The Scopes Monkey Trial - 1116 Words

Ever since science began to explain the previously unexplainable, it has caused conflicts with religion. The Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial of Dayton, Tennessee was one of the most talked about trials in history because it was one of the first and most publicized times that this conflict occurred. The trial showed the schism between the faithful fundamentalists and the newly formed group of evolutionists. Although the jury was reminded that they only had to decide if Scopes had broken the law, the verdict was seen as much more than that. For one of the first times in history, it seemed as if the jury had to choose either religion or evolution. For the time being, there could not be both. The Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial revealed the ongoing conflict with†¦show more content†¦That May, the American Civil Liberties Union put an ad in the newspaper looking for a teacher to challenge the law. John Scopes was asked to volunteer, and he agreed. The trial involved attorneys William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow and lasted over a week, the courtroom constantly overflowing with people and the witness examinations including many heated debates. (Adams) The case, meant to decide if Scopes broke the law, diverged from its original intention as the witnesses began to speak about the constitutionality of the law, questioning the legitimacy of the Bible. One of the most well known of these examinations was the questioning of Bryan by Darrow about the book of Genesis. â€Å"After initially contending, ‘Everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there,’ Bryan finally conceded that the words of the Bible should not always be taken literally† (UMKC School of Law). The final decision stated that Scopes was guilty of breaking the law and was fined $100. While this was seen as a win for fundamentalists, it was not the end of the battle. â€Å"In retrospect†¦ Scopes forged a temporary break, not a full-scale retreat, in the fundamentalist assault on modernist thought† (Gillon 171). Starting with the Scopes Trial, many more cases have occurred concerning the teaching of evolution. â€Å"By 1928 every southern state except Virginia had debated or was considering legislation banning the teaching of evolution in theShow MoreRelatedThe Scopes Monkey Trial942 Words   |  4 Pagesunexplainable, it clashed with religion. Thus, in 1925, the Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial revealed the struggle of America’s culture between the forces of Traditionalism and Modernism. The mixture of religion and science caused one of the most famous debates in American history to occur because ideas were the main focus instead of an actual crime. The Scopes Trial opened the doors to the conflict between faith and science that made it the trial of the century.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dayton is a small beautiful Southern townRead MoreOutcome of The Scopes Monkey Trial Essay1562 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee vs. Scopes but given the nickname â€Å"The Monkey Trial†, has been credited as starting the popular legal dispute between evolution and creationism in the court, and its impact in the 20’s was immeasurable. The interpretation of the case is just as popular, if not more, than the actual result of the case. The worldwide attention and media coverage the case received produced many opinions. Scholar’s opinions range from describing the case asRead MoreThe Film, Inherit The Wind, By The Scopes Monkey Trial1889 Words   |  8 PagesThis paper discusses how the film, Inherit The Wind, portrays the Scopes Monkey Trial. The film showed both sides of the argument fairly. It was conveying a message that a person should try to understand and respect each opinion when arguing their own side. Three evidentiary issues of the trial in the film will also be discussed. The three issues that are objected to in the film are an opinion question, hearsay, and relevance. The judge sustained all three objections, saying that they were inadmissibleRead MoreEssay on Science V. Religion: The Scopes Monkey Trial1397 Words   |  6 Pagescontradicted the Christian theory of Divine Creation as described in the Bible. This caused many religious fundamentalists to fight against it. They took their battle to the law books, and they were challenged by pro-evolution modernists in the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. The theory of Evolution was developed by Charles Darwin throughout his life and published in 1859 in a book called The Origin of Species. In brief, it states that all living things on earth evolved over time and that natural selectionRead MoreThe Scopes Monkey Trial And On Debating The Legality Of Teaching Evolution1037 Words   |  5 Pagesbeing debated as inappropriate to be taught in schools. Many people feel that it is important to learn about Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, but at the same time there are many who refuse to learn about it. In the Scopes Monkey Trial and in the movie Inherit the Wind a trial is going on debating the legality of teaching evolution. Though there are still issues that arise with teaching evolution it is currently accepted more than it is debated against. Evolution is a scientifically tested andRead MoreThemes Symbols: Inherit The Wind Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pagesand Symbols: Inherit the Wind As probably the best courtroom dramas of the twentieth century, Inherit the Wind is based on the famous, Scopes Monkey Trial. The play was printed virtually thirty years afterward and takes original authority in varying the true-life elements of the court case. The central conflict of the play is based on the Scopes Monkey Trial itself. Several themes are presented throughout the play, for example when Brady argues for religious values while Drummond argues for naturalRead More Religion Versus Science in The Scopes Trial1089 Words   |  4 Pages This trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925, and the central figure was a twenty five-year-old science teacher named John Scopes. Scopes was under the umbrella of advancing America, and the trial was dubbed The Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial. In 1925, John Scopes was encouraged to challenge the Butler Law. This law was passed in the state of Tennessee to bar teachings contrary to those in the Bible. Teachings from an evolutionary text, Scopes broke the law and drew theRead MoreAnalysis Of Clarence Darrow And Henry Millers Inherit The Wind951 Words   |  4 Pagesimpossible cases. In the play Inherit the wind and the real-life Scopes Monkey Trial, Darrow and Drummond were on the impossible side. The trials were evolution against religion. Darrow and Drummond both had to represent the side of evolution in a religious-biased town. In the play Inherit the Wind, the character, Henry Drummond, parallels his real-life counterpart, Clarence Darrow, through his beliefs, his contribution to the Scopes Monkey Trial, and his career. Both Drummond and Darrow had beliefs thatRead MoreCharles Darwins Theory Of Evolution1151 Words   |  5 PagesTennessee high school substitute teacher named John Scopes was accused of teaching Charles Darwin s theory of evolution to students. The theory of evolution was a hypothesis that species survived through natural selection, meaning the adaption of species evolving to better themselves to a changing and threatening environment and that man evolved from apes. His theory that Scopes taught was completely against the Butler law. Even though Scopes’ teaching of evolution violated the Butler Law, he shouldRead More Cultural Revolution Of The 1920s Essay745 Words   |  3 PagesThe teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of having violated the Butler Act. This was a Tennessee law that forbade the teaching of the theory of evolution in public schools. The Tennessee legislature felt that teaching evolution was wrong because it contradicted the creation theory of the Bible. The S copes trial received worldwide publicity. The press nicknamed it the Monkey Trial because, people believed that the theory of evolution meant that humans were descended from monkeys. Clarence Darrow was

All You Need Is Love Free Essays

The LGBT community began to fght back after the Stonewall Riots and are still fighting for the ame freedoms heterosexuals currently hold. These freedoms include the right to marry and marriage provides couples with many benefits that only heterosexual couples are privvy to. One by one the states are changing their views and legalizing gay marriage, but there are still many states to persuade. We will write a custom essay sample on All You Need Is Love or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gay marriage needs to be legalized in all states because the purpose of marriage is love, legalizing gay marriage will not harm heterosexual marriages or the current â€Å"family values†, and marriage is a basic civil right. The view on gay marriage has varied over the last one hundred years. According to the PBS film Stonewall Uprising, in all states besides Illinois, homosexual acts were illegal in 1969. Dr. Socarides, a guest in the film says, â€Å"Homosexuality is in fact a mental illness which has reached epidemiological proportions† (Davis, 2011). This was said in the 1960’s Just before the Stonewall Riots. Back then, the costs for being gay were extreme, and punishments included institution in California named Atascadero, where the medical extremes were practiced. At Atascadero, they used medical experimentation that included â€Å"administering, to gay people, a drug that simulated the experience of drowning; in ther words, a pharmacological example of waterboarding† (Davis, 2011). They punished gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-genders for something they could not control. A riot member named Doric Wilson reported that many who underwent this treatment, turned into walking vegetables (Davis, 2011). Before the riots at the Stonewall Bar, homosexuality was treated as a contagious sickness of the mind. Law enforcement and the media encouraged citizens to hate all people who were not conforming to the typical mom and dad household with two point three children. Councilman Ed Koch of New York City states, â€Å"Gay rights, like the rights of blacks, were constantly under attack and while blacks were protected against constitutional amendments, gays were not protected by law and certainly not the Constitution† (Davis, 2011). That is when the Riots occurred. The Stonewall Bar was located in The Village, a place where gays, lesbians and drag queens could go and be themselves, but the police raided this gay bar frequently, usually in the mid afternoon. One night in the summer of 1969, a group of six policemen raided the bar; however, they were unsuccessful. The police were pushed into the bar and trapped inside, while thousands of people gathered outside in protest. Eventually additional officers showed up in riot uniforms with clubs and face guards, and were again ambushed by the protestors. Soon enough, the police charged and started beating and clubbing people. This went on for a few days and eventually the Stonewall Riots became a part of history. The Riots essentially said to America, miou promised freedom, now get off our backs and deliver on the promise† (Davis, 2011). Since the Stonewall Uprising, sixteen states have legalized gay marriage including New Jersey, Hawaii and Illinois. Surely, Americans have evolved since the Stonewall Riots, but there is additional progress to be made. Only sixteen states have legalized gay marriage; moreover, there are still thirty-four states left. The real question is what is keeping people from voting for same-marriage? There are a variety of reasons opponents argue same-sex marriage should be illegal. Their main argument involves the traditional definition of marriage. For generations the definition of marriage has been â€Å"a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of hildren with a family’ (ProCon. org, 2013). This is supported by religious texts such as the Bible, but there are many arguments as to why the above definition in invalid. To begin, it is also stated in the Bible that women are property of men. It is the twenty- first century and there are equal rights for women, many women participate in the workforce and it is no longer acceptable to suggest that a woman’s place is at home. Supporters are in agreement with Sylvia Law when she stated, â€Å"any effort by the state to hardwire sex differences into the concept of marriage perpetuates traditional sex- ased stereotypes of man-as-breadwinner and woman-as-housekeeper† (Eskridge, 1993). Everyday an increasing number of Americans become more open-minded and accepting of others, so why can people not be accepting of homosexuals. If people of religion can disregard one statement, why can they not disregard another? Ted Olsen, former US Solicitor General also argues the definition of marriage. Ted Olsen who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership† (Olson, 2010). Proponents to gay marriage believe this is what the definition of marriage should be and will be in the future. Gay marriage is opposed not only because of the definition of marriage, but also because critics believe that it could damage the family values of Americans and that the purpose of marriage is to procreate. Family values such as equality, work ethic, and the importance of family are all values that would be strengthened by same-sex marriage, not weakened. The value of equality and work ethic are especially prominent in same-sex couples. Homosexual couples worked extremely hard in order for equality, and giving them the option to become married would only increase the value of their morals. The importance of family is another value that is only being diminished when same-sex couples are forbidden to marry. Marriage is the gateway to family, and without it, the importance of such family becomes invisible. How to cite All You Need Is Love, Papers

What Happened In World War II Essays (347 words) -

What happened in World War II? The war didn't just start one day. Many events led up to this vivid memory. The whole thing is based on propaganda and beliefs of a man named Aldof Hitler. In January 1933 he became chancellor of Germany. As soon as he was in office he put laws on the Jews community. Germany became obsessed with power and soon they are invading Poland, Britain, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. War was on. The war was a war on the world. Throughout Europe war was lose. The Holocaust was in full swing. Jews were being sent to camps by the train full. Normandy invasion caused over 10,000 deaths and that was just on the French side. The Battle of the Bulge was a huge surprise attack, which caused German to lose tons of skilled labors. Germany was determined, they fought until May 1945. The United States was in a battle for life with Japan. In December 1941 Japan dropped a bomb on Pearl Harbor causing the day to be know as "The day of Infamy." This was the start of the US battles. The US became paranoid and placed Japanese Americans in Internment camps'. Japan and the US fought continuously over land. The Battle of Midway, and Iwo Jima were two of the biggest battles, the US won both. Japan still wouldn't give up. They continued to fight and began a plan of attack. They had a top-secret weapon, the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was dropped in two major cities, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. 75,000 people died, Japan gave up. The war ended on August 9, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The US hit Japan where it hurt, and the damages are unforgettable. In May 1945 German gave up, and surrendered causing a victory for the allies. The over all lose was huge, millions of Jews, millions of Americans, millions of Japanese, millions and millions of people all over the world paid the ultimate sacrifice through out this tireless war, death.

Free Essays on Dionysus

Zeus’ divine child relishes the happy life He loves peace who sheds happiness Peace who nurses admirable youths And gave of the rich and poor He hates those who do not do their best day and wondrous night to live happily. (Euripides, Bacchai 416-426) Dionysus has been called the Father of Wine, the Bringer of Virility, and the Patron of the Theatrical Arts, of which he is most well known for. Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, Iacchus, Bassareus, Trietenicus, and Liber, is credited for the creation of wine and theatre, yet his origins and earthly powers are vague and convoluted (Apiryon, 1). His origin has long been suspected to be in a fusion of a rural, local Greek nature god and another more potent god imported from Phrygia (central Turkey) or Thrace later in Greek prehistory (Gross, 1). Contradictory, Dionysus was one of the most important deities to the Greeks, yet historically he was rarely mentioned in writing. He was the Thracian, and eventually Greek, god of ecstasy, terror, guilt and atonement, death and resurrection, vegetation, trees, wine, madness, and drama. He also represented Eleusis: ecstasy, personal delivery from the world through physical or spiritual intoxication, and initiation into secret rites (1).To compreh end the complicated worship of this (once)nature deity, one must understand his origins, his followers, his holidays, and the evolution of the entire religion into the current form of theatre today. There are countless versions to the origins of Dionysus, and most continue in a common thread while contradicting each other. In the most profuse and popular tale, Dionysus was born of Zeus and Semele, a mortal woman whom Zeus had fallen in love with and the romance continued for many years. To no ones surprise, Semele became pregnant and rumors flew around Mt. Olympus. Eventually Hera, Queen of the gods and Zeus’ wife, discovered her husband’s secret affair with this human woman and became gree... Free Essays on Dionysus Free Essays on Dionysus DIONYSUS Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, is the son of the god Zeus and Semele. He is known as the twice-born god because Zeus unintentionally burned Semele on the account of Hera’s trickery and Dionysus died inside Semele. There are a few stories that come to his rebirth but the one that is most remembered in mythology is that Hermes took the heart of Dionysus and sew it into Zeus’s leg. After much persecution by Hera, Zeus finally became fed up with it and turned Dionysus into a god. Dionysus was the god of many things and some think that he is the most important god out of all of them which I for one agree with. To start he was the first god of fertility associated with plants and animals. For this he was known as â€Å"he of the trees†. He is also the god of wine, he had discovered this when he was in Nysa, also known as god of blossoms. This is where things get confusing. Dionysus is associated with both the life force and with death. He brings death, madness, and destruction to every where he goes and everyone that follows. However, paradoxically resurrection and life as well. For example; Dionysus drove Ino, his nurse, insane and she boiled her child alive, however she jumped into the sea and became a sea goddess. His mother, Semele, was burned alive but she joins Dionysus and other gods at Mount Olympus. By creating destruction in a way he is also creating life. Dionysus played an important role in helping life go on. He is the god of wine which in those days was a major thing to the Greeks and stimulated not only self worth and peoples lives but also stimulated procreation. The people that followed him would go mad, they would have parties and drink and let themselves go free without the common day worries and let life live. He is a god of the people. He understands them and the people that were his followers had a piece of him inside of them. He understood death like no other god could because he is the only ... Free Essays on Dionysus Zeus’ divine child relishes the happy life He loves peace who sheds happiness Peace who nurses admirable youths And gave of the rich and poor He hates those who do not do their best day and wondrous night to live happily. (Euripides, Bacchai 416-426) Dionysus has been called the Father of Wine, the Bringer of Virility, and the Patron of the Theatrical Arts, of which he is most well known for. Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, Iacchus, Bassareus, Trietenicus, and Liber, is credited for the creation of wine and theatre, yet his origins and earthly powers are vague and convoluted (Apiryon, 1). His origin has long been suspected to be in a fusion of a rural, local Greek nature god and another more potent god imported from Phrygia (central Turkey) or Thrace later in Greek prehistory (Gross, 1). Contradictory, Dionysus was one of the most important deities to the Greeks, yet historically he was rarely mentioned in writing. He was the Thracian, and eventually Greek, god of ecstasy, terror, guilt and atonement, death and resurrection, vegetation, trees, wine, madness, and drama. He also represented Eleusis: ecstasy, personal delivery from the world through physical or spiritual intoxication, and initiation into secret rites (1).To compreh end the complicated worship of this (once)nature deity, one must understand his origins, his followers, his holidays, and the evolution of the entire religion into the current form of theatre today. There are countless versions to the origins of Dionysus, and most continue in a common thread while contradicting each other. In the most profuse and popular tale, Dionysus was born of Zeus and Semele, a mortal woman whom Zeus had fallen in love with and the romance continued for many years. To no ones surprise, Semele became pregnant and rumors flew around Mt. Olympus. Eventually Hera, Queen of the gods and Zeus’ wife, discovered her husband’s secret affair with this human woman and became gree... Free Essays on Dionysus Son of Zeus and Semele, also known in both Greek and Latin as Bacchus. According to Ovid, when his mother was killed Zeus snatched her unborn child and sewed him into his own thigh. The Homeric Hymn to Dionysos (1) gives variant versions of his birth. He is unusual in that he has a mortal mother, the story of Semele places his birth much later than those of the other gods. Several stories tell of the fate of mortals who refused to recognised or accept Dionysos, as in Euripides' Bacchae. Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 3.5 and Homer, Iliad, 6 tell the story of Lykourgos, a Thracian king who tried to expel Dionysos and was driven mad. Homeric Hymn to Dionysos, 7 tells of the fate of mortals who failed to recognise him. He was captured by pirates but made a vine grow on the ship and transformed himself into a lion. The pirates ended up as dolphins. As these stories suggest, Dionysos is often depicted as travelling throughout Greece, often arriving from the east. As knowledge of the world to the east expanded with Alexander's campaigns as far as India, so did the regions from which Dionysos was thought to arrive in Greece. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods he was depicted as arriving in triumph from India, accompanied by exotic animals. Dionysos is the god of wine and song and is usually depicted in art and literature accompanied by maenads, satyrs and silens. The maenads often carry parts of animals they have torn apart in their frenzy. This is how he is described by Catullus and Ovid when he arrives on the island of Naxos to rescue Ariadne. At Athens tragedy was performed at the festival of Dionysos (Dionysia). The Anthesteria was a festival which commemorated the death of Ikarios the first man to introduce wine to Attica. His countrymen killed him when they felt the effects of the drink and thought he had poisoned them. Ikarios' daughter, Erigone, hanged herself (Apollodoros, 3.14.7). Dionysos was also associated wit...

Use French to Talk About the Tour de France

Use French to Talk About the Tour de France Whether you love cycling or just watching competitions like the Tour de France, youll want to learn some French cycling terminology. Here are the top French cycling-related nouns, verbs, and idiomatic expressions. Essential Tour Terms le cyclisme:  cycling, biking Le Tour de France:  the Tour de France (literally, tour of France)Note that tour  is one of those French nouns with two genders.  Le tour  means the tour.  La tour means the tower. Using the wrong gender, in this case, could cause confusion. La Grande Boucle:  The Big Loop (French nickname for the  Tour de France) Vive la France!  :Go France!  Yay France! Hurray for France (roughly)   People and Riders un autobus: a group that rides together to finish within the time allottedun commissaire:  referee who travels by carun coureur:  rider, cyclistun cycliste:  rider, cyclistun directeur sportif:  managerun domestique:  support riderun à ©chappà ©:  breakawayune à ©quipe:  teamun grimpeur:  climberun grupeto:  same as autobusun peloton:  pack, bunchun poursuivant:  chaserun rouleur:  smooth and steady riderun soigneur:  riders assistantun sprinteur:  sprinterla tà ªte de course:  leader Cycling Styles    bloc:  riding all out, as hard and fast as possiblela cadence: pedaling rhythmchasse patate:  riding between two groups (literally, potato hunt)la danseuse:  standing up Equipment un bidon:  water bottleun casque:  helmetune crevaison:  flat, punctureun dossard:  number on riders uniformun maillot:  jerseyune musette:  feed bagun pneu:  tireun pneu crevà ©:  flat tireune roue:  wheelun và ©lo de course:  racing bikeune voiture balai:  broom wagon Tracks and Courses une borne kilomà ©trique:  milestone (literally, a kilometer marker)un col:  mountain passune cà ´te:  hill, slopeune course:  raceune course par à ©tapes:  stage raceune descente:  downward slopeune à ©tape:  stage, legla flamme rouge:  red marker at one kilometer from finishhors catà ©gorie:  beyond classification (extremely difficult)une montagne:  mountainune montà ©e:  upward slopeun parcours:  route, courseune plaine:  plains, flat landune piste:  trackune route:  road Standings and Scoring la bonification:  bonus pointsune chute:  fall, crashle classement:  standingscontre la montre:  time trialla lanterne rouge:  last riderle maillot pois:  polka dot jersey (worn by best climber)le maillot blanc:  white jersey (worn by the best rider under 25)le maillot jaune:  yellow jersey (worn by the overall leader)le maillot vert:  green jersey (worn by points leader / best sprinter) Cycling Verbs accà ©là ©rer:  to acceleratesaccrocher :  to cling, hang on toattaquer:  to attack, charge  aheadchanger dallure:  to change pacechanger de vitesse:  to shift gearscourir:  to ridedà ©passer:  to overtakedà ©raper:  to slip, skids à ©chapper:  to break awaygrimper:  to climbprendre la tà ªte:  Ã‚  to take the leadralentir: to slow downrouler:  Ã‚  to ride

International Trade Operations in Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Trade Operations in Egypt - Essay Example The paper tells that Egypt happens to be the most populated Arab nation. It also happens to be the second most populated African Nation. Most of the population of Egypt is concentrated in the big cities like Alexandria and Cairo and in and around the Delta of the Nile Valley. The population in the rural areas in Egypt is on the decline because a large number of Egyptian populations are migrating to the urban hubs to assess a better life style and to benefit from the economic development taking place in these urban hubs. Egypt could be classified to be a well educated nation with its literacy rate being 71.4 percent. In Egypt education is free right up to the university level and it is compulsory from age 6 through 15. The long standing Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak had to resign following large scale political protests in the nation, predominantly led by the young people. In the year 2004, the Egyptian government initiated large scale economic reforms aimed at privatizing the los s making public sector units and rationalizing the tariffs and taxes. Egypt experienced a commendable economic growth, resting at 7 percent till the year 2008. However, with the onset of the global economic crisis, the economic growth went below the earlier 7 percent mark. Considering the recent, widespread political protests in Egypt, the rate of economic growth could be expected to remain low for the time. However, it could reasonably be assumed that Egypt is gradually moving towards a democratic, parliamentary form of government. With the initiation of the political reforms, the Egyptian economy could favorably be expected to align further with the Global economic trends and Practices. Slide II Egypt is not only the home to a fast growing population, but, the positive thing is that a majority of the Egyptian population comprises of young people and the aged constitute a miniscule of the Egyptian population. It is a fact corroborated by commonsense that young people are usually mo re open to new ideas, ways of doing things, products and services. Besides, young people are usually more informed about the global trends be they political, economic or culinary. Also considering the large size of the population that mainly comprises of young people, Egypt will have to import more food products to feed it. Going by the fact that most of the Egyptian farming and diary is concentrated in the Nile Valley, which comprises of a meager arable land, not capable of producing enough food to feed the large Egyptian population, it could well be expected that in the times to come, Egypt will have to rely on the outside sources to feed its fast growing population. Also, going by the concentration of young people in the Egyptian population, in the times to come it could safely be assumed that this relatively young population will exhibit a marked preference for foreign foods and culinary delights. In that context, it is a propitious time for the Content Cow Diary to export its p roducts to Egypt. If it forays into the Egyptian markets right now, it could pragmatically expect to consolidate its position in the Egyptian markets, in the times to come. Slide III International trade to a large extent is determined by the free interplay of demand and supply and the economies of scale that varied nations command in the context of specific products. If one looks at the GDP of Egypt, one could easily see that the agriculture sector contributes a meager 14.4 percent to the national GDP (CIA The World FactBook, 2012). In contrast, the other pillars of the Egyptian economy that are industry and services sector contribute 39.5 percent and 45.8 percent respectively to the national GDP (CIA The World FactBook, 2012). Thus, it will be quiet realistic to assume that the agriculture sector in Egypt is not well developed and modernized and could not be expected to churn out enough to be able to feed

There are limitations, but financial and management accounting perform Essay

There are limitations, but financial and management accounting perform a fundamental role in the measurement of performance wit - Essay Example In this context, the performance measurement has been characterized as an activity of key value for organizations in different industrial sectors. The specific issue is examined in this paper; emphasis is given on the role of the financial and management accounting in performance measurement, as a key part of strategic decision process in modern organizations. It is concluded that both financial and management accounting are quite important for the successful development of performance measurement schemes – even if, in certain cases, the involvement of financial and management accounting in performance measurement causes delays in the completion of the relevant processes – under the terms presented below. Because of the above problem, a series of recommendations has been included in this study aiming to support the improvement of performance measurement systems. 2. Performance measurement in organizations 2.1 Performance measurement – description, role The use of performance measurement in modern organizations has been related to the achievement of specific organizational targets. Most commonly, the performance measurement is used a firm’s managers in order to evaluate whether the organizational activities manage to achieve a particular level of performance – as set by the planners of these activities. In this way, it will be possible to estimate if these activities have paid back the investment made on them or not. In practice, the performance measurement – as one of the firm’s key strategic processes – can be quite complex. This fact is reflected in the theories developed in the particular field – referring to the content, the role and the phases of performance measurement in modern organizations. At a first level, certain differentiations can be identified in the criteria used by theorists when having to define the performance measurement; however, a close examination of their views would lead to the assumption that they all emphasize on the value of performance measurement as a tool for estimating the achievement of organizational goals – including the risks involved. In accordance with Hatry (2006) the performance measurement can be defined as the ‘regular measurement of the results (outcomes) and efficiency of services or programs’ (Hatry 2006, p3). On the other hand, Meyer (2003) notes that the term ‘performance measurement’ can be explained using two different definitions: the dictionary definition, which focuses on the past, i.e. on the performance of the organization up to the time point when its performance is measured and the economic definition, which refers rather to the future, emphasizing on ‘the measurement of the shareholder value into the firm’ (Meyer 2003, p20). It is further explained that in the context of the dictionary definition ‘performance is measured by operational measures or current financial res ults’ (Meyer 2003, p20); on the other hand, the economic definition is based on the measurement of performance ‘using share prices’ (Meyer 2003, p20). Another definition of performance measurement is mentioned in the study of Harbour (1997); in the above study reference is made to the performance measurement as a method for ‘measuring work accomplishments and output’ (Harbour 1997, p7). At the next level, Epstein et al. (2006) emphasize on