Woman Leadership in Islam Essay -- essays research papers

In New York, on the 18th of March 2005, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, Amina Wadud, led 150 men and women, in a Friday prayer. This incident is the first of its kind, as it is the first time for a woman to take the religious leadership role in Islam. Of Course, This incident caused a huge debate within the Islamic cultures. Some sheikhs declared there was nothing wrong with women leading prayers, but the big majority of sheikhs criticized Amina Wadud and condemned her. However, Amina Wadud in reply to the accusations stressed the equality between men and women, even in religious leadership. (Islam online, April 18, 2005) One wonders why Amina Wadud has chosen religion to convey her views of equality between men and women. In the present days, especially in religious countries, religion dictates every aspect of people's lives, where their modes of thought are imposed by the religious and political institutions. Consequently, if it is tolerable in religion for women to lead prayers then most probably, this will reflect on real life and women will be given the chance and the trust to take actual leadership positions. If this is the case, religious leadership will have an impact on women perception of themselves and their role in society. Women perception and confidence in themselves will change dramatically if they are given the chance to take religious leadership. The current situation in Egypt is, that most women underestimate their thinking abilities and see themselves as the ones who should serve their husbands (The Invisible Society: Women in Middle Eastern Culture, 2.5.2005). The role of religion here is that many women justify their present role with religion and this is why they accept it and do not try to change it. So if religious leadership then will result in women to have more confidence and see herself as having skills that she should take advantage of. Consequently, she will get motivated and see it as her duty to fight for her rights. Women will become more motivated and aware that a higher education is a necessity to pursue their rights. Thus, women will become more intellectual and independent. Independence, in this case, means economic independence, because if they get a degree and work, they will be capable of taking care of themselves and have their own income. This means that they will not be obliged ... ...tinople, who was a very powerful and rich woman. This egalitarian church system reflected on society. Women earned much more respect and credit and were therefore more active Their activity was shown for instance, in the fact when there used to be any religious gathering, women used to plan it in their living places and there express opinions and make sure they were taken into consideration. (Powerful wealthy women, Tuesday, April 19, 2005). To summarize, the role of women in society will improve and they will be given more opportunities. To conclude, women indeed are created with brains and a will this should have had a reason. Engaging in religious leadership will surely emphasize equality in the society. Women and men are indeed different, but maybe through women engagement in the outside world. The qualities that women posses that are not in men could be used efficiently and consequently society will develop. However one could ask if the engagement of women in society will ever be fully accepted from men. Because especially in the Middle East men enjoy their superiority and are not ready to give it up. So whatever happens will men ever accept themselves being led by a woman?

The Man Who Was Almost A Man

Richard Wright’s â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† is a story of a 17-year-old teenaged boy, Dave, who wanted to be called a completely grown up man.He was though approaching adulthood but still was an adolescent and he was viewed as an adolescent and a kid by the adults. This was the most annoying factor for him. However, Dave possessed certain qualities that really represented childish behavior in him. Because of his childish attitude many people won’t believe in him as a grown up mature man.The story themes are centered on racial differences, poverty and sufferings of a black youth. He’s disgusted at being still too young. He wants to get old and rich and wanted to become a respectable citizen of the society. However, whatever actions the emotional and anxious kid takes are ridiculed and makes him younger in adult’s eyes. David Glover was from a poor family with not enough resources to develop a social status. He lacked economical influence and his social status was negligible because of poverty.In the story he acted in a way to acquire power but was rebuked and threatened by the adults for behaving childishly. He takes the gun to make and think of himself more powerful. â€Å"It was empty if anybody could shoot a gun, he could. He put the gun into his hip pocket and started across the fields. When he reached the top of a ridge he stood straight and proud in the moonlight, looking at Jim Hawkins’ big white house, feeling the gun sagging in his pocket.† (Wright)â€Å"  Ã¢â‚¬ËœWhut yuh do wid tha gun?’ his mother asked.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"’What wuz he doin wida gun?’ his father asked.†He was obsessed with the feelings of adulthood. He finally decides to get apart from a society that does not accept him as an adult. Dave is portrayed as an emotional kid who wants power, fame and high social status. He strives that the society should accept him as a noble man.â€Å"Dave turned and walked slowly. He heard people laughing. Dave glared~ his eyes welling with tears. Hot anger bubbled in him. Then he swallowed and stumbled on.† (Wright) Though people used to laugh on him he was still very serious regarding his actions and to be a man.†That night Dave did not sleep. He was glad that he had gotten out of killing the mule so easily, but he was hurt.† (Wright)He’s a kind of emotional, childish and lacked an understanding that why was he not accepted as a man.Richard Wright himself as a black narrates the difficulties he encounters as a black person while dealing with whites. He encountered whites during is professional career at jobs. He noticed violence and discrimination against blacks.Wright is a deliberate man who struggles through his life years. Other characters in the stories are also vibrant and well-drawn but Wright is shown as the most powerful and influential of all. As we go through the complete book we get more familiar with his charact er and how he’s being hurt. His pain is that why such dishonesty persist in this world.Most of the black characters are usually ridiculed for any of their set backs or made the point of humor. They’re shown as fat and whatever they do as funny. American culture is filled up with racial discrimination from school, education, and business to film, media, screen and shows. Color has become an integral part of our society and we don’t have much to talk about if we would no discriminate between colors and whites as inferiors and supers respectively.   

Research Paper Taxation Essay

Wage is the fixed amount of compensation for service rendered covering a fixed period of time, usually hours, or fixed amount of work. It is usually a compensation given to skilled and unskilled labor. Commission is usually a wage given to skilled and unskilled labor. Commission is usually a wage given to a salesperson based on the amount of his sales. This amount is usually added to basic salary. Bonus is given to simulate employees to work more efficiently and effectively (Valencia & Roxas, 2009) To make sure that employees comply with BIR regulation and local government laws, companies must include crucial employee and company information in their payroll systems. Setting up and running the different components that comprise a payroll system requires due diligence and adequate knowledge of tax legislation. Employee’s benefits In Philippine Accounting Standards (PAS) 19, paragraph 7 states that employees benefits are all forms of consideration given by an entity in exchange of services rendered by employees. These benefits may be paid directly to the employee’s or to their dependents, such as their children or spouses. These can be settled by payment in cash in form goods and services. Paragraph 4 of PSAS 19 enumerates the following four classes: (a) short term employee benefits; (b) post-employment benefits; (c) other term employee benefits; and, (d) termination. Employee information During the new hire process, companies must collect information such as medical insurance and W-2 forms to determine what should be deducted from an employee’s paycheck. These forms also provide employers which crucial information, such as the employee’s Social Security number and their withholding amount for government tax purposes. The systems must also track and process changes made to the employee’s tax exemption status, pensions, insurance plans or retirement funds. Salary information As part of the new hire process, payroll systems include a component that designates which employees are full time, part time and contractors. Classifying worker in a payroll system is important since the government levies high penalties on companies that categorize employees incorrectly. Applicable taxes and deductions The National internal Revenue Code (R. A 8424) requires the employer to withhold portion of the salaries earned by employees that will at least approximate an income tax due of the earner relative to the income earned. The monthly or semi-monthly withholding s taxable could be obtained from the BIR to serve as guide as to what amount to be withheld from the salary of the employee (http://www. ehow. com/list_6725482_components-payroll-system. html, 17 July 2010). In preparing a payroll, certain government mandated contributions needed to be deducted from the gross play of each employee. These include withholding taxes, PAG-IBIG, SSS (Social Security System) and PhilHealth contributions. Withholding taxes is remitted to BIR while PAG-IBIG is remitted to Home Development and Mutual Fund (HDMF) (Cabrera, Ledesma & Lupisan, 2009). Other payroll withholdings include employee contributions to benefits, retirement accounts, and charities, these are determined by the employee during the fringe benefits selection process offered by their employer and must be taken into account as well as any employer matches when reporting payroll . Methods of Payroll Computation A payroll system involves everything that has to do with the payment of employees and the filing of employment taxes. This includes keeping track of hours, calculating wages, withholding taxes and other deductions, thus appropriate methods must be applied in the computation to achieve a desirable output. More and more aspects of payroll are being handled electronically. Methods include direct paycheck deposit, debit cards, payroll and non-payroll, use Web-based information system to allow employees access, with a secure password, to their individual payroll records including pay stubs, an earnings record and in some cases, employer information, such as the company manual or health insurance plan overview (Banning, 2008) Giove (1993) stated the seven methods for computing payroll: Hourly Rate Plan Employees paid on an hourly rate plan receive a fixed amount for each hour they work. An employee’s regular earnings are equal to the employee’s hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours worked during the payroll period. Salary Plan Salaried employees receive a fixed amount for each payroll period, whether weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly. If an employee on the salary plan works less than the regular hours during a payroll period, the employer may deduct for the time lost, although in most cases the employer does not make such a deduction. Regular earnings would be determined by multiplying that hourly rate by the actual number of hours the employee worked during the payroll period. Overtime Pay All employees in all establishments and undertakings whether for profit or not are entitled to overtime pay for work rendered beyond eight (8) hours. But this does not apply to managerial employees, field personnel, and members of the family of the employer who are dependent on him for support, domestic helpers, person in the personal service of another, and workers who are paid by results. Employees in the government are also entitled to overtime pay but they are governed by Civil Service laws and rules. Only employees in the private sector are covered by the Labor Code. Guaranteed Wage It is a written agreement to pay an employee a guaranteed minimum amount regardless of the hours worked, with an extra half-hour premium for hours over 40. Piece – Rate Plan It is a compensation plan whereby employee earnings depend on the units produced. Commission Plan Sales commission plans vary greatly from company to company but are generally based on the sales made during payroll period. Combination Plan This is a compensation method whereby employees receive a fixed amount of salary for each payroll period plus an extra amount for production (piece-work) or sales (commission). Timekeeping Records Accurate timekeeping is an essential part of an efficient payroll system. Every business must have an orderly method of recording the hours employees worked during the payroll period. The time records show the date and the time the workweek starts, the number of hours worked each day, and the total hours worked during the week. Time records are filed after the payroll is prepared and, in accordance with the requirements of the law, retained up to three years. The most common methods of timekeeping use a time clock with timecards or a time sheet. There are two primary reasons to maintain accurate payroll records. First, is the collection of the data necessary to compute the compensation for each employee for each payroll period. Second, provision of information needed to complete the various government report-federal and state- required of all employees. All business enterprise both large and small are required by law to withhold certain amounts from employees’ pay for taxes, to make payment to government agencies by specific deadlines, and submit reports on official forms. (McQuaig & Bille, 2008). Other Aspects of Payroll Accounting System Payroll Register The payroll register summarizes employee earnings and deduction information in a journal entry that is inserted into the general ledger for accounting and general research purposes. Payroll registers are also used to create tax report. These documents are prepared by payroll staff or generated using payroll computer system. Payroll Services The meteoric success of payroll services is not accidental, but rather a reflection of the business community’s willingness to outsource the tedious and complex task of payroll accounting to outside specialists. The upside of outsourcing payroll is that payroll services ensure that the company complies with laws pertaining to payroll. That is a big deal considering the time investment it would take the payroll officer to stay current on payroll-related legislation. Another big plus is that payroll services are responsible for keeping track of each employee’s accumulated earning, tax withholding, and other information needed to issue W-2 forms at the end of the year. They also stay on top of things like direct deposits, salary adjustment, quarterly tax payments and all of the other details that can be distraction from the important job of leading the company (http://Gaebler. com/payroll-services, 8 Aug, 2010). In-house Payroll If contracting a payroll service does not sound like a good fit for a business, the management also has the option of doing it in-house. But if the management plans on saving money by personally administering the payroll, having more alternatives will be a better idea. Even if the company only has a few employees, dealing with payroll-related details can be a waste of time. Instead, designating the job to an employee who can give it the time it requires so precious time can be dedicated to other things (http://Gaebler. com/in-house-payroll, 8 Aug, 2010). Whoever ends up doing payroll in the company will be happy to know that there is a lot of software out there to help them. In fact, most accounting software solutions have payroll modules. Start by assessing the capability of their current accounting software program. If it does not have a built-in payroll function, chances are it is available from the manufacturer as an add-on. If it is not, then the company needed to decide whether to change accounting to one that does or attempt to find a payroll program that is compatible with the current system. Either way, it is worth the time to find a computerized system that meets the company’s needs rather than trying to do it the old-fashioned way. Internal Control A district’s accounting and payroll functions are critical for the maintenance of a solid financial foundation. Accurate and timely financial reports are crucial to administration and board decision-making. Payroll must be accurate, as it represents the district’s largest budgeted expenditure. Internal controls must safeguard the district’s assets from misappropriation. Payroll processing is an error prone activity. If organizations have just one or two employees it may seem relatively easy to compute salaries outstanding, taxes etc, but as small business starts adding employees they find spending more and more time in computation of salaries including variable pay. Errors are common in the full and final settlement and increases when employees join in the middle of a term as the processes are manual (http://ezinearticles. om/? expert=Mikael Anderson, 4 Aug, 2010). Waterhouse (2010) said in one of his studies that the objective of internal controls for payroll is to ensure that payroll disbursements are properly recorded and that related legal requirements (such as payroll tax deposits) are complied with. Segregation of duties is an effective internal control. The bank reconciliation clerk reconciles the bank accounts and is not involved in processing or approving items for payment. A payroll administrator, supervisor, specialist and six clerks perform the payroll function. The Human Resources Department (HRD) enters employee data into a database share by Personnel and Payroll and sets the rate of pay. The software system controls the ability of individuals to change information based on their access to the system. This prevents unauthorized individuals from changing this information (http://window. state. tx. us, 6 Aug, 2010). Gelinas, Sutton and Hunton (2005) included in their study some of the procedures that can be used to prevent or detect schemes. First is the direct deposit of payroll to eliminate alteration, forgery and theft of paper check. Second, is checking for duplicate names, addresses, and Social Security number in the employee data, finally is comparing actual to budgeted payroll. Expense Accounts are often an area of fraud and abuse. This include: (a) using legitimate documentation from personal expense for the business expenses; (b) overstating expenses by altering receipts; (c) submitting fictitious expenses by submitting copies of invoices. Such abuses can be minimized by formulating reasonable policies that compensate employees for their out-of-pocket expenses. Copies of invoices should only be accepted in extreme circumstances. Finally, expense account activities should be monitored on a regular basis to detect unusual patterns (Gelinas, Sutton & Hunton, 2005). Payroll Fraud Connection Payroll, similar to cash disbursements, is an area ripe with fraud potential. After all, large organizations will make thousands of payments to employees for payroll and expenses account reimbursement every payroll period. Firth (2006) expresses that Payroll Fraud is an important issue that needs to be addressed by both Finance and Payroll professionals. Some of the key activities need to be considered include: improving the quality of master file data, reviewing the end to end payroll process, and reviewing the people that are performing each step in the payroll function. It is worth remembering that improving each of these areas will not only reduce the risk of payroll fraud, it will also result in many other business improvements right across the organization. Here are some of the types of payroll frauds, along with the median loss for each to an employer: (a) Ghost Employee, employees do not actually work for the company but receives paychecks. These can be recently departed employees or made-up persons; (b) Falsified hours and salary, employees exaggerate the time that they work or are able to increase the salary in their employee date; (c) Commission Schemes, employees falsify the sales on which commissions are based or increase the commission rate in their employee date; and, (d) False worker’s compensation claims, employees fake injuries to collect disability payments (Gelinas, Sutton & Hunton 2005).

Shoemaker and the Revolution essays

Shoemaker and the Revolution essays Alfred F. Young shows us a glimpse of the American Revolution through the eyes of George Robert Twelves Hewes, a poor shoemaker of the Humble Class. What do we know about Hewes? Why is it that he is honored when the rest of his associates have been forgotten? What compelled Hewes to explore the chaotic world of Politics? And why is he remembered as a hero? Hewes played a vital role throughout the Revolution. We read three major events in which he participated, in Youngs The Shoemaker and The Tea Party. The three major events shaped the Revolution, and have influenced Americans for hundreds of years. He was a nobody who briefly became a somebody in the Revolution and, for a moment the end of his life, a hero. To understand Hewes ambition and determination one must start from his youth. Hewes was born in Boston in 1742, and was the sixth of nine children. He was unusually short, five feet, one inch. Hewes received very little fortune from his family. His father (a soap boiler), died when he was seven, leaving his family poor and in debt. His mother was a very strict woman, showing almost no love or affection, and often whipping him for his disobedience. Because of such lower standings Hewes was put to shoemaking. Shoemaking was never an occupation of his choice. The only way to escape the Apprentice world was to become like so many other men, a Soldier. The Military to Hewes was his door to opportunity. However, the small misfortune of height stood in the way, He was rejected for his size. I could not pass muster, Hewes told Hawkes, because I was not tall enough. Although small height, his determination was huge. We see this determination when he tries to enlist for a se cond time, heightening his heels and stuffing his stockings with paper and rags. Once again, rejected when the Captain saw through his trick. He then returned to the apprentice world aga...

Popular Products That Originated From Christmas

Popular Products That Originated From Christmas Christmas is filled with traditions and unique decorations not seen throughout the rest of the year. Many Christmas favorites also have nonreligious roots. Here is the origin of many well-known Christmas items. Christmas Tinsel Around 1610, tinsel was first invented in Germany made from genuine silver. Machines were invented that shredded silver into thin, tinsel-sized strips. Silver tinsel tarnishes and loses its shine with time, so artificial replacements were eventually invented. Candy Canes The origin of the candy cane goes back over 350 years when candy-makers both professional and amateur were making hard sugar sticks. The original candy was straight and completely white in color. Artificial Christmas Trees Towards the end of the 1800s, another variation of the traditional Christmas tree appeared: the artificial Christmas tree. Artificial trees originated in Germany. Metal wire trees were covered with goose, turkey, ostrich or swan feathers. The feathers were often died green to imitate pine needles. In the 1930s, the Addis Brush Company created the first artificial-brush trees, using the same machinery that made their toilet brushes! The Addis Silver Pine tree was patented in 1950. The Christmas tree was designed to have a revolving light source under it and colored gels allowed the light to shine in different shades as it revolved under the tree. History of Christmas Tree Lights Learn about the history of Christmas tree lights: from candles to inventor Albert Sadacca, who was 15 in 1917 when he first got the idea to make safe Christmas tree lights. Christmas Cards Englishman John Calcott Horsley popularized the tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards, in the 1830s. Christmas Snowman Yes, the snowman was invented, many times over. Enjoy these whimsical pictures of snowman inventions. They are from actual patents and trademarks. There are also a number of snowmen designs seen on Christmas trees and ornaments. Christmas Sweaters Knitted sweaters have been around a very long time, however, there is one certain type of sweater that delights us all during the holiday season. With lots of red and green colors, and reindeer, Santa, and snowman decorations, the Christmas sweater is both loved and even despised by many. History of Christmas On December 25, Christians traditionally celebrate the birth of Christ. The origins of the holiday are uncertain, however by the year 336, the Christian church in Rome observed the Feast of the Nativity (birth) on December 25. Christmas also coincided with the winter solstice and the Roman Festival of Saturnalia. While Christmas is a centuries-old tradition, it was never an official American national holiday until 1870. The House and Senate passed a bill introduced by Rep. Burton Chauncey Cook of Illinois that proposed making Christmas a national holiday. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill on June 28, 1870.

Bio-ecological systems theory

Bio-ecological systems theory Abstract This paper is about the Bio-Ecological Systems theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenners’s Bio-Ecological Systems Theory concerns the environmental influences on a child’s development. He observed that these influences were comprised of relationships around the child and these relationships have layers of interaction between the child’s and the child’s environment. He called these layers ‘systems’. These events start with direct influence on the student and progress outward until the events have only minimal, indirect influence. Next it will discuss a minority population which is deafness. There are two main forms of hearing loss and five levels of severity. After the child’s hearing loss is identified the parents need to choose what technology they want their child to use. The next obstacle for parents is how and where to educate their child. Then it will discuss how the theory applies to a particular student of this min ority population. And lastly it will discuss the educational considerations and recommendations revealed from applying the theory to this student. It will also consider which educational theorists apply to this student. By considering the student more holistically, rather than only what happens presently in the classroom, it will help the instructor develop a teaching plan for this student to maximize his learning potential. Bronfenbrenner’s Bio- Ecological Systems Theory: As Applied to a Deaf Student Bronfenbrenners’s Bio-Ecological Systems Theory concerns the environmental influences on a child’s development. He observed that these influences were comprised of relationships around the child and these relationships have layers of interaction between the child’s and the child’s environment. He called these layers ‘systems’ and they consisted of five different levels of influence. These events start with direct influence on the student and progress outward until the events have only minimal, indirect influence. The five systems that were recognized by Bronfenbrenner are as follows: 1. Microsystems- the immediate environment of the child which has the most impact on the child’s development, for example the relationship between the child and his parents, the child and his peers, or the child and his school. 2. Mesosytems- the connections between the microsystems, where the systems overlap, these also have a direct impact on the child’s development; for example, the interaction between the child’s peers and the child’s parent or the interaction between the child’s parents and the child’s school. 3. Exosystems- the next level of events in the environment are further from the child but nevertheless have impact on the child’s development; for example, problems with the parents’ work (indirect events) which causes tension in the home (direct event) 4. Macrosystems- the larger cultural environment that the family lives in; for example the economy of the area the family lives which contributes to the work opportunities for the parents 5. Chronosystems- the transitional events in the child’s life as he grows up; for example the changes incurred by moving from middle school to high school. The â€Å"otheredness† of my student is deafness. I believe deafness is a minority condition because the â€Å"National Center for Health Statistics places the number of profoundly deaf in the U.S. at more than 400,000, while people classified as hard-of-hearing number over 20 million, or about 8 percent of the total population†. (Bacon, 2002) Even though deafness has received some attention through television shows and movies, there are still many misconceptions about deaf people and their social and educational needs.

Analysis of the TV Shows Friends and How I Met Your Mother Essay

Analysis of the TV Shows Friends and How I Met Your Mother - Essay Example As far as friendships go this group has it very tightly knit. They live the life in New York City and never seem to want for money even though they are rarely seen working. They seem to spend most of their time just hanging out together and sipping coffee, having the heart to heart talks or just getting into one sort of hijinks after another. Just as in the real world, these group of friends somehow end up dating one another and eventually, one or two they have highly successful hookups. However, that is not to say that the show takes relationships lightly because it is, after all, a comedy show. It was the way that they handled the seriousness of these relationships in a light manner that set this show apart from the others in their time slot. That is the characteristic that made the show and its characters special. Friends was a ground breaking show during its era. It had all the common characters from everyday life that the viewers could identify with. The men were comprised of the â€Å"looking for love† kind, the career women, the players, and the spaced out friends who are always good to hang out with when you need a good laugh. Everybody knew somebody who was exactly like Monica, Chandler, Rachel, or Joey. The show helped the term â€Å"extended family† and take it a whole new level. Friends showed everyone that family need not be confined solely to the relations based upon blood and direct DNA. They are the people that we connect with on a level that we would not even normally connect on with our own family.