Fishers narrative paradigm Essay Example for Free

Fishers narrative paradigm Essay One could argue, for instance, that the narrative of Translators without Borders ultimately sustains and justifies an ethics of consumerism through the commoditization of human grief. By blurring the boundaries between commercial and humanitarian agendas, the narrative accommodates itself to the established cosmetic use of good causes by big business to improve its image and deflect attention from its less savory practices. Finally, the Translators Without Borders story feeds into hegemonic cultural narratives of social responsibility that are ultimately designed to make the donors feel good about themselves rather than directly address the needs of the recipients. This is evident in Lori Thicke s article, published in Multilingual Computing and Technology, where she explains the attraction of the humanitarian exercise as follows: Giving away translations for Ð ° worthy cause is Ð ° win-win scenario. Eurotexte feels good about it. The translators feel good about it, and they see Eurotexte as an agency that really cares which we do. And last but not least, our customers consider this to be Ð ° point of distinction. (2oo3:4) In the final analysis, as Hinchman and Hinchman point out, we extend or withhold allegiance to communities depending on our rational judgments concerning the narratives on which they are based (1997:238) Fishers narrative paradigm, as І have tried to demonstrate with the narrative of Translators Without Borders, offers us Ð ° framework not only for making rational judgments but also for assessing narratives in terms of fidelity and, thus, their ethical import. Gumperz (1982) demonstrated that speakers in Ð ° conversation are engaged in an ongoing and immediate process of assessing others intentions and producing responses based on the assessment of those intentions. He calls this situated or context-bound process of interpreting meaning conversational inference and the meanings themselves are flexible and evolve as conversations proceed (Gumperz 1977). To talk back and forth-to speak as well as listen-entails both sending and receiving multiple levels of meaning. In numerous examples, he illustrates how meanings are conveyed from multiple levels of language consisting of, but not limited to, lexical or phonological choice, syntactic patterns, use of formulaic expressions, code-switching, prosodic cues (intonation and stress), and paralinguistic (e. g. , pitch, register, rhythm, and volume). Meaning is not only determined by features of language, but also, as Gumperz demonstrates, by background expectations, prior knowledge or relationships, roles, cultural knowledge, and other social knowledge. According to Gumperz, interpreting meaning is Ð ° process of contextualization in which Ð ° listener associates certain kinds of cues within the language, called contextualization cues, with information content on the one hand and with background expectations, or social knowledge, on the other ( Gumperz 1978; 1982). Contextualization cues refer to any aspect of the surface form of utterances that, when attached to message content, function as Ð ° way of signaling how to understand what is said. These cues signal to listeners when speakers have made their points, which information is foreground and which is background, what the relationship is between comments, how what is said should be heard (whether anger or joking is meant), and many other kinds of information. Adopting Ð ° cross-cultural perspective, Gumperz developed Ð ° method for investigating the process of contextualization cues by examining situations where they fail to work. When speakers share similar cultural backgrounds, then contextualization cues are also shared and speakers rarely misunderstand. However, when cues are not shared, misunderstandings prevail. Schiffrin ( 1994) interprets his main contribution as emanating from his studies of the way people within Ð ° larger culture, who are members of smaller, distinct cultures, may share grammatical knowledge of Ð ° common language (such as English) but may also contextualize what is said differently than Ð ° member of the larger culture. In this way, messages are produced that are understood perhaps partially, but not completely, such that people take away different interpretations of what was said and done. The following is Ð ° well known example from Gumperz (1982: 3o) cited by Schiffrin (1994: 7): Following an informal graduate seminar at Ð ° major university, Ð ° black student approached the instructor, who was about to leave the room accompanied by several other black and white students, and said: Could І talk to you for Ð ° minute? І am gonna apply for Ð ° fellowship and І was wondering if І could get Ð ° recommendation? The instructor replied: oK. Come along to the office and tell me what you want to do. As the instructor and the rest of the group left the room, the black student said, turning his head ever so slightly to the other students: Ahma git me Ð ° gig! (Rough gloss: І am going to get myself some support. ) Before exploring how different interpretations were made by listeners, this example can serve to illustrate what interactional sociolinguistic data is and how its analysis proceeds. First, Ð ° sociolinguist analyzes actual utterances that have been written down immediately or recorded on tape by an investigator. Significant to sociolinguistics is that these are not data generated from the analysts mind or experience but rather have been actually uttered by Ð ° human being in Ð ° natural context. Second, examples from data are always accompanied by Ð ° brief explanation of the contextthe physical setting, social roles, relationships of other participants, and other information. Any utterance can be the focus of analysis by asking, how was this utterance understood by the people who heard it, and how did these participants arrive at their interpretation? For the sociolinguist, this entails describing the grammatical knowledge of participants and the socio-cultural knowledge that listeners rely on to understand the messages conveyed. Specifically, such an analysis accounts for the way explicit linguistic signs, such as word choice, intonation, rhythm, stress, and lexical and phonetic choices indicate speaker intent and also how social knowledge influenced Ð ° listeners interpretation. When these cues are tacitly shared by speakers, interpretive processes tend to go un-remarked. However, when Ð ° listener does not react to Ð ° cue or is unaware of its function, interpretations vary, misunderstandings occur, and judgments are made.

Marriage and Muslim Law

Marriage and Muslim Law The researcher has adopted a doctrinal form of research to do his project. The project entails the researcher to analyzes the concept of marriage under muslim law. Various sources both primary and secondary sources have been consulted for the same. No part of this project is plagiarized and the project is the original work of the researcher. Introduction To what extent is sharia a fixed set of norms that apply to all Muslims? Many assume that sharia rules can simply be found either by reading the Quran, or by listening to the opinion of any Muslim priest. They also assume that all Muslims are bound by the same rules, and that sharia rules can thusbe enforced across national borders to all Muslims equally, in the MiddleEast, Africa, Asia, and Europe. But is this correct? And if not, what then is the correct understanding of sharia? When people refer to the sharia, they are, in fact, referring to their sharia in the name of the eternal will of the Almighty God. The variety of meanings of sharia has given rise to a flexible, multi-interpretable discourse about sharia and law which moves smoothly from one meaning of sharia to another. Marriage or Nikah in Islamic law is a contract pure and simple needing no writing and no scared rites. All that is necessary is offer and acceptance made in the presence and hearing of two male or female witnesses and recording the factum of marriage in the Nikah Register maintained in every mosque signed by the parties and attested by witnesses. It is payable to the wife on the dissolution of marriage or death or divorce. In India, there is no need to register the Muslim marriage, as there is no law requiring registration. I am grateful to Dr.Vijender Kumar to give me this valuable opportunity to do a project on The Concept of Marriage under Muslim Law. We have seen, it is the family law that has always represented the very heart of the Sharia, for it is this part of the law that is regarded by the Muslims as entering into the very warp and woof of their religion. Generally speaking, in the law of the family alone that the Sharia is still applied to some four hundred million Muslims, for it is virtually only in the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, Northern Nigeria that the Sharia is applied today, as such, outside the sphere of family relations and personal status. It is precisely in regards to the law of marriage and divorce that the battle is joined today between the forces of conservatism and and progress in the Muslim world, and the vicissitudes of that battle provide, as we have seen, a gauge of social progress, a mirror of the advance of modernism in Islam, and an illustration of how a nominally immutable law can be changed in practice. Let us start then with a summary statement of Islamic law in these matters. A Muslim woman is bound to monogamy, while a Muslim man may have as many as four wives at once, but no more. In addition, the Ithna Ashari branch of the Shia, alone , allows him to have any number temporary marriages, or marriage of enjoyment, while all schools allow a man to indulge rights of concubinage with his own female slaves. Any sexual intercourse outside these limits  [1]  constitute zina, or illicit sex relations, for which the punishment is death by stoning in the case of an offender who has ever consummated a lawful marriage, and one hundred lashes in the case of others. But these penalties can seldom be properly imposed because of the exceedingly exacting standard of proof required, and the principle that such punishments are averted by any circumstance of doubt-besides the fact that Islamic criminal law has today only a very limited application. In addition a Muslim husband may repudiate his wife or wives at any time and at his unilateral discretion. So much for a very general summary. It is essential, however, first to consider this against its historical background and then elaborate it in greater detail. Marriages in Islam Islam, unlike other religions is a strong advocate of marriage. There is no place for celibacy like, for example the Roman Catholic priests and nuns. The prophet (pbuh) has said there is no celibacy in Islam. Marriage is a religious duty and is consequently a moral safeguard as well as a social necessity. Islam does not equal celibacy with high taqwa / Iman. The prophet has also said, Marriage is my tradition who so ever keeps away there from is not from amongst me. Marriage acts as an outlet for sexual needs and regulate it so one does not become a slave to his/ her desires. It is a social necessity because through marriage, families are established and the family is the fundamental unit of our society. Furthermore, marriage is the only legitimate or halal way to indulge in intimacy between a man and a woman. Islam takes a middle of the road position to sexual relations , it neither condemns it like certain religions, nor does it allow it freely. Islam urges us to control and regulate our desires, whatever they may be so that we remain dignified and not become like animals. Historical Background In pre-Islamic Arabia, it seems, there were several types of marriage, ranging probably from the patrilineal and including the so-called marriage of temporary enjoyment. The most respectable form, however, was a patrilineal marriage in which the groom paid a dower for, or to, his bride. This has developed no doubt, out of the widespread custom of paying bride-wealth to the tribe or the family of the bride for the loss of her reproductive capacity and as a stabilization both of the union and of the relation between two families; but it would seem that even before the the advent of Islam the dower had come to be regarded in Arabia as properly belonging to the bride herself. In any case this is a characteristic of the Islamic law of marriage, however much it is still disregarded in practice in some quarters. Muslim jurists often in fact employ the simile of sale, and regard the dower as consideration for marital rights-a consideration that constitutes an essential element in every Muslim marriage. Nor is this dower repayable on divorce, in Islamic law, once the marriage has been consummated, even where the wife is primarily at fault, except by her own voluntary agreement. Hanafis, on the other hand, consider that an adult woman may contract herself in marriage provided she chooses a husband who is her equal in respect of family, trade, religion, and so forth; that only minors may be given in marriage without their consent; and that even minors have an option of repudiating such a marriage when they reach majority I all cases in which the guardian who acted for them was other than father or grandfather.  [2]  The other Sunni schools exclude marriage by compulsion by any except the father or fathers father (or, in the case of the Malikis, the father or father or his executor); but they extend such compulsion, in respect of virgins daughters, far beyond majority. In addition, a man is prohibited from being married, at one and the same time, to two women who would be debarred, were one of them a male, from marrying each other;  [3]   An Overview of Concept of Marriage in Muslim Law Islam, unlike other religions is a strong advocate of marriage. There is no place of celibacy in Islam like the Roman Catholic priests nuns. The Prophet has said There is no Celibacy in Islam. Marriage acts as an outlet for sexual needs regulates it so one doesnt become slave to his/her desires. It is a social need because through marriage, families are established and the families are the fundamental entity of our society. Furthermore marriage is the only legitimate or halal way to indulge in intimacy between a man and woman. Islamic marriage although permits polygamy but it completely prohibits polyandry. Polygamy though permitted was guarded by several conditions by Prophet but these conditions are not obeyed by the Muslims in toto. Marriage:-Pre Islamic Position Before the birth of Islam there were several traditions in Arab. These traditions were having several unethical processes like:- (i) Buying of girl from parents by paying a sum of money. (ii) Temporary marriages. (iii) Marriage with two real sisters simultaneously. (iv) Freeness of giving up and again accepting women. These unethical traditions of the society needed to be abolished; Islam did it and brought a drastic change in the concept of marriage. Marriage Defined It is quiet relevant to know whether the Muslim marriage is a sacrament like the Hindu marriage, for this let us get acquainted with some of the definitions of Muslim marriage. (a)  Hedaya  [4]  : Marriage is a legal process by which the several process and procreation and legitimation of children between man and women is perfectly lawful and valid. (b)  Bailies Digest  [5]  :- A Nikah in Arabic means Union of the series and carries a civil contract for the purposes of legalizing sexual intercourse and legitimate procreation of children. (c)  Ameer Ali  Ã‚  [6]  :- Marriage is an organization for the protection of the society. This is made to protect the society from foulness and unchestity. (d)  Abdur Rahim  [7]  :- The Mahomedan priests regard the institution of marriage as par taking both the nature of Ibadat or devotional arts and Muamlat or dealings among men. (e)  Mahmood J.  [8]  :- Marriage according to the Mahomedan law is not a sacrament but a civil contract. (f) Under Section 2 of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 Marriage or Nikah among Muslims is a Solemn Pact or Mithaq-e-ghalid between a man a woman soliciting each others life companionship, which in law takes the form of a contract or aqd. Its a matter of query still existing whether Muslim marriage is only a civil contract or an Ibadat Muamlat. While unleashing the various definitions its quite a big problem to say which one is the most appropriate, in my opinion although the essentials of a contract is fulfilled yet marriage can never be said to be a contract because marriage always creates a bondage between the emotions and thinking of two person. .J Sarsah Sulaiman  [9]  has said In Islam , marriage is not only a civil contract but also a sacrament. Muslim marriage can also be differentiated from a civil contract on the basis of following points:- (a) It cannot be done on the basis of future happenings unlike the contingent contracts. (b) Unlike the civil contract it cannot be done for a fixed period of time. (Muta Marriage being an exception.) Purpose of Marriage The word Zawj is used in the Quran to mean a pair or a mate. The general purpose of marriage is that the sexes can provide company to one another, procreate legitimate children live in peace tranquility to the commandments of Allah. Marriage serves as a mean to emotional sexual gratification and as a mean of tension reduction. Marriage compulsory or not ? According to Imams Abu Hanifa, Ahmad ibn Hanbal Malik ibn Anas, marriage in Islam is recommendatory, however in certain individuals it becomes Wajib or obligatory. Imam Shafi considers it to Nafl or Mubah (preferable). The general opinion is that if a person , male or female fears that if he/she does not marry they will commit fornication, then marriage becomes Wajib. However, one should not marry if he does not possess the means to maintain a wife and future family or if he has no sex drive or if dislikes children, or if he feels marriage will seriously affect his religious obligations. Prophet said:- When a man marries he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half. This very wording of Prophet marks the importance of marriage, thus it could be well concluded that marriage in Islam is must. Capacity for Marriage The general essentials for marriage under Islam are as follows:- (i) Every Mahomedan of sound mind and having attained puberty can marry. Where there is no proof or evidence of puberty the age of puberty is fifteen years. (ii) A minor and insane (lunatic) who have not attained puberty can be validly contracted in marriage by their respective guardians. (iii) Consent of party is must. A marriage of a Mahomedan who is of sound mind and has attained puberty, is void, if there is no consent. Requirements of Muslim Nikah The solemnization of a Muslim marriage requires adherence to certain forms and formulas. They are called the essentials of a valid marriage. If any of these requirements is not fulfilled the marriage becomes either void or irregular, as the case may be. The essentials are as follows: Proposal and Acceptance Competent Parties No legal Disability Absolute Prohibition There is absolute prohibition of marriage in case or relationship of consanguinity which means the relationship of the person through his/her father or mother on the ascending side, or through his or her own on the descending side. Marriage among the persons related by affinity, ie, through the wife is not permitted. Marriage with foster mother and other related through such foster mother is also void. Relative Prohibitions : Unlawful conjunction Marrying a fifth wife Marrying a woman undergoing iddat Marrying non-Muslim Absence of proper witnesses Woman contracting a second marriage during the subsistence of the first marriage. The following marriages are also prohibited: Marrying pregnant women Marrying own divorced wife Marrying during pilgrimage Essentials of Marriage The essentials of a valid marriage are as follows:- (i) There should be a proposal made by or on behalf of one of the parties to the marriage, and an acceptance of the proposal by or on behalf of the other party. (ii) The proposal and acceptance must both be expressed at once meeting. (iii) The parties must be competent. (iv) There must be two male or one male two female witnesses, who must be sane and adult Mahomedan present hearing during the marriage proposal and acceptance. (Not needed in Shia Law) (v) Neither writing nor any religious ceremony is needed. Essentials Explored (i) A Muslim marriage requires proposal Ijab from one party and acceptance Qubul from the other side. This must be done in one sitting. (ii) The acceptance must be corresponding to what is being offered. (iii) The marriage must be effectively immediate. If the Wali says I will marry her to you after two months, there is no marriage. (iv) The two parties must be legally competent; i.e. they must be sane and adult. (v) The women must not be from the forbidden class. (vi) The consent given must be free consent,. It must not be an outcome of compulsion, duess, coercion or undue influence. Kinds of Marriage Under Muslim generally two types of marriage is recognized   (i) Regular Marriage (essentials discussed earlier) (ii) Muta marriage Muta Marriage: Muta marriage is a temporary marriage. Muta marriage is recognized in Shia only. Sunni law doesnt recognize it. (Baillie, 18). A Shia of the male sex may contract a Muta marriage with a woman professing the Mahomedan, Christian or Jewish religion, or even with a woman who is a fire worshipper but not with any woman following any other religion. But a Shia woman cannot contract a Muta marriage with a non muslim. The essentials of Muta marriage are:- (1) The period of cohabitation should be fixed. (2) Dower should be fixed. (3) If dower specified, term not specified, it could amount to permanent or regular marriage. (4) If term fixed dower not specified, it amounts to void marriage. Aspects of Marriage (i) Valid or Sahih (ii) Irregular or Fasid (iii) Void or Batil (i) Valid or Sahih Marriage: -  Under the Muslim law, a valid marriage is that which has been constituted in accordance with the essential conditioned prescribed earlier. It confers upon the wife; the right of dower, maintenance and residence, imposes on her obligation to be faithful and obedient to her husband, admit sexual intercourse with him observe Iddat. (ii) Irregular or Fasid Marriage:   Those marriages which are outcome of failures on part of parties in non fulfillment of prerequisites but then also are marriages; to be terminated by one of he party is termed to be Irregular marriages. They are outcome of- (a) A marriage without witness (Not under Shia Law) (b) Marriage with fifth wife. (c) Marriage with a women undergoing Iddat. (d) Marriage with a fire-worshipper. (e) Marriage outcome of bar of unlawful conjunction. An irregular marriage has no legal effect before consummation but when consummated give rise to several rights obligations. (iii) Void or Batil Marriage:- A marriage which is unlawful from its beginning. It does not create any civil rights or obligations between the parties. The offspring of a void marriage is illegitimate. They are outcome of- (a) Marriage through forced consent. (b) Plurality of husband. (c) Marriage prohibited on the ground of consanguinity. (d) Marriage prohibited on the ground of affinity. (e) Marriage prohibited on the ground of fosterage. Effect of Marriage (Sahih) The lawful obligations which arise after marriage are as follows- (i) Mutual intercourse legalized and the children so born are legitimate. (ii) The wife gets power to get Mahr (iii) The wife entitles to get maintenance. (iv) The husband gets right to guide and prohibit the wifes movement(for valid reasons only) (v) Right of succession develops. (vi) Prohibition of marriage due to affinity. (vii) Women bound to complete Iddat period not to marry during Iddat period; after divorce or death of husband. The ob ligations and rights set between the two parties during and after the marriage are to be enforced till legality. On the basis of a marriage husband and wife do not get the right on one anothers property. THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY: 1. Engagement or Mangni: Does not qualify the future spouses to go out together, even if the parents consent. Man and woman become permissible for each other only after the performance of Nikah. 2. Dowry: The unislamic system of demanding and accepting dowry must be avoided at all costs. Shariah does not make any expense incumbent on the bride/brides parents. Even the marriage expenses, it is recommended to be borne by the bridegroom. However, the bride can bring whatever she wants of her free will, and it will always belong to her. 3. Other Unislamic Customs: Many other unislamic customs have crept into the marriage ceremony of some Muslims. These customs are either borrowed from non-Muslim cultures or continue because they are established in past generations. One must avoid them if they are against the Shariah, even if some people are displeased. Other customs like the breaking of coconut etc. also do not feature among the Islamic rituals. All actions, customs etc., which show disrespect to Islam or weaken the importance of Islam, have to be avoided. 4. Haraam Acts: Some of the rituals in marriage ceremonies are absolutely Haraam like the playing of music. It is also Haraam for ladies to go for mixed gatherings without proper Hijab. Such things invite divine wrath and take away the blessings of this auspicious occasion. In the Islamic Law, marriage is an Aqd, a contract. The components of this contract are as follows: A. Proposal: In Islam the process of proposal by a man to a woman for her hand in marriage, or for that matter, to her family, is encouraged. Islam considers this natural, and recommends it as an act of respectability and dignity for women. B. Mahr: And the intending husband is asked to offer a Mahr to the bride. Holy Quran says, And give women their Mahr as a free gift, but if they of themselves be pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it with enjoyment and with wholesome result. (Surah Nisa 4:4) The following points are worthy of consideration: a) Mahr must be agreed upon by the marrying partners themselves, not by parents. b) Mahr is her right, to which her husband remains indebted. c) It is a free gift and not her price. The Mahr may be cash, kind or non-material (like training or teaching something). It can be paid up front or can be in form of promise to pay upon demands decided prior to the solemnization of marriage. Moajjal (immediate), Muwajjal and Indat-talab (on demand). However, it is much recommended to pay it before or at the time of Nikah itself. C. The Nikah Ceremony: According to Shariah, the wife-to-be says, An Kahtu nafsaka alal mahril maloom. (I have given away myself in Nikah to you, on the agreed Mahr.).Immediately, the man (bridegroom) says, Qabiltun Nikaha. (I have accepted the Nikah.).With these pronouncements, they become husband and wife. If the marrying partners are not able to recite the formula in Arabic, one or two persons or priests are appointed and authorized to officiate. One who represents the bride would first seek her explicit consent to officiate on her behalf, and so would the other who acts on behalf of the groom. Naturally, there would be a slight variation in the pronouncements, because the persons reciting them are appointees. A person who represents the bride would initiate by saying, Ankahtu muwakkilati muwakkilaka alal mahril maloom. (I give away in Nikah the woman who has thus appointed and authorized me, to the man who has authorized you, on an agreed Mahr.) The grooms representative would respond, Qabiltunnikaaha limuwakkili alal mahril maloom. (I accept the Nikah on behalf of the one who has appointed me, on the agreed Mahr.) It is mustahab to recite a brief discourse or Khutba before the Nikah formula is enunciated. In this Khutba, Allah is praised for His Wisdom in regulating the lawful process of procreation, and then the traditions from Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) are also recited. D. Time of Marriage Ceremony: Though basically marriage is allowed at all times, there are some days on which marriage is not recommended; some of these are based on ahadith and some on cultural, historical reasons.Generally, we can categorize these days into three: (a) There are some ahadith which say that it is makruh (not recommended) to have a marriage ceremony on the days when the moon is in the constellation of Scorpio (this is known as al-qamar fil aqrab or qamar dar aqrab), during the last two or three days of the lunar months, and on Wednesdays. (b) There are certain days of the Islamic calendar, which have become associated with the early events of the Islamic history; for example, the 10th of Muharram is the day of mourning for the massacre at Karbala or the day of Holy Prophet Muhammads (s.a.w.) death in Safar, etc. Since such days are commemorated by the Muslims as days of mourning, it is socially and, to some extent, religiously not recommended to have a marriage ceremo ny on such days. Shia Ithna Ashari (Twelver Shias), especially in India and Pakistan, rarely perform marriage ceremony between the 1st of Muharram and the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal as this period includes the mourning days of Muharram culminating in the martyrdom of Imam Askari (a.s.). The 9th Rabi al-Awwal is celebrated as Eid-e-Zahra..If there is a need, however, Nikah, can be performed at any time. E. Permission of the Bride-to-be/Father: The girls consent is necessary and has to be taken by her representative, directly. In case of a virgin/spinster the fathers or the grandfathers permission is also necessary. However if the permission is unreasonably withheld under some conditions or the girl has no father/paternal grandfather it is not necessary. However, a woman who is not a virgin, does not require any permission in case of remarriage. Conclusion Marriage is a religious duty of every Muslim and it is considered to be a moral safeguard and a social need. The Prophet has also said Marriage is my tradition whosoever keeps away there from is not from amongst me. Holy Quran says: And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. (Surah Nur 24:32).The above ayat begins with the words Wa Ankehoo (And marry ) The imperative form of the word nikah implies that either it is obligatory or highly recommended. According to scholars, though marriage is a highly recommended act, it becomes obligatory when there is a chance of falling into sin.Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) says, No house has been built in Islam more beloved in the sight of Allah than through marriage. On another occasion Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said: The best people of my nation (Ummat) are those who get married and have chosen their wives, and the worst people of my nation are those who have kept away from marriage and are passing their lives as bachelors.Imam Ali (a.s.) exhorts, Marry, because marriage is the tradition of Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) also said, Whosoever likes to follow my tradition, then he should know that marriage is from my tradition. Unlike Hindu where the marriage is a sacrament, marriages in Muslims have a nature of civil contract. Marriage is necessary for the legitimization of a child. When the marriage is done in accordance to the prescribed norms it creates various rights and obligations on both the parties.

Power And Control In The Family

Power And Control In The Family Power is defined as the ability to exercise control. Control therefore is not feeling vulnerable and having charge over a thing in order to get things done. Power is to act, think, behave, feel and believe. Control is the expression of commands, demands, directives, orders and requests, as to how I am to act, think, behave, feel and believe. THE POWER AND CONTROL THEORY. Power-control theory begins with the assumption that mothers constitute the primary agents of socialization in the family. In households in which the mother and father have relatively similar levels of power at work, balanced households, mothers will be less likely to differentially exert control upon their Daughters. Thus, in balanced households, both sons and daughters will have similar levels of control placed upon them, leading them to develop similar attitudes regarding the risks and benefits of engaging in deviant behaviour. This line of reasoning suggests that balanced households will experience fewer gender differences in deviant behaviour. Power-control theorists further assume that households in which mothers and fathers have dissimilar levels of power in the work place, so-called unbalanced households, are more patriarchal in their attitudes regarding gender roles. Power-control theory states that relative power in the workplace conditions patterns of parental control of c hildren in two-parent families, resulting in gender differences in rates of no serious delinquency. INEQUALITIES IN THE FAMILY In 1973, Young and Wilmott claimed that the traditional segregated division of labour in the home is breaking down. The conjugal relationship in the middle class is becoming either joint or symmetrical which is leading to egalitarian marriage. There are many ways by which there is inequality in power and control family that should be looked at but following was stated as the major ways by which the division of labour in the house is breaking down. Household task and childcare in the family is the duty of the mother. Feminist argue that this task is not supposed to be the major duty of the wife, they believe that this task should be shared among the wife and husband as they both own the child and they both live in the same house. Survey on housework and child care suggest that men today are more involved in domestic task than their fathers and grandfathers, women also have to do the majority of the housework and child care even when they have a full time job that cannot be neglected because of the society view on power and control in the family as women being the ones to do the work and men been the breadwinner. Time survey 2005 by et al.(2006)discovered that the women in paid work spend 21hours of their time doing household chores compared to men who spend 12hours of their time doing the same thing. Some British Household Panel Survey (2001) suggested that some household chores are still done by the women as the males find it really threatening to engage in household chores because they believe that doing it risks their role as the head and breadwinner of the family. Women are also responsible for the physical and emotional well being of their family at the expense of their own. Decision making is another aspect of inequality in power and control in the family, in the middle class families where there is a patriarchal view on the family, major decision making such as where to live, what house to buy are mostly shouldered on the husband this is because the traditional view on the power and control in such families still exist there where the husband is the head of the family and he has to be the one to make major decisions in the family. Some men believe that major decision making such as if they are ready to have children or if the wife should stay at home should be made by them as they are the bread winner of the family. Fatherhood is another area of power and control in the family. Most families today are single families where there is only one person to do the housework and childcare. The new right critique of one parent families is that they lack fathers, suggested that children that grow up in such way are less likely to be socialized into the culture of discipline and compromise found in nuclear families and they may end up been less successful parents. This is because such children lack an authoritative figure and there is nobody to turn to in time of crisis. This lack of authoritative figure or someone to watch over them increases social problems such as teenage pregnancy, drug use because they have been influenced by their peer groups. Furthermore, the difference between the fathers of 1990à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s and 1960à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s cannot be underestimated. This is so because the fathers of 1990à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s are more involved in teh l ife of their children than their fathers and are taking active roles un the emotional development of their children. Beck (1992)notes that in the post modern age men no longer look to their jobs to give them a sense of identity and purpose but they now look up to their children to give them that. In this study of fatherhood, teenage children, fathers and mothers agreed that fathers should still be the breadwinner of the family despite the employment and family life changes and that women are experts at parenting. However, it is important not to overweight the importance of men role in child care this is because it is the main responsibility of the mother to look after the child rather that jointly shared with the father, most fathers would like to spend more time with their children but due to the work pressure and long working hours are unable to do so. Womenà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s participation in the labour market has been limited by their domestic responsibility. Due to their various domestic responsibility, only very few women have careers. Feminist also went further by saying that it is only the males that have careers but a lot of women only have jobs as a result of this, most employers find women unreliable because of the family commitments and they are unable to get same access to promotion and work training like the men. Morden marriages do not appear as equal as the functionalist see it rather women are at a great disadvantage, based on the criteria so far. Who has more power and control in the family? Before we can discuss this it is important to know that it is not a very definite thing to say who has more control in the family but we have to look at the family or marriage system. For example if the family is egalitarian in nature or not. Therefore we will be able to decide who has more power and control based on the nature of the family The following can be seen as the three major family natures. It can be an egalitarian family where both partners share the same responsibilities, or a patriarchal family where the traditional view on who holds power in the family still exist and a lone parent family that is either the father or the mother as the head. EGALITARIAN FAMILIES. The power and control in these families are usually a shared responsibility, so child care and house care are the responsibility of both partners as they both have full time jobs. Therefore major decision making is also what they both decide to do. In this type of family, Households in which husbands and wives share equal levels of power are considered balanced and therefore less patriarchal. Therefore, it can be concluded that in families like this , the two partners have equal right and duties in both child care and housework and other aspect of the family life where there is possible division of labour. PARTRIACHAL FAMILIES There is the traditional view of power and control in this type of family. This family can be majorly seen among the middle class family. The power and control of the family lies in the hand of the father as the breadwinner and he is the one that tackles any necessary decision that needs to be taken. The major responsibility of the wife/mother is to do the house work and it is therefore very important for her to do her duties. Feminists argues that this type of structure is not equal as the mother ends up doing the most work especially if she has a full time job. LONE-PARENTS FAMILIES The issue of power and control in this type of family is solely in the hand of who is has the child custody. Therefore it is the duty of the single father or mother to see to the affairs of the household and childcare in every way possible. Single mothers (and fathers for that matter) must contend with a variety of power struggles in their daily lives, such as the continued existence of the noncustodial parent in child-rearing and decision making [i.e., single parents who must rely on child-support payments or are limited in decision-making power because the non-custodial parent has partial custody], the potential involvement of the state [i.e., single mothers or single fathers who are jobless and must rely on the state for monies], as well as power differentials at work. VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY. One of the most important aspects of power in the family is also domestic violence. This type of violence is one done behind closed doors where the man exercises his power over the woman through the use of physical power by either beating or harassing. This is the most common type of violence as it is done behind closed doors and it has no witness of it taking place apart from the victim. In the year 2008/09, the British Crime Survey recorded a total of 293,000 recorded domestic violence. In any one year, there are 13 million separate incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against women from partners or Former partners. (Walby and Allen, 2004). Also the British Crime Survey said women are more likely to suffer domestic violence rather than the men, this figures might be underestimated because not all crimes are reported by the victims majorly because they are afraid of the repercussion or they feel they may not be taken seriously better still they feel they can change their partners and they continue to suffer in silence. It is not only the women that do suffer domestic violence even the men do but out of 90% of recorded domestic violence, 10% are does suffered by the men. Feminist suggest that domestic violence is as a result of patriarchy. This indicates that because of this, men tend to exercise their power over the women probably out of frustration or their anxiety over maintaining their role as the head of the family. THEORITICAL EXPLANATION ON THE INEQUALIIES OF POWER AND CONTROL IN THE FAMILY. FUNTIONALIST see the sexual division of labour in the family as biologically inevitable. They see it has been in the gene of a woman to be more caring than the man and are more emotional than the man. FEMINIST this particular set of theorists see the power of men in the family as declining why because women have made a really progress in term of equality and they believe that men are already adapting to this change although they believe that women are not strong enough in terms of attitudes and behaviour, the future hold a movement of domestic and economic equality. MARXISTS. See the housewife roles as serving the needs of capitalism as this maintains the present workforce and produces labour power for the future However, these theories have been criticised based on the fact that most of them did not look at every society that women roles vary in all societies. Feminist underestimate the degree of power that some women enjoy, the women ability to make rational choices have been underestimated by the feminist point of view. CONCLUSION. For long power in the family has been seen as a very large topic that has been argued and debated over time, but before the conclusion can be made that either the male or female has more power or control in the family. We have taken a look at the inequalities in the family and can conclude the female gender is at a great disadvantage when it comes to this. Not only have we looked at this, we have also looked at who has more power in the family based on the different family structures. Family domestic violence has also been looked at and we ca n see from the above analysis that domestic violence is also a way by which power is exercised in the family. Furthermore, different theoretical view on the inequalities in the family has been looked at and also how these theories have also been criticized. Power and control therefore is a topic that has helped to understand how the family structure is like and the level of equality in the family.

I Am Making a Difference in My Community Essay -- Community Service, S

â€Å"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul motivated by love.† ― Martin Luther King Jr. Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people. Volunteerism, civic engagement and advocacy are the driving forces for creating change and making a positive impact in your community and society at large. While gaining internship and job experience can lead to community impact and social change, it’s important for us to remember that before we start advocating for change and informing others about issues we care about, we need to fully understand the complexity and depth of the social, environmental, or economic issue we are passionate about. Not only do we need to understand the ‘issue’ or ‘societal problem’ that many people face and are impacted by every day, but we need to meet and work alongside those whose daily realities are shaped by injustices, while not creating any divides or barriers in the process. Everyday people are affected by the issues that organizations fight for or against, and once we realize how people-centered things like advocacy, outreach and service are, I believe young people will realize their call to action and their potent... ...ocal nonprofit organizations have the potential to amplify their outreach to colleges, and young people in general, through matching passions with skills. You as organizations need to purposefully identify for us why promoting service and civic engagement is not only important, but necessary if we want to improve our lives, the lives of others, and the dilemmas and misfortunes our world faces every day. The relationship between young people and nonprofits can be the start of a significant change in our community, and should be a reciprocal and powerful educational experience. An open-minded and encouraging flow of communication between organizations and community members can be the launchpad for the social and environmental change organizations talk about and try for every day. Together, we can make change – not just a semblance of idealism, but reality, as well.

Is Insanity Normal? Essay -- Mental Illness Insane Crazy Norm essays

Is Insanity Normal? Works Cited Missing We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad -The Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Have you ever questioned your sanity? Have you ever wished you could change, for even one day, and be the person that others wanted you to be? Have you ever actually made that change, either by choice or by force? Do you think you’re normal? Maybe you’ve lived the most normal life you could imagine. Or maybe not. Maybe you’re life is so abnormal and outrageous that you don’t wish to be normal. Have you ever questioned your sanity? Introduction Insanity appears in various forms and we all know how to mentally picture it. We can create clear images of "insane" individuals in our heads and, very often, feel comfortable with those images. Maybe we picture the serial killer on television, the old woman next door who refuses to leave her house, the people in rubber rooms, or even ourselves. Despite whom we picture, however, we, as members of this society, have a tendency to label those who act differently from us "crazy" or "insane." Society attempts to classify the "sane" and "insane" based on how "normal" or "abnormal" they are. Unfortunately, this forces us into a binary view of individuals that causes many of those individuals to lose their senses of uniqueness and freedom. This also causes others to discriminate based on their differences. What we fail to realize is that the line we establish between "sane" and "insane" is unclear and undeterminable and, therefore, gives us no grounds for bias. For that reason, we must abandon it entirely because the categories it forms inhibit some from living their ideal ways of life. We need to, essentially, stop classifying abn... ...ation. For example, there are Gay and Lesbian Pride groups, Fat Pride groups, the Deaf Community, and so forth, but because the line society draws for insanity is so ambiguous, and clear categories are indeterminable, it is impossible to form an "Insane Pride" group, for instance. The only current option for these people, therefore, is to stay within the binary. We need to find a way to resist this need to conform because, in reality, we all in some way fit into the category of the insane to different degrees. Hence, we need to establish ourselves as individuals with needs. We must begin to look at what we have come to call "insanity" in a new way and, in effect, exclude the word from our vocabulary. If we can, therefore, find some way to eliminate the stigma and reaffirm the spectrum, we will be able to treat others and ourselves affectively and appropriately.

Essays --

History is important to modern American spirituality because we are the past. We are the totality of all events that have happened to us. This beginning and ending product guides our actions in the present. The understanding of American spirituality today can be implied through it’s the repetition of itself. Histories matter the most because we learn and understand our human nature to see how others dealt with conflicts and problems so we can further understand how to not only prevent but also deal with it faster in the future. In Bron Taylor’s â€Å"Dark Green Religion† and Courtney Bender’s â€Å"Religion and Spirituality: History, Discourse, Measurement†, explains of the best ways to live life through knowing one’s history. The individual and the societies that are built through the struggles of our past events are the only way we can understand who we are and how we got to be the way we are is by studying the past. History is a study of the past that can help oneself understand what made them who we are. In cases like if we had lost the American Revolution, or if the Spanish had founded ... Essays -- History is important to modern American spirituality because we are the past. We are the totality of all events that have happened to us. This beginning and ending product guides our actions in the present. The understanding of American spirituality today can be implied through it’s the repetition of itself. Histories matter the most because we learn and understand our human nature to see how others dealt with conflicts and problems so we can further understand how to not only prevent but also deal with it faster in the future. In Bron Taylor’s â€Å"Dark Green Religion† and Courtney Bender’s â€Å"Religion and Spirituality: History, Discourse, Measurement†, explains of the best ways to live life through knowing one’s history. The individual and the societies that are built through the struggles of our past events are the only way we can understand who we are and how we got to be the way we are is by studying the past. History is a study of the past that can help oneself understand what made them who we are. In cases like if we had lost the American Revolution, or if the Spanish had founded ...

The age of the entrepreneur has arrived

We are living in an age of entrepreneurship. When Bill Gates, the founder and CEO of Microsoft or Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop seem to be better known around the world than most heads of state, one might conclude that the age of the entrepreneur has arrived. Entrepreneurs of large multinational corporations have had a distinctly important role in shaping today's process of globalization. The term â€Å"entrepreneurship† has historically referred to the efforts of an individual who takes on the odds in translating a vision into a successful business enterprise (Collins & Moore, 1964; Hebert & Link, 1988). More recently, however, entrepreneurship has been conceptualized as a process that can occur in organizations of all sizes and types, such as the public sector, and non-profit organization (Burgelman, 1983; Gartner, 1985; Kao, 1989; Miller, 1983). In this paper, the author will use the case of Michael Young, Lord Young of Dartington, to discuss how useful is the notion of the ‘social entrepreneur' and how different is such a concept from the more traditional portrayal of the private sector entrepreneur. The story of Michael Young Michael Young, one of Britain foremost social entrepreneurs, has died aged 86. Lord Young of Dartington leaves behind dozens of institutions and charities which he either was founder, or played a major hand in creating including the Consumers Association and the Open University. He was an innovative and progressive thinker in political and social policy (Briggs2001). By any standard, Young must count as one of the most fecund and versatile figures of British life. As head of the Labour Party's research department and one of the people who drafted its manifesto in 1945, he helped craft the terms of the post-war settlement. His seminal study of family and kinship in London's East End gave social inquiry a new direction. He was a prime mover in the development of the Consumers' Association, the Open University, the Social Science Research Council, the University of the Third Age and, most recently, the School of Social Entrepreneurs. For nearly 60 years, Young has fertilised British life with new ideas and new institutions. Yet he is also one of the authors of a reactionary orthodoxy that lies on British politics and education with the weight of a corpse (Briggs2001). His many dragon seeds have included starting the Advisory Centre for Education, which provided information on education issues (1960); the National Consumer Council (1975); the University of the Third Age, or U3A (1982); the Open College of the Arts, which taught practical arts by correspondence (1987); the National Association for the Education of Sick Children (1993); a Family Covenant Association, for promoting a secular form of Baptism (1994); and the School for Social Entrepreneurs (1998) (Gray2001) The nature of entrepreneurship According to Collins, Moore, (1964), the entrepreneur was defined as ‘a risk-taker – a man who braves uncertainty, strikes out on his own, and, through native wit, devotion ot duty, and singleness of purpose, somehow creates business and industrial activity where none existed before'. In a 21st century business context, and largely as lay people understand it, entrepreneur typically refers to ‘a person who undertakes or controls a business or enterprise and bears the risk of profit or loss' (Brown 1993), Underlying entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors are three key dimensions: innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness (Covin & Slevin, 1989; Miller, 1983; Morris & Sexton, 1996). Innovativeness refers to the seeking of creative, unusual, or novel solutions to problems and needs. These solutions take the form of new technologies and processes, as well as new products and services. Risk taking involves the willingness to commit significant resources to opportunities having a reasonable chance of costly failure. These risks are typically moderate and calculated. Proactiveness is concerned with implementation, with doing what is necessary to bring an entrepreneurial concept to fruition. It usually involves considerable perseverance, adaptability, and a willingness to assume responsibility for failure. To the extent that an undertaking demonstrates some amount of innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness, it can be considered an entrepreneurial event, and the person behind it an entrepreneur. Further, any number of entrepreneurial events can be produced in a given time period (Stevenson & Jarillo, 1990). Accordingly, entrepreneurship is not an either/or determination, but a question of â€Å"degree† and â€Å"frequency.† Organizations can be characterized, then, in terms of their entrepreneurial orientation or â€Å"intensity,† which is a reflection both of how many entrepreneurial things they are doing, and how innovative, risky, and proactive those things tend to be. By dissecting the critical elements of entrepreneurship, we are able to highlight the essential ingredients for society to nurture, cultivate and value. It also frees the term for use in non-business, non-profit-seeking ventures. It blurs the boundaries between the business and social sectors in potentially useful ways as well and foreshadows a cultural shift in what we value. And Casson (1995) notes that entrepreneurship can be a distributed process across the public/private divide. He (1995) argues: â€Å"The public sector and the private sector therefore offer two distinct channels of advancement for the entrepreneur. The rewards to entrepreneurship in the public sector come more in the form of status rather than of income, of course. The difference between the social entrepreneur and the private sector entrepreneur a). The different mission. Compare to the private sector entrepreneur, social entrepreneurs has the different mission (Ackerman1996). Social entrepreneurs play the role of change agents in the social sector, by adopting a mission to create and sustain social value, not just private value. For social entrepreneurs, the social mission is explicit and central. This obviously affects how social entrepreneurs perceive and assess opportunities. Mission-related impact becomes the central criterion, not wealth creation. Wealth is just a means to an end for social entrepreneurs. With business entrepreneurs, wealth creation is a way of measuring value creation. This is because business entrepreneurs are subject to market discipline, which determines in large part whether they are creating value. If they do not shift resources to more economically productive uses, they tend to be driven out of business. b). Different measurements to value creation. In the modern market, the value created by private sector entrepreneur can be clearly calculated by the market value. Whereas, it is inherently difficult to measure social value creation (Dees 1998). How much social value is created by reducing pollution in a given stream, by saving the spotted owl, or by providing companionship to the elderly? The calculations are not only hard but also contentious. Even when improvements can be measured, it is often difficult to attribute them to a specific intervention. Are the lower crime rates in an area due to the Block Watch, new policing techniques, or just a better economy? Even when improvements can be measured and attributed to a given intervention, social entrepreneurs often cannot capture the value they have created in an economic form to pay for the resources they use. Defining Social Entrepreneurship Although the growing attention devoted to the phenomenon, there have not a generally accepted definition of public/social sector entrepreneurship to emerge. Many of prior studies provided the definition of social entrepreneurship. Such as Bellone & Goerl (1992) social entrepreneurship is an active approach to administrative responsibility that includes generating new sources of revenue, providing enhanced services, and helping to facilitate increased citizen education and involvement. Osborne & Gaebler (1992) state it as a continuous attempt to apply resources in new ways so as to heighten the efficiency and effectiveness of public institutions. Linden (1990) concluded it as the purposeful and organized search for innovative changes in public sector organizations and operations. Base on such prior studies, Dees (1998) stated social entrepreneurs play the role of change agents in the social sector, by: * Adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value), * Recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission, * Engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning, * Acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand, and * Exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created. Dees (1998) also mentioned this is clearly an â€Å"idealized† definition. Social sector leaders will exemplify these characteristics in different ways and to different degrees. The closer a person gets to satisfying all these conditions, the more that person fits the model of a social entrepreneur. Those who are more innovative in their work and who create more significant social improvements will naturally be seen as more entrepreneurial. The truly Schumpeterian social entrepreneurs will significantly reform or revolutionize their industries. In sum, social entrepreneurship extends the definition of entrepreneurship by its emphasis on ethical integrity and maximizing social value rather than private value or profit. How Michael Young fits the model of a social entrepreneur? To consider how far that Michael Young was entrepreneurial? It is better to consider who closer Michael Young gets to satisfying all such conditions mentioned in the last section. Also Brazeal and Herbert (1999A) stated the way of viewing entrepreneurship is to recognize that entrepreneurship is enabled by the current or potential existence of something new (an innovation), new ways of looking at old problems (Creativity), or the lessened capability of prior processes or solutions to respond effectively to new problem parameters brought on by new or emerging external conditions (environmental change), which can supplant or be complementary to existing processes or solutions (a change), when championed by one or more invested individuals (the innovator). In the follow, some attributions of Michael Young are listed, and it is clear that Michael Young is a successful social entrepreneurial. Young often turned personal experience into new opportunities for social action (Gary 2001). While in hospital with cancer, he devised the idea of the College of Health (and with his sense of provocative fun, he originally called it the Association of Trained Patients). While organizing the funeral of his wife, he saw the need to improve the training of funeral directors, and so he established the National Funerals College. When he discovered that Bengali patients at the London Hospital were unable to explain to doctors what was wrong with them he launched a telephone exchange offering instant translation services. His energy seemed unstoppable, and even into his late seventies he was publishing books and creating even more organizations. Young created an alternative vision of education (Briggs2001). His views on education were often controversial, and heavily influenced by his time spent as a young man at the alternative school at Dartington Hall. The school was based on the philosophy of Rousseau who held the belief that all children were born gifted in one way or another and needed only to be fed and watered, like plants, for their gifts to grow. Michael Young re-stated the egalitarian vision (Gary 2001). He stated where we to evaluate people, not only according to their intelligence and their education, their occupations and their power, but according to their kindliness and their courage, their imagination and sensitivity, their sympathy and generosity, there would be no overall inequalities of the sort we have got used to. Who would be able to say that the scientist was superior to the porter with admirable qualities as a father, the civil servant to the lorry-driver with unusual skills at growing roses? In sum up, Michael Young has undoubtedly been a great innovator, and the greatest social entrepreneur in the UK. The valuation created by Michael Young is significant with the private sector entrepreneur. He was an innovative and progressive thinker in political and social policy.