Types Of Retail Formats In India

Types Of Retail Formats In India In this term paper we study about different retail formats prevailing in India and various ownership styles followed by these retail stores and after discussing all the aspects we find out that which ownership style is efficient for retailers and is suitable for coming retailers and also has future growth. We find out franchises is best form of ownership. It converted mom-pop stores into organized form by providing franchises to the owners of the stores. TYPES OF RETAIL FORMATS IN INDIA India is growing at a great pace and the retail sector is also developing with it. Big Indian business houses are entering into retail sector and are adopting various retail formats for their business which are best suited to them. We can divide Indian retail market in three forms which are mentioned below: Store Retailers Non-store retailers Service retailers STORE RETAIL FORMATS: Mom-and-pop Store These are family owned stores which provide small quantity of merchandise or goods to the customers. They are individually run and target the smaller sections of the  society. These stores provide high standard services. They provide home delivery and credit facility without any interest to its customers. Convenience Store Convenience is offered in a lot of ways to the customers through easily accessible store locations and small store size that allows the customers to do quick shopping and fast checkout. The product selection offered by these retailers is very limited and the price of the products can be high. Supermarkets Supermarket is another popular retail format in India. A supermarket is a grocery store which deals in food and household goods. They offer a fairly huge range of products and self service. People usually go to the supermarkets to buy goods in large quantities so that they can stock those goods for later consumption. They provide products for reasonable prices and of medium to high quality. Department Store Department stores are classified as general merchandisers. Some carry a more selective product line. For instance, while Sears carries a wide range of products from hardware to cosmetics, Nordstrom focuses their products on clothing and personal care products. Category Killers The specialty stores are called Category Killers. These stores are specialized in their fields and they offer only one category of products. The most popular examples of category killers include wall-mart and electronic stores like Best Buy and sports accessories stores like Sports Authority. Discount Stores Discount stores offer price reduction Discount stores offer price reduction Discount stores offer product at lower price than market price. The main reason behind this low price is the additional stock left over towards the end of any season. Discount stores sell their goods at a reduced rate with an aim of drawing bargain shoppers. Mass Discounters These are general and specialty store that provide huge discounts on their merchandise to finish block stock and its small difference between discount stores and mass discounters is that it provide lesser services to customers. Warehouse Stores These are the type of mass discounters that provide comparatively less price than the traditional mass discounters. Moreover, these stores often requires the buyers to make the purchases in quantities that are greater than what can be purchased at mass discount stores. These retail outlets provide few services and product selection can be limited. The retail design and layout is as the name suggests that is warehouse style with consumers often selecting products off the ground from the shipping package. Some forms of warehouse stores called warehouse clubs require customers to purchase memberships in order to gain access to the outlet. Street vendors The Street Vendors or hawkers who sell products on the streets are quite popular in India. They try to attract the customers attention through shouting out about their product mix. Street vendors are found in almost every city in India and the business capital of Mumbai has a number of shopping areas which are comprised mainly of street vendors. These hawkers not only sell just clothes and accessories but also local food. Kiosks Kiosks are box-like shops which sell small and cheap items like cigarettes, toffees, newspapers and magazines, water packets, tea and coffee. These are most commonly found on every street in a city and target primarily to the local residents. Hypermarkets Hypermarkets in India are a combination of supermarket and department store. These are large retailers that provide all kinds of groceries and general goods. Big Bazaar and Reliance Fresh are hypermarkets that attract enormous crowds. Malls Malls are the largest retail format in India Malls are the largest retail format in India These are the largest retail format in India. Malls provide everything that a person wants to buy under one roof. From clothes and accessories to food or cinemas, malls provide all of this, and more. Examples include Spencers Plaza in Chennai, India, Alpha one in Amritsar and Viva collage in Jalandhar . NON-STORE RETAIL FORMATS: Catalog Retailers Retailers such as Lands End and LL Bean have built their business by having customers place orders after seeing products that appear in a mailed catalog. Orders are then delivered by a third-party shipper. E-retailers Possibly the most publicized retail model to evolve in the last 50 years is the Retailer that principally sells via the Internet. There are thousands of online-only retail sellers of which Amazon.com is the most famous. These retailers offer shopping convenience including being open for business all day, every day. Electronic retailers or e-tailers also have the ability to offer a wide selection of product since all they really need in order to attract orders is a picture and description of the product. That is, they may not need to have the product on-hand the way physical stores do. Instead an e-tailer can wait until an order is received from their customers before placing their own order with their suppliers. This cuts down significantly on the cost of maintaining products in-stock. Vending Vending machines is a automatic machine from where we can purchase items like coldrinks, chocolates by throughing coins in it.While most consumers are well aware of vending machines allowing customers but newer devices are entering the market containing more expensive and bulkier products. These systems require the vending machine have either Internet or telecommunications access to permit purchase using credit cards. SERVICE RETAILERS: Service retailers are those which provide different services to customers. Such as: OWNERSHIP STYLES FOLLOWED BY DIFFERENT CATEGORY RETAILERS: Individually Owned and Operated: This structure refers to single ownership stores having one or more stores under it. Single ownership of retail outlets most frequently occurs with small retail stores, though there are some cases, for instance in the automotive or furniture industries, where single ownership involves very large outlets. Advantages: There are no restrictions on who,where and what type of business a person want to open. A person can start any legal business without any problem. Disadvantages: Because of the ease and flexibility of getting started, there can be a lot of competition in a particular area for a certain type of customer.There is no branding, no preset guidelines and a great deal of risk in this business model Franchises: Purchasing a franchise is buying the right to use a name, product, concept and business plan. The franchisee will receive a proven business model from an established business. Advantages: All of the business operation processes have been established. The franchisee receives help from a network and customers are already familiar with name .Same marketing strategies are opted which are used by other franchises .Most all of the risk associated with starting a retail business has been reduced. Disadvantages: Franchisees pay a fee, or royalty, based on sales each year. Franchisee have huge amount to spend to get a franchisee and there is no flexibility and freedom allowed in this form.   Dealership: Retailers may find the business model of a licensed dealership as a mix of franchise and independent retailer. The licensee has the right (sometimes this is exclusive) to sell a brand of products. Unlike a franchise, the dealer can sell a variety of brands and there generally no fees to the licensor. Dealerships may or may not be identified as an authorized seller or by the companys trademark. Advantages: There may be some branding or product name recognition by the customer. The dealership relation is much more flexible than that of a franchise. This may be a good business model for part-time retailers or those just starting in retail. Disadvantages: Dealer have to spend huge amount to get a dealership Corporate Chain: A retail chain consists of multiple retail outlets owned and operated by a single entity all performing similar retail activities. While the number of retail outlets required to be classified as a chain has never been specified, we will assume that anyone owning more than five retail locations would be considered a chain. EFFICIENT OWNERSHIP TYPE: If you are based in India and have sufficient money to invest in a new business, then you must surely consider a good franchise business option. There are different types of franchise business in India that are hugely successful and looking for expansion. Franchising is one of the popular models of business looked as a win-win model by both the franchisor and the franchisee. In fact, this business concept is a great way of expanding a proven business model by leveraging the resources and the enterprise of potential franchisees. In fact, buying a franchise business in India is a better option as compared to starting your own business from scratch. Today, there are different platforms where you can look for a franchise business. You can check out details in local newspapers or browse the Internet to look for information about companies or brands interested in expansion of their business. In fact, websites are the best ones to find information on find about best franchise business in India based on different categories. For example, if you are a person who is interested in Play School business then you need to first find out all the available franchisors who would be allowing you to join under them as a franchisee. Contact them and if they find your proposal interesting, then you can become a part of their brand. Remember, it is the dream of every company to increase their brand visibility and franchising is the best way to do so. There are so many companies in India who have high faith in franchising concept and have utilized this concept to promote their brands. Apart from Indian companies, there are many International brands that have spread their business in different parts of India through franchising. The franchising industry in India has thus become an important tool for all brands to woo the customers and expand their business territories. DEFINATION: franchise is a form of channel in which one party, the franchisor, controls the business activities of another party, the franchisee. Under these arrangements, an eligible franchisee agrees to pay for the right to use the franchisors business methods and other important business aspects, such as the franchise name. For instance, McDonalds is a well-known franchisor that allows individuals to use the McDonalds name and methods to deliver food to consumers. Payment is usually in the form of a one-time, upfront franchise fee and also on-going percentage of revenue. While the cost to the franchisee may be quite high, this form of retailing offers several advantages to both the parties: Advantages to franchisee: One of the most important advantages of buying a franchise is that the entrepreneur does not have to incur all the risk involved with creating a new business. Typically, the areas that entrepreneurs have problems with in starting a new venture are product acceptance, management expertise, meeting capital requirements, knowledge of the market, and operating and structural controls. Product Acceptance- The Franchisee usually enters into a business that has an accepted name, product or service. That credibility already exists based on the years the Franchise has existed. An entrepreneur who tries to start a shop would be unknown to the potential customers and would require significant effort and resources to build credibility and a reputation in the market. Management Expertise- Another important advantage to the Franchisee is managerial assistance provided by the franchisor. Each new franchisee is often required to take a training programme on all aspects of operating the franchise. This training could include classes in accounting, personnel management marketing and production. The training and education offered is actually an important criterion. That the entrepreneur should consider in evaluating any Franchise opportunity. If the assistance in starting up the business is not good, the entrepreneur should probably look elsewhere for opportunities unless he or she already has extensive experience in the field. Capital Requirements- Starting a new venture is usually costly in terms of both time and money. The franchise offers an opportunity to start a new venture with up front support that could save the entrepreneur significant time and possibly capital. Some franchisors conduct location analysis and market research of the area that might include an assessment of traffic, demographics, business conditions, and competition. In some cases, the franchisor will also finance the initial investment to start the franchise operation. The initial capital required to purchase a franchise generally reflects a fee for the franchise, construction costs, and the purchase of equipment. Knowledge of the Market- Any established franchise business offers the entrepreneur years of experience in the business and knowledge of the market. This knowledge is usually reflected in a plan offered to the franchisee that details the profile of the target customer and the strategies that should be implemented once the operation has begun. Advantages to franchisor: This type of arrangement can offer an array of advantages for the franchisor. Additional Revenue- Whenever a franchisor grants a new franchise location, he enters into a franchise agreement in which the franchisee agrees to pay fees or royalties. The franchisor can use these additional sources of revenue to reduce operating expenses such as advertising and distribution costs. The revenue can also be used to increase the franchisors cash flow. Reduced Risk of Expansion- Franchises allow the franchisor to expand her business by using the capital and resources from the franchisee. Although the franchisor often assists the franchisee in finding sources of capital to get started, the franchisee is still the one responsible for obtaining the financing and is on the hook to pay back any loan or other debt obligations. Ease of Quality Control- A franchise agreement requires the franchisee to follow corporate guidelines when operating his business. For example, a McDonalds franchisee is required to make hamburgers a specific way and may not deviate. For the franchisor, this means fewer concerns about the quality of the product that is sold, and he doesnt have to worry about a rogue franchisee who wants to do things his own way. Ease of Expansion- A franchisor can easily expand her business by granting new franchises to franchisees in untapped markets. She may be able to locate potential franchisees who are more familiar with the nuances of a particular market than she is, which increases the chances for success. The franchisor will reap the benefits of additional royalties and increased brand recognition. Increased Royalties- A franchisee may be more motivated than an employee, such as a branch manager of a satellite operation. Since the franchisee has a personal financial stake in the success of the business, he may be more likely to work harder. For the franchisor, the result is more revenue through increased royalties. Due to its advantages to both franchisee and franchisor it consider efficient form of ownership.

Homosocial Desire in the Films of Kevin Smith :: Essays Papers

Homosocial Desire in the Films of Kevin Smith In present society, any man who loves another man is labeled a homosexual. If a man is not a homosexual, then he is not allowed to display any form of affection for another male. If a man does go beyond the boundaries of showing affection for another man, that man runs the risk of being labeled a homosexual. However, there are those who see the error of this and want to change this societal viewpoint. Two examples of individuals who have strikingly similar views on this issue believe that there can be a balance between homosexuality and heterosexual male bonding. In relation to this balance, the term â€Å"homosocial† describes bonds between persons of the same sex. Even though these two individuals come from completely different ends of the spectrum, they both agree that â€Å"homosocial desire† allows desire between two men to exist in a form that incorporates love between men without sexual attraction. Writer Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and film director Kev in Smith both display through different types of media that homosocial activity can evolve from male bonding to exist in the same range as homosexuality. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick writes about the term homosocial desire in her book Between Men. The word homosocial is used in science to describe social relationships between persons of the same sex. While it shares the same prefix â€Å"homo† with the word homosexual, homosocial has different connotations in present American society. Kevin Smith uses film to express his ideas about homosexuality and homosocial actions. Smith’s first film, Clerks, was shot in black and white and lacked talented actors and good cinematography. However, Smith’s smartly written script and flare for humorous storytelling soon turned this low budget, independent film into a cult classic. The movie revolves around the lives of two best friends, Dante (played by Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (depicted by Jeff Anderson). Dante works in a convenience store while Randal works across the street as a video rental store clerk. Their friendship is filled with stereotypical male bonding practices such as playing hockey together and reading issues of Playboy behind the store counter. However, while the two exhibit many jocular actions, their relationship is a good example of the notion of homosocial desire.

The Fear of Fat Criterion Within the DSM IV Essay example -- anorexia n

As our society is bombarded with the images of manufactured beauty and â€Å"thinness†, conversations increasingly center on dieting and body dissatisfaction. The media advertises weight loss products in the form of pills, drinks, surgery, fitness equipment and support groups to mold individuals into the proposed ideal form. This evidence alone suggests a strong case for the possibility of a pathological fear of fat. Is this fear, however, the driving force behind all cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia? According to the DSM IV, the fear of gaining weight is essential for these diagnoses to be made. Strong arguments have been made both in favor and against modifying the existing criteria to allow for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals, regardless of whether or not a ‘fat phobia’ is present. Is it culturally insensitive to retain this particular criterion, a fear of gaining weight, if a patient has not been exposed to the same cultural p ressures and orientation towards being thin? Although western culture is thought to be the dominant culture, because of power and economics, non-western cultures make up eighty percent of the world’s population (Lee, 1995). Many of these ‘sub-dominant’ cultures are present in the melting pot of the modern United States. Are these non-Westernized individuals being denied the necessary treatments and interventions merely because a fear of gaining weight is not expressed? Such a strong focus on body dissatisfaction may cause one to overlook or disregard the pressures of societal systems, such as immigration or poverty, on the mental and physical well being of an individual. If ‘fat phobia’ is indeed a culturally constructed definition of anorexia nervosa, it la... ...ternational Journal of Eating Disorders, 17, 175-183. King, M.B., & Bhugra, D. (1989). Eating disorders: Lessons from a cross-cultural study. Psychological Medicine, 19, 955-958. Lake, A.J. Staiger, P.K., & Glowinski, H. (2000). Effect of Western Culture on Women’s Attitudes to Eating and Perceptions of Body Shape. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27, 83-89. Lee, S. (1993). How abnormal is the desire for slimness? A survey of eating attitudes and behaviour among Chinese undergraduates in Hong Kong. Psychological Medicine, 23, 437-451. Lee, S. (1995). Self-starvation in context: Towards a culturally sensitive understanding of anorexia nervosa. Social Science and Medicine, 41, 25-36. Thompson, J.K. & Altabe, M.N (1991). Psychometric qualities of the figure rating scale. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 10, 615-619.

Geological History Of Adair Park South West Arizona

I. On Saturday, November 16, 2013, our Geology class went to Adair Park Yuma Arizona on our adventure of a lifetime. The point of the trip was to view real life examples of some of the things that we have studied over the course of this semester. Actually being able to see examples of such things as cross-bedding dikes, unconformities, folds faults and various sedimentary features. II. The first stop of the field trip was to look at the Gneiss. The Gneiss has been around for about 1. 6 bilion years. The probable type of contact metamorphism The general term for all such incorporated bodies is inclusions.Xenoliths are usually reconstituted through the processes of contact metamorphism, in which heat and fluids cause mineralogic and chemical changes in the parent rock of the xenolith; a study of these changes can give information on the temperature and composition of the magmatic body. The mineral compostition that what we could see were Biotite, Muscovite and quartz. The other signifi cant feature the dikes(white) that was younger in the cross cuting through the Gneiss. III. The second stop of this field trip was to look at the Granite. The Granite and has been here for around 1. 4 billion years.The type of rock Granite which is Igneous with a funeratic course grined, with grains visible on fresh surface. The type of mineral composition in the Granite is Orthoclase, Quartz and Biotite. IV. The third stop of this field trip was to look at the Pegimatite. The Pegmatite has been around for about 73 million years. Pegmatite is very coarse granite. Pematieites are thought to form from the bolatile low-denisity fluids that crystallize last from the grainitic magma. V. The fourth stop of this field trip was to look at the Red Beds. The red beds have been in the area around 20-30 million years old.The steep cliffs of Adair Park and the surrounding lowlands offer breathtaking exposures of the lower subunit–the red conglomerates/breccias and gypsum. These red-bed de posits are composed of interbedded breccias, conglomerates, sandstones. In other areas it commonly forms a medium thin, dirty, discontinous bed up to 10 – 60 cm thin beds are usually well sorted, clast-supported, commonly normally graded.The conglomerates are also thinly bedded and clast-supported, but are moderately well-sorted to poorly sorted and contain an abundance of angular to well-rounded quartz, feldspar,  calcite, granite and gneiss. metamorphic, and mafic volcanic clasts. The conglomerates can generally be distingushed from the breccias by their well-bedded nature. VI. The fifth stop of this field trip was to look at the Green/Tan Beds. The green and tan beds have been in the area around 20-30 million years old. These green and tan bed deposits are compsed of gypum. On other areias it commony forms a thin disconintuous bed up to 10 cm thin are usually well sorted , clast-supported commonly normally well sorted, commonly normally graded.The gypsum are also thinly bedded and poorly sorted, but are mederately  well-sorted to poorly sorted and contain an abundance of angular calcite, and hornblend. See Figure 2. VII. The sixth stop of this field trip was to look at the diobase dike. This diobase dike have been here less than 10 million years. The diobase dike are composed of a metamorphic- plutonic basement that is overlain by middle Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks.. Much of thesedimentary sequence was deposited before the onset of volcanism and tectonism, although the local presence of clasts of volcanic origin suggests at least some synchroneity.The sedimentary rocks are commonly in low-angle normal fault contact  with underlying basement rocks. Gentle folding and warping, along with poorly developed cleavage, are generally present. Tertiary volcanic rocks are dominantly intermediate to mafic flows with lesser amounts of pyroclastic material. Olivine, augmite and green poroxy is largely altered. See Figure 1. VIII. The seventh sto p of this trip was to look at the Terrace Gravels. The terrace gravels have been around for around 200,000 years. An angular unconfomity of Adar formation with the overlying terrace gravels. In some place of Adair park the terrace gravels can be as much as 200 feet thick.The were mountains that used to be in the area but with water erosion the mountains dispareared. Bajada, ( Spanish: â€Å"slope†: ) is a broad slope of debris spread along the lower slopes of mountains by descending streams, usually found in arid or semiarid climates; the term was adopted because of its use in the U. S. Southwest. A bajada is often formed by the coalescing of several alluvial fans. Such coalescent fans are often mistaken for erosional landforms known as pediments. The repeated shifting of a debouching stream from one side of a fan to the other spreads the sediment widely and almost  uniformly.As the sediment eventually grows together, the slope may extend outward from the mountain front to a distance of several kilometres. A bajada is usually composed of gravelly alluvium and may even have large boulders interbedded in it. XL. Inconclusion the field trip really helped me learn some of the stuff that we studied during this course being able to see some real examples and havintg them explained to us. This has been fun class any your are great professor. I appreciate your sense of humor during the class and your attempt to make learning fun.

Money and Banking

Chapter5 4. Explain why you would be more or less willing to buy long-term AT&T bonds under the following circumstances: a. Trading in these bonds increases, making them easier to sell. More, because if it is easier to sell bond this means that liquidity of bonds increase. b. You expect a bear market in stocks(stock prices are expected to decline) More because these bonds’s expected return will increase compared to stocks. . Brokerage commission on stocks fall Less because the decrease in brokerage commissions on stocks makes them more liquid. d. You expect interest rates to rise Less because when interest rates increase the expected return decreases. e. Brokerage commission on bonds fall. More because the decrease in brokerage commissions on bonds makes bond more liquid. 7. Using both the liquidity preference framework and the supply and demand for bonds framework, show shy interest rates are procyclical If the economy is growing there is a business cycle expansion witch will result to a increase in supply of bonds this means that the supply curve will shift to the right if this happens there will be a new equilibrium point and if everything is constant the new equilibrium point will be lower witch means that price of a bond will decrease and the interest rate will increase. If the economy grows the first effect we can see Is that the income will increase. When income increases the demand for money will increase shifting the demand curve to the right if every thing else is constant this will mean that the equilibrium point will change thus moving up and showing an increase in interest rate. 9. Find the â€Å"Credit Markets† column in the Wall Street Journal. Underline the statement in the column that explain bond price movements, and draw the appropriate supply and demand diagrams that support these statement. The column describes how the price of treasury bonds rose when the stock market faltered. The higher relative expected returns on bonds would then cause the quantity demanded to rise each price, shifting the demand curve to the right. The outcome is a rise in the equilibrium price and a fall in interest rates. Massive amount of supply of bonds is set to enter the market over the next month. The increase in supply would shift the supply curve to the right, causing the equilibrium price to fall.

The Effective Literary Form of Foreshadowing

O’Connor effectively uses the literary device of foreshadowing to create an atmosphere of suspense for a family that is doomed. There are several hints that point to the fate of the family in both the overall theme of a world of change and chaos and in specific lines from the text. Death and doom are frequently discussed and certain descriptive phrases, as early as the first sentence lead a reader to believe that doom is impending. Specifically the grandmother and her choices and her description of choices all contribute to the foreshadowing.Her choice of dress and her reasons given for that is one example, as is the cat she chooses to bring and the animal’s role in the final event that leads to the death of the family. The Grandmother’s choice to take the dirt road and her mistake of direction is the final example of the foreshadowing that can be contributed to the reader’s sense of an almost inevitable and negative end. Firstly, the Grandmother does not wish to go on the trip, but agrees to go with certain pretenses. She refuses to leave her beloved cat at home while the family goes on their trip.The cat, â€Å"Pitty Sing†, is hidden in a basket as the Grandmother fears that the cat may die. O’Connor writes, â€Å"she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself. Her son, Bailey didn’t like to arrive at a motel with a cat† (1135-1136). Her mention of both death and the inconvenience that bringing the cat would impose on the family shows both foreshadowing and irony, as the cat does cause an accident and inconveniences the family in the worst way.Both the concealed cat displayed by O’Connor as the Grandmother’s disregard for her family’s wishes and her lost sense of direction, as well contribute to the danger that the family is placed in. The dirt road that the Grandmother advises the family to go down is explained in detail in an ominou s manner and the plot turns even more ominous as she realizes that she has the wrong road. O’Connor writes regarding the character that a horrible thought came to her†¦her eyes dilated and her feet jumped up†¦ the instant the valise moved, the newspaper top she had over the basket rose with a snarl and Pitty Sing, the cat, sprang onto Bailey’s shoulder (1140). This incident does lead to a car accident on this abandoned, old road. Therefore, both the choice to bring the fateful animal and the choice to take the family in a wrong direction, sends a message of a foreshadowed and foreshortened future for the family.Finally, at the beginning of the story, when the cat is introduced into the plot, the Grandmother’s deception and dress are detailed. The foreshadowing of her outfit and accessories point to the fact that she has designed herself for death, in case that it comes. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once she was a lady (1136).It should be noted that the idea or phrase of the word accident or accidental is used frequently in the story to show foreshadowing. In the citation with the cat and the uproar, there follows an automobile accident, where after the children scream several times both on pages 1140 and 1141, â€Å"We’ve had an ACCIDENT! †. The foreshadowing of the usage of accident is only paralleled by the actions leading to the family’s doom.In conclusion, O’Connor effectively uses examples of foreshadowing in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. Three of these examples illustrate this in the previous paragraphs and all tie in together to help the reader and literary critic understand that the story has deeper meaning and context than one may originally think. The frequent reference to accident or fear that something may happen accidentally all contribute to the undertones and overtones of death, deception, and doom in a world of change and chaos.

Foundational to the Christian faith is the belief that mankind is Essay

Foundational to the Christian faith is the belief that mankind is created in the image of God - Essay Example As such, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with the important and fundamental onus that this understanding places upon the believer; as well as a discussion and analysis of several of the texts within the Bible that confirm the importance of this â€Å"image† connection. Although a literal interpretation of the texts pertaining to mankind (humankind) being created within he image of God lends one to believe that we look and are formed literally similar to our Creator, such an approach only captures part of the meaning that can necessarily be implied. Moreover, the first reference of making mankind in the â€Å"image† of God is found in Genesis 1:26 where God staes on the final day of creation, â€Å"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness†. This dual reference to image and likeness are important; although they may seem rather complimentary at first glance. The reason behind this is that the dual reference both implies a physical and the potential for a spiritual likeness. Whereas Biblical scholars have long debated whether or not a type of original sin or tabula rasa exists within the spiritual soul of mankind, seeking to define this is only part of understanding what the texts relating to image ultimately portend. As such, it is the understanding of this author that the pervasive discussion of image and thelinkages between human and devine that are effected both in the Old and the New Testament show a unique layer of importance being bestowed upon the level of understanding that the believer is able to integrate with this reality of similarity. Though it might be tempting, being created within the mere image of God is not enough in and of itself to allow the believer to assume an air of neither infallibility nor perfection. However, in helping to denote this comparison to an even more profound degree, the New Testament book of Hebrews chapter 4:15 states: â€Å"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to em pathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin†. This of course helps to make the New Testament teachings concerning the path of righteousness that Christ laid out for his followers as even more pertinent and even more salient. Although true that mankind is created in the physical likeness of the Creator, he is also endowed with a unique spiritual ability to develop the relationship with the Father; just as His Son did during his ministry on Earth. The necessity for all of this is manifestly evident with regards to the field of special education. Due to the fact that there exists a clear and determinant relationship between the teacher and the student, similar to the relationship that existed between Christ and his disciples during His ministry on earth, it is necessary for these stakeholders to integrate closely with the idea and understanding for how the image of God can most effectively be transmitt ed to stakeholders within the educational setting. By seeking to engage these individuals with regards to fairness, patience, honesty, and longsuffering, the image of God can be effectively transmitted to these youth; regardless of their developmental level; thereby helping to promote an appreciation and understanding of how the image