Cultural - Geographical and Environmental Diversity

Question: Discuss about the Cultural, Geographical and Environmental Diversity. Answer: Introduction: It is a well-known fact that Australia is a land of cultural, geographical and environmental diversity, and it has got as many as 900 distinct aboriginal groups scattered all over the nation. As a country I believe Australia has characterized by so many cultural groups and ethnic tribes, and hence Australia has witnessed the diversity of various popular myths and philosophical thoughts elaborated over the past years by the indigenous group of people. The concept of dreaming is one such myth in the Indigenous community that is an integral part of the identity as well as spiritual belief of the Aboriginals (Bird et al. 2013). Although from the European perspective I think the act of dreaming is chiefly a psychological phenomenon explained in terms of Freudian school of psychology, the Australian perspective focuses on dream as a manifestation of a complex and inexplicable truth of life. Dreaming in the Aboriginal community is a phenomenon, less psychological and more real, that in itself explains the state of the world and reveals the deeper, inner meaning of life. Dreaming has no time, rather it reveals things as they are in the world, and is termed as a psychic state that helps the Aboriginals establish contact with the world, the spiritual truth of life, or simply their ancestors. The Aboriginals believe that the process of dreaming is an eternal, timeless phase and that right from his birth till his demise any Aboriginal individual exists in the Dreaming (Bird et al. 2013). I believe that Dreaming in itself is deemed to be the source of all Aboriginals, and as such it establishes the cultural rules, s ocial norms and worldview of indigenous people of Australia (Harrison and McConchie 2013). As a result of the cultural diversity of the aboriginal group of people in Australia, the phenomenon of Dreaming is referred to by various names, such as Manguny, Wongar, and many more, but in each of the dialect, it is used to imply the spiritual process that rules the world, the life-force which is responsible for maintaining the harmony of the universe. However, the most important feature of Dreaming process, I believe is that dreaming as an act is believed to be practiced by each living Aboriginal of Africa, and does not recognize the social hierarchy and order that determines the religious practice of any community. Dreaming is timeless eternity; it is a creative process every man participates in, till his death, irrespective of his class or social status. I think Dreaming to the Aboriginals is past, present as well as future; it is the spiritual reality that the individuals exist in. Dre aming at once is the heroic time of the past when the relation between man and nature was first established, and yet it is also the order and law that rules the present and determines the existence of things and beings as they are. In this way, Dreaming is a holy era which witnessed their Totemic spirit forming a part of creation, and it is at the same time the central point of their spiritual beliefs and perceptions of the world (Tonkinson 2013). According to me, Dreaming as a phenomenon explains the broad line of demarcation that exists between the Eurocentric worldview and that of the Aboriginal worldview. First of all, the act of dreaming is not a psychological phenomenon, but is rather the revelation of truth that extends much beyond the scope of science. It does not recognize any social order, and rather establishes a condition that each individual stays in, and hence can practice as well (Anderson 2013). Social hierarchy I believe, plays an important role in any community, and yet it does not hold the truth for the Aboriginals. Again, while almost every community and ethnic group in the world recognizes the existence of at least one God or Holy Spirit, that explains the source of Creation, the Aboriginals do not believe in anything outside the phenomenon of Dreaming, the only act that helps them intuitively understand the source of all things, living and dead. Hence, I think that Dreaming according to the Aboriginals, i s a phenomenon that explains existence and governs the Universe. The land is not merely a place to live in, and earn money as is the case with us; the Aboriginals view land as the center of creative acts of Dreaming that ultimately leads to the present and future (Eidelson 2014). To conclude, I must say that the act of Dreaming is an important concept pervading the spiritual belief and religious thoughts of the Aboriginals of Australia. The concept of Dreaming emphasizes the idea of intersubjectivity that dominates the mystical view of the Aboriginals. The Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia believe that not only the people are capable of communicating with the spiritual world, but the spiritual environment also seeks to establish communication with the people. Dreaming thus emerges to be relation of harmony and oneness, existing between the inhabitants of the world, and the cosmos. Reference List: Anderson, P., 2013. Dreaming up the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Public Health Racism as a Public Health Issue [Internet]. Sydney.New South Wales: The University of New South Wales Lowitja Institute. Bird, R.B., Tayor, N., Codding, B.F. and Bird, D.W., 2013. Niche construction and Dreaming logic: aboriginal patch. Bird, R.B., Tayor, N., Codding, B.F. and Bird, D.W., 2013. Niche construction and Dreaming logic: aboriginal patch mosaic burning and varanid lizards (Varanus gouldii) in Australia.Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences,280(1772), p.20132297. Eidelson, M., 2014.Melbourne Dreaming: A guide to important places of the past and present(Vol. 129). Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. Harrison, M.D. and McConchie, P., 2013.My people's dreaming: An Aboriginal elder speaks on life, land, spirit and forgiveness. HarperCollins Australia. Tonkinson, R., 2013. Dream-Spirits and Innovation in Aboriginal Australias Western Desert.International Journal of Transpersonal Studies,32(1).

Religions And Japanese Culture Essays - Polytheism, Shinto, Kami

Religions And Japanese Culture Many religions are popular within the Japanese culture. Two of the most influential religions, Shinto and Buddhism that help shaped a lot of Japanese values are Shinto and Buddhism, played a large role in shaping Japanese values. Numerous similarities and differences run between these two religions; nonetheless, the Japanese often believe in more than one religion at the same time. This is possible due to the polytheistic nature of most popular religions in Japan. It is not hard to say that religion is a big part of Japanese culture because a lot of religious beliefs can still be seen in their everyday lives. Shinto is a polytheistic native Japanese religion. Followers believe that much of nature is sacred; spirits animates everything in the nature. For example, Japanese still believe that Mount. Fuji is sacred. They believe something that big and great exists only because Kami, or spirit, resides within the mountain. In this fashion, they give great respect to nature. These Shinto beliefs have great influence on the ways Japanese today do things and their values. Japanese garden designs also reflect Shinto beliefs. Careful arrangements of rocks and plants are attempts to create a miniature universe or attempts to move a piece of nature into their house. Similarly, the principles of floral design show their interest in nature. They focus on the importance of light and shadow, and the fullness versus the void, instead of focusing on the symmetry. The reason? Flowers and plants do not grow symmetrically in nature. They lean towards the sun creating a void in the shadow. Japanese respect and seek to bring the beauty of nature closer to them, therefore, a lot of Japanese arts are imitations or miniatures of nature. These traces of Shinto belief clearly still exist in Japan today. Later on, the Japanese adapted another religion, Buddhism. Like Shinto, Buddhism is also a polytheistic religion. Moreover, because Shinto does not explain the afterlife while Buddhism does, these two religions co-existed in Japanese culture. Many people adapt to both religions belief system at the same time. Zen Buddhism became widely adapted by the samurais later on during the Warrior Period. Zen Buddhism focuses on the discipline of individuals, one of the many reasons why samurais are seen as very refined warriors. They are often portrayed as being able to sense an enemys attacks before they actually happen. This is an exaggeration of a samurais ability to concentrate and focus on a goal. The samurais often use a Zen Buddhism technique called Za Zen to help clear their mind. A practical religion, Zen Buddhism helps to enhance self-discipline and improve ones self-concentration. One of the teachings of Zen Buddhism is Bushin, meaning the clarification of the mind. A cleared mind a llows the samurais to concentrate better on the task at hand and respond faster to enemies attacks, make Zen Buddhism a very attractive religion to these warriors. Martial arts in Japan today also stress the importance of concentration. However, Bushin no longer applies to solely concentration in combat, but to all forms of concentration. For example, practicing martial arts is said to effective for improving ones performance at work due to better concentration skills. This type of application of the Zen Buddhism is very popular in modern Japan. Religions obviously play a large role in modern Japanese culture. Eighty-six percent of the Japanese population believes they are being watched over by spirits. Ironically, however, seventy percent of the population also said that they do not believe in any religions. I believe that there are several reasons for this irrational response of the Japanese people. First of all, many religious beliefs are already integrated as parts of the Japanese culture. This means that even though Japanese have the same beliefs as some religion, they do not necessarily believe in it. For example, non-Shinto followers also believe in the greatness of Mt. Fuji due to the Kami within it. Similarly, they do not have to believe in Zen Buddhism to value self-discipline or practice Za Zen and any other techniques for improving concentration. Moreover, because the Japanese, often practices syncretism, or the attempts to reconcile two different belief systems, they might not consider themselves as belonging to

Argumentative Essay Sample - Making Your Argumentative Essay One Of The Most Important Essays You Will Ever Write

Argumentative Essay Sample - Making Your Argumentative Essay One Of The Most Important Essays You Will Ever WriteIf you are a sophomore or junior in college, an argumentative essay may be one of the most difficult essays you will write in your entire life. This is especially true if you are coming up against someone who has been in your college for years.There is no easy way to answer this question. Your essay will always be unique because no one else has written it before. You have to figure out exactly what type of argumentative essay you want to write based on the topic you want to cover.The best way to learn how to write an argumentative essay is to look at the most basic idea of writing. When you are planning out your essay for the first time, you need to break the essay down into two major parts. These parts are the body and the conclusion.The body is the main idea of the essay. This will provide you with all of the basic information that will help you with the major ideas that you are going to use in your essay. Once you know what you are going to use in the body, you can start putting the information into your paragraphs.One of the best ways to get your main idea across is to show in your body exactly why this is important to you. If you are a liberal, then you should use this to explain why liberal people will agree with you and why conservative people will disagree with you.By using true statements that you have researched and used in your topic, you will show other people exactly why this is the right thing to do. By placing these statements in your body, you are showing people that you are one of the most educated people in the world, and this is the reason you are writing this essay.You can also use your conclusion to do the same thing, but you need to avoid making statements that are too sweeping. You don't want to make it seem like this is an opinion and they are only agreeing with it because it is an opinion.Instead, you need to state a point of view that is backed up by facts and research. You can do this by pointing out a difference in a way that the conservative and liberal views on the topic of the essay are presented. Using facts to back up your point of view will be more convincing than just stating your own opinion.

Japanese Economic Development essays

Japanese Economic Development essays JAPANESE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POST WORLD WAR II World War II left many powerful nations in smoke and rubble. The deconstruction of many countries gave them the chance to rebuild their cities and economies. No country took more advantage of this opportunity than Japan. Japan was a huge militaristic power in World War II . Their aggressive behavior caused them to be stripped of their military and their power for self rule. The demilitarization of Japan changed the countrys focus from world militaristic domination to world economic domination. The country established free trade, manufactured goods, and improved and invented technology, making themselves one of the largest economic World War II exploded across Europe and the rest of the world in 1939. Germany and Japan had united to take over Europe, Russia, and the Pacific islands. The focus of the Japanese was to conquer China. Conquering the mighty country was not as easy as they expected and they needed more resources as the war dragged on. Japan turned its focus to the Pacific Islands for resources for their war with China. There was a barrier that stood between Japan and those resources they needed: the United States Navy. Admiral Isoroku Yamatmoto of the Japanese Navy stated that, The U.S. fleet in Hawaii is a dagger pointed at our throat and must be destroyed (Beck et al p.827). Early in the morning of December 7, 1941 American sailors at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, awoke to the roar of explosives (Beck et al p.827). Within two hours the Japanese had sunk or damaged 18 ships, including eight battleships - nearly the whole U.S. pacific fleet. Some 2,400 Americans died, more than 1,000 were wounded (Beck et al p.827). The news of the attack shocked America. The day after President Roosevelt announced to Congress and the world that the United States had declared war on Japan. After the attack of Pearl...

What to Do If Youre Placed on Academic Probation

What to Do If Youre Placed on Academic Probation Being placed on academic probation while in college is serious business. You may have known it was coming, you may have had no idea it was coming- but now that its here, its time to sit up and pay attention. What Exactly Is Academic Probation? Academic probation can mean various things at different colleges and universities. Usually, however, it means that your academic performance (either in a series of classes or through your GPA) is not strong enough for you to be making acceptable progress toward your degree. Consequently, if you dont improve, you may be asked (translation: required) to leave the college. Learn the Specifics of Your Probation Just like schools can have different definitions of academic probation, students can have different terms for their academic probation. Read the fine print of your warning letter and make sure you understand everything thats in there. How do you need to change your academic standing? To what? By when? What happens if you dont do so- will you need to leave the college? Leave just the residence hall? Not be eligible for financial aid? Get Help No matter how confident you felt, clearly something did not work out if youre on academic probation. Check in with people for help: your academic advisor, your professors, a tutor, other students in the class, and anyone else you can utilize as a resource. Sure, it may be awkward to ask for help, but doing is almost certainly less awkward than having to leave college before you had planned to. Keep Getting Help Lets say you reach out for help, get a tutor, and work, work, work to study for your next chemistry test- which you promptly ace. Your confidence goes up and you start to feel like you may not need as much help as you thought you did. Be extra careful not to let yourself fall into your old patterns- you know, the ones that got you into academic probation in the first place- and to stick with getting help throughout the term. Prioritize Your Other Commitments If youre placed on academic probation, youll need to do a serious assessment of your other commitments. Passing your classes now becomes your number one priority (as it should have been from the beginning). Be honest with yourself about your other commitments in college and, as hard as it may be, cut out as much as you need to in order to make sure your academics are getting the time and attention they deserve. After all, you cant be involved in all you want to do if youre not allowed back in school next semester. Make a list of what you need to do (like working) versus what you want to do (like being heavily involved in your Greeks social planning committee) and make some changes as needed.

The dynamics shaping an organisations Financial reporting and Essay

The dynamics shaping an organisations Financial reporting and accounting procedures - Essay Example Previous research asserts that IAS, in contrast to domestic accounting standards, restricts and confines managerial discretion as far as the choice of accounting methods is concerned and necessitates a higher level of disclosure (Ashbaugh & Pincus 2001). In harmony with the idea that higher quality accounting standards pave the way for enhanced firm transparency, it was further affirmed that the adoption of IAS leads to lower analyst forecast error. In like manner, the act of having third parties to audit a firm's financial reports can improve the quality of the financial information reported by management (Dopuch & Simunic 1982; Watts & Zimmerman 1986). The significance and merit of an audit derives from users' expectations that auditors will spot, distinguish, correct and reveal relevant lapses or misstatements in the financial reports (DeAngelo 1981; Watts and Zimmerman 1986). To the extent that external auditors probe information in the financial statements to autonomous and impa rtial analysis, such external audit increases and enhances the consistency and integrity of financial statements. Company Overview Under the old Corporation Law of the Philippines, Act 1459, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) was incorporated on November 28, 1928, subsequent to the agreement of partnership of four telephone companies under common ownership by American entities. In 1967, effective control of PLDT was sold by General Telephone and Electronics Corporation (a major shareholder since PLDT's incorporation) to a group of Filipino businessmen. On March 24, 2000, NTT Communications Corporation, through NTTC-UK, became PLDT's strategic partner with roughly 15% economic and voting interest in the issued common capital stock of PLDT. Concurrent with NTT Communications Corporation's investment in PLDT, it acquired 100% of Smart Communications, Inc. PLDT's charter, like those of all other Philippine corporations, was initially limited to a period of 50 years but has since been extended twice for 25 years each, the last extension being for an additional 25-year period to 2028. Under its amen ded charter (Republic Act No. 7082), which became effective on August 24, 1991, PLDT is authorized to provide virtually every type of telecommunications service, both within the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries. The Philippines' biggest and an extremely expanded telecommunications company, its business is categorized under three principal domains: Wireless, Fixed Line, and Information and Communications Technology. Philippine Accounting Practices - Brief Historical Background The Accountancy Act 1967, which substituted the Accountancy Act 1923, directed the standardisation of accounting education, set and specified the examination process for CPA registration, and synchronised the practice of accountancy. The Act permitted

Student evaluation form Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Student evaluation form - Essay Example Specific examples of such acts of professional behavior can be given in regards to how the student keep data and information confidential and monitors patients to ensure that patients stick precisely to prescription even if patients begin to record substantial degrees of recovery. The student shows positive inter-personal relationship with patients in terms of attending to their needs in the consulting room and in the office. Such inter-personal relationship is exhibited through the patience with which the trainee has in listening to the problems of patients and the patience taken to give out reasons and explanations as to why patients experience certain conditions. There however exists some little amount of limitation when it comes to rapport with staff. Specifically, the trainee often wants to work independently and is therefore not very comfortable with team work. As far as motivation is concerned, it can be said that the student has a very high level of intrinsic motivation that urges him to give off his best at work even when not asked to attend to certain tasks. This motivation is translated into regularity and punctuality to work (Ameyaw,