both caused by other common risk factors all three can contribute to the establishment of specific dual diagnosis of mental disorders and addiction. (Topics in Brief, 2007) FRAMEWORK/METHOD OF ANALYSIS: I began my search using Google and searched using the terms Substance abuse and Mental Illness. This resulted in nine articles that were relevant to my topic all of which I used as references. I then went to the Pub Med Central database and searched using the term substance abuse and mental illness and found many articles. I used four of those articles as references. The other references were found on website such as National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Drug Intelligence Center. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (LITERATURE REVIEW): This review looks at progress made in understanding the relation between drug abuse and mental illness. Volkow found that the relationship between substance abuse and mental illness is likely to reflect common contributing factors and brain substrates. (Volkow, 2001) One of the main factors substance abuse and mental illness have in common is stress. A question that still remains is the role that drug abuse has on causing psychosis in individuals with no previous psychiatric histories. Stimulant drugs induce psychosis because they increase extracellular dopamine concentration in the brain. However it does not explain why psychosis can continue after the stimulant drug is no longer present in the brain. Regier, et al, broke his study down into specific mental disorders. This review found that of people with schizophrenia forty-seven percent has some form of substance abuse problem. People diagnosed with schizophrenia have a 4 times as likely then people who do not have schizophrenia to have a substance abuse problem. (Regier, et al., 1990) The odds for people diagnosed with anxiety disorders to have a substance abuse proplem were more than fourteen percent. It is believe that substance abuse may trigger mental illness in vulnerable individuals. Evidence show a complex explanation in which well-known risk factors- such as poor cognitive function, anxiety, deficient interpersonal skills, social isolation, poverty, and lack of structured activities combined to render people with mental illnesses particularly vulnerable to alcohol and drug abuse. (Drake, 2009) People that already have a mental disorder probably appear to be extremely sensitive to the effects of alcohol and other drugs, due to having a form of brain disorder. Drake, et al, explains the term dual diagnosis as misleading because people with a dual diagnosis are diverse and tend to have multiple illnesses rather than just two illnesses. Drake discusses how researchers have established some identical finding. First, co-occurrence is common. Second, dual diagnosis is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including higher rates of relapse, hospitalization, violence, incarceration, homeless and serious infections such as HIV and hepatitis. (Drake R. P., 2001) Third, the mental health and substance abuse treatment system delivers fragmented and ineffective care. RESTATEMENT OF WORKING DIAGNOSIS (Hypothesis): There is evidence that substance abuse can lead to a mental disorder but also a mental disorder can also lead to a substance abuse, it is not known which comes first. Like the saying which comes first the chicken or the egg. It is said that having one of the diagnosis makes you vulnerable to the other. MANAGERIAL/POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: Why people who are having a mental disorder are so prone to drug abuse raises a lot of questions due to the limited research done on the topic. The research so far is inconsistent and has failed to address a number of issues. There is a need for more research as well as more treatment center that are equipped to deal with dual diagnosis. The patient has two brain diseases that influence one another, and which both need treatment, at the same time. This is when dual diagnosis treatment is need. It is an approach used by clinicians to treat individuals affected by two co-occurring or coexisting conditions simultaneously. Dual diagnosis affects a person physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and socially. There is a need for an all-inclusive approach that identifies both disorders, evaluates both disorders, and at the same time treats both disorders. Many treatment centers now only treat one or the other. Substance abuse treatment are not recommended or designed to handle a ment al illness and vice versa. Awareness about the problem needs to be made public, so that people know the signs to look for and how to approach the person about their disorder correctly. Patients also need to be aware of the help that is available to them and support groups like Dual recovery Anonymous. There also needs to be better training for the counselors and physicians so that they will be able to better and accurately diagnosis patients. For recovery to be successful you must treats a clients addiction and mental health problem.

An Urge to Write :: Personal Narratives Writing Essays

An Urge to Write Everyone seems to have a reason for liking or disliking writing. It seems to stem from past experiences, or things writing has done for someone or not done for someone. For me, writing is a privilege and I enjoy writing immensely. It’s hard to put my finger on one distinct reason I take pleasure in writing but I think one of the causes for my appreciation of writing stems back to about two years ago. I was a sophomore in high school, and it was basically a tradition that my friend Jess and I would get together sporadically on various Friday nights. She would come to my house in the early evening hours, and we would start our walk. As soon as we would turn the corner of my block I’d light up my cigarette and we’d begin our recollection of the week’s events. On one particular Friday in October we began our walk as we had any other. The air had a cool brisk quality about it but we weren’t really bothered by the sudden chill and just kept walking. We walked throughout town for a few hours just walking and talking, laughing and acting hysterical and crazy over the most minute details of that week’s happenings. We walked till the street lights shown bright on the black streets before us and then we went to our usual stop after our walk. We entered the restaurant just like we had so many times before. We took our seat at the regular booth with the torn vinyl and wooden sides etched with the signatures of the many who had sat in the booth before us. The air reeked of grease and cigarette smoke and was polluted by the sound of senseless chatter from the thirty or so people that crowded this tiny room the size of a large closet. Yet, neither the smell, or the noise or the dà ©cor of dollar bills littering the walls bothered us. This was our tradition as corny and juvenile as it was we knew we would always treasure this special and unusual little place. We sat at our little booth and began our own little chatter fest there.

Comparing John Constables Painting The Cornfield and William Wordswort

Representations of Time: Wordsworth and Constable I do not know how without being culpably particular I can give my Reader a more exact notion of the style in which I wished these poems to be written, than by informing him that I have at all times endeavored to look steadily at my subject; consequently, I hope that there is in these Poems little falsehood of description, and my ideas are expressed in language fitted to their respective importance. Something I must have gained by this practice, as it is friendly to one property of all good poetry, namely, good sense; but it has necessarily cut me off from a large portion of phrases and figures of speech which from father to son have long been regarded as the common inheritance of Poets. -- William Wordsworth, from the Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1800, 1802) It appears to me that pictures have been over-valued; held up by a blind admiration as ideal things, and almost as standards by which nature is to be judged rather than the reverse; and this false estimate has been sanctioned by the extravagant epithets that have been applied to painters, and "the divine," "the inspired," and so forth. Yet in reality, what are the most sublime productions of the pencil but selections of some of the forms of nature, and copies of a few of her evanescent effects, and this is the result, not of inspiration, but of long and patient study, under the instruction of much good sense†¦ †¦Painting is a science, and should be pursued as an inquiry into the laws of nature. Why, then, may not landscape be considered as a branch of natural philosophy, of which pictures are but experiments? -- John Constable, from a lecture at the Royal Institution (June 16, 1836) The styles of John... ...licity and consequently may be more accurately contemplated and more forcibly communicated." Bibliography Goldwater, Robert and Marco Treves (eds.). Artists on Art: from the XIV to the XX Century. New York: Pantheon Books, 1945. Heffernan, James A. W. The Re-Creation of Landscape: A Study of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Constable, and Turner. Hanover: UP of New England, 1985. Helsinger, Elizabeth K. Rural Scenes and National Representation: Britain, 1815-1850. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1997. Kroeber, Karl. Romantic Landscape Vision: Constable and Wordsworth. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1975. Paulson, Ronald. Literary Landscape: Turner and Constable. New Haven: Yale UP, 1982. Wolfson, Susan and Peter Manning (eds.). The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Romantics and Their Contemporaries. Volume 2A. New York: Longman, 1999.

Essay on Sophocles Antigone - Antigones Fatal Flaw :: Antigone essays

It is clear that Creon's tragic flaw was his pride, arrogance and beliefs of a leader that cause his downfall. His downfall began when he denied the burial of Polyneices and was firm when he condemned Antigone for her objection to his law. Creon represents the laws of the land and the divine ruler of society. He remains loyal in upholding his laws and trying to overpower the laws of the gods, until the end when he realizes that the divine laws are stronger than his own. His regards for the laws of the city cause him to abandon all other beliefs. He feels that all should obey the rules set forth by him, even if other beliefs, moral or religious, state otherwise. This is proven when he says, "As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the State-he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence when he is dead" (40). This proves that no one should disobey his rules even if the people that he rules for thinks his morals are wrong. But no one wants to speak out or stand up to Creon because they all fear him and afraid to loose their life going against his words. But Antigone isn't afraid of Creon or the consequences that faces her if she goes against his ruling. Creon knows that Antigone would not back down, she shows him that she is not afraid of the consequences but yet still he wants to prove himself that his word is law even if the gods advised him that he would loose everything important to him. Creon is in a position of great power, influence and responsibility. The extent of his power is quite clear when he sentenced Antigone to death for disobeying his order. Antigone's reasons for burying her brother were simply the fact that she was demonstrating her love, honor, and loyalty to her family. However, the reason Creon is furious is that he feels insulted that Antigone openly and publicly disobeyed him. He was also inflamed that she was his niece and his son Haemon fiancé. It is known that in ancient times when a man's authority is threatened, especially by a woman, his ego is irreparably damaged. Creon being a new king wants to prove his abilities as king.

Nike’s Ethical Dilemmas Going International Essay

Companies are faced with several ethical dilemmas when they decide to go international. They are faced with issues including child labor, hazardous working environments, below the livable wage earnings, long working hours, exploitation of natural resources, and bribery. For example, Nike was faced with many of these issues when they made the decision to go global. The company itself did not manufacture its own goods but rather outsourced their designs to manufacturing companies around the world. Nike’s main reason for doing this was to take advantage of the cheap labor overseas. However, this led them to be criticized because many people believed Nike was becoming rich by exploiting the hard work of underpaid workers. Most of these cases against Nike could have avoided if the company would have taken precautions about the ethically debatable working conditions that were going on in the subcontracted manufacturing companies. Nike could have researched the countries they were subcontracting their manufacturing to determine a livable wage. The company could then require their subcontractors to pay all of their workers at least a wage that could supply the needs of the individual worker. In doing this Nike could have avoided the criticisms about underpaying poor world workers for their input into the manufacturing companies. Also if Nike raised the wage enough to support the individual and their family it would prevent child labor from occurring. However, Nike should have also set a minimum age requirement with their subcontractors to ensure that no child labor laws were broken. A cap could have also been placed on the number of hours an individual could work per week to ensure that no one was being over worked in the manufacturing plants. With these requirements Nike would have keep itself safe from being convicted of having child labor, long working hours, and under payment to the workers in their subcont racted manufacturing plants. The subcontractors should have also been required to meet certain set of Health and Safety regulations to ensure that their workers were not exposed to any hazardous working environments. The factories should not allow any individual to be exposed to any level of chemicals that are above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration set limits for hazardous chemicals. To ensure that the companies were following these requirements Nike should have set up an auditing system that periodically checked on the factories to determine if they met all the requirements necessary to do business with Nike. The auditors in the system should be well informed of all of the safety and health requirements as well as the minimum age, wage, and amount of hours an individual is allowed to work per week. If any factory failed to meet the requirements within a set deadline the business agreement between Nike and the subcontractor would be terminated. If Nike would have set certain standards for their foreign factory subcontractors before they made manufacturing deals they could have avoided most if not all of the criticism concerning exploiting poor world workers for cheap labor. Making the right ethical decisions can be difficult to make especially when other companies are gaining an advantage by exploiting work of poor world workers. However, these benefits are only short term and they can lead to severe consequences down the road such as boycotts, lawsuits, and negative media. Doing the right thing can be costly but can have great benefits in the long run for a company. For example, if Nike portrays that it requires its subcontractors to have working environments that pass the Health and Safety regulations and well as it pays the workers a livable wage, it could boost sales in the United States because U.S. citizens like to know that poor world workers are protected from global companies trying to exploit their hard work for u nsustainable wages.

Accounting and financial history Essay

Accounting and financial history Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people have spent their entire lives doing research on the development of accounting and also the financial history. Economic sector is the stronghold of every country and that is why the research has been taken seriously. Accounting has taken different phases in its development and each phase have a significant meaning to the todays accounting process. The development has been influenced greatly by major economic, political and social events that affected the world in the past centuries. Different periods have also influenced the development of accounting, business and financial history. Every event that has been happening in the world has led accounting to another level in terms of development. Some of the events were negative while some were positive but they all influenced the development of accounting positively and that is what people enjoy accounting in the current time. Accounting and financial history is interconnected with e vents and periods and thus one cannot separate the two while studying this history. Different countries have different accounting history although there are some international events that had influenced more than one country and that means that they have the same accounting and financial history. The object of the paper is to discuss an event on accounting, business or financial history and its relevance for today. See more: Foot Binding In China essay Recognition and development of accounting as a profession in United States (1900-1920)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In early 1895, there were many companies and corporations in the United States industry and they were both big and small. The market could not accommodate the big numbers of the corporations and companies and thus the only solution to this problem was to merge them in order to regulate their number. This process eventually happened form 1895 to 1900 where many companies merged and formed few big companies. A good example is the tube company which was formed after merging many companies that were producing tubes. The many tubes companies formed one large company which had a lot of operations in it and that is where the issue of accounting got involved (Charles, 1992 p.2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the companies were small, they were calculating their financial results manually without any level of professionalism. However, the process of merging those companies and corporations made the companies and corporations to have a lot of operations and they needed a professional system of accounting. They were in need of more auditors to work on the financial operations in those companies because the financial status of the companies had gone up and they could no longer depend on the manual or outdated methods of accounting. Some companies that were merging were from diverse locations and thus they were forced to open some branches where they could manage all the accounting processes and auditing of all financial statements for all the companies that were merging (Stephan, 2003 p. 200). Also the number of auditors was increased while some auditors operated on mobile bases, they could move from one company to another because the demand was very high.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another change that occurred in accounting due to the merging of companies was the effect of the third party in the accounting operations. Some companies that had merged had holdings companies while others were under the control of banks. The introduction of the third party meant that there was another party which would be interested in the financial records of a company (Christopher, 2009 p. 40). Banks would send their auditor to calculate the financial records of the company under control and thus the accounting system in the company was improved in order to improve accuracy. Involvement of another party meant that there was more work in the accounting and it required a high level of professionalism, and that took the accounting system to another level. Some companies would elect other companies as holding and they were responsible of auditing the financial records of the company because they were stakeholders of the company. In 1909, th e congress passed a law that abolished the income tax but it introduced franchise tax. Franchise tax law required companies to pay their income tax to the government; this meant that they were supposed to present their annual financial statements to the government. They were forced to calculate their expenses and their income in order to come up with the right amount which would be taxed. This regulation required the company to have a complex and well-established accounting system. The auditor’s from the governments were also required to calculate and evaluate the financial statements of those companies in order to ensure that they were true. This event took accounting to another level of professionalism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the introduction of franchise tax, there were no oppositions from the company owners because the tax had very low rate. The congress saw it as a success on their side and that is where they introduced a direct tax in 1913, this tax had higher rate than the franchise but it did not make an impact on organization and thus it was appropriate to companies. In this decade is where the First World War was fought, this war had a massive impact on the financial status of United States and thus they decided to raise the tax rate of companies. The new tax rates that were introduced by the congress required companies to give their excess profits to the tax unit. To determine the excess profits of a company required a more professional accounting system. The government would carry out the accounting processes but the companies would also use their auditors to evaluate their financial statements for transparency and accuracy in accounting. The ar ticle gives a clear history of the two decades that marked the recognition and the growth of accounting in United States (Frost, 1994 p. 75).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The events that happened shaped the accounting system of the United States, the current accounting system is out of those events and the way they influenced the accounting system. Currently, companies have a complex accounting system which ensures accurate financial statements of those companies. The historical event introduced an idea where a company had more than one auditor and that is what is there currently in companies. Companies especially the larger ones or the ones that merge employ more than one auditor, this is because they have many financial operations and there are more government’s regulations that require financial records of every company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Companies currently are operating on diversified bases and thus they have inherited an accounting system where they have established accounting branches in different places. These branches are there for the purpose of accounting only. This idea was inherited form the historical event of accounting in United States. The branches are conducted by professional auditors from the high level accounts schools that were introduced in United States. However, there are some branches of accounting that are introduced by private agencies and thus they are not owned by any company. Some companies which do not have auditors or they figure employing auditors to be expensive than hiring, they prefer taking their financial statements to the accounting branches. Other companies prefer to employ private auditors to do their accounting operations. The decisions of these companies are influenced by the history of accounting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Banks have been involved more on accounting operations in a greater way because of the influence during the 1900 to 1920 era. Banks have their auditors; this is because banks and companies have become one entity. Companies currently cannot operate without the assistance of banks. Companies require financial assistance and also accounting and financial advice from banks and in order to receive all that, banks must assess the financial status of the company and this is done through accounting process. This concept of accounting has helped many companies avoid serious financial problems but the original idea was from the 1900 to 1920 merging event. Government has also been influenced by this event where the tax system that was put in action during that time is still the same even today although some terms have been changed. The tax Unit in United States have established an auditors unit that is concerned with assessment of financial records o f different companies in order to evaluate the tax rates and the financial stands of different companies. The whole concept of government involvement with the financial issues of companies is as a result of the 1913 events of company taxations. Currently, government has the responsibility of annual assessment of all companies’ financial records in order to determine the taxation criteria to use (Maher, 2001 p. 300). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, accounting history of United States was greatly influenced by the political, social and economic situations in the country during the 1900 to 1920 era. The decision of companies to merge was the first step which marked professional recognition of accounting in United States, the issue of taxation during the same period marked the growth of accounting as profession in America. The two economic and political events influenced the current accounting system in a great way; the foundation of accounting system in United States was laid down by the two events that happened in 1900 and 1920. More research is being carried on to explore more on the accounting history in different countries. Reference Stephen A. Zeff. (2003). accounting profession in US: a review Article. Contemporary Accounting Research, 2(1), 189-205. doi:10.1111/j.1911-3846.1985.tb00607. Charles W. Wootton & Carel M. Wolk. (1992). Development of â€Å"the big eight† accounting firms in the United States, 1900-1990.: a Review Article. Accounting And Business Research, 9(36), 2. doi:10.1080/00014788.1979.9729170 Christopher J. Napier. (2009) Accounting Historiography: A Review Article. Journal Of Accounting Research, 1(2), 30-49. doi:10.2307/2489857 Frost, C., & Pownall, G. (1994). Accounting Disclosure Practices in the United States and the United Kingdom. Journal Of Accounting Research, 32(1), 75. doi:10.2307/2491388 Maher, M. (2001). The Evolution of Management Accounting Research in the United States. The British Accounting Review, 33(3), 293-305. doi:10.1006/bare.2001.0170 Links http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ruf.rice.edu%2F~sazeff%2FPDF%2FHorizons%2C%2520Part%2520I%2520%2528print%2529.pdf&ei=c53DVIq3HYOeygOhqoC4BQ&usg=AFQjCNHK0-fuRjxIaFx_Fhcm2irkeq0npg&sig2=Hbe-1XbRhXAfEQ1x7J7YEQ&bvm=bv.84349003,d.bGQhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpure.rhul.ac.uk%2Fportal%2Ffiles%2F9726813%2FNapier_Accounting_Historiography_Chapter_Final_Version.docx&ei=nZ3DVKCoM8fnywOW4oCQBQ&usg=AFQjCNF2TMA5Taow8bGh8IloT-akHFw_4w&sig2=YTqKJ_Jlv6iLFqsJYzkMjA&bvm=bv.84349003,d.bGQhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclio.lib.olemiss.edu%2Fcdm%2Fref%2Fcollection%2Faah%2Fid%2F11128&ei=hJ7DVLHeOsGrU-SUhMAI&usg=AFQjCNGrQQW06W5SPOdjzoGajkftCRYMZQ&sig2=A3u6u9KN-zhmqfg2LH7ARA&bvm=bv.84349003,d.d24 Source document

Traditional Viking Religion

Traditional Viking Religion The Vikings’ religious beliefs were constantly changing and evolving. They had many different ways of worshiping, and viewing their gods. It was dependent completely on where you lived, in what era, and what your social class was, though the Vikings weren’t very strict on this. Most of these beliefs were recorded after Christianity had already taken hold of the Viking culture. But, it seems that under their outer appearance of ‘good little Christians’, they were still telling the stories based on their original beliefs.These stories and myths ended up being documented in three different ways: Poetic Edda, Skaldic poetry, and Prose Edda. Poetic Edda was a compilation of poems written in Iceland just after the mid-thirteenth century. They came from all over Scandinavia, which includes the countries of present-day Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Skaldic poetry was written mostly in the ninth century, but is very compl ex, and therefore difficult for most people to understand. The Icelandic poet, politician, and historian, Snorri Sturluson, wrote Prose Edda in the 1220s.Prose Edda is the most commonly used resource on Viking mythology today, because it was Sturluson’s goal to revive (but also explain) the skaldic art. Along with his poems, he had a key of sorts that made understanding his work possible. (Wolf 148-149) Some Vikings believed that the world was made up of several circles of different worlds; all of them connected in some way. Others believed in the nine worlds that were all connected by the world tree, referred to as Yggdrasil (Roberts). Yggdrasil was at the center of the world, and had nine roots, each root branching out to one of the worlds.At the bottom of everything was Niflheim, the world of the dead. This realm is ruled by the death-goddess, Hel. She named a portion of Niflheim after herself. Unlike its Christian counterpart when it comes to the world of the dead, Niflhe im is a land of ice, not fire. There is a root leading into Niflheim, and one leading directly into Hel. Then came the land of the giants, Jotunheim. It is also sometimes called Utgard (Wolf 149); it was mostly known as the land of monsters, and enemies of the gods. After this, came a realm that there isn’t much to known about: Nidavellir, the realm of dwarfs.Next came three realms of almost equal rank. The two elf lands, Svartalfheim, the land of the dark elves, and Alfheim, the domain of the light elves. Alfheim was thought to be at the same level as the middle world, where humans dwelt, known as wither Midgard or The Middle Yard. Then at the top of everything were the two different major realms where gods lived: Asgard, where the Aesier gods and goddesses lived, and Vanaheim, where the Vanier (another tribe of gods and goddesses that were more nature focused than the Asier) lived. In Asgard and Vanaheim each deity lived in his or her own kingdom.It was believed that a flam ing rainbow bridge called Bifrost, connected Midgard to the worlds where the gods lived. There were also two other realms that weren’t connected to Yggdrasil. These were Muspell, and Ginnungagap. Muspell was the land of the Fire Giants, and demons, ruled by Surt (Roberts), who plays a vital role in both the beginning and the end of the world. Ginnungagap is the Void of Chaos, where life began. It separates Niflheim and Muspell. In the beginning, before even humans or gods there were three realms: Muspell, Niflheim, and Ginnungagap.In between Muspell and Niflheim two creatures were formed; a gargantuan frost giant, Ymir, and a huge cow, Andumla. Ymir drank some of Andumal’s milk and grew strong. After this development, the first giants sprung out of Ymir’s legs and armpits (Roberts). Then while Andumla was licking the salty ice, it uncovered the first god: Buri. He had a son by a giantess, Bestla. This son, Bor, fathered three sons with the giantess Bestla: Odin, Vili, and Ve (godchecker ink. ). These three got into a fight with Ymir, and managed to kill him; in the way all classic heroes kill monsters.Then, after hauling the frost giant’s body to the middle of Ginningagap, they created the world with him. Using his flesh for land, bones for mountains, and his blood for water. Ymir’s skull formed the vault of the sky. Still-glowing embers from Muspell were used for the sun, moon, and stars. The first tree was Yiggdrasil. It was supposed to support the entire universe. The nine realms were built off it. They then made the first man and woman out of trees, an ash and an elm that they had found washed up on the shore. From the ash and a tree trunk they made Ask, the first man.From the Elm they created the first woman, Embla. At the base of Yiggdrasil lived the three norns. These were the goddesses of destiny. They represent past, present and future, and spin everyone’s destiny. Urd works with past, Verdandi deals with the present, and Skuld decides the future. It was also their job to take care of Yiggdrasil. They watered the land as well as repaired any damage done to the tree. They were very different from the rest of the gods. They didn’t go around having love lives, and getting mixed up in feuds of all sorts of trouble. There is one thing that the norns cannot save Yiggdrasil from.At the end of the world, Ragnarok, the world tree itself will be destroyed. The Viking story of the end of the world is the end of the entire universe. Everyone except a few select gods and two humans perish. Before the great battle between the gods and the evil creatures, a dark age comes upon the earth. For three years it is a dark winter. In this time the world of men will be consumed in war with everyone fighting each other. Family ties are broken, and become friendships forgotten. These relationships are vastly important to Vikings. To have them be destroyed would seem very wrong to any Viking.To top it all off the sun, moon, and stars disappear, leaving the world in darkness. The land is shaken with terrible earthquakes, causing trees to uproot, and mountains to topple. These earthquakes also free the wolf, Fenrir, and his father, the trickster god Loki from their bonds. Fenrir was imprisoned when he grew too big, strong, and wild to be kept as a pet in Asgard. A magical ribbon was the only thing capable of restraining him. But before this, he bit off the hand of his trainer, Tyr. Loki was imprisoned when he was accused correctly of causing the death of Odin’s favorite son, Baldur.The earthquakes also anger the great Midgard Serpent deep in the ocean. The serpent will come on land, and spew its terribly poisonous venom everywhere. Along with these creatures, all of the other enemies of the gods, such as the giants and the demons of Muspell (led by Surt), will come together and attack the worlds of humans, and cross Bifrost to attack the gods. All of the gods will fight to defen d their realm, and that of the humans. However, even with all of their strength, they will fail. Fenrir kills Odin. But Vidar, one of Odin’s many sons, avenges Odin’s death.Thor is poisoned by the Midgard Serpent’s venom after killing it. Surt kills Freyr, because Freyr doesn’t have his sword. After killing Freyr, Surt catches the earth aflame, and burns it all up. Then what is left of the earth will sink beneath the sea. But that is not the end. Not of everything. Yiggdrasil still exists. In it’s branches, two humans, Lif and Lifthrasir (godchecker ink. ), were protected. Also Vidar, leading several other gods have survived. As well as these Baldr and Hod come back from the dead to help recreate earth, and rule the gods.The three most commonly worshiped gods were Frey(r), Odin, and Thor. In several instances statues of the three of them were found together, usually with Thor in the center, and Frey and Odin at his sides. These three covered most o f the needs of the Viking people, which include the needs of farmers, sailors, warriors, poets, and noblemen. It isn’t a surprise why these three were the main gods. As well as Frey, Thor, and Odin there were many other gods. In Norse mythology there are dozens of different gods, each playing a different role. Odin, for a while, was the head god.He is the god of war, revenge, wisdom, poetry, and magic. His belongings are Gungir, a spear that always hits its mark, and Draupnir, a magical gold ring that can duplicate itself. Dwarves made these items, as well as most of the god’s enchanted tools. He also had five animal allies: two ravens, Huginn (thought) and Munninn (memory), two wolves, Freki and Geri, as well as his eight-legged horse, Loki’s son, Sleipnir. He was a bit knowledge-hungry instead of the usual: power-hungry. Once upon a time, Odin gave one of his eyes to the Well of Mimir for the right to drink from the well.The Well bestowed great knowledge to hi m. This Well of Mimir lies at the base of Yiggdrasil. Another time he was said to have hung himself on Yiggdrasil for the right to know all about the runes, so he could teach man, and his gods to be literate and even more powerful. Nobles, warriors, poets and magic-users (magicians, seers, mystics†¦) commonly worshiped Odin. They all gave sacrifices to him. He was worshiped by the nobles because he himself was pretty much god royalty. Odin was also very interested in politics, and these worshippers hoped that he could help them in their thinking.The poets worshiped Odin, because he had drunk some of the poetry mead (alcoholic beverage). This made Odin very talented with his words. So they worshiped him to gain his knowledge of language. He was also a good muse, for those poets lacking inspiration. But if Odin were used as a muse, then of course Odin would be pleased, and help them with their skills. So worshipping Odin was helpful for many poets. Odin was very practiced in the art of magic. So it was thought to be beneficial for any user of magic to ask for his favor. Odin however, wasn’t the only god versed in magical arts.Any other gods who knew much about magic could be called upon. Odin was not the only option. Warriors gave sacrifices to Odin before battles, praying for victory. To gain his favor one would usually give sacrifices of either animals or humans (Roberts). But sometimes this wasn’t good enough. Odin usually got his warrior worshippers killed during battle. Many of these warriors were the dreaded berserkers, who either took a drug-like-substance or riled themselves up so that they fought like fierce animals. As you can see, he clearly had a very violent, brutal, and insane side.The beautiful Valkyries, Odin’s shield maidens, took these dead men away. The dead men were brought to Valhalla, Odin’s hall. There, the warriors fought battles with each other all day, then ate and caroused all night. Then they did it al l over again. Any wounds suffered were miraculously healed at the end of each battle. Odin is officially married to Frigg, but, like many other pagan gods, has many affairs with many other women. He had many children with goddesses and giantesses of all sorts. His most well known children are: Baldr, Thor, Heimdal, Ty, Hod, Vidar, and Valdi.The god who was worshiped the most overall was Thor. This was because he was so easy to relate to, since his talents were those that most people wanted supporting them. He was a fabulous warrior, but he was also the god of farming and storm (and therefore was the weather) god. So he was worshiped by all of the common people: farmers and seamen. Because Thor became really popular in the ninth and tenth centuries, he was the chief rival of Christ, when the Christians were trying to convert all of the Vikings. This was one of the reasons it took so long to convert all of the Vikings.Thor also had some special items that helped him out in battle. His hammer, Mjolnir, iron belt and gauntlet gloves. The hammer never missed its target, and always returns to Thor after it has been thrown, like a boomerang. The iron belt gives Thor the strength needed to throw the heavy hammer; and the gloves give him the strength in his wrists to catch the hammer when it returns to him. Thor was very prepared for physical combat. Hammer amulets (representing Thor) were widely popular throughout Scandinavia. Scads of them have been found in archeological digs. This proves how beloved by the Vikings he was.Also, in later years of the Viking period, during Thor’s â€Å"prime†, he was at the center of monuments, bearing images of him, Odin, as well as Frey. One of the best things about Thor, at least in the minds of the Viking people, is that there were never human sacrifices given to him. At least there were never any records hinting at it. He was a kind god, and protected his people in all of the myths about him. Sacrifices of animals a nd valuable objects (weapons, jewelry, especially fancy tools) were given to him in times of danger from famine or plague. This proves the people’s trust in his kindheartedness. The third most popular god was Frey.He was the god of fertility. Actually the only know male god of fertility. Sacrifices were made to him at weddings to promote the fertility of the couple. Being a god of fertility also made him the â€Å"ecology god†, which made him god of meadows, farming, fisheries, and food in general. Since his father is Niord, the sea god, Frey has some power over the sea as well. Because of this position, he became the god of ship builders too. His magically special object is a ship. It can shrink and be folded up so that he can carry it around in his pocket. But still be large enough, when unfolded, to carry all of the gods.Frey is associated with ship funerals. Wealthier worshippers of Frey would be buried on land in ships filled with typical loot, which was a type of tcommon Viking burial. He was forced to give away his sword in the long arduous process of wooing his beautiful giantess wife, Gerd. So, worshippers of Frey don’t carry swords to honor and respect him. As well as not tolerating swords, outlaws of any kind are not permitted in his presence. Frey had a twin sister: Freya, who was the most widely celebrated of all the pagan goddesses. She is at the center of many myths. She was, like her brother, a goddess of fertility.She was also a goddess of magic known as Sied (Wolf, 151), love, and the leader of the Valkyries. She was married to Od (who might have been a version of Odin), but he left her for another. She was sad, as she had truly loved him, but was strong enough to move on easily. She had rather loose morals, and â€Å"slept around† quite a bit. Using her sexual prowess she was able to get the necklace of sensuality from the four dwarves who had made it. As well as being the head of the Valkyries, she was the head o f the Thedisir, a group of goddesses who are attached to a particular place, or type of object.This made her closely connected with guardian spirits otherwise known as fylgjur. These spirits protect certain special places, such as places of natural beauty, and the homes of their worshippers. Bragi is the god who recites poetry. He is the god of all bards and storytellers. He loves to learn, and promotes others to do likewise. His wife, Idun grows the fruit of immortality: golden apples. The laboring god, Weyland is a blacksmith. He is the God of experience, and a master craftsman. He was created because the people of Iceland wanted a god that wasn’t warlike, and who was actually a useful person. (Meadows) Weyland was that god.The god of justice and law was Tyr. He was a loyal man, and fought for his leader, usually Odin. He looses a hand to Fenrir because he trusts him. This shows his ability to blindly trust, and think the best of people. That was his best trait. Though when he did learn something foul about someone, they’d better beware because one-handed or not, he is a valiant warrior. Heimdall was the guardian of the rainbow bridge, Bifrost. He had a special horn to sound, warning the other gods, when he saw Surt’s great army approaching, announcing that the great battle of Ragnarok was to commence. He is the son of Odin and the nine wave sisters.Odin’s official wife, Frigg was the mother of all, protector of children, and associated with child bearing and the home. She has a sacred â€Å"Distaff of life† that she uses to spin for the â€Å"Fabric of the Universe†. She has the power to see into the future, and is the best of all the gods in this area. Loki is the trickster god. He was both a friend and an enemy to the gods. He is always stirring up trouble. He is the parent of many of the great monsters. As an outcome of his affair with Angrbodi (a beautiful giantess) he fathered the death goddess, Hel, the monste rous wolf, Fenrir, and the midgard serpent.His only legitimate offspring was Narfi, his son. Narfi doesn’t play a very large role. When he transformed into a mare, as part of a plan to save Freya, he begot Odin’s mount, Sleipnir One time Loki got into too much trouble. When he tricked the blind Hod into killing his beautiful brother Baldyr (sons of Odin), it was decided that he had gone too far. Because of his numerous crimes, he was tied up with Narfi’s guts, and imprisoned in a cave with only his wife to ease his suffering, until Ragnarok, when he rides with Surt to destroy the gods. As the Daughter of Loki, Hel had a lot to live up to.In anticipation of her evil tendencies, Odin sent her to Niflheim, and made her the goddess of the underworld, and the dead. She doesn’t like it down there very much, and resents Odin for this. To get back at him she also joins her father and Surt for Ragnarok. Surt was â€Å"The Destroyer†. He is the leader of the fire demons, and is a key player in the final battle of Ragnarok. He miraculously survives Ragnarok, so that he can do it all over next time round. No one was said to worship him. He was the closest thing to Christianity’s Lucifer. The Vikings had to have places to worship, or not worship in some cases like Surt.Most of the Vikings worshiped outside. In holy groves and meadows that had rocks, small hills, and swamps where they placed their offerings. These places were sometimes specific for gods, but most of the time the places were just general places of worship. As well as these outdoor places of worship there were also in-town places such as holy rocks, wells and other objects. In different places, at certain times worshippers had festivals to celebrate the gods. One such festival was held every nine years. Nine men, as well as nine each of different sorts of animals (all male) were sacrificed.Their blood was presented to an idol, and their bodies were strung up in a near by sacred grove. Sacrifices that were given to the gods were mostly animals such as dogs, horses, and farm animals. They were thrown into rivers, tossed off cliffs, and hung on trees in sacred groves for their blood to drain out into the holy ground. Human sacrifices were made sometimes. It was not an every-day occasion. Only for special occasions such as a festival, when a god’s help was especially needed, or when there was another important event, such as the death of an important man.There were often temples for the gods in Viking villages. The local chieftain or leader maintained each temple. The heads of the other main households always aided them. A classic example of a Viking funeral is this: the body is cleaned, dressed with normal clothing, and buried in the ground with items the person might need in the afterlife. Such as food, drink, weapons, tools, and other such things. There would often be dead animals such as horses, dogs, chickens, and sometimes their wife/ser vant/slave. Often times the dead would be set in an underground room in a bed with all of their belongings around them.Some Vikings believed that the spirit lived on as a ghost. Either in the underground tomb their body was left in, in a special haunted hill with the rest of the family, or close to their family as a protector. The alternate funeral would be to burn the body. This was especially common for Odin’s worshippers, and people in general who died in battle, so that they would be sent straight up to Valhalla, and to that fabulous hall of fallen warriors. The Vikings weren’t all that different from any other polytheistic religion of the time. Most of their gods represented desirable human qualities; just like the Greek/Roman gods.They had a creation story, and a destruction story (apocalypse). They bury and burn their dead; just like we do today. The Vikings also believed in a sort of heaven, and in ghosts. Their religion isn’t all that different from any other. They aren’t barbaric pagans; they weren’t the only culture to sacrifice humans and animals to their gods. They Viking religion is similar to other religions, but at the same time it has it’s own mythology and myths that are very unique. The Norse religion is just a religion, with its special characteristics that have transferred from the Viking way of life over into their religion.They needed strong, warlike gods because during the age of Vikings there was a lot of fighting going on. The Vikings made their gods able to defend them form the other evils in the world; ones that the Vikings couldn’t take care of without help. Like any other people would have if they lived in the same conditions. The Christian God of the day would smite badly behaved people, and sent them to hell. The Crusades, that the whole of Christian Europe was involved in, was all about fighting. Norse mythology and religion had their Gods constantly fighting he giants and monste rs; it was a way the Vikings expressed their part in all of the violence.Bibliography: Godchecker Ink. â€Å"Viking Gods of Norse Mythology. † www. godchecker. com, January 31, 2010 < http://www. godchecker. com/pantheon/norse-mythology. php >. This resource was mostly helpful. It was a good reference point. Its facts were all very straightforward, and it had information about almost all of the places and people mentioned in Norse mythology. The one problem with the site is that it was written in a very modern style. With innuendoes, and annoying, uneducated slang and inferior language. I used it only to reference my other sources.Jovinelly, Joan, and Netelkos, Jason. The crafts and culture of the Vikings. New York, Ny: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2002. Most of this book was craft projects for children. But in the page or two of information about Viking religion, I was told about the most important aspects of Viking religion. Which was very important for the organi zation of my paper. It also had all of the things that I knew that had to be in my paper. I don’t want to be less informative than a children’s book.Meadows, Edmund. â€Å"The Pre Ragnarok Viking Gods. www. viking-z. org, January 31, 2010 < http://www. viking-z. org/vikg. html >. This source was a bit overwhelming. It had a lot of information that I used, but a lot of things mixed in that either was a bit too deep, or that were about actually practicing the Viking religion. So I was forced to look through it all, and pick out the things that were relevant to my paper. But on the bright side, the information I found was very good, and it helped me a great deal with my research.Roberts, Judson. â€Å"Myth and Religion. † www. strongbowsaga. com, date accessed lt;http://www. strongbowsaga. com/introduction. asp>. This essay I found on the strongbow saga website was very useful. It had important information on all of the topics I planned to cover in the co urse of my paper. There was a detailed account on all of the main gods and supernatural beings. As well as information on the worship practices of the Vikings. There was also, included in the manuscript, the best description I could find on the creation of the earth story. With a decent telling of the end of the world.Simpson, Jacqueline. Everyday Life In The Viking Age. London, England: Jarrold and Sons Ltd, 1967. This resource was very similar to Daily Life of the Vikings. It had a lot of the same information. The main difference was that it was older and contained pictures relating to the gods, or rites described in the passage. But it, as was the former, was very useful, and had a lot of information. Including a shocking account of a Viking funeral. That was one of the best things about these two books. They had passages from the journals of people who had witnessed Viking religious rites. It was good to get first hand accounts.Wolf, Kirsten. Daily Life of The Vikings. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004. This book was exceedingly helpful. It gave me a lot of invaluable information on subjects the other sources hardly touched on. Such as the sources for all of the knowledge we have of Viking religion today. It also tells about each of the important gods, and Viking practices involving worship, funerals, and the dead. It turns out that the Vikings were very superstitious of their dead people. It was very entertaining to read about.Unknown. â€Å"Meet the Gods and Goddesses of the Norse Pantheon. www. wizardrealm. com, Janurary 31, 2010 < http://www. wizardrealm. com/norse/gods. html >. This went into a lot of detail about each and every one of the known Norse gods. It was very useful in the portion of my report where I was talking about all of the important Viking gods. But sadly, it wasn’t very special, and didn’t tell me anything that I couldn’t have gotten from another of my resources. The best thing I can say about it is that is condensed the information about each god nicely. But there always has to be one (or two) of those.