Swange Dance

SWANGE DANCE Introduction. Benue State is state of the historic Benue river, a State renowned for the valiancy of its progenitors, a State of notable political gladiators and hardworking people who rightly brand themselves as ‘the food basket of the nation’. Benue is also a State of rich cultures and traditions, as exemplified in the world acclaimed SWANGE DANCE which has brought fame to both the State and the nation. Meaning of Dance Dance is a type of art that generally involves movement of the body, often rhythmic and to music.It is performed in many cultures as a form of emotional expression, social interaction, or exercise, in a spiritual or performance setting, and is sometimes used to express ideas or tell a story. Dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal communication between humans or other animals, as in bee dances and behaviour patterns such as a mating dances. Definitions of what constitutes dance can depend on social and cultural norms and aesthetic , artistic and moral sensibilities.Definitions may range from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Martial arts kata are often compared to dances, and sports such as gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are generally thought to incorporate dance. In some cases, the motion of ordinarily inanimate objects may be described as dance (the leaves danced in the wind). History Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture.Joseph Jordania recently suggested that dance, together with rhythmic music and body painting, was designed by the forces of natural selection at the early stage of hominid evolution as a potent tool to put groups of human ancestors in a battle trance, a specific altered state of consciousness. The same could be said of the Swange dance which originated from middle belt of Nigeria, Benue state, among the Tiv, Igala and Idoma people, a locale which is around the River Niger. Swange is a popular social dance of the Tiv people of Benue State in Central Nigeria.It is a dance of fast, slow, rhythmic and undulating movements, expressing youth and vigour. Swange is played at various types of social and religious functions for the enjoyment of the old and the young. The dance is characterized by rhythmic contortion in slow mode & vibrant display, typical of African dance forms. It has wonderful beat and beautiful rhythm. It is heavily percussion- based, aided by a traditional horn (al-gaita), which blows in an unbroken succession for as long as the drumming, Singing and dancing is going on. The dance particularly exhibits fluidity in body movement, which was inspirited by the flow of the River .Sixfootplus had this to say about it â€Å"Swange is the name given to the traditional dance of the Tiv-speaking people of Benue state of Nigeria. The dance is cha racterized by rhythmic contortion in slow mode & vibrant display, typical of African dance forms. It is heavily percussion- based, aided by a traditional horn (al-gaita), which blows in an unbroken succession for as long as the drumming, Singing and dancing is going on. † Some Benue artists mix this dance pattern up with their stage performances to the admiration of their fans; notable amond these are, Zulezoo, Bravo D, Sixfootplus etc.If you have been opportuned to listen to Swange music or watched the Swange dance, let us know what you feel about it. Significance of Swange Dance Swange Dance has been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. [pic] Swange Dance References www. nairaland. com/12749/swange-music-how-see-it http://www. goodlife. com. ng/gltourism. php? gltourism=read&id=164 Joseph Jordania, 2011, Why do People Sing? Music in Human Evolution, Logos, pg. 98-102

The Chinese Three Gorges Programme Environmental Sciences Essay

Human world has put together great undertakings on this Earth of Earth, may it be building undertakings, IT related, direction based or sing any other field, work forces has excelled at every point and impression. To sort any set of activities as undertaking, one should foremost cognize what constitutes a Undertaking. Undertaking is a figure of activities targeted to accomplish a certain end, with the aid of limited resources, in a pre decided clip frame ( Kerzner, 1998 ) Many critics and experts have commented upon the sudden heaving of involvement in the filed of Project Management shown by the houses and particularly to the tallness that this rush has taken, that is beyond the boundaries of the conventional sectors of technology and different building related undertakings ( Sydow et al. , 2002 ) Just for case, have identified how immense and large organisations and companies are re-arranging into less interfering instead than being bureaucratic and seeking to go more ductile and lissome undertaking managing entities. Davies, Brady and Hobday ( 2006 ) suggested that houses and companies in all kind of concerns are reasoning that customary organizational formation and hierarchy, every bit good as subdivisions of runing units, trade divisions and units set up for continuing elevated degree of volume through arrangement of high quality goods and services and for deducing determinations in a relatively steady proficient and market state of affairs, are no longer sufficient. In the fast neutering and increasingly more unstable and obscure ambiance, today houses and concerns are happening that undertaking constitution of some kind is better suited to the type of probationary problems and gaps of opportunities that they have to manage. Others recommend that undertakings are acquiring liberally proportioned, more intricate and extended. Gradually more undertakings expand beyond the single administration or house. In add-on, there is cogent evidence of a more cosmopolitan dependance on undertakings, and besides that this widens beyond the confines of working life to a wider projectification of society The projectification of the public construct attempts to confine the colonization of a batch of note of life with undertaking associated doctrine, policy, methods and traffics, draw a bead oning to determine a new construct of undertaking clarity. ( Hodgson & A ; Cicmil, 2003. ) Undertaking of the Three Gorges Dam One of the greatest and successful undertakings handled and completed by the work forces on this Earth is Three Gorges Dam Project built on the Yangtze River in China. Sun Yatsen, a Chinese political leader foremost wished for building a H2O dike on the River of Yangtze in 1919 for the intent of power coevals, but the idea was put on clasp due to adverse political and economic fortunes. Major inundations resurrected the thought and the authorities adopted it in 1954 for inundation control. Therefore in the history of China Three Gorges Project has a polar topographic point. The undertaking produces electricity, gives protection against inundations, had increased the transportation paths which in bend had positive impact ; the undertaking has been of great talk and contentions at the same clip Some of the of import statistics of the Three Gorges Dam Project are given below Dimensions: 185 m ( 606 foot ) high and 1,983 m ( 6,500 foot ) wide Water Level Increase: The degree of H2O was intended to travel up in 2 stages ; by 2004 it will augment by 30 m to 125m ( 426 foot ) and by 2009 will raise another 50m to 175 m ( 575 foot ) Cost Estimate: In 1985, the sum estimated was predicted to relieve by 2 to 5 times, it was about 10 billion US dollars at that clip Financing: Beginnings of financess were different, some from Corporate Bond, others from loans from Bankss. Materials Used: It was record breakage, stuff used in Three Gorges Dam, that is 1.9 million dozenss or rolled steel, about lumber was 1.6 million and cement was 10.8 million dozenss. Construction Time period: 1993 – 2009 Land submerged: In a unsmooth figure there were 13 metropoliss, 657 mills. Towns that got submerged were 140 in figure and small towns were 1352 to be exact. Resettlement of Peoples: Resettlement was done in three phases, 1.3 million people around got relocated from twelvemonth 1997-2009. Energy Production: . It can cover around 11-15 % of Chinese population with around 84 billion KW hours produced every twelvemonth. ( Statistics collected from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.imperialtours.net/3gorges_dam.htm ) Timeline of the Three Gorges Dam Project The great undertaking of the Three Gorges Dam started its building in 1992 with the blessing of the missive of building. The chief building of the dike started in the twelvemonth 1999. As this undertaking took 17 ( 17 ) old ages to acquire finished, therefore the figure of of import events and phases in this undertaking are mentioned below in a simple chart signifier. Gantt chart could non hold accommodated itself on the word papers. Jan.25th, 1999 The major building model of the Dam started in a proper manner. Sep.15th, 2000 The waterproofing of the 22 underside holes for recreation for the discharge of inundation was done. Dec.31st, 2001 The deposition of the concrete in the three gorges Dam was about 4.0638 million M3 ( regular hexahedron ) which was besides a universe record. May 1st, 2002 The Cofferdam was demolished after its intent was fulfilled which was to let a path of Yangtze River to spurt into the base of the Three Gorges Dam which guarded the entry into the chief Three Gorges Dam Project. Oct.21st, 2002 The building of embankment for the inundation discharge was completed Nov. 6th, 2002 The successful building of the recreation tunnel for the flow in the River of Yangtze was completed. Nov. 7th, 2002 The Three Gorges Dam Project entered into the piecing stage because the universe s largest turbine generator was successfully installed into the right place. May 30th, 2003 The three gaps and mercantile establishments meant for the inundation discharge were opened. June 1st, 2003 Five staged Ship locks and two manner lanes were activated and started their map of hive awaying H2O. June 16th, 2003 The five staged ship locks and the two manner lane were put into test of pilotage. July 10th, 2003 Another set of Power coevals unit was installed along with the grids and its started bring forthing electricity. Aug. 18th, 2003 The 3rd set of power bring forthing unit was connected and started bring forthing power. Nov. 22nd, 2003 The chief and the no.1 power unit was installed and configured and started electricity coevals Jan. 9th, 2004 The undertaking of Three Gorges Dam entered into the 3rd stage of Construction during which the largest ship lifter, the right bank of the dike, the power station was built which were universe s largest. Apr. 30th, 2004 Another no. 7 power coevals unit was connected with the left side of Power station and started operation. July 8th, 2004 The five staged ship locks and the two manner lanes were officially opened after traveling through the test period of pilotage July 26th, 2004 Another set up of the power coevals unit, no. 11 was installed and brought to functional degree. Aug.24th, 2004 Another set up of the power coevals unit, no. 08 was installed and brought to functional degree. Dec.28th, 2004 The electricity power works which supplies to the Shanghai starts its operations in the metropolis of Yidu in state of Hubei. Sep.16th, 2005 In one twelvemonth in front to the building agenda in bring forthing electricity, the Fourteen ( 14 ) Machgrs connected to the dike through side bank starts its operations. Feb.10th, 2006 The execution of the glade work at the underside of the dike started. March 29th, 2006 The formal building period of the dike started May 20th, 2006 With the support of human resource and pecuniary aid, the Three Gorges Dam was fundamentally completed. Sep 25th, 2007 The H2O degree had risen to 512 pess about, had passed the recession because of inundation and enters 2007. Oct.29th, 2008 All the hydropower bring forthing workss were put into actions and generated powers which in sum were 26 units. The last one being the no. 15 unit was besides installed into the right bank of the dike. This was the last of the power units to be installed in the dike Aug.29th, 2009 The 3rd stage of the Three Gorges Dam Project was checked and accepted, that was to raise the H2O degree to 175 metres, at the ideal tallness. Sep.15th, 2009 The full usage of the dike being flood control, H2O path, and power coevals, all was brought to working phase. ( Three Gorges Dam Timeline ) Purposes and Aims of Three Gorges Project While analyzing the benefits that would be derived from the completion of some undertaking, particularly undertakings like building a big dike, it is of import that its societal impacts should besides be studied before manus. For comparing the wakes of the undertakings it s vitally of import that the former societal state of affairs should be known. And by ciphering the possible hazard of ruins, societal impacts could be measured. There can be positive effects excessively ; those will be counted as benefits. The major purposes targeted through this undertaking were: Flood control Flood control was the first motivation for the Three Gorges Dam program. Chinese files demonstrated that 200 plus major inundations, on norm about one per every ten old ages, happened between 185 BC and 1900 AD. Floods had an impact on the economic system every bit good, the loss which took topographic point due to monolithic impact on the markets. ( Ministry of Water Resources of Peoples Republic of China, 1994 ) . The storage capacity of the TGD, that is 39.3 billion M3s, over half that was 22.15 billion M3 was fixed and was supposed to be used for inundation control, which permitted China to decrease the impact of lay waste toing inundations from degrees predicted one time every ten old ages to those predicted one time a century ( www.irn.org, 2004 ) . Power Coevals The 2nd but non less of import factor which was the ground for the building of this undertaking of Three Gorges Dam was the monolithic power production. The power supply in China has seen major short of supply in past few old ages and hence one of the main grounds for which the completion of this undertaking was anticipated was 18.2 million KW end products, which besides made this Dam as the largest power production unit in this universe. This addition in the China s electric supply will give a encouragement to the lifting growing degree of China s economic system. And in approaching old ages it is predicted that China s power supply will augment more. ( Albert,1998 ) Increase in Navigation The 3rd ground towards which this undertaking targeted and achieved was the addition in the H2O paths. The Three Gorges Dam allowed the Pacific Ocean watercourse into Chongquing metropolis. This addition in the navigability affected the economic system in a positive mode, conveying new opportunities of occupations, callings in the countries where economical encouragement was needed. ( Albert, 1998 ) Handiness of fresh H2O Last but non least, handiness of fresh H2O to the indigens in the nearby country for the intent of irrigation and cultivation every bit good as for the imbibing intent. The wages that will be gained from the Three Gorges Dam Project are of import and will hold lasting, constructive impacts on the economic system of China. From an economic point of position, the Three Gorges Dam is a dramatic, utile enlargement pick that in add-on has the chance to assist society in footings of security, well-being, and overall value of life. ( Marta & A ; Jordi, 2006 ) The production of energy in itself was such a immense factor that all the negative points against the building of Three Gorges Dam were neglected but however critics raised their voices and made some issues related to environmental jeopardies, cultural heritage, and population relocations etc. some of the negative impacts caused by the three Gorges Dam are discussed below. Control & A ; Distribution System Other Dams Chemistry for Stability Power Grid Pollution Generator No and Type Problem Silt Electric Resource Surrounding Geography Concrete Granite Cement Structural REQS Base Layer Stability & A ; Tectonic Plate Movement Dam Structure Reservoir & A ; Dam Weight Water Resource Deluging Stabilize Concrete Remission Water Quality Flood Control Lift/Lock Navigation Other Dams Irrigation ( Figure 1 A relational web map of the physical constituents of the dike undertaking ) Negative impact of the Three Gorges Dam Project The World Commission on Dams in their study have clearly said that buildings of really big dikes have negative affects on the environment. In their study of World Commissions on Dam, they have discussed some of the common jeopardies like consequence on the wildlife in woods, emanation of unsafe gasses like nursery gas, bad impact on marine life, formation of wetlands and inauspicious affects on the quality of H2O due to the accretion of H2O from different dikes. ( Peter, 2008 ) Resettlements and Relocation of Population Another point of contention that took topographic point in the building of Three Gorges Dam is that whenever a Dam of such a magnitude is constructed, big relocation of population takes topographic point and same happen in the instance of Three Gorges Dam. In the start is was estimated that 1 million to 2 million of population has to be relocated, but the existent figure was ne'er confirmed, some say 1.2 million were to be shifted, though more than 1 million people were resettled during the building stage of the Dam. Another facet to the resettlement and relocation was the psychological and societal affect on the population who were to be relocated and hence a batch of community oriented critics were against this undertaking. ( Marta & A ; Jordi, 2006 ) Damage to the Landscape and Cultural Heritage Another factor which was raised as a inquiry in the affair of Three Gorges was the alteration in the natural landscape of that topographic point. The degree of reservoir had its impact on the archeological sites and the topographic points counted as antediluvian ruins. The disposal looking after the building of the Three Gorges Dam said they would seek to salvage the cultural heritage every bit much as possible. The Success-Failure Analysis of the Undertaking The Three Gorges Dam undertaking would be considered as a Success despite a batch of negative impact that it has caused because this undertaking achieved for what it set out as marks. The technology and the managerial section of the Three Gorges Dam were implementing a systematic attack in their Transporting out this undertaking. They all were known and good cognizant of the problems and jeopardies in building this big dike and make fulling it with H2O. Like any other large building undertaking will hold some cost and benefits to it, the Three Gorges Dam besides did hold some cost and benefits. ( Peter, 2008 ) The Iron Triangle To mensurate the success of this undertaking, the theoretical account of Iron Triangle will be used. Iron Triangle is the traditional and Orthodox manner of mensurating the success of any undertaking yet this is the most widely used theoretical account for this intent. The Fe trigon is besides referred to as the Project direction trigon. Like any other undertaking and like Fe trigon step, a undertaking has its ain restraints which can be clip, cost and range. ( Wikipedia ) The Fe trigon constitutes three success standards which are Cost, Time and Quality. Time Quality Cost ( Figure 2: The Iron Triangle ) Cost of the Three Gorges Dam Project The Undertaking cost was about 180 billion Yuan, which was about 12 % under budget which makes around 30 billion USD. The lessening in the cost of the undertaking was non due to the less disbursement ; instead it was due to the low rising prices rate in China. The resettlement of the population of the nearby countries of the dike cost around 68.557 billion Yuan, which has besides been included in this entire cost. Construction wise, this undertaking has non proved to be an expensive undertaking because the building cost incurred on this undertaking of Three Gorges Dam was 64.613 billion Yuans and the full return of the cost from the coevals of power is predicted in following 10 old ages. The approximative power coevals expected to be generated from this Three Gorged Dam is 1000 TW/h. ( Marta & A ; Jordi, 2006 ) The over all clip span that this undertaking took was 17 ( 17 ) old ages, but till eleventh ( 11th ) twelvemonth merely, funding were required because after that the undertaking became self sufficient and generated financess from the power supply of the few power units installed by so. So merely for fist 11 ( 11 ) old ages, financess were needed. Beginnings of Fundss The beginnings of financess included the Construction Fund of Three Gorges Dam, grosss from the Gezhouba Dam, loans taken and granted from the China Development Bank, and foreign commercial Bankss, bonds natured corporate, and net incomes before and after the start of the operational activities of the dike. The over all Directors utilized the financess allocated for the undertaking really good and completed the undertaking in the lesser sum than expected or was predicted. Time of the Three Gorges Project The clip span of the Three Gorges Dam was planned in these 17 Old ages, the complete break-up of the agenda was pre planned harmonizing to the old ages. They planned for the readying and the first phase building to be completed in five ( 5 ) old ages that is from 1993-1997, so 2nd phase of building was scheduled to acquire finished in six ( 6 ) old ages, from 1998-2003 which got its milepost on clip and entered into the 3rd stage of its building and completed that in six ( 6 ) old ages excessively till 2009 and came into functional. Previously the targeted twelvemonth to finish the undertaking was 2008 but so it was rescheduled and 2009 was decided and it git finished in 2009. ( Henry et al.. , 2004 ) Quality of the Three Gorges Project The quality of the undertaking was checked and approved at each measure, despite the big graduated table and the difficult proficient and societal confronts directed by the Three Gorges Dam, the applied scientists of China were able to suppress the obstructors at each phase of the undertaking. A batch unfavorable judgment was done on this undertaking of Three Gorges Dam and a batch inquiries were raised, but these unfavorable judgments did non travel in vain as at each phase and degree, the directors took actions against each affair and resolved the issue by taking steps against them and implementing the controlled program in the building. ( Henry et al.. , 2004 ) Until now there haven Ts been any studies of the slits or minor alterations in the substructure of the Three Gorges Dam, which shows that the dike has possible to bear the H2O degree which is maintained in it and was constructed for. Recommendations Whatever the graduated table or degree of the undertaking was, there is ever a infinite between flawlessness and the existent degree of work. In the undertaking of Three Gorges Dam, the decision makers have taken attention of the Time, Cost and quality but the conservationists who had issues sing the unsafe effects on the certain species of the fish found in the Yangtze river were put to hazard. There might hold been some possible manner to avoid that ecological devastation and the jeopardies caused in the environment. The cost of affects caused on the environment was excessively high. Therefore a batch of critics think that the undertaking of Three Gorges Dam from the start was a incorrect determination, nevertheless I would instead reason that despite that fact that it caused environmental devastation, it has given china a manner to turn out to the universe that they, with the biggest Dam in the universe are ready to go the 2nd biggest ace power in the this century. China is on its manner for its finish. Decision The celebrated and universe renowned Three Gorges Dam of China has quickly achieved its decision. This undertaking of Three Gorges dike, had a immense aggregation of peripheral developmental strategy along with it, comprised the main H2O supply enlargement in the past history of world. As happens with any other cardinal building programs that well changes or amends a watershed, this undertaking of the Three Gorges Dam had of import costs and payback. Among the most major wages were the production of energy without nursery gas releases, developments in pilotage, and possible lessening in inundation dangers. Among the most notable costs were immense supplantings of 1000000s of Chinese people to do path for the dike and H2O reservoir, farther environmental sordidness of the River of Yangtze s ecology and piscaries, a bead in deposit touching the Eastern China Sea, and a lifting hazard of new avalanche and reservoir persuaded seismicity. Over old ages, the overall benefits and net income s of the undertaking would go more obvious.

Food Borne Illness paper

This paper will explain how the infectious organism staphylococcus aureus is transmitted through food. Discuss a real life outbreak of staphylococcus aureus in the United States. Also describe the clinical symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, and any treatments for the disease. The author will discuss the steps to be taken to prevent further outbreaks, including personal as well as environmental precautions and methods that can be taken. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (staph), is commonly found in pimples, infected cuts, and when people have colds (â€Å"Staphylococcus†, 2014).Therefore, staph can be transmitted from person to person from contaminated hands. The infection is spread from a person’s hands by contaminated objects such as razors, and sports equipment. Other ways of contamination could be close skin to skin transmission, crowded living conditions, cuts, and poor hygiene. Staphylococcus can cause food poisoning when a person does not properly refrigerate f ood, clean equipment, and if food is not properly prepared. In the early 1990’s 1,364 children became ill at a Texas elementary school after eating chicken salad (â€Å"Bad Bug Book: foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook†, 2013).The chickens was frozen and boiled, deboned, and cooled by a fan to room temperature. The chicken was refrigerated overnight and the next morning blended with other ingredients. The chicken salad was put in a thermal container and transported to 16 different school sights and held at room temperature until lunchtime. The chicken became contaminated during deboning. Probably because the food was not cooled fast enough. Some of the symptoms that a person has when he or she has become infected with the bacteria are vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and nausea.The duration of the illness is approximately 24 to 48. If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms one should drink plenty of water and other fluids to p revent dehydration and get plenty of rest. Some people may require a visit to his or her doctor for treatment. The doctor can treat the skin infection by making an incision and draining the infected area and by prescribing antibiotics. Individual and environmental precautions that can be taken to prevent further outbreaks are: good hand washing techniques, use soap and running water when washing hands before and after eating, as well as after using the bathroom.Staph can exist on environmental surfaces. Therefore, sanitation of these areas should be done regularly. Most institution and eating places have guidelines for sanitation for these areas. People should also make sure that shared items are cleaned, such as your computer, cell phone, scissors clippers, children toys, and exercise equipment. One method that can be used to sanitize equipment is by using 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 quart of water. This can help disinfect some objects.Also, use disposal towels or wipes. This paper has explained how the infectious organism staphylococcus aureus is transmitted through food, discussed an outbreak of staphylococcus aureus at an elementary school in Texas. Also, described the clinical symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, and any treatments for Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The author has discussed the measures to be taken to prevent further outbreaks, including personal as well as environmental precautions and methods that can be taken.

Project Management 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project Management 10 - Essay Example nately, Terry was bombarded with detailed engineering-related questions about the specifications and production issues hence she gets frustrated and close the presentation leaving the meeting. Terry presentation however, shows us that she was not prepared well for this presentation and that through various questions she was asked from the audience shows that the presentation was not appropriate. Before presentation, one needs to dedicate his her appropriate time which is a crucial part of marking a successful presentation (Steele, 2009). Terry was supposed to think carefully about the message to communicate and this could have played a role in boosting her confidence as well. A good presentation incurs distinctive elements including the objective, subject, and the nature of the audience, the place, time and length of the talk which makes a presentation successfully. Terry however, at the start of her presentation would have critically articulated clarity on whether and when she should be answering the questions from the audience. She should have told the audience to raise their questions when she completes her all slides explanation of the project. This help a lot since the some of the audiences questions can be well answered as go along the presentation. The decision to walk away from presentation was null. As a project manager, it is better to explain engage divisibly with the audience and assure them to get their questions answered as soon as possible once the problem have been resolved since nature at times takes into

Taj Mahal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Taj Mahal - Essay Example This is to take advantage of the waterfront situation in the garden. The garden around the Tomb has two major sections; the cross-axial and the four-fold garden. The waterfront was a chief element in the design of the whole complex. At the southern far corner of the garden is the Taj forecourt, at both of its widths, are framed by two smaller courts (tombs of lesser wives of Jahan and courtyard for the tomb attendants). The mausoleum also has additional complex of quarters for merchants and tourists. This was to ensure its accessibility to the whole world. The upkeep and maintenance of the Taj Mahal was financed by the taxes from thirty villages in Agra and income from bazaars and caravanserais as ordered by imperial command. According to Koch (2005), â€Å"The Taj is built architectural theory and can be read like a literary text, once we have mastered the architectural language† (p. 137). Even though there are no texts to prove that the Mughals had written architectural theory, Koch states that his investigations have shown that the theory was laid down in the planning itself. In conclusion, the principles of Shah Jahan’s architecture, which resulted in the building of the monument, are geometric planning, symmetry, hierarchy, proportionality and uniformity, attention to details, naturalism, and symbolism. These principles and their astonishing results can be clearly seen in the complex. For instance, asymmetrical planning with a focus on bilateral symmetry can be seen in the central axis in which the main features are placed. In addition, the building was built to symbolize the power and glory of Shah Tahan. The naturalism principle can be seen through decorations of walls, ceilings, and the tombs; they are mostly decorated with flowers of different colors (Koch

The gospel of Mark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The gospel of Mark - Essay Example It is a critical time in the history of the Church and the passage in Mark 7:1-23 must be seen against this particular historical background. There is one major theme throughout this passage, and that is the difference between purity and defilement, and the key motivation of Jesus appears to be to announce a very significant shift from Jewish to Christian thinking. It is a transitional passage, therefore, and this can be seen in two ways. Jesus signals a transition from the Old Covenant based on the law, to something that transcends the law, and he shifts his mission from the Jewish heartlands to the Gentile territories. These two dimensions are, of course, connected. The passage in question introduces a phase of preaching and teaching in the Gentile territories. The major difference between Jews and Gentiles is the observance of Jewish law by the Jews only. As a Jew himself, Jesus attracted much criticism from Jewish authorities for his liberal attitude to some of the Jewish command ments, and no doubt also some apprehension from the Gentiles who would need to know whether following Jesus would mean converting to Judaism with all that this entails. It is clear from the text that some of the followers of Jesus observed the Jewish dietary rules, and some did not. The issue was, therefore, not clearly settled and this was a potential cause of disunity in the early Church. In fact this issue is documented again and again, as reported in Acts2 and in the letters of Paul.3 The gospel passage spells out what the Jewish laws entail, even though the disciples are already well aware of these rules. This detail is evidence that the teaching of these points is designed for Gentile listeners in the first instance, to explain what the issue is about and invite them now to join with the followers of Jesus on an equal basis, not constrained by the laws that had previously separated all those of Jewish heritage form all those of gentile birth. In other words, this is a message intended for non-Jews. This point is raised now because it is necessary in order to remove social boundaries that could hamper Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles.4 The issue is not completely resolved, however, and commentators note that the position of Jews who became followers of Christ is left open, suggesting that continued observance of the dietary laws is an option for them.5 In the first part of the passage, Mark 7:1-14 the writer of the Gospel clearly is setting down a definitive teaching here which absolves Gentile followers from having to obey the Jewish laws. The position for the disciples is further discussed in the remainder of the section, and in this case the message is taken to a different level. Some commentators suggest that the passage signifies a departure from the old Jewish laws: â€Å"the Markian Jesus declares that in fact all people are defiled – not by what they eat and drink but by what they will say and do†.6 This utterance signals a depa rture from the situation that pertained when God gave the law to the Jews, since, in the words of Boring it is â€Å"not descriptive, but performative; not explaining what has always been the case, but changing the situation by Jesus’ authoritative declaration†.7 The distinction between purity and impurity is maintained, but the source of defilement is now defined in terms of what a person does, and not what kind of food he or she eats. It opens the door for Jesus to go on and mingle with lepers, male and female Gentiles, and all kinds of sinners without fear of defilement in the traditional Jewish sense. When Jesus or his disciples are accused of defilement, he responds â€Å"by dismissing these boundaries as â€Å"

Organization Changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organization Changes - Essay Example The main objective of this paper is to analyze the external and internal forces which are responsible for the changes in the organizations and also a detail discussion about one specific internal and one specific external factor associated with the organization changes. Based on the economy of various nations, several organizations across the globe have incorporated various changes in their organizational structure as well as their way of operation. This paper makes a conclusion that among internal factors one most important factor is the growth of the organization. To ensure steady growth various organization undergone several changes both structurally as well as functionally. In order to ensure continuous growth the top management introduces these changes in the system. there must be similarities and balance between change plan and organizational context- as this coordination plays a substantial role in the accomplishment or failure of organizational change. The main objective of organizational modification is to inaugurate new pattern of thinking and behavior among the employees as well as in day to day operation. If the new design conflicts with the existing ones to develop resistance and if that resistance is more powerful than the change initiated then the process of organization change is bound to be a failure. Therefore, while planning a change, the organizational context must be taken in to attention along with external and internal factors.

Japanese American Internment during WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japanese American Internment during WWII - Essay Example The attack destroyed two battleships, one hundred and forty nine airplanes and sunk four other battleships. The damage caused to Pearl Harbor brought about fresh resentment to the existing bias towards Japanese immigrants. Within hours of air strikes at Pearl Harbor, FBI representatives checked through Japanese American communities in Oregon, Hawaii, Washington and California and arrested community leaders, Christian ministers, Buddhist reverends, teachers of Japanese culture, language or martial arts, businessmen and people with famous political ideas. The arrests included Japanese Americans with sympathetic relations to Japan. Thousands of Japanese Americans were rounded up, interrogated and shipped to detention camps according to the orders of the Justice Department to Bismarck, Santa Fe, Crystal City and Missoula. Some Japanese Americans disappeared for years. With the entry of United States into the Second World War, anti Japanese reactions strengthened through a number of hyste rical stories of sabotage, propaganda and news related to American battlefield fatalities. Banks serving only the Japanese were closed down and the U.S. Treasury froze the bank accounts of all born in Japan (Inada & California Historical Society p.xi). Apparently, to safeguard individuals of Japanese ancestry from arrest and suspicion, a mandatory curfew was set up initially on Japanese aliens and later on Japanese American citizens and it was mandatory to carry identification. The Army pressurized the Department of Justice and the FBI to perform unannounced searches and seize contraband products in enemy alien homes with specific emphasis to weapons, cameras and radio transmitters that could be utilized to signal Japanese ships floating offshore. After ten weeks of the Second World War, in February 1942, the Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt. The order authorized to exclude people of Japanese descent; both aliens and

Goodness of the Service Level and Current Structure Assignment - 22

Goodness of the Service Level and Current Structure - Assignment Example However, equation 2 and 4 only hold if y= 0, for non-negative values of x andy. Consequently, x= 4300 is the optimal number of vaccine doses that the facility can purchase for optimality. From the confidence interval formula for normal distribution, Z=(mean-Â µ)/(standard error) And mean-Â µ = zero and this means that Z is not defined. As Z approaches infinity, however, the probability of failure approaches zero. Therefore, at 4300 doses, the facility has a zero percent probability of failure. The optimal number of vaccines and chance of running out of vaccines Optimal profitability occurs when total cost equals total expenditure for generating the cost. Assuming that an organization purchases z doses of the vaccine and sells x doses and returns y doses to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following are computations for the optimal number of vaccine doses and the chance of scarcity. Cost of vaccine= 4z= 4(x+y) Revenue= 15x+ y, based on $ 15 sales price and $ 1 buy back price. Reduction to lower levels such as $ 7 per dose would motivate people into and increase a total number of used vaccines. A reasonable profit level would, therefore, be possible, and even higher levels attained due to a higher number of unit sales. Such a reduction in price would also promote quality of health by preventing flue (Thompson 1). A hold on the buy-back policy is likely to reduce facilities’ stock level and therefore limit the availability of vaccines. In addition, unused vaccines would lead to greater losses and prompt facilities to charge higher prices on sales. Consequently, holding the buy-back is likely to reduce demand for vaccines and increase the burden of the flue.

Self-storage began in America Essay Example for Free

Self-storage began in America Essay The Shurgard concept of self-storage began in America in 1970 when cofounder of the company Chuck Barbo identified a gap in the market for both homeowners and businesses with a requirement for extra space. He came up with the notion of mini-warehouses for people with excess belongings and businesses with long forgotten records or documents. Twenty years later Shurgard began to expand into Europe and in 1995 the first European store opened in Brussels. Four years later the first UK store opened in South London and earlier this year the company was bought for $5bn by Public Storage, the world’s largest owner and operator of self-storage facilities. The challenge The growth and success of Shurgard in Europe meant that increasing demands and expectations were being placed on the company’s operations middle managers who were wrestling with a growing number of stores, an ever-larger geographic area of responsibility, increased numbers of employees, decentralisation of country and panEuropean support centres, greater autonomy and reorganisation of roles. Terry Whitney, European Learning and Development Manager of Shurgard SelfStorage Centers, said: â€Å"The business of self-storage was very different in Europe than it was in the US and there were different points of maturity in the market so there were many challenges to face. Most of our attention was focussed on buying property and building new facilities. Suddenly we realised we had a management team that was bright and hard working but had suffered from a lack of development focus.† â€Å"The best result of our partnership with SHL is that the district managers are now motivated because they know what is expected of them, how they will be held accountable and have focused training and development in place. Importantly, they also know what success looks like.† Terry Whitney, Shurgard shl.com Case Study | Shurgard Typical of many fast growing companies, Shurgard realised that it had no consistency of job titles, roles or responsibilities and no standardised job descriptions or job competencies for its staff. In addition there was no formal evaluation, training or development and no succession planning. What Shurgard wanted to create was a consistent layer of district managers across Europe. Some people already had this title but their job seemed little different to a market manager, operations manager or area manager. â€Å"We were promoting great operations people from store managers to more senior job titles with responsibility for profit and loss accounts for specific districts. We also wanted them to lead, inspire and motivate and the more senior roles had a completely different set of skills requirements which we had not measured or trained for,† said Whitney. District managers were identified as the operations critical layer with which to start work. Shurgard felt that if these people could not understand and accurately report on key occupancy and rates figures for stores, then shareholders would not have the confidence to invest money for expansion and more storage sites. The solution This client places people development high on its list of organizational priorities. With an agreed name for the role, the company needed to align the title with expectations and competencies that could be used across Europe and which would accommodate future growth of new stores. The people had to more effectively lead and manage an ever larger number of store personnel at a time of reduced centralised support. They were also required to operate at a higher managerial level than had previously been demanded. Faced with this challenge, Shurgard partnered with SHL – global experts in workplace assessment – to conduct a performance assessment of the mid-management team in Europe. The programme was designed to: †¢ Establish a benchmark of current managerial talents †¢ Undertake a gap analysis to determine the strengths and limitation of the management team against the new job competencies †¢ Recommend how the current managerial team could achieve the new expectations for the district manager role †¢ Assess the leadership potential of the current team †¢ Identify the ideal profile of a district manager for use in future recruitment. Supporting more than 10,000 customers every year Organisations that understand and maximize their people’s potential achieve outstanding results. SHL gives you the insights to make better decisions about your people. We call this People Intelligence, Business Results. â€Å"With SHL’s Universal competency Framework cards, we were able to define the critical behaviours required for the district managers role†, comments Whitney â€Å"This competency model was the hub around which SHL was able to design an appropriate development centre programme.† Individuals were invited to a one-day assessment at an SHL diagnostic development centre in order to see how they fitted the need and behavioural competencies of the district manager role. The assessment included exercises aligned to specific competencies, psychometric tests in local languages, management scenario role-play and numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning tests. Each attendee received feedback from a senior SHL assessor who took them through their results and talked about their development needs. The Results As a result of the assessment, Shurgard found that its mid-management team had a wide spectrum of skills and abilities but also specific patterns of managerial strengths and weaknesses. Recognising these areas enabled the company to target the appropriate training and development to address specific competencies and behaviours. â€Å"Shurgard really learned the critical importance of aligning the district manager job description, job competencies, hiring profile, training activities and performance management processes to create improved motivation and performance,† said Whitney. He added that using the competencies created by SHL also changed the recruitment and promotion process. New recruits are now given competency-based interviews focused on certain experiences whilst promotions are no longer based on length of service and performance alone but on potential against the required competencies. â€Å"For me it’s the competencies – everything ties back to them,† said Whitney. And he adds: â€Å"The best result of our partnership with SHL is that the district managers are now motivated because they know what is expected of them, how they will be held accountable and have focused training and development in place. Importantly, they also know what success looks like.† Case Study | Shurgard Shurgard’s need to focus on developing its managers was being hampered by a lack of consistency in job titles, roles, responsibilities and competencies for its staff. SHL worked with the firm to assess its midmanagement team in Europe and identify the ideal profile for district managers. Shurgard is now able to target management development and recruit more effectively for improved motivation and performance 25 million assessments every year. Organisations that understand and maximize their people’s potential achieve outstanding results. SHL gives you the insights to make better decisions about your people. We call this People Intelligence, Business Results.

Changes to Religious Views of Marriage

Changes to Religious Views of Marriage Marriage Marriage today is looked at in a very different way to that of past years. Modern day interpretations on marriage and the way it is understood have changed greatly. But being viewed differently does not mean that marriage is valued less. Marriage, traditionally, was seen as essential to bringing up a family and maintaining a home. Recent secular changes in the definition of marriage are not something new for the Catholic Church. For the last hundred years or so the Catholic Church predicted that this would happen and has acted upon the threat it sees to this divine institution by endeavouring to clarify the issues involved by taking steps necessary to strengthen both within the Church and in society at large. Catholics live their marriages in secular society and while they believe that marriage is a Sacrament the fact that changes are and have occurred in civil marriages cannot be ignored. By ignoring these changes our societies social fabric would be even more weakened which could lead to marriage itself not surviving. The central view point of how a Catholic understands marriage is by the realisation that marriage was created by God and man is cannot and should not try to change it. The state did not create marriage and whether governments get involved or not marriage would happen. Before any government came into being marriage existed, all through the centuries and in every culture ancient and modern. The creation of marriage was not just to provide tax or insurance benefits, something that governments and the courts seem to have trouble understanding. God created marriage to bring together a loving couple in a sacred bond which would lead to the conceiving and to the raising of children in a stable family life. A Catholics perspective about marriage starts with the material facets of the matrimonial viewpoint. A marriage is to be faithful, it is to be permanent, and it is to be fruitful. It is for the benefit of the couple involved which is also called the unitive purpose and for the bringing up and education of children. A couple meets, falls in love, and hopefully get married sharing together their lives and bodies in sexual union. The desire for this sexual union is not just for pleasure alone, it is the seal of their love for each other and to open themselves to the possibility of children. Children then unify the couple into one body and family, hopefully. Both individuals as well as society benefits from the Catholic view of marriage. Likewise, Catholics and their families too suffer from the results of divorce, and there have been studies which show that practicing Catholics try hard and make every effort for their marriages to work possibly because they realise that to remarry after a divorce may not be a possibility for them. Also, there is research which shows that a married couple receive the benefit of a good marriage because of their religious commitment. Their faith enables them to cope when difficulties occur as a source of moral guidance in their decision making and in being able to coping with conflict. This Catholic point of view gives stability and constancy. In the society of today where truth is so relative Catholic families and marriages gain guidance and strength from following Catholic teaching. Without truth, we are unprotected and vulnerable and in the society of today there is no wish for truth. A persons freedom, far from being restricted by this fidelity, is secured against every form of subjectivism or relativism and is made a sharer in creative Wisdom (F. C., 11). The basis to understanding Catholic marriage is provided by Scripture. Matthew 19 tells us that Jesus speaks of both marriage and of divorce, saying; Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female2 and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate. Clearly what Jesus is saying here is that marriage is equally exclusive and lasting, guiding us towards the Creation to see Gods purpose from the beginning. Genesis 1:27 says, So God created mankind in his own image he created them; male and female he created them. God created all things therefore he is the author of marriage. Men and women are a part of Gods created order, created by him and for him. Part of that created order is marriage. Marriage was not created merely by mans choosing. Men and women were made by God for each other, God made us sexually different to complement each other, a man is only whole in connection to a woman and female sexuality is only fulfilled in union to the male. God made men and women for relationship with each other. Gaudium et Spes says: man, is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, and he cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself (G.S., 24). This truth is expressed allegorically in Genesis 2:23, in which Adam says, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. Mary Healy in her book Men and women are from Eden, a study guide to John Paul IIs Theology of the Body, says, He recognised in Eve unlike the animals an equal, a person like himself whom he could love. That is, he saw someone whom he could give himself completely and who would receive and reciprocate his gift to form a union that would fulfil the very meaning of their existence (Healy, 15). The Churchs revitalisation was reinforced by Vatican II in a dual dynamic of Aggiornamento and Ressourcement, the up-to-dating and returning to earlier sources, traditions, and symbols of the early Church. Vatican IIs desire was enhancement and enrichment of the Churchs faith by communicating Christs Gospel message for the modern age and sought to communicate this by presenting a modern fusion of faith and reason to the world. The concept of personhood was the idea behind this synthesis. In his book The Contemporary World. Christian Marriage: A Historical Study, Haas speaks of the unfortunate tendency since the Council, however, for theologians to write as though there had been a radical break in the life and teachings of the Church which occurred with the Council. Adding, Because Gaudium et Spes uses the more biblical language of covenant rather than contract to speak of marriage does not mean the two are incompatible. Indeed, a covenant is itself a kind of contract. And the preconc iliar magisterium spoke of marriage as covenant as well as contract (Haas, 340). There are two traditional purposes to the theology of Catholic marriage: the first is for the continuance of humankind through the reproduction and reciprocal love of the husband and wife. This first was deemed foremost by the Church from late middle ages up until Vatican II, with the shared love of husband and wife coming second. In Canon 1013 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law states: 1) The primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of children. Its secondary end is mutual help and the allaying of concupiscence. 2) The essential properties of marriage are unity and indissolubility, which acquire a particular fitness in Christian marriage by reason of its sacramental character. Catholic tradition today is once again seeing as of equal importance both the goods and the ends of marriage. This was a huge change and paradigm switch. Canon 1055 of the revised Code of Canon Law 1983 affirms this switch: The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman establish themselves a partnership of their whole life, and which of its own very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and the procreation and upbringing of children, has, between the baptized, been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament (Kainz, 2015). In 1930 Casti Connubii was issued by Pope Pius XI in response to threats on marriage. Interestingly, Haas informs us that, The evils threatening marriage which he mentions in the encyclical sound remarkably contemporary: contraception, abortion, sterilization, adultery, trial marriages, cohabitation, religious mixed marriages, and divorce (Haas, 341-342). Haas also says that these errors come from the modern misinterpretation that marriage is not a divine institution but rather a human institution established by the arbitrary wills of human beings (Haas, 342). In Casti Connubii 5 the doctrine of matrimony is defined as immutable and inviolable, it says: And to begin with that same Encyclical, which is wholly concerned in vindicating the divine institution of matrimony, its sacramental dignity, and its perpetual stability, let it be repeated as an immutable and inviolable fundamental doctrine that matrimony was not instituted or restored by man but by God; not by man were the laws made to strengthen and confirm and elevate it but by God, the Author of nature, and by Christ Our Lord by Whom nature was redeemed, and hence these laws cannot be subject to any human decrees or to any contrary pact even of the spouses themselves. This is the doctrine of Holy Scripture; this is the constant tradition of the Universal Church; this the solemn definition of the sacred Council of Trent, which declares and establishes from the words of Holy Writ itself that God is the Author of the perpetual stability of the marriage bond, its unity and its firmness (C.C. 5). The Council Fathers of Vatican II were debating the texts on marriage and the familyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there was considerable discussion as to the natuer of the text and the language which would be used in it (Haas, 344). The issue of the hierarchical ordering of the ends of marriage was very much in the background (Haas, 344). Gaudium et Spes was issued in a less technically, philosophical, theological, and juridical vocabulary in teaching about regulating marriage (Haas, 345). Vatican II intentionally declined to classify marriage goods. Instead, Gaudium et Spes declares, without subordinating or reducing one to the other, that love and faithfulness are the two goods of marriage (G.S., 47-48). On the other hand Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine did not do this giving instead the importance of the good that the relationship itself of the spouses in marriage gave to society. The Churchs teaching made genuine progress, Vatican II made the straightforward move from the legalistic idea of marriage as a contract to the more biblical interpretation of marriage as a covenant. This definition conformed more with the modern, individualized and current belief but also looked back to the early fathers teaching of the Patristic and Medieval times and also to scholastics such as Aquinas. Gaudium et Spes expresses what is at the heart of marriage: As a mutual gift of two persons, this intimate union and the good of the children impose total fidelity on the spouses and argue for an unbreakable oneness between them. For as God of old made himself present to his people through a covenant of love and fidelity, so now Saviour of men and the Spouse of the Church comes into the lives of married Christians through the sacrament of Matrimony (G.S., 48). The married couple, especially if they are Christian and their children, this family unit represents the image of the Trinity, of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is mirrored in the family, husband, wife and children, in two ways. The Trinity is reflected in marriage by being a communion of love between equals, commencing with the husband and wife and then spreading to all other family members. Then, as the Trinity is love and lifegiving, so a loving married couple brings forth and cherishes their children. Again, Gaudium et Spes states: Families too will share their spiritual riches generously with other families. Thus, the Christian family, which springs from marriage as a reflection of the loving covenant uniting Christ with the Church, and as a participation in that covenant, will manifest to all men Christs living presence in the world, and the genuine nature of the Church. This the family will do by the mutual love of the spouses, by their generous fruitfulness, their solidarity and faithfulness, and by the loving way in which all members of the family assist one another (G.S., 48). About our modern times, Pope St John Paul II says in Familiaris Consortio that there frequently lies a corruption of the idea and experience of freedom, conceived not as a capacity for realising the truth of Gods plan for marriage and the family, but as an autonomous power of self-affirmation, often against others, for ones own selfish well-being (F.C., 6). This family finds in the plan of God the Creator and Redeemer not only its identity, what it is, but also its mission, what it can be and should do. The role that God calls the family to perform in history derives from what the family is; its role represents the dynamic and existential development of what it is (F.C., 17). We are told by John Paul in Familiaris Consortio that families are to become what you are (F.C., 17). He also tells families that: the family must go back to the beginning of Gods creative act, if it is to attain self-knowledge and self-realization in accordance with the inner truth not only of what it is but also of what it does in historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the family has the mission to become more and more what it is, that is to say, a community of life and love, in an effort that will find fulfilment, as will everything created and redeemed, in the Kingdom of Godà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. . Hence the family has the mission to guard, reveal and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in Gods love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the Church His bride. Every particular task of the family is an expressive and concrete actuation of that fundamental mission (F.C., 17). To gain an understanding of what marriage a look at its teleology is necessary. In his book, Haas says, One understands what a thing is by virtue of what it does, by virtue of the end to which it is ordered (Haas, 349). Marriage, as with any given thing, could possibly have other endings which what is needed then is to look at what is sufficient to delineate that ending. In looking at marriage, Haas again says, if one looks at the ends of marriage in terms of child, mutual support, and a remedy for concupiscence, it is not too difficult to identify the one which most adequately explains the institution of marriage (Haas, 349). Many relationship can uphold and deliver shared assistance and care, such as two siblings, whether they are brothers or sisters, two friends sharing accommodation at a university or college, even same-sex partners or any who choose to live together. So, marriage is not essential for care and support. The Catechism states that, By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory (C.C.C., 1652). And, The fruitfulness of conjugal love extends to the fruits of the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life that parents hand on to their children by education. Parents are the principal and first educators of their children. In this sense the fundamental task of marriage and family is to be at the service of life (C.C.C., 1653). Haas also acquaints us with what Aquinas instructed: The child is the most essential good of marriage, second is faith, and third the sacrament (Haas, 350). In saying this he is not trying to minimise faith and sacrament but merely affirms that what is most essential to marriage among its goods is the child. It most adequately, in the final analysis, explains why people get married and what is unique about the institution of marriage (Haas, 350). People can be very muddled about what marriage is all about. Mostly they think of marriage as the framework for sexual activity to occur. but the Catholic philosophical and theological tradition teaches that sexual activity is hardly an end in itself. It is ordered toward an end beyond itself which is still intrinsic to it and ultimately makes sense of it (Haas, 350). A family can be made up by the variety of people it contains; husband and wife, parents and children, and of various family members. Every family has the task of living faithfully together the life of their family relationships constantly making the effort to cultivate a realistic community of persons. A family cannot live or grow or complete itself as a community of persons without love. Gods grace, given through the marriage sacrament and through baptism makes this self-giving achievable. All family members are called to love one another and to live with one another in that bond of family love. A family should not live closed in on itself, but remains open to community, moved by a sense of justice and concern for others as well as by a consciousness of its responsibilities towards the whole of society (F.C., 64). There is also the obligation on the family to serve life. First this is done by having children, and secondly in educating those children. A married couples love must be always open to having children, they have the responsibility to make sure their children are given a proper education especially in those things that are most important in living a happy and contented life. This is done by their teaching but more importantly by their example. In Redemptor Hominis Pope John Paul says: Man, cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it (R. H., 10). The aim and purpose of marriage is living in a close relationship with others which shares by Gods grace in the Perichoresis of the Trinity whose individuality of persons is upheld in the indwelling of each Person in the Others. In marriage, a couple become a spiritual union of persons by their relationships, by their intimacy and understanding, fully present to and fully known and loved by the other. This couples strong love will build a strong and loving family and a strong and loving community. Closeness, mutual affection and self-giving should be the aim of any family. As God lives in Perichoresis so should we on earth. My conclusion is that we now live in a contraceptive society, sex is now detached from producing children and has become a way of amusing yourself and having fun, it is no longer seen as the reserve of marriage. Today marriage, has lost its importance, its permanence and its exclusivity. Our modern society now accepts same-sex marriage and many other once unthinkable relationships as logical and acceptable additions. In a society that is predominantly pleasure seeking then all forms of living together would seem to be equal and valid. There is not much hope of turning this around until as a society, through our own personal fulfilment, we begin to put to rights what is best for all our citizens. These aims can bring with them conflict but opposition can be overcome. The only way to personal fulfilment is in conforming oneself to Christ. Sex is a God given gift, it lets human beings to take part in the work of creation and in the work of the new creation as a sacrament, our society ne eds to alter and refocus. Fundamentally, marriage is concerned with the producing and the nurturing of children, and this can only happen when the married couple are heterosexual. Having children and bringing them up brings a married couple joy and happiness, they become one and a biological bond is created in working together to create a new life. Same-sex couples cannot achieve this, they may well form an emotional and a spiritual union but it is not possible for them to reach a biological bond. As a couple, they can bring up children, but they cannot produce those children biologically. In trying to change the meaning of marriage, all that will be done is to confuse its meaning. So, it would become, instead of a complementary bond of the joining together of husband and wife to bring forth and raise new life, instead of a complementary bond of the joining together of husband and wife to bring forth and raise new life it a linking of friends which would easily break up once either parties emotional needs are not fulfilled. To change the essential meaning of marriage is a fundamental mistake because marriage is too important to allow changes to take place.