Fault Tolerance of an Information System

Introduction

In the recent past, technology has increasingly been adopted in organizations. It assists in developing efficiency and thus customer satisfaction. The competitiveness of a business is vested on the quality of its management decisions. A number of systems that aim at meeting a certain objective in the business arena have been developed. They are either home-made or all user systems (commercial systems). Fault Tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operating normally and effective in case of any misfortune or an in eventuality. It ranges from a simple power failure back up to complex system for retrieving data which may have been destroyed in one way or another. The failure can be from hardware or software failures. In all systems adopted as a fault tolerance there is a two system maintained whereby if one fails the other one takes over (Fischer, Lynch, and Paterson, 1985). This paper takes a look into fault tolerance; it will focus on pattern for distributed systems. It will also evaluate a commercial system, SAP BW system. It will identify the system vendors vendors, approximate costs, advantages, disadvantages, benefits, and limitations of such strategies to safeguard information and applications on information systems.

Categories of Fault Tolerance

Fault Tolerance can be broadly categorized into software and hardware fault tolerance. In a soft fault tolerance focus is on data security incase an eventuality that hinder general functioning of the system is witnessed. This system should recover any lost data and ensure that the general functioning of the system is maintained. When an abnormality occurs there is danger of loss of data and the operation of a company can be paralyzed by the entire system failure. Failures are as a result of errors that find their way into the operating system and affect the general functioning. A company that employs a fault system is less likely to experience system failures  in case of an eventuality. The other category of fault tolerance is hardware safety devises. They are the most simple since they only involve connection of the entire system and more centered on power failures (Lyu, 1995).

A Fault-Tolerant Pattern for Distributed Systems

This is a system that is adopted by large institutions with a computer connection where there is one central server. These organizations follow a Star topology; star topology adapts a system whereby there is a central server where all the other users are connected. It has a current-like connection whereby when one transmission line fails; it does not affect the other connections. There are various advantages that are associated with this topology that make me prefer it than the others. They are better performance; although the topology is made in such a way that the transmission line are dependent to the central server, with a high capacity server, it can serve a high utilizing device without affecting the others. With this it separates one system from the other and non-centralized failure cannot affect a well functioning connection. Secondly, the topology gives the benefit of centralization; this is because it allows for other devises to be connected to the system without affecting the other networks. On the other hand, it is easy to follow a certain link from the central point and establish the area of weakness if any. It is a straight forward way to connect and wire. When adding or removing a connection the other connections are not affected. The topology has some disadvantages though the topology is highly dependent on the hub or the central server. The failure of the hub affects the entire system. It is also dependent on the capacity that the hub can handle at one time. If the devices are highly utilized, the system may be slow in the processes. The disadvantages can be mitigated by using a high tech hub depending on the need of the organization (Becker, 2009).

SAP BW System Background

Business intelligence (BI) is a term used to refer to a collection of applications that aim at keeping and making available a data bank in a certain industry or organization; the bank is referred to when decisions are made. These data are kept through computer warehouse; incase of any failure there is need for data to be retrieved. When developing the database, the initial stage is information gathering, then sorting the information, analyzing it, and finally making is accessible for use. Business intelligence can be used in the general strategy of a business or a certain area/department in an organization. The major benefit that a company derives from using business intelligence tools in the right way is competitive advantage. This is because a firm has access to information that assist in making informed, current, and futuristic decisions. SAP BW system is a system that has been developed to ensure that data is not lost in case of any eventuality. It records a lot of data that may have been lost.

SAP BW system

Despite that not all data warehouse are used for business intelligence tool, the level of their accuracy and fullness is important for a successful BI. Realizing this deficit, SAP developed a data warehouse, it was developed in 1997. The system merges external and internal data to one repository. From the repository organizations can get preconfigured data; the preconfigured data is used for data management and archiving. The approach has a wider base than an individual business database and extends its services to administrators/maintainers of data reserves.

SAP BW system is based on five info-objects, which are used to describe business variable relationships. They come in different languages, hierarchy, currency, weights among others. The five Info-objects are

  • Data Sources: they contain general data, which is related in one way or another. It is data in flat/raw form.
  • Info-Sources: they contain data that is general but more focused in business. They retrieve data from previous records mostly online transactional processes (OLTP) and master data
  • ODS-objects: this merges data from more than one info-source. The data are direct but still in flat form. From them reports that lead to quality assurance can be derived.
  • Info-Cubes they are multi-dimensional data storage that give organized data that can be easily analyzed or interpolated from a micro point of view. For example data can be analyzed on geographical location of a business.
  • Info-Providers they contain all the data objects found in a SAP BW.
  • Multi-Providers they do not contain any data but are used to combine data from different providers (Michael Management Corporation, 2007).
SAP BW Database Design Diagram 1
SAP BW Database Design Diagram 1.

Advantages and benefits of using SAP BW system

The major advantage that SAP BW system has is that it ensures that there is continuity of reliable data for decision making. To evaluate benefits acquired, we will look in the advantages that a business has when it has adequate information at all time;

The success of a business is dependent on the quality of decisions that managers at different levels make. High quality decision leads to competitive advantage. One of the most critical decisions that managers should make is one that reduces cost of production. SAP BW system assists a company to develop a cost cutting policy by recognizing areas of inefficiency and rectifying them. With a reduced cost of production, then it can sell at a lower price than its competitors.

When making decisions, managers need to be informed and have reliable past, current, and futurist data. With futuristic decisions, a company is likely to satisfy its current and future customers. When making strategy for a company, there are generally three approaches; cost strategy, differential strategy, and flow strategy. In a cost strategy a company aims at improving its efficiency to a level that it becomes the least cost producer. In a differential strategy, the business aim at getting unique products that will attract the greatest number of customers and meet their need. A SAP BW system ensures that past records are maintained and thus making of decisions is facilitated.

Other than data on the trends of business, SAP BW system assists a company to gauge its level of relationships with suppliers and customers. The enhanced relationship assists in making decisions that aim at strengthening the relationship and eventually gain customer loyalty. In a SAP BW environment, there is data from other companies in the same industry thus a company can gauge itself with others in same industry more effectively, this will assist in marketing decisions; Marketing strategies are well made if current business position is known.

Disadvantages limitations of SAP BW system

When a company decides to adopt a certain Business intelligence tool, it has to incur huge capital investments in terms of buying computer hard-wares, buying/developing the soft-wares and training of staff. This is incurred with the hope that the benefits to be derived from the system will be higher than costs. However, this is not always the case. There are certain issues that are associated with the system. SAP BW is an expensive system.

When developing a database, data is gotten from different institutions and companies that have different reporting styles and standards. This influences the reliability of the data stored. If the data had been skewed in a certain direction, then it is more likely to influence decision making toward/outwards that direction that may not be necessarily the right direction. Biasness from a certain area can be transferred from a company of inefficiency to other companies in the same industry.

A reliable data warehouse is the most important part in SAP BW. It is dependent on the quality and relevance of data that is stored. If the data is not right, then decisions will be based on flawed data (Olszak & Ziemba, 2004).

Cost of SAP BW system

To download a SAP BW system a company is supposed to invest $6,995. This download can be done at SAP EcoHub website. The cost covers 5 Concurrent Access Licenses that allow its use.

Conclusion

Fault Tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operating normally and effectively in case of any misfortune or an eventuality. It ranges from a simple power failure back up to complex system for retrieving data which may have been destroyed in one way or another. One of the ways to ensure that data is not lost and that follows a hardware system is topology; star topology adapts a system whereby there is a central server where all the other users are connected. There are systems that have been developed to ensure that data is not lost. An example of software fault tolerance system is SAP BW system. When adopted it ensures that data is available at any one time for decision making.

Reference List

Becker, J. (2009). Wireless Technology Unlocks Possibilities. Power 153.2: 48-52. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web.

Fischer, M., N. Lynch, and M. Paterson. (1995). Impossibility of Distributed Consensus with One Faulty Process, Journal of the ACM, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 374-382.

Lyu, R. ed. (1995). Software Fault Tolerance Chichester. England: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Michael Management Corporation. (2007). SAP BW Business Warehouse. Web.

Olszak, C. M., & Ziemba, E. (2004). Business intelligence systems as a new generation of decision support systems. Proceedings PISTA 2004, International Conference on Politics and Information Systems: Technologies and Applications. Orlando: The International Institute of Informatics and Systemic.

Fault Tolerance of an Information System

Introduction

In the recent past, technology has increasingly been adopted in organizations. It assists in developing efficiency and thus customer satisfaction. The competitiveness of a business is vested on the quality of its management decisions. A number of systems that aim at meeting a certain objective in the business arena have been developed. They are either home-made or all user systems (commercial systems). Fault Tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operating normally and effective in case of any misfortune or an in eventuality. It ranges from a simple power failure back up to complex system for retrieving data which may have been destroyed in one way or another. The failure can be from hardware or software failures. In all systems adopted as a fault tolerance there is a two system maintained whereby if one fails the other one takes over (Fischer, Lynch, and Paterson, 1985). This paper takes a look into fault tolerance; it will focus on pattern for distributed systems. It will also evaluate a commercial system, SAP BW system. It will identify the system vendors vendors, approximate costs, advantages, disadvantages, benefits, and limitations of such strategies to safeguard information and applications on information systems.

Categories of Fault Tolerance

Fault Tolerance can be broadly categorized into software and hardware fault tolerance. In a soft fault tolerance focus is on data security incase an eventuality that hinder general functioning of the system is witnessed. This system should recover any lost data and ensure that the general functioning of the system is maintained. When an abnormality occurs there is danger of loss of data and the operation of a company can be paralyzed by the entire system failure. Failures are as a result of errors that find their way into the operating system and affect the general functioning. A company that employs a fault system is less likely to experience system failures  in case of an eventuality. The other category of fault tolerance is hardware safety devises. They are the most simple since they only involve connection of the entire system and more centered on power failures (Lyu, 1995).

A Fault-Tolerant Pattern for Distributed Systems

This is a system that is adopted by large institutions with a computer connection where there is one central server. These organizations follow a Star topology; star topology adapts a system whereby there is a central server where all the other users are connected. It has a current-like connection whereby when one transmission line fails; it does not affect the other connections. There are various advantages that are associated with this topology that make me prefer it than the others. They are better performance; although the topology is made in such a way that the transmission line are dependent to the central server, with a high capacity server, it can serve a high utilizing device without affecting the others. With this it separates one system from the other and non-centralized failure cannot affect a well functioning connection. Secondly, the topology gives the benefit of centralization; this is because it allows for other devises to be connected to the system without affecting the other networks. On the other hand, it is easy to follow a certain link from the central point and establish the area of weakness if any. It is a straight forward way to connect and wire. When adding or removing a connection the other connections are not affected. The topology has some disadvantages though the topology is highly dependent on the hub or the central server. The failure of the hub affects the entire system. It is also dependent on the capacity that the hub can handle at one time. If the devices are highly utilized, the system may be slow in the processes. The disadvantages can be mitigated by using a high tech hub depending on the need of the organization (Becker, 2009).

SAP BW System Background

Business intelligence (BI) is a term used to refer to a collection of applications that aim at keeping and making available a data bank in a certain industry or organization; the bank is referred to when decisions are made. These data are kept through computer warehouse; incase of any failure there is need for data to be retrieved. When developing the database, the initial stage is information gathering, then sorting the information, analyzing it, and finally making is accessible for use. Business intelligence can be used in the general strategy of a business or a certain area/department in an organization. The major benefit that a company derives from using business intelligence tools in the right way is competitive advantage. This is because a firm has access to information that assist in making informed, current, and futuristic decisions. SAP BW system is a system that has been developed to ensure that data is not lost in case of any eventuality. It records a lot of data that may have been lost.

SAP BW system

Despite that not all data warehouse are used for business intelligence tool, the level of their accuracy and fullness is important for a successful BI. Realizing this deficit, SAP developed a data warehouse, it was developed in 1997. The system merges external and internal data to one repository. From the repository organizations can get preconfigured data; the preconfigured data is used for data management and archiving. The approach has a wider base than an individual business database and extends its services to administrators/maintainers of data reserves.

SAP BW system is based on five info-objects, which are used to describe business variable relationships. They come in different languages, hierarchy, currency, weights among others. The five Info-objects are

  • Data Sources: they contain general data, which is related in one way or another. It is data in flat/raw form.
  • Info-Sources: they contain data that is general but more focused in business. They retrieve data from previous records mostly online transactional processes (OLTP) and master data
  • ODS-objects: this merges data from more than one info-source. The data are direct but still in flat form. From them reports that lead to quality assurance can be derived.
  • Info-Cubes they are multi-dimensional data storage that give organized data that can be easily analyzed or interpolated from a micro point of view. For example data can be analyzed on geographical location of a business.
  • Info-Providers they contain all the data objects found in a SAP BW.
  • Multi-Providers they do not contain any data but are used to combine data from different providers (Michael Management Corporation, 2007).
SAP BW Database Design Diagram 1
SAP BW Database Design Diagram 1.

Advantages and benefits of using SAP BW system

The major advantage that SAP BW system has is that it ensures that there is continuity of reliable data for decision making. To evaluate benefits acquired, we will look in the advantages that a business has when it has adequate information at all time;

The success of a business is dependent on the quality of decisions that managers at different levels make. High quality decision leads to competitive advantage. One of the most critical decisions that managers should make is one that reduces cost of production. SAP BW system assists a company to develop a cost cutting policy by recognizing areas of inefficiency and rectifying them. With a reduced cost of production, then it can sell at a lower price than its competitors.

When making decisions, managers need to be informed and have reliable past, current, and futurist data. With futuristic decisions, a company is likely to satisfy its current and future customers. When making strategy for a company, there are generally three approaches; cost strategy, differential strategy, and flow strategy. In a cost strategy a company aims at improving its efficiency to a level that it becomes the least cost producer. In a differential strategy, the business aim at getting unique products that will attract the greatest number of customers and meet their need. A SAP BW system ensures that past records are maintained and thus making of decisions is facilitated.

Other than data on the trends of business, SAP BW system assists a company to gauge its level of relationships with suppliers and customers. The enhanced relationship assists in making decisions that aim at strengthening the relationship and eventually gain customer loyalty. In a SAP BW environment, there is data from other companies in the same industry thus a company can gauge itself with others in same industry more effectively, this will assist in marketing decisions; Marketing strategies are well made if current business position is known.

Disadvantages limitations of SAP BW system

When a company decides to adopt a certain Business intelligence tool, it has to incur huge capital investments in terms of buying computer hard-wares, buying/developing the soft-wares and training of staff. This is incurred with the hope that the benefits to be derived from the system will be higher than costs. However, this is not always the case. There are certain issues that are associated with the system. SAP BW is an expensive system.

When developing a database, data is gotten from different institutions and companies that have different reporting styles and standards. This influences the reliability of the data stored. If the data had been skewed in a certain direction, then it is more likely to influence decision making toward/outwards that direction that may not be necessarily the right direction. Biasness from a certain area can be transferred from a company of inefficiency to other companies in the same industry.

A reliable data warehouse is the most important part in SAP BW. It is dependent on the quality and relevance of data that is stored. If the data is not right, then decisions will be based on flawed data (Olszak & Ziemba, 2004).

Cost of SAP BW system

To download a SAP BW system a company is supposed to invest $6,995. This download can be done at SAP EcoHub website. The cost covers 5 Concurrent Access Licenses that allow its use.

Conclusion

Fault Tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operating normally and effectively in case of any misfortune or an eventuality. It ranges from a simple power failure back up to complex system for retrieving data which may have been destroyed in one way or another. One of the ways to ensure that data is not lost and that follows a hardware system is topology; star topology adapts a system whereby there is a central server where all the other users are connected. There are systems that have been developed to ensure that data is not lost. An example of software fault tolerance system is SAP BW system. When adopted it ensures that data is available at any one time for decision making.

Reference List

Becker, J. (2009). Wireless Technology Unlocks Possibilities. Power 153.2: 48-52. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web.

Fischer, M., N. Lynch, and M. Paterson. (1995). Impossibility of Distributed Consensus with One Faulty Process, Journal of the ACM, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 374-382.

Lyu, R. ed. (1995). Software Fault Tolerance Chichester. England: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Michael Management Corporation. (2007). SAP BW Business Warehouse. Web.

Olszak, C. M., & Ziemba, E. (2004). Business intelligence systems as a new generation of decision support systems. Proceedings PISTA 2004, International Conference on Politics and Information Systems: Technologies and Applications. Orlando: The International Institute of Informatics and Systemic.

Religious Pluralism and Tolerance

Different people inhabit the world and these people tend to have their own worldviews. Religion is a part of the human life and, hence, many religions exist in the world. It is necessary to note that people mainly believe that their religion is the only true one and some may even think that the rest of religions should not exist. The history of humanity has numerous examples of such views. At the same time, the twentieth century became the period when people developed a new perspective on religions. Religious pluralism has become quite common in the modern world.

Such thinkers as John Hick and Dalai Lama note that there can be religion that reveals the ultimate truth about the Real as all religions have only one quite limited perspective. More so, these people stress that all religions focus on helping people feel connectedness with the Divine. Therefore, it is possible to state that all religions have the same goal though they may have different tools to achieve it but people should embrace the idea of religious pluralism, as it will enable them to live in peace and get the feeling of their connectedness with the Real.

In the first place, it is important to take a closer look at views of Hick and Dalai Lama. Importantly, Hick stresses that all religions have several features in common. One of these features is that all the main religions hold it that ultimate divine reality is infinite and as such transcends the grasp of the human mind (Hick 641). Therefore, all people practicing these religions accept the fact that they cannot fully understand the divine due to the limited nature of their minds.

At the same time, they keep trying to make others share their religious beliefs and they still believe that other religions are all wrong. However, it is essential to stops and think. People should consider infiniteness of the Divine and they will see that there are many things they simply cannot grasp. These unattainable things make all the religions very similar, or rather, they become different facets of one universal worldview. It is crucial to make people accept that and this will diminish the problem of conflicting truth-claims convincing.

As has been mentioned above, Hick also stresses that all religions aim is to assist people in their attempts to achieve connectedness with the Divine. Importantly, the thinker identifies the main principle governing all major religions and the place of people in this worldview. Thus, all people share the belief that only by having a relation to the higher reality will we reach our highest good (Mauser 4).

Hick argues that all people tend to strive for connectedness with the Divine even though they may not fully understand what it is. The thinker also claims that this is one of the major arguments supporting the idea of religious pluralism. This principle is also the necessary premise for making people more tolerant. It is simply necessary to understand that all religions have the same aim: to make people less self-centered and love the Real (Hick 644). Of course, all religions promote different ways to achieve this connectedness, and this is where most conflicts arise.

It is also important to add that Hick unveils an important issue where many people find serious differences among different religions. The researcher notes that people have personal encounters with the Real throughout their lives and many see this as the major obstacle to accepting religious pluralism (Hick 643). Hence, people encounter different forms of the Divine. Christians encounter the Trinity, those practicing Judaism meet Jahweh and Muslims are willing to face the Allah.

More so, non-theistic religions put even more questions as people practicing them can encounter numerous deities instead of one. Dalai Lama tends to escape from this difficulty by focusing on metaphysical perspective rather than personal aspect (Velez de Cea 61). Dalai Lama stresses that it is much more important to focus on the major aim and connectedness with the Real rather than to concentrate on the very manifestation of the divine. Clearly, the thinkers emphasize the need to focus on the most important thing (the essence) without being distracted by the form.

It is also necessary to add that Hick is more precise in this question. The thinker states that there is no controversy in the terrain of personal encounters. The author notes that people have accepted that they do not fully understand the Real (at least, they have to try to do that). Therefore, it is an acceptable fact that people may misinterpret the form (Hick 643). Thus, believers may see or rather feel and experience the encounter with the Divine, but they form images that are determined by their cultural peculiarities.

It is possible to provide a simple example from the real life. For instance, a person coming from India sees an object in a middle of a field in a distance. The object cannot be seen perfectly well as the distance is quite significant. The person tends to predict what it is by adjusting certain attributes that are common for an object that appears in certain circumstances. Notably, the prediction may also be shaped by personal desires of the individual (provided, he/she is thirsty or wants to know what time it is).

At the same time, this object may seem to be totally different to a person coming form, for instance, Brazil. This person may also have different desires at that moment (he/she may be hungry, or may need to make a call). Thus, for one person an object can be a pack of bottles with water and for the other it may seem a pack of delicious fast food. Clearly, in reality, the object the two are looking at can be a box with footwear lost in the middle of nowhere. Likewise, people cannot understand what the Divine really is and, hence, they can admit that the form of the Real is unperceivable as they are bound to look from a distance.

Unfortunately, many people are unwilling and unprepared to truly embrace that belief. Nonetheless, there can be a solution to the problem of conflicting truth-claims convincing. Hick sees that solution in interaction between religions that started some centuries ago (Hick 644). The researcher notes that people may acknowledge and accept the fact that all religions have the same goal and people strive for the same thing. Earlier, people were quite closed and unreceptive.

They did not want to know more about other religions, but believed that their religion was the only true one. However, now many people are more open-minded and they start questioning certain conventions. Many people understand that religious pluralism is the future of humanity. Admittedly, there can be no conflicts among people if they understand that they search for connectedness with the same divine force.

Of course, there are still issues concerning numerous differences in religious practices and rituals. These issues are yet to be solved. At this point, it is important to make people understand what religious pluralism is. This will be the first step towards solving the problem of conflicting truth-claims convincing. When ideas of religious pluralism spread all around the world, people will become more tolerant and will be prepared to reconsider their attitude towards other religions and religious practices/rituals.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that the idea of religious pluralism can be the most effective solution to the problem of conflicting truth-claims convincing. Many thinkers provide arguments to support this idea. It is necessary to note that many people start embracing the idea of religious pluralism, as it is precise and true to life. All religions are aimed at bringing an individual closer to the Divine.

At that, the Real is hard to perceive and all religions are based on that principle, so all people should understand that there is the ultimate and infinite Divine. Many people may see or rather picture this divine force differently, but it is time to accept the truth that peoples mind is too limited to grasp the Real and, hence, there can be no dispute on manifestations of the Divine. Of course, universal tools to achieve the connectedness are yet to be developed as many people may stick to only particular rituals and practices. However, the first major stride is accepting religious pluralism. Luckily, more and more people are taking this major step.

Works Cited

Hick, John. Religious Pluralism and Ultimate Reality. Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology. Ed. Louis Pojman and Michael Rea. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning, 2014. 637-645. Print.

Mauser, Bernard James. Religious Pluralism: John Hick and the Elephant with Every Other Name. Public Interest Institute Policy Study 14-7 (2014): 1-10. Print.

Velez de Cea, J. Abraham. The Buddha and the Dalai Lama on Religious Pluralism. Understanding Religious Pluralism: Perspectives from Religious Studies and Theology. Ed. Peter C. Phan and Jonathan Ray. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2014. 46-66. Print.

Linguistics: Bilingualism, Multilingualism and Tolerance

Background

A recent article by Dewaele and Wei (231) regarding the relationship between multilingualism and personality has attracted my attention. In the article, the researchers state that tolerance of ambiguity is the tendency of an individual to see ambiguous situations as desirable or positive.

They used a survey of more than 2,000 individuals in examining the relationship between the two phenomena. In their findings, the researchers argue that monolinguals have a significantly low tolerance of ambiguity compared to the bilingual and multilingual people.

The authors admit that understanding more than three languages does not necessarily mean that an individual has a high tolerance of ambiguity. However, high scores of tolerance for ambiguity are associated with high proficiency. In their conclusion, Dawaele and Wei state that there are several psychological benefits for the people who speak more than one language, especially in language learning, especially in a persons later life.

I think the article can change our ideas about the acquisition of foreign languages because most of us think that learning a foreign language is a waste of time and resources.

Personal conversation stream

I think the argument here is somewhat logical. Let us consider two main situations: understanding a foreign language due to social and cultural circumstance and understanding a new language due to personal efforts.

Here in Canada, we learn both French and English because of the prevailing social, cultural and geographical circumstances. Our children must learn the two languages because they live in a society where both French and English are national languages. On the other hand, learning a foreign language such as Spanish, Chinese or Arabic is rare in our country.

People with some knowledge of a foreign language are considered to be elites. I think this is true because these elites are able to integrate with foreign communities and adapt more quickly than us, because we only understand one or two languages.

In my opinion, multilingual individuals are able to live within foreign communities or in foreign countries without struggling to communicate. I think they can tolerate the social and cultural aspects of a foreign group of people because they understand what most of the foreign cultural aspects mean. How does the understanding of a foreign language help one fit in a new environment?

We should understand that language is the main social aspect that fosters understanding and the peoples ability to live with each other. While living in Japan in the 1990s, I realized the disadvantages associated with the lack of an understanding of local languages. Without knowledge of the Japanese language, I found it difficult to appreciate the social and cultural aspects of society. In particular, communication in the country was purely in the local language.

For example, I found it difficult to appreciate the local cuisine and entertainment. The cultural norms in Japan looked ambiguous to me. I think this is what Dewaele and Wei (233) were considering when studying a persons ability to appreciate ambiguous things. I admired my colleagues who had some understanding of the Japanese language because they were able to fit in the new society.

Therefore, I think the article by Dewaele and Wei (234) attempts to describe some of the problems I experienced in Japan. This shows the existence of a strong link between tolerance of ambiguous things and knowledge of a foreign language (Dewaele and Li Wei 237).

Conclusion

In my opinion, a person with some understanding of a local language is likely to find some of the social and cultural things in a foreign country awkward or abnormal. If the person has no understanding of the peoples language, his level of appreciating the culture is likely to be low. On the other hand, if a person understands the foreign language, he is likely to appreciate the meaning of most of the cultural and social aspects of the community. Therefore, I agree with Dewale and Weis article.

Works Cited

Dewaele, Jean-Marc and Li Wei. Is multilingualism linked to a higher tolerance of ambiguity? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 16.1 (2013): 231-240. Print

The Mongol Empire: Cruelty and Tolerance

The Mongol Empire was a powerful state that emerged in the 13th century due to the activities of Genghis Khan and its allies. The empire included the largest conquered territory in history, and there are many testimonies of the troops brutality. However, there is information about the diplomatic attempts and examples of tolerance of the Mongol people. This essay aims to consider selected examples and analyze the historical activity of the Mongol Empire.

One of the apparent pieces of evidence of the barbarism and cruelty of the Mongol army can be the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire. After the conquest of the Kara-Khitai Khanate, the Mongol Empire happened to border the Khorezmids. There is evidence that Genghis Khan signed a peace treaty with them, but after that, Khan started a war (Atwood, 2021). The battle included the assault on critical strategic objects, such as large cities. Moreover, the inhabitants of the cities that had already been conquered witnessed the manifestation of cruelty towards them.

However, not only cruelty and killings are the infamous features of Genghis Khan. There are pieces of evidence of Khans justice and honesty in the division of the occupied territories and gains (Atwood, 2021). Moreover, the Mongol Empire treated its allies honestly, providing them with protection and military-technical assistance. However, it should be noted that this happened only in the case of the voluntary surrender of territories.

To conclude, the Mongol Empire is famous for its cruelty and barbaric policy. Its troops killed their enemies with remarkable brutality. However, there is data showing the diplomacy of Genghis Khan regarding its allies. It is worth mentioning that a positive attitude could be observed only in the case of surrender states.

Reference

Atwood, C. P. (2021). The rise of the Mongols: Five Chinese sources. Hackett Publishing.

Show Boat: Encouraging Tolerance

Introduction

Show Boat refers to the 1927 musical with basically two acts. There is music with Jerome Kern, book as well as lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein.1 Indeed, Oscar Hammersteins satirical applications within the musical play Show Boat remains a historical landmark in the entertainment industry. It equally depicts and promotes the aspects of tolerance. Drawn from Edna Ferbers legend novel with a similar name, this musical piece follows the lives of performers as well as stagehands.

Moreover, it also follows the lives of the dock workers of the Cotton Blossom. Cotton Blossom refers to the Mississippi River show boat that existed for approximately a period of five decades. This was roughly from 1880 to 1927. A critical analysis of the musical play reveals very important prevailing themes such as racial discrimination as well as tragic, enduring love.

It is generally evident that the arrival of this musical play stirred the American musical community and has since remained remarkably recognized for its theatrical and satirical meanings with respect to tolerance.

Even presently, there still remains a great interest in the analysis of this Oscars great master piece and its general relation to the normal life situation. This essay thus discusses how Oscar Hammerstein idealized and encouraged tolerance through the application of satire theatrically with his musical play, Show Boat.

The Oscar Hammersteins Musical Play Show Boat

From the analysis of the major themes of the musical play, it can be noted that Oscar Hammerstein satirically conveyed critical information regarding racial discrimination and tragic enduring love.2 Throughout the musical play, one realizes that Oscar tries to convey a message of survivorship and toil throughout ones life. This, despite the racial prejudice issues amongst the population, is working aboard the Show Boat.

Indeed, the arrival of this musical play shed more light and became a watershed moment for most artistes within the same industry. Relative to other seemingly trivial and impracticable artistic works and presentations at that time, the Show Boat remained a drastic departure within musical story-telling, combining spectacle with seriousness. Perhaps, its satirical presentation provided the chance for analysts to note its uniqueness from other previously existing musical plays during that moment.

The full integration of song, humor as well production numbers to a solitary and inextricable artistic piece provided a hidden message of tolerance and motivation to the normal man. Particularly to the dock workers, this musical play provided a source of inspiration and encouragement making them strives to accomplish their tasks despite the hardships they were undergoing. Some notable discrimination included those based on racial prejudice.

The ability of the musical play to motivate persons heartbroken and enhance their tolerance in daily life situations was also critical. Ideally, there is an observation that Hammerstein crafted this musical piece following a long time of observation and experience with the Show Boat. The quality of this musical play remained clear and outstanding even to the eyes of the potential critics. This vibrantly communicated the un ending message of striving to success and tolerance to success for the larlgey deprived and undermined within the society.

The quality of the musical play vibrantly relayed a strong message of inspiration to the listeners. Unlike most musical plays, Show Boat seemed sentimental as well as tragic. Through this, the musical play managed to manipulate and touch peoples hearts with a sense of passion for tolerance even amidst hard times or moments.

Its most unique feature as the first real American musical play was the ability to satirically convey messages against racial prejudice. This is a striking characteristic of the musical play that reached several hearts, particularly those who were racially discriminated during those periods. The general message here was to tolerate one another despite peoples differences.

There is perhaps a lot to learn from the analysis of the plot synopsis of the musical play itself. It is seen that this story starts 47 years earlier, starting aboard a show boat, Cotton Blossom as it purposes to arrive as the river dock of the Mississippi.3 The period indicated here itself depicts a long time that can only be achieved by tolerant and patient people. It is clear how the boat is set to take a long period with people aboard.

Indeed, through presented satirically, it is notable that the 47 years on board requires a potentially tolerable person. Oscar Hammersteins selection of the Show Boat and the Mississippi river satirically represents the hard working environment that the dockers usually underwent during their voyages. It represents the tough environment that must be overtaken and empowered by all the workers aboard.

The musical notes themselves provide a sentimental and soothing feeling to the listeners or audience. They become encouraged by the prevailing mood and are gradually overtaken by a sensation and desire of attaining success even in hard times. Basically, this imparted tolerance and a sense of survivorship.

The introduction of the play to the highly excited crowd is a clear indication of the love that the earlier audience had for the musical play. In the beginning of the musical play, the fight between the characters and the disagreements that seize by the end illustrates a sense of acceptance as well as tolerance amongst the different groups by all the partakers. Although it doesnt emerge automatically, one keenly notices a sense of tolerance as well as the ability to reconcile amongst the key characters of the play.

Apparently, another element of tolerance is demonstrated by the varied racial composition of the actors who frequently engage in fierce exchange and at times even fight over their differences.4 This is despite the fact that they are a singular community with an aim to achieve a definite goal t hat in the end is attained. The background songs remain critical in the inspiration of the audiences as w ell as characters during different hard situations as they interact with their mates.

The musical play then begins, presenting a love tight and socially sensitive demonstration of a community unified by only one goal. Characters love and get loved with others heartbroken but still are adamant to create a difference within the boat society and ensure they become more appreciated and valued by others.5

This aspect presents a literal message to the audience to try fitting into the societys mainstream even in times of neglect and lost love. The presentation of the fight between the actors and branding of each with names based on shear discrimination such as mulatto satirically depicts the normal society and the intrigues involved in the daily lives.

The segregation of a female actor, Julie at based on her race the beginning of the play during the fight represents the pain that one was likely to face during this time in America. However, the playwright comically presents another character, Steve, who has to swallow Julies blood.

This act is a satirical move that shows tolerance of different groups since Steve comically admits that he is also a mulatto since he took at least one drop of black blood in him. The events that follow this comic presentation depict a critical theme upon a comprehensive analysis. To begin with, it is important to note the mood that prevails within the entire troupe just when Steve acknowledges the presence of black blood in him.

It is observable that the whole troupe remains sympathetic and echoes his sentiments. This is a satirical presentation of tolerance with one another despite their inadequacies or circumstances. Every action purely drives home a pure presentation of critical message of tolerance and motivation to the audience. Seemingly, it is notable that there exist few literary sources elucidating the manner in which the audience received and articulated the satirical messages presented within the musical play.

It is also observable that as the play continues, the formerly rather outrageous sheriff is forced to drop his arrest interests on Julie and Steve. This act presents a sense of tolerance with deviants as would be termed in that society then.

The sheriffs ability to sympathize with Steves situation along with other troupe members compromises his ability to enforce law by arresting the two..the tolerance and acceptance of Steve to Julie is further demonstrated when he agrees to leave the town with Julie. Perhaps, this is with the realization that their further stay within the town or with the troupe is bound to cause more harm.6

The consequent hiring of Gaylord Ravenal who unfortunately loses his ticket worth in gambling demonstrates a great deal of empathy as well as tolerance. Andy, upon firing Pete, seems amused and sympathizes with Gaylord Ravenal and therefore offers him a job as the new leading man for the troupe. It is amazing how the demonstration of tolerance remains depicted in this noble action from Andy.

That despite Gaylord Ravenals weird gambling behavior; he is still accommodated and given a new job in the troupe as the leading man. As if this is not enough, this follows after Steve and Julie are exempted of arrest by the sheriff. The following events enable Gaylord Ravenal and Magnolia to fall deeply in love as they finally tolerate one another and propose for marriage.

Parthys objections towards this union can no longer work as the two seriously fall in love and proceed to marriage in Parthys absence. It is notable that Parthy became tolerable with their situation and could never do anything to stop the marriage. It is stated that she could not do anything despite her disapproval of Gaylord Ravenal.

The musical play continues to demonstrate various instances of tolerance as the time passes over the years even in Gaylord Ravenal and Magnolias marriage. Magnolia is depicted as a persistent wife of Gaylord Ravenal. This is despite the fact that Gaylord Ravenal suffers financial crisis and is no longer capable of maintaining their daughter Kim as well as the wife.

Obviously, one critically notices the tolerant nature of Magnolia through her persistence in the marriage. It is obvious that Oscar Hammerstein throughout the musical play and within critical incidences satirically brings out the theme of tolerance with each other. This is evidently indicated in every conflict and union within the play.

Magnolia herself is given a singing job in a New York club by her very friends so she can help herself financially after the husband shamefully abandons her and the daughter. In this move, the ability to accept one another and tolerate ones situation is evidently illustrated again in the musical play. It is in this club where when Magnolia does her audition with the childhood song Cant Help Lovin Dat Man that Julies memories are aroused.7

Julie, upon leaning the presence of Magnolia in the club and her situation, tactfully resigns from her position so that her childhood friend Magnolia can acquire the new position or job. It is however shocking that Magnolia though never realizes the sacrificial action and tolerance done to her by her childhood friend Julie. This obviously demonstrates a great sense of sacrifice as well as tolerance with one another.

Conclusion

Every character is able to sympathize with their friends and old acquaintances in difficult moments (Magee, 311). Later on during a new years eve, Andy rallies the crowd to Julies defense when she is overwhelmed by emotions and cannot effectively perform on stage. It is evident that such sacrifices make Magnolia a great musical star for two decades. Andys sacrificial nature and initiative for the reunion of broken marriages depicts a real sense of tolerance and devotion to the welfare of friends.8

Magnolia accepts Ravenal back despite his misdeed and individual guilt of disowning her with the child. Generally, the musical play ends in a joyous mood with unity and peace. Everyone is happy and sings to the same song and tune as they return to the show boat. Conclusively, Oscar Hammersteins musical play remains one of the most socially educative and sensitive ancient American plays, with a great satirical encouragement of tolerance to the audience.

Bibliography

Bradley, Edwin. The first Hollywood musicals: a critical filmography of 171 features, 1927 through 1932. New York: McFarland & Co., 2004.

Magee, Jeffrey. Irving Berlins American musical theater. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

Stempel, Larry. Showtime: a history of the Broadway musical theater. New York Norton, 2010.

Wolf, Stacy. Changed for good: a feminist history of the Broadway musical. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Footnotes

1 Jeffrey Magee, Irving Berlins American musical theater (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 11.

2 Stacy Wolf, Changed for good: a feminist history of the Broadway musical, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), 12.

3 Larry Stempel, Showtime: a history of the Broadway musical theater (New York: Norton, 2010), 56.

4 Jeffrey Magee, Irving Berlins American musical theater (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 111.

5 Edwin Bradley, The first Hollywood musicals: a critical filmography of 171 features, 1927 through 1932 (New York: McFarland & Co., 2004), 56.

6 Edwin Bradley, The first Hollywood musicals: a critical filmography of 171 features, 1927 through 1932 (New York: McFarland & Co., 2004), 303.

7 Larry Stempel, Showtime: a history of the Broadway musical theater (New York: Norton, 2010), 314.

8 Edwin Bradley, The first Hollywood musicals: a critical filmography of 171 features, 1927 through 1932 (New York: McFarland & Co., 2004), 307.

Lack of Social Tolerance as the Cause of Discriminatory Behavior: The Solutions

People exhibit bigoted behavior when they do not tolerate or feel enabled to hurt certain groups based on a particular characteristic. It can be gender, race, religion, or another basis, but regardless of the reason, some society members will feel inferior. Such phenomena as sexism and racism are widespread, meaning that it is not an individual problem but something that exists on a social level. However, it does not mean that a single person cannot fight those vices and contribute to increased tolerance in society.

Several studies link social tolerance with various forms of discrimination. Balint (2015) explains that while racial tolerance is not sufficient to combat racism, it addresses some of its elements, including the core. The anti-racist strategies that can decrease intolerance are also suggested, and indifference is highlighted as the most ideal (Balint, 2015, p. 22). Mallet et al. (2016) discuss humors role in enabling sexism and emphasize that sexist behavior is accepted due to high tolerance to sexual harassment and other aspects. Therefore, it can be said that society can be tolerant of discrimination, too. Duque et al. (2018) report how social tolerance and diversity in a particular region may provoke social stress in an individual, prompting them to commit crimes. It may also signify that while smaller communities may be tolerant, society as a whole may still have elements that allow people to feel justified in their unacceptance of others. In general, it appears that society lacks tolerance of certain groups but accepts various kinds of discrimination, which is an issue to consider.

The purpose of the proposed research is to discover how people perceive tolerance in relation to discrimination and the promotion of violence. It can be done by using the discussed studies and organizing a separate one, which can be conducted through surveying. The participants can be asked to name the causes of a particular type of discrimination, describe their tolerance to positive and negative social phenomena, suggest their solutions, and comment on the existing ones.

References

Balint, P. (2015). The importance of racial tolerance for anti-racism. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 39(1), 1632. Web.

Duque, R. B., LeBlanc, E. J., & Rivera, R. (2018). Predicting active shooter events: Are regional homogeneity, intolerance, dull lives, and more guns enough deterrence? Crime & Delinquency, 65(9), 12181261.

Mallett, R. K., Ford, T. E., & Woodzicka, J. A. (2016). What did he mean by that? Humor decreases attributions of sexism and confrontation of sexist jokes. Sex Roles, 75(5-6), 272284.

Respect and Tolerance for New Religions

I think that the age of religion is the characteristic of a persons beliefs from which it should be decided if their faith should be respected. The primary principle to give respect to the beliefs, actions, and words of others is if they are disrespecting or hurting someone or not. If the new branch of an ancient religion or a completely new one does not cause any considerable issues to society  it should be respected. Some might argue that a new religion is a problem because it is taking those who believe in ancient religions off their path. It is necessary to understand that it is not a crime in any dimension, and people have constitutional rights to believe in whatever they want.

The word tolerate itself is not the best one to apply in the context of religion. It should not be put as people believing in something different is irritating or inconvenient to others, even though it is for many individuals. It has been the case with many forms of discrimination, whereas today, saying that you tolerate a minority is considered offensive. Such perception of that word is correct, as it seems to mean as if the religion or person who is being tolerated is defective and wrong. Therefore, I agree that tolerating a new religion and respecting it are different things because the word tolerate is not respectful. It should be used in social terms as little as possible, and people having a different opinion or a belief should not be considered something bad. What society should seek is equal respect for all people and their religion as long as it is not reasonably considered harmful.

Religion in Indonesia: History and Tolerance

Introduction

Indonesias religions include Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, and traditional practices (Arli & Tjiptono 2014). Many existing religious groups in Indonesia adopted Islam and blended it with their practices in their localities (Chalmers 2006). Therefore, this paper agrees that the Islam of Indonesia ended up growing more tolerant as it was influenced by both cultural and political considerations. Another reason for a historical increase in the tolerance came from the leadership of the Nathlatul Ulama, a representation of Muslim scholarship that supported the creation of two versions of the same religion, abangan and santri, to represent different levels of Islam adherence and beliefs.

History and origins of Islam in Indonesia

As Indonesia becomes more religiously diverse, the nation remains united, as it is difficult for small groups to mobilize support along ethnic lines and survive politically. Thus, the separation of religion and politics has been an outcome of reducing separatist tendencies that have also lent support to the coexistence of Muslims and people of other religions (Chalmers 2006). It may be premature to say that Muslims have finally accepted to coexist peacefully with other religions in Indonesia. It is important to note that coexistence could be temporary. The increased visibility of other religions does not dictate terms to Muslims.

Instead, Islam has continued to grow in influence. According to Reuter (2009), as long as the political and social environment supports the growth of religious fundamentalism, there is no likelihood of violence of religion in Indonesia. The existence of fundamentalism in Islam in the country is mirrored by the growing fundamentalism of other religions. In fact, the increase in visibility of all religious groups is due to an explicit movement by each group to become dominant and protect their principles and cultural influences.

Growing Religions and Religious tolerance in Indonesia

Overall, the tolerance of Christianity, Hinduism, and mysticism has been in existence among the Indonesian Muslims for many decades (Chalmers 2006). The understanding is supported by the political structure and history of the country that embraces a pragmatic interpretation of its laws. Successive governments have played a role in contributing to tolerance by recognizing the non-Muslim religions and beliefs. Recognition ensures that the other religions and beliefs can freely operate in the country, as long as they do so within the law. Islam in Indonesia has become more tolerant in accepting other religions and beliefs over time.

However, radical Islam increasingly distorts any balance and coexistence that exist among different religions and beliefs in Indonesia. In this regard, it is important to consider Islam in two ways when dealing with the religious tolerance matter of Indonesia. In the first case, there is the majority Islamic group that consists of both ordinary citizens and elite citizens living in different parts of the country (Chambers 2006). This group has become quite accommodating to other religions and beliefs in recent years.

Ever Growing fight between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia

There is another smaller segment within the Islamic group of the population that appears to swing periodically to violence. This group is minor and seems to be influenced negatively by politics (Reuter, 2009). When describing Islam in the archipelago, many scholars consider it less violent than the Islam that is practiced in the rest of the Middle East and the Far East (Chalmers 2006). Therefore, Muslims in Indonesia have been ever tolerant of other religions and beliefs. There are historical incidences of fighting between Muslims and Christians, as Muslims interpret secularism as a contamination of their religion (Hasyim 2013).

Social tolerance is still weak in many parts of the country. In fact, the settlement of people of different religions follows historical events, such that it has been difficult to assimilate Muslims and non-Muslims in one locality for long. National or local events cause an increase in radicalization whenever there is increased accommodation of the Muslims. A good example is the Ajeg Bali movement that is reviving local traditions and preventing Islam from dominating affairs of Bali at the same time (Chalmers 2006).

Conclusion

The growth of Islam and other religions and the increased public support and calls for returns to historical characteristics have put a stop to irrational attacks from secular and other religious sources in Indonesia. Movements such as the Ajeg Bali cause other religious groups with high concentrations in their localities to consider the options available for them to practice peaceful fundamentalism. Eventually, the years of the revival of religions have caused the overall cultural and political outlook of the country to change and become more diverse. Overall, Muslims appear to be more tolerant of the existence of other religions in Indonesia.

Reference List

Arli, D & Tjiptono, F 2014, The end of religion? Examining the role of religiousness, materialism, and long-term orientation on consumer ethics in Indonesia, Journal of Business Ethics, vol 123, no. 3, pp. 385-400. Web.

Chalmers, I 2006, Religious life, in Indonesia: An introduction to contemporary traditions, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Web.

Hasyim, S 2013, State and religion: considering indonesian islam as model of democratisation for the muslim world, Liberales Institut, Berlin. Web.

Reuter, T 2009, Globalisation and local identities: The rise of new ethnic and religious movements in Post-Suharto Indonesia, Asian Journal of Social Science, vol 37, pp. 857-871. Web.

Tolerance of Ambiguity Test and Profile Analysis

Novelty

My novelty score for the tolerance of ambiguity test is 20, which is right in the middle of the scale. This means that my tolerance for novelty is medium  I take well to certain kinds of novel things and events in my life, but not so much to others. This assessment is relatively accurate. My preferences towards novelty are rather specific. I enjoy traveling a great deal. Distance does not really matter, whether it is traveling to a different country or a new shop. What I do not like changes in is the way I work. Once I get used to certain ways of doing things, I do not like changing them for the sake of change. For example, I find myself irritated when asked to get used to a new interface or to perform an action in a way different from how I usually do it. I find the effort unnecessary. Based on my self-reflection, I indicate two base behaviors that I have learned:

  • I should always analyze the necessity of change when encountering a situation that requires it.
  • I should be open to accepting that a different way of doing things may produce better results.

Complexity

My highest score is in the Complexity section, maxing out at 35. It means that I have an analytical mindset and am capable of undertaking complex tasks that require many activities. I agree with this assessment as well, and my personal history and hobbies prove that. When I was in junior grade, my favorite subject was math. The problems in math are complex, but they can be split into many different steps, each of which has a definite answer. As long as any problem is split into simple tasks, it does not matter for me how many there are. Puzzle pictures are one of my favorite hobbies. It allows me building pictures out of many pieces. Two new behaviors to practice:

  • Using schedules in order to compartmentalize my working day.
  • Try understanding complex matters by splitting them into simple facts and activities.

Insolubility

Insolubility stands for the ambiguity of answers and approaches to the solution of the problem. My lowest score for Insolubility is 15, indicating that I do not have a preference for tasks with the ambiguity of approaches and results. This conclusion is also true, as it does not contradict the previous scores. While I enjoy new places and complex problems, I prefer a structured and compartmentalized approach with definite answers during every stage. I do not like changing my methodology or inventing new ways of solving tasks if the old one works just fine. This can be illustrated by my inability to adapt to different customers. When I worked in the shop, I addressed everyone equally, with a routine greeting and farewell message. While it helped with conformity, it certainly did not boost any sales. In the end, I was replaced by a more vibrant and imaginative worker. Two new behaviors to practice:

  • Develop a number of different approaches to a single problem in order to imitate variability.
  • Converse with people and try finding different approaches to every person based on the pre-existing set of actions and on the perceived personality and preferences of the person. It should help me out in situations where creativity and thinking on the spot are necessary.