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Comparative Study of Indigenous Religions
Comparative Study of Indigenous Religions
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Introduction
Religion has played an immense role in the shaping of the lives of the human society, especially with regard to their relationships with each other, their beliefs, as well as the acceptable behavior. Taoism/Daoism and Confucianism, both of which were born in China are examples of religions. Tao/Daoism is used to underline “principle”, “path”, or “way” and may be seen in other religions and philosophies in China apart from Taoism (Oldstone-Moore, 2003). However, Tao in Taoism underlines something that doubles up both as the driving force and source of everything in existence (Oldstone-Moore, 2003). Confucianism, on the other hand, is usually categorized as a system of ethical and social philosophy and not a religion. This is especially considering its deficiency of deity and it beliefs pertaining to afterlife. In fact, Confucianism was established the institutions, transcendent ideals and social values of the conventional Chinese society on ancient religious foundations (Rainey et al, 2010). However, of particular interest are the beliefs that these two religions or promoted pertaining to life and death. While the two religions may have been different, it is evident that their beliefs were mainly aimed at promoting morality and moral living in the lives of the followers.
Both Taoism and Confucianism did not lay emphasis on the afterlife rather they emphasized on the current life. For both of them, the quality and length of one’s life on earth was determined by his actions. Taoism stated that the afterlife was incorporated in life, where human beings are of Tao when living and become of Tao again upon death (Chin, 2007). However, an individual is presumed to be closer to Tao with increased length of his life, with the eventual hope being that the individual will become immortal, achieve Tao and reach a deeper life. This deep life would only be achieved by individuals that were pure in thought and actions (Chin, 2007). This is the same case for Confucianism, which does not lay emphasis on life after death as an ultimate standard against which human beings would measure how successful their life on earth was (Rainey et al, 2010). For Confucius, human beings had too rudimentary understanding of life on earth to waste it on planning for afterlife that they comprehended even less. In essence, human beings had a duty to enhance the morality of their current lives (Rainey et al, 2010).
In addition, both Taoism and Confucianism underline the fact that the spirit survived after death. To Taoists, life does not start with birth, nor does it end with death. The soul continues living after the death of the physical body and simply migrates to another life, a process that is repeated until the achievement of Tao. The major and common goal amongst Taoists is the achievement of immortality and not the entry into a regular afterlife (Oldstone-Moore, 2003). The achievement of Tao necessitates that an individual eliminates impurities from his physical body and leads a good-hearted, moral and upright life. As much as Confucianism talks of a heaven thereafter, it does not underline a realm of everlasting reward for individuals that die in righteousness rather it is the highest spiritual presence that human beings know (Littlejohn, 2011). Retribution is extended to the individual soul as its existence continues in another form after its separation from the body upon the death of an individual (Kirkland, 2004). Retribution underlines the punishment meted on an individual for sins that he committed in his lifetime (Kirkland, 2004).
While both Taoism and Confucianism do not believe in heaven, they underline the fact that the nature of an individual’s soul after death is determined by his or her actions. For Taoists, the afterworld comes with suffering and blissful states. Taoists who strive to follow the way in the course of their lives are bound to become crucial ancestors, who not only help human beings on earth but are worshiped by them (Oldstone-Moore, 2003). Taoists who do not live a deeper life are to be cast out to the nine stages of Hell, which is a place for agony and purgatory. Confucianism, on the other hand, espouses that human beings become spirits after they die. The soul that survives the death of human body has the capacity to travel via space and depending on its status, would enjoy the sacrifices of the human beings (Littlejohn, 2011). However, this state would be achieved after an individual lived a life where he or she is in harmony with the cosmos, while the “ren” virtues are self-cultivated, as well as extended to other people (Littlejohn, 2011). The ‘ren’ power is the capacity to modify human beings from their ability to do bad and allow them to achieve their primary accomplishment, which is the power of human love and to do good.
On the same note, as much as the two religions did not make any insinuations pertaining to heaven, they had clear ideas as to the best manner of living one’s life and safeguarding a place in the afterlife. Taoism indicated that the earth and higher realm of the same was harboring spirits that could take account or record the transgressions of men and take away some years from their assigned term of life depending on the gravity and lightness of their offenses. This was one way of compelling human beings to lead righteous lives or rather align themselves with the cosmos or the universe as a whole (Rainey et al, 2010). It is worth noting, however, that Taoism did not incorporate the concept of heal as it saw morality as a man-made distinction. Taoism, in its country of origin, China, adopted aspects of other religions such as beliefs pertaining to Taoist hell that comes with numerous spirits and deities that punish sin in varied horrible ways (Rainey et al, 2010). In this case, it underlines the belief pertaining to the existence of Diyu, which is a purgatory place that only serves to punish, as well as renew spirits in readiness for their next incarnation.
Climbing trees that have sharp blades or being beheaded (Rainey et al, 2010). After the atonement of the soul and repentance for its deed, the soul would be cleansed of its memories and reborn in another form, which may entail further punishment. However, these punishments can be averted through leading upright lives. Confucianism, nevertheless, does not hold beliefs pertaining to the Hereafter, Hell or paradise, nor does it have any beliefs on resurrection. This, however, does not underline any notion pertaining to the existence of the soul after it has left the physical body. It is worth noting that Confucianism is primarily founded on living the physical life to the fullest and in line with the acceptable norms of morality, rather than paying attention to issues pertaining to the afterlife (Littlejohn, 2011). In addition, Confucianism underlined the view that death and life of human beings are determined by fate, while nobleness and wealth would be determined by heaven. The “heaven” stated in this case is not the conventional heaven that is somewhere above the globe where there are deities and angels and a Supreme Being, rather it is a state of being purified and immortal (Littlejohn, 2011). Nevertheless, an individual is required to fulfill his responsibility to the realization of the ideal pertaining to a harmonious society in his or her lifetime. Indeed, it is imperative that human beings consider giving testimonies pertaining to ways of heaving as their duty and responsibility (Littlejohn, 2011). It is the duty of heaven to strive to attain eternal movement, while gentlemen should concern themselves with making unrelenting efforts pertaining to continuous improvement.
In conclusion, religion has been one of the most fundamental parts of the human society. Indeed, it has played an immense role in the shaping of the lives of the human society, especially with regard to their relationships with each other, their beliefs, as well as the acceptable behavior. While Confucianism and Taoism may have been different, it is evident that their beliefs on life and death were mainly aimed at promoting morality and moral living in the lives of the followers. Both Taoism and Confucianism underline the fact that the spirit survived after death. Taoists believe that life does not start with birth, nor does it end with death, with the common goal amongst Taoists being the achievement of immortality and not the entry into a regular afterlife. Confucianism talks of a heaven that revolves around highest spiritual presence those human beings know rather than the realm of everlasting reward for individuals that die in righteousness.
References
Littlejohn, R. (2011). Confucianism: An introduction = Ru. London: I.B. Tauris.
Rainey, L. D., & Wiley InterScience (Online service). (2010). Confucius & Confucianism: The essentials. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kirkland, R. (2004). Taoism: The enduring tradition. New York: Routledge.
Oldstone-Moore, J. (2003). Taoism: Origins, beliefs, practices, holy texts, sacred places. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chin, A (2007). The Authentic Confucius: A Life of Thought and Politics. New York: Simon and Schuster
Social Problem Analysis
Social Problem Analysis
Fatuma Ibrahim
San Jose State University
SCWK-121
Dr. Emily Bruce
February 27, 2022
1.
Healthcare is a social problem that exists existent to the majority of the population in the United States. The rich, who make up the minority, are not usually affected because healthcare’s biggest problem is cost (Hohman, 2021). On the other hand, middle and low-income citizens are heavily affected by the exorbitant cost of healthcare. The problem is not made easy by other factors like poor nutrition that causes lifestyles diseases which have been on the rise in the past years. With fast food becoming popular and affordable while organic food is expensive and ‘not cool,’ many people are getting diseases like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
To curb the high cost of healthcare, the government introduced several healthcare programs, like Medicaid, which would be beneficial to eligible citizens who initially could not afford it. Medicaid is a healthcare program funded by the state and federal governments whose main aim is to subsidize healthcare costs for low-income Americans, the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities (Medicaid, 2021). Since most of the families under Medicaid require financial assistance, ridding them off the burden of paying for private healthcare allows them to divert their money into other areas of their lives that they need.
Most of the people affected by the high cost of healthcare are low-income citizens. Apart from them not being able to afford healthcare, they are more susceptible to contracting diseases. Most people within this social class work low minimum jobs and are from marginalized communities like African Americans and Mexicans. First, they cannot afford routine check-ups, which in some instances may be beneficial when a disease is diagnosed before it is too late. It is also difficult for them to adopt healthy lifestyles not just because organic foods are expensive, but they have no time to rest, and over time, their bodies tend to give up on them.
The high cost of healthcare in the United States is because many healthcare institutions are ‘profit-based.’ This means that their sole purpose is not to treat patients but to gain profit. There also exists little to no regulation in the healthcare sector, and therefore, private entities have the liberty to set their prices as high as they want. This is because the country lacks a national healthcare system. A nationalized system would have set price and quality precedents even if it allowed private entities in the market. The fragmentation of the healthcare system in the United States makes it very expensive for regular Americans to afford. Here, patients are required to pay for individual processes, including administrative costs, treatment, and medication (Hohman, 2021).
The high cost of healthcare has economic and social consequences in society. When healthcare becomes unaffordable, it forces people to dip into their savings that they would have injected back into the economy but instead have to use it on healthcare. It also promotes a ‘hand-to-mouth’ system because the little they earn would directly go into healthcare. Additionally, with an ailing population, life expectancy would be reduced, and this would leave few people to help build the economy. When people cannot afford healthcare, there may be constant social unrest because they are discontent with the system. Governments are supposed to take care of their citizens regardless of their social class. Therefore, it would be right for them to stand up against a system that has failed them. Similarly, many people with financial problems indulge in coping mechanisms that may not be ideal, including drinking and other forms of drug abuse. These harmful practices are bound to make them susceptible to diseases that are expensive to treat.
2.
Medicaid is a federal and state program that has helped reduce mortality rates by providing healthcare insurance to eligible low-income Americans. Medicaid has insured over 76.7 million Americans (Medicaid, 2021). While eligibility varies from state to state, the federal government sets the minimum criteria for eligibility, and the states have the right to alter those standards in accordance with their population’s demographics. Medicaid has been proven to help Americans stay at work while healthy, making them able to provide for their families. Medicaid has helped ensure that at least 2.3 million cancer patients who required financial support (American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, 2020). With the program gaining popularity, there has been a downward spiral in mortality rates among infants and adults. Sometimes, people fall sick because they do not have extensive information on healthcare practices like washing hands with soap and water often and even nutritional advice. However, with Medicaid, they have access to a professional who would educate them on such practices and therefore help in preventing some diseases.
People who could not afford healthcare but are under Medicaid have access to consultations and routine check-ups, which allows them to keep their health on track and helps in early diagnosis. Communities scared of seeking healthcare because of the cost can now confidently walk to facilities that accept Medicaid and get the help they need. When people are able to get quality healthcare, it allows them to become productive members of society both economically and socially. Instead of people staying at home because they cannot afford healthcare, Medicaid allows them to get treatment and head back to work as soon as possible. It also discourages the use of other coping mechanisms or people who cannot afford treatment. Parents who would have sunk into depression because they could not raise money for their children’s treatment or turn into thieves in order to afford treatment do not need to do that because Medicaid has provided an avenue for them to take care of their families.
References
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. (2020, January). Why Medicaid is Important. https://www.fightcancer.org/sites/default/files/FINAL
Hohman, M. (2021, July 26). Why is healthcare so expensive in the United States? TODAY.Com. https://www.today.com/tmrw/why-healthcare-so-expensive-united-states-t192119
Medicaid. (2021, July). Medicaid. Medicid.Gov. https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/index.html
Super Taqueria Restaurants
Brief Background of the Company and Industry
Super Taqueria Restaurants Inc., which is part of the restaurant industry, is headquartered in CA, United States. Across all its sites, the organization has 57 employees. In the corporate family of Super Taqueria Restaurants Inc., there are seven firms. Restaurants and other dining areas, namely full-service restaurants (FSRs), quick-service restaurants, cafes and fast food joints, as well as snacks, are run by companies in this industry.
There are distinctive characteristics that separate a nice restaurant from an ordinary one. These attribute help keep the tables of a successful restaurant packed with happy clients. In Super Tacqueria Restaurants Inc., therefore, the efficiency is due to the following factors:
The food company sets the benchmark for the quality of food and ensures that for every service, visitors enjoy the very same experience, creating a solid reputation as well as convincing its consumers to return for subsequent visits.
Excellent customer service in a safe atmosphere can boost the overall experience of the restaurant for the guests (Effing & Spil, 2016). The presence of polite and respectful and optimistic employees is also a factor contributing to the hotel company’s success.
Restaurant Industry Business Landscape
New technologies and services are being introduced by restaurants to compete with clients who significantly appreciate efficiency. In both the full-service and restricted-service segments of the industry, digital money, online buying and home deliveries are becoming more prevalent. As clients are able to choose from an increasing range of dining choices, pricing is also becoming a more important subject matter.
Increasing Social Media Presence for the Restaurant Business
With approximately more than 371 m posts marked with # foods and 41 million with # beverages, images of meals and drinks are undoubtedly some of Instagram’s most popular forms of content. It is quite probable that the clients are posting even without the involvement of the organization (Kim et al, 2015). When a number of individuals are impacted by opinions and comments online, it is critical for the restaurant business to have an effective digital strategy. In order to create a strong digital presence, current smart restaurant owners use social networking sites. This helps to create loyalty with current clients and attracts potential new customers.
As its Facebook and Instagram accounts have already been established by the restaurant company, strategies should be focused on how to cultivate its online presence through such sites. Although Super Taqueria has improved its social media presence, it still needs tactics to grow its brand on social media, including helping to enhance customer experience, enabling it to connect with consumers and prospects at a new level, helping to engage the audience and reach new audiences,, working to build authority, and driving traffic to its homepage.
In essence, by cultivating enduring and loyal customer relationships and prospects, a strong social media marketing strategy will drive business growth (Kwok & Yu, 2015). The following tips for enhancing its social media visibility should therefore be taken into account:
Emerge with a strategy
The restaurant company should begin by defining the person or individuals who would be part of the digital team by clearly breaking down their tasks and functions so everyone knows what is anticipated and how often. It would also be successful by agreeing on its posting frequency, and having a content calendar which will help schedule posts. This is because a significant part of the strategy is the calendar showing content as it sets out:
Who would be the audience?
What subjects and issues they are likely to engage in
The available content that the business has and,
What kind of content would it still have to produce or customize
Engaging the viewer actively in appropriate ways
While on social media, content is extremely important, merely uploading the content and stepping away is just not enough (Wang, Pauleen & Zhang, 2016). Online communication is all about conversation and interaction, and it is the only way in which the company can cultivate the connections it needs to create and gain its audience’s trust. There are many ways to communicate with the audience, including:
Commenting on blogs
Starting and taking part in discussions
Sharing Content created by users
Posing and replying to questions
Attempting to address criticisms and grievances
Displaying appreciation to clients
The restaurant business should increase streaming related videos, parties, game-day gatherings on its social media platforms such as Instagram, and also interact live about new promotions. This is also a perfect way for the organization to go behind the scenes. In addition, establishing a live Question and Answer (Q &A) with the cook or featuring a mixologist who could teach customers how to mix a cocktail at home would be effective in increasing its online presence.
Take advantage of publicity depending on location
A location-based advert helps the establishment, often within a certain radius, to decide where people see its advertisements. For example, on Facebook, they have the opportunity to reach particular business positions. A Facebook Ad will be served when a client passes by a location and appears to be surfing Facebook. As per Mobile Audience Insights Study (PDF) by Ninth Decimal (2020):
– When served within 2-5 miles of a store, retail mobile advertising performed best, increasing by 24 percent which is stronger than the existing CTR
– Target visits rose by 80 percent compared to typical store visits during the first day a mobile ad was served.
References
Effing, R., & Spil, T. A. (2016). The social strategy cone: Towards a framework for evaluating social media strategies. International journal of information management, 36(1), 1-8.
Kim, S., Koh, Y., Cha, J., & Lee, S. (2015). Effects of social media on firm value for US restaurant companies. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 49, 40-46.
Kwok, L., & Yu, B. (2015). Spreading social media messages on Facebook: An analysis of restaurant business-to-consumer communications. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), 84-94.
Ninthdecimal.com. (2020). Retrieved 4 November 2020, from https://www.ninthdecimal.com/wp content/uploads/2015/05/ND_Insights_SpecialReport.pdf.
Wang, W. Y., Pauleen, D. J., & Zhang, T. (2016). How social media applications affect B2B communication and improve business performance in SMEs. Industrial Marketing Management, 54, 4-14.