...Abstract The funeral industry, one of the oldest and among the most stable of industries regardless of economic trends, is facing one of the biggest challenges of its existence, and the threat is coming from an unlikely source – their own customers. People’s attitudes towards funerals have been changing and as a result, the number of traditional funerals has been declining. "Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals." -- Sir William Gladstone Survival in the U.S. Funeral Industry: A PESTEL Analysis The funeral industry, one of the oldest and among the most stable of industries regardless of economic trends, is facing one of the biggest challenges of its existence, and the threat is coming from an unlikely source – their own customers. People’s attitudes towards funerals have been changing and as a result, the number of traditional funerals has been declining. Funeral customs and services are as old as civilization itself. Throughout the history of mankind, every culture and civilization studied has attended to the proper care and disposition of their dead by way of three common things: some type of funeral rites, rituals and ceremonies, a sacred resting place and memorialization (Whittaker, 2005). Researchers have discovered Neanderthal burial grounds dating back to 60,000 BC along with animal...
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...Name Instructor Course Date Ancient History The Funeral Oration This was a yearly occasion given to celebrate those who had kicked the bucket during the time in the administration of the Athenian military. According to Thucydides, the funeral oration expressed that democracy makes it for individuals to better themselves through merit instead of class or money. Pericles underlined the power of the people of Athens and particularly their ability to work amongst themselves for the improvement of the city by putting away their personal interests. He spoke about how the Athens city people worked for the betterment of the city, not due to force, but because of their true will. The funeral oration gives a mention about the Athenians where it talks about their willingness to give instead of receiving. Despite the fact that excluded with Thucydides' interpretation of Pericles' particular discourse, a rundown of all the fallen was typically recounted as a part of the discourse and the assemblages of the fallen were cleaned and put in plain view around a monstrous dedication to fallen Athenians before internment (Macve 130). Despite the fact that most of a sorrowful or deploring discourse, Pericles thought outside the box and endeavored to utilize the discourse to win the great graces of the general population by advancing his qualities and those of Athenian culture, tucked in the middle of his remembrance of the fighters and corruption of his adversaries. The move worked after...
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...Conservative, and Reconstructionist (Liberal) Judaism, and how the Jewish Holy Day Passover (Pesach) is observed. The paper displays the time of the year of the holy day, its origin, and the religious practices that were associated. The study also describes the aftermath of the Reform movement, including the derivatives of the traditional beliefs that were reproduced. This study also confirmed the separation of men and women in the three different traditions and beliefs of Judaism leading to differences with the Orthodox towards the Liberals and Conservatives. The Passover (Pesach) Passover is the Jewish holiday commonly known to Jews as Pesach. This holiday is an eight-day celebration to commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites from the rule of Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. The first two days and last two days of Pesach are recognized as being major holy days for Jewish believers. The first day represents the first day that the Jews left Egypt. The seventh and eighth days represent the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea. Pesach occurs in the early spring during the months of March and April from the 15th through the 22nd and is also referred to as the Hebrew month Nissan 15. As believers followed the customs of the Passover or Pesach they also gain the experience of reliving the feeling that was at their ancestors encountered. On the Jewish calendar the holiday is listed as Nissan 15 and can begin weeks before the 15th of the month on the civil calendar. In the press release...
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...unfortunate and devastating aspect of World War II (WWII) suddenly saw the small town of Three Rivers, Texas thrust into the national spotlight. The untimely death of Private Felix Longoria, a hero and patriot became the symbol of Mexican Americans, while his story, The Longoria Affair provided proud Mexican Americans a purpose to unify and expand their struggle for civil rights in the decades to follow. The far reaching impacts would go down for many as the turning point in history for the civil rights of Mexican Americans, while for others involved, it became a cornerstone to some very powerful political careers. Three Rivers The small South Texas town of Three Rivers, just 100 Miles from the Mexican border was like many towns across the country that shaped itself along a racial divide. There were clear signs of segregation between the towns Anglo Saxon community and its Hispanics residents and this was even evident down to the street names used respectively on each side of town. The unwritten rules within racially divided towns often were born from the heart of discrimination and could often point to the underlying violation of civil rights. Evidence of such acts was often subtle but it was commonly known that a Mexican American for example could not purchase a home within the Anglo Saxon community. Three Rivers on the contrary also had residents that were very up front and vocal with their bigotry and hatred, but it was the deep under current of discrimination that...
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...Belonging This essay discusses defines belonging. It identifies some elements of belonging, and focuses on selected few. It discussed concept of belonging from my perspective and looks at the significant of that from Aboriginals perspective based on research. It gives a brief history of the cruel nature of colonisation, its impact on Aboriginals and how this colonial mentality is perpetuated through discrimination to the Indigenous Australian disadvantage. It states why the policy introduced by the government does not sound promising, what the Aboriginals wants and human rights implications in the issues facing the Aboriginals. Definition of belonging Belonging is the connection and relationship of individual with the world around him/her. (Jacques Dufresne….) Even though belonging has physical components, it can be felt individually, and develops to diverse stages with time and circumstances. This means that human state of belonging is not permanent. The status of belonging can be explicated by the choices that people make. The concept of belonging Analysing and reviewing sense of belonging I approached it by applying to my own being-that I belong to a family, my mother and fatherland, an ethnic/cultural group, a religious, professional and community groups. Within these groups I have forged good relations. The thrives that keep this profound affiliation going for me is the values we share, that include honesty, caring, sharing, participation, inclusion and respect...
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...Thucydides, an Athenian historian, political philosopher, and commander is more commonly known for his work surrounding the history of the Peloponnesian War. While serving his time as commander in the war he was exiled for his failure and wasn’t allowed to return to Athens until after the war had ended. While this may not have been ideal for him at the time, it gave him the opportunity to gather information from both opposing sides, Athens and Sparta, throughout the war. This then enabled him to write a direct and concise account of the war and to refrain from any personal opinion. He is commonly regarded as the father of philosophical history. His account of the Peloponnesian war is not only extremely accurate, but it chronicles a war that...
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...The Values and Goals of Roman Nobility The culture shared by the aristocracy of Rome in the second century BC was underpinned by a definitive set of values, providing an ideological and methodical archetype by which an individual stringently abided throughout the course of their life. Adherence to this regimented ethos brought glory to oneself, one’s ancestors (past and future) and ultimately to Rome. The nobility within Roman society at the time focussed primarily on the greater collective good of Rome, through an individual and ancestral emphasis on militaristic and political pursuits. It is understandable then, that their value system was structured on the basis of achieving excellence within the scope of these spheres. Quintus Metellus, in his eulogy to his father Lucius Metellus the pontiff, provides excellent insight stating that Lucius “had achieved the ten greatest and highest objects in the pursuit of which men pass their lives; for he had made it his aim to be a first class warrior, a supreme orator and very brave commander, to have the direction of operations of the highest importance, to enjoy the greatest honour, to be supremely wise, to be deemed the most eminent member of the senate, to obtain great wealth in an honourable way, to leave many children, and to achieve supreme distinction in the state.” Being noble came with the expectation of continuing, solidifying and improving upon the heritage forged by one’s ancestors. Children of nobility were groomed from...
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...They do an act called “release”. What they do is they give the young a shot on the head if that baby is not nurturing or behaving as it should be. So pretty much they are throwing out the knotty babies, and keeping the good ones. In the Giver page 150 it says,” He killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to himself, stunned at what he was realizing, he continued to stare at the screen numbly.” This is when Jonas realizes that what they are doing, what they have been doing is probably not okay. For the old however, if their time is up and the community feels that they are ready for release, they have somewhat of a funeral for that person. But the only catch is, that particular person is there. Then, at the end of the funeral, they lead him/her to a closed off room. And “release him to elsewhere”. The community doesn’t know this, but they are killing them. On the other hand, in our society we do have death. We lose people. Whether expected or not, people have to die. But what if we didn't know about death? What if losing someone was a happy thing or a...
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...WEEK 3 RESEARCH PROJECT (Set #1) ACCT 429 DeVry University IMPORTANT NOTE TO STUDENTS This assignment is being distributed solely for your use in completing the Week 3 project in DeVry University’s online Accounting 429 class. This assignment is an individual assignment, and you are to complete it without any outside assistance by any other student, individual, or outside materials, other than those specifically permitted by the problem. Any violations of these requirements will be addressed as an academic integrity violation. Similarly, this assignment may not be shared with any other student at any time, even after your completion of the course. Students to do so may be subject to sanctions pursuant to DeVry’s academic integrity policy, even though they may no longer be enrolled in Accounting 429. Week 3 Research Project (Set #1) DeVry University Acct 429 Performing tax research is an important part of tax practice. As outlined in Chapter 2 of your textbook, tax law is developed through a number of different governmental entities. Congress enacts the tax Code as statutory law. The Treasury Department is tasked with the implementation of the tax Code and, in the course of doing so, develops a number of documents and materials to aid taxpayers in understanding the Treasury Department's interpretation of the code, including the Regulations. In turn, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS”) has the direct responsibility for implementing the tax Code and in assessing and collecting...
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...Dying became a part of the human experience as we know it during the time of Cain and Abel around 3,000 BCE. Through archeology we have been able to discover some of the death rituals and funeral customs of ancient times. Funeral customs are based on the beliefs and traditions of a culture in how they remember their dead. And, while a family may or may not be religious the actual funeral service may have religious undertones based on the family’s traditions. This is expressed through the content of the actual funeral service, to various monuments, prayers offered, and rituals undertaken in honoring of the dead. Although, funeral customs vary widely between cultures and religious affiliations; across differences, the funeral still serves as a ceremony that marks the death or end of one chapter and the beginning of another for the deceased and their loved...
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...First Person Authorization…..Is Objection an Option? Cindy Sleeper Ottawa University December 7, 2015 First Person Authorization….Is Objection an Option? Midwest Transplant Network (MTN), is a not-for-profit Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), which provides procurement services for the recovery of organs and tissues utilized for transplant purposes. Some individuals choose, while living, to become donors of these tissues upon their death. This is termed a “first-person authorization” and is a legal binding document that cannot be revoked by the family or legal next-of-kin. However, there are occasions where families fiercely object to donation and MTN must reflect on what path is the most ethical to pursue; follow the wishes of the donor or concede to the objection of the family. This paper will examine the three theories of ethics: utilitarian, principle-based, and virtue and discuss which theory applies to this ethical dilemma. Introduction Midwest Organ Bank was originally founded in 1973 with the sole purpose of providing organ transplant and procurement services to transplant centers and hospitals throughout Kansas and Western Missouri communities. Organs recovered for transplant included kidneys, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, and intestines. In 1990 Midwest Organ Bank added tissue recovery services to their scope of practice to enable the transplant of life-enhancing tissues. These tissues included heart valves, bone, skin, and blood vessels. In 1998...
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...their story. Gadje is the word that Gypsies use for non-gypsies or outsiders, this translated means "the great unwashed". This seems in some ways racist towards outsiders but in many ways the Gypsy culture has been pressured to feel threatened by people outside of the culture. But today, more gypsies are speaking up so the rest of the world can understand and appreciate their culture. TV shows like "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" also aim to let us take a peek at their contemporary lives. Gypsies have been harassed and persecuted throughout their history of existence, but many people don't know the Turks specifically executed gypsies during World War I, while Hitler wiped out more than 1 million during World War II. During WWII, not only were gypsies killed, they were also subject to medical experiments. Those still alive in concentration camps were often blamed for crimes committed by others. Although society has changed dramatically the history of un-fair treatment still stands as a fear to many members of the Gypsy culture. "Gypsy" derives from Egyptian, so it is mistaken that Gypsies are from Egypt or Romania. Not so. Research shows ethnic gypsies came from a group of diverse military people who gathered centuries ago in northern India to fight Muslim invaders and to resist the eastward movement of Islam. Eventually they split into smaller groups...
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...issues. An example was the idea that people have the power to rule from their god(s). This was an enduring issue because it gave the rule supreme power which meant the citizens had no say in decisions that would ultimately affect them. The Ancient Chinese’s term to describe this ideology was the Mandate of Heaven. Qin Shi Huangdi, the emperor of the Qin Dynasty, gained his position because of the Mandate of Heaven. Although he did bring unity and harmony to China, his way of gaining power did cause problems. Many know that during Qin Shi Huangdi's rule, he helped develop the Great Wall of China and his mausoleum which protected by a life-sized terracotta army statue. These great...
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...Zhen Zou History 207 Instructor: Tao Wang 12 November Confucius As time goes by, many things because of various reasons were eliminated in China, but so far, there is one thing still stay in Chinese culture through thousands of Chinese history – that is Confucianism. To publicity Confucianism, the director filmed the Confucius. The film begins with Confucius as an old man, thinking back. Then the film go to early 50s, Confucius were promoted from mayor to minister for law in his home state of Lu. He tries to save a slave’s life from the institution that buried alive for former master or great people who has just died. Because of various reasons and framing from the state of Qi, he becomes a wandering scholar. After many hardships and losses, he is invited back when he is an old man. The 2008 Olympic opening ceremony began with a popular quote from Confucius among the Chinese that, “It is a great pleasure to have friends come to visit from afar.” The thousand of performers in the ceremony adorned themselves in a way that resembled the disciples of Confucius and this confirmed that Confucius is a popular individual among the Chinese. The film Confucius was, thus, created to describe the life and triumphs of this great philosopher who lived between 479 and 552 BC. Confucius happens to be arguably one of the most prominent personalities in the Chinese history from his great teachings which have continued to exert immense influence on society in contemporary China. This film...
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...clergyman but died when John was just a child. He and his family moved to Lexington to live with other family for a period of time until John was sent to live with his aunt and uncle who adopted him. His uncle was a wealthy merchant and owned a shipping business. John attended Harvard College and graduated in 1754. After traveling to London, John Hancock returned home to the colonies to find his uncle’s health failing. In 1764, his uncle died and John took over the family estate and his uncle’s business. In the 1760s, John won two consecutive political positions, managing Boston trade at first and then moving up to the colonial legislature. During this time the colonies and the British were arguing about parliamentary taxes, restrictions and rules. Hancock became extremely involved in...
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