Comparison Between Chinese and American Food Culture

Lee Hiu Man Instructor Wynn ESLG 1001 29 November 2012 Comparison of Chinese and Western Food Culture Food is closely related to people's lives and it is considered the most important element in Chinese culture. Chinese food is famous all over the world too. American Chinese cuisine differs significantly from the traditional Chinese cuisine and even though the variation in taste can be so it is still attractive to many people. When it comes to food, Chinese people always care about the color, taste, smell and shape of Chinese dishes.In 1784, a group of passengers on the ship Empress of China became the first Americans to land in China and they were also the first group of people to eat Chinese food; it was the first time the American palate encountered eastern cuisine(Coe 45). There are many differences in food culture between China and the United States. Strong differences exist regarding cooking methods, ingredients, desserts and cutlery. There are many cooking methods in Chinese f ood and it may be confusing by terms such as saute, marinade, stir-fry and deep-fry especially for someone new to Chinese food (Travel China Guide).Boiling is the most common form of Chinese cooking; Chinese boiling means cooking food in boiling water. It wastes fuel. It does not cook the food any faster and it tends to make the food break up and so spoils the appearance. Frying is divided into deep-frying, slippery-frying, quick-frying, and several types of stir-frying; this method mainly deals with vegetables. One cooking method that American dishes seldom use is steaming. It is a kind of slow process and time consuming.Chinese cooking uses two methods of steaming, which are basic steaming(zheng) and placing one tightly-closed pot inside a larger pot(steaming dun) (Lee 3). The product is usually very soft because the pot is half-immersed in boiling water for two to three hours. One of the famous traditional Chinese foods is Chinese rice dumplings and it is made of glutinous rice s tuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. On the other hand, the cooking methods in American cuisine were affected by the European countries (Cuban Cuisine, 1).Grilling meats and spit roasting over a pit fire are both common even today. Americans use barbecue smokers to cook chicken, pork and corn. Frying is the most common in Western countries because almost every famous dish is related to frying. Examples include fried chicken, French fries, burgers and fries, etc. Local families in America like to do baking, which is generally applied to breads, lasagna, manicotti, pastries and other sweet confections. There is a big difference between Chinese and American cooking methods. One is mainly concentrated on the color, smell and shape.The other is always speedy, convenient and cheap. Secondly, the ingredients in Chinese and American food are different. Chinese cuisine involves rice, flour, beans, and vegetables. American cuisine is relatively simple and mainly includ es meat, bread and vegetables. For the Chinese one, most dishes include rice, because it is the main crop of many Asian countries and is used in almost every capacity. Not only steamed rice, but rice paper and noodles can be included in a meal. Second, tofu is often used in vegetarian meals, because it is high in protein.It is used heavily in regions with a tradition of Buddhism. Third, sauces are important to flavor rice and stir-fry. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, black bean sauce, and fish sauces are easy to keep on hand (Yang 3). Rice is a major staple food for people from rice farming areas in southern China and Chinese people always use rice to produce by-products like vinegars and wines (Mashpedia, 3). Noodles are important to Chinese people too and they usually come dry or fresh in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures and are often served in soups or fried as toppings.Some varieties such as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shou Mian† are literally noodles of longevity, are symbolic of long life and good health according to Chinese tradition. Noodles can be served hot or cold with different toppings and broth. On the other hand, a part of the American food is based on traditional German dishes such as hot dogs and hamburgers (Wynn 3). Pre-packaged American meals tend to be high in carbohydrates, fat, sodium, and various preservatives. However, they also tend to be vitamin fortified.Examples of pre-packed American meals include various  casserole  type dishes such as  Hamburger Helper, as well as bakeable and microwaveable foods such as  Hot Pockets, frozen pizzas, frozen burritos, and various types of  TV dinner  meals (Cuisine of the United States Research Materials, 3). About the desserts in these two countries, Chinese desserts are sweet foods and dishes that are served with  tea, along with meals or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine. Chinese candies and sweets, called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"tang†Ã‚  are usually made with cane sugar, malt sugar, honey, nuts and fruit.Gao or Guo  are rice based snacks that are typically steamed  and may be made from glutinous or normal rice. Ice cream  is commonly available throughout China. Another cold dessert is called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"baobing†, which is  shaved ice  with sweet syrup. Chinese jellies are known collectively in the language as  ices. Many jelly desserts are traditionally set with agar and are flavored with fruits, though  gelatin  based jellies are also common in contemporary desserts (Zickler 5). Chinese dessert soups typically consist of sweet and usually hot soups  and custards.For the American desserts, there are a wide variety of choices like cakes, cookies, biscuits, gelatins and pastries and most of them are considered as sweet and greasy. Famous ones like apple pies, cupcakes, caramels and chocolate brownies are customary desserts for Americans compared with Chinese as they viewed it as a part of the meal. Lastly, the cutleries that are used in Chinese and Amer ican food are different also. Chinese people use chopsticks to eat food. Americans use knives and forks to do dining.Chopsticks convey the concept of harmony in Chinese culture (The Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Blog). In ancient  written Chinese, the character for chopsticks was ?. Although ? may have been widely used in ancient spoken Chinese, its use was eventually replaced by the pronunciation for the character ? ; meaning â€Å"quick†. The original character, though still commonly used in writing, is rarely used in modern spoken Chinese languages, which maintains the old usage. Knives and forks are kind of promoting the independence, freedom and violence.Due to its role as humankind's first tool, certain cultures have attached spiritual and religious significance to the knife. It has impact of the concept of people's lives; knife and fork will necessarily bring about eating apart and chopsticks share dinner with the family members gather around a table. The major items of cu tlery in the  Western world  are the  knife,  fork  and  spoon. In recent times, utensils have been made combining the functionality of pairs of cutlery, including the  spork  (spoon / fork),  spife  (spoon / knife), and  knork  (knife / fork) or the  sporf  which is all three (Attards, 2).Actually, chopsticks are commonly used in Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes but it is generally believed to have originated in ancient China. To conclude, there are a number of differences between Chinese and American food culture and they are a part of human civilization. It is great for everyone to know the food that people would like to eat, cooking method and also ingredients between two countries. Even if there are some differences between Chinese food and Western-style food, they can still get along harmoniously. For example Chinese food of U. S. A. s suitable for Americans’ taste, because through Americans’ improvement; similarly, the Western-styl e food of China is more suitable for Chinese’ taste, because through the Chinese’ improvement. There is a folk adage in China â€Å"If want to conquer your heart, I will conquer your stomach first†. It can clearly show the importance of food in Chinese culture. Works Cited Helen Wang. Cooking Methods in Chinese Cuisine. †Ã‚  Chinese Cooking Tips. Chinese Food DIY Fall 2009. Web. Nov. 17 2012 Giblin, James Cross. From hand to mouth: How we invented knives, forks, spoons and chopsticks, & the manners to go with them.New York: Crowell, 1987. Print Knoblauch, Mark. Chop Suey: A Cultural History Of Chinese Food In The United States. Booklist 106. 1 22, 2009. Print Lv, Nan, and J Lynne Brown. Chinese American Family Food Systems: Impact Of Western Influences. Journal Of Nutrition Education And Behavior 42. 2 106-114, 2010. Print Richard Pillsbury. No Foreign Food: The American Diet in Time and Place, Westview Press, 1998. Print Peter Zickler. Askives. â€Å"Wha t is common Chinese desserts† Web, Nov. 16, 2012

Why Study Organizations?

In order to answer an essay question, first of all, we need to understand what is meant by the term ‘organization’ from the sociological point of view. Then we need to understand what role organizations are playing in our life and why it is essential to study them. As we can imagine, there are different types of organizations. All of them have their own structure and purpose. In this essay I would like to focus on business organizations: how they appeared and developed; how employees’ relations were changing, etc. I would like to pay the specific attention to such department as Human Resource Management – how this term appeared and why it is so important nowadays. So, why do we actually need to study organizations? This question, from my point of view, has a very easy and obvious answer: we need to study organizations for the same reason we study the world around us. We are intelligent and curious people. We always need an explanation of what is happening, how the things are working, and what place do we take among other people. Organizations are the huge part of our modern daily life: we either study or work for them, or we are obtaining goods and services from them. We are interacting with organizations all the time, so it is not surprising, that we want to study them; and it does not matter if you are a manager or consumer – you are still involved in it and you want to be aware of what is happening around you. What is organization? In sociology term ‘organization’ has a very general meaning. This â€Å"is basically a structure for carrying out a particular social activity on a regular basis† (Fulcher and Scott, 2009; p. 542). All the organizations have such features as specific goal, defined membership, rules of behaviour, and authority relationships. This is also important to mention, that all organizations have the characteristic of continuity. This means that personnel can be changing, but the organization will still exist. There is no clear definition of what social units come into the category of organizations. Some of them are easy to define, other will bring us some difficulties. For instance, business corporations, schools, hospitals, trade unions are definitely organizations, as they all have the characteristics mentioned before. On the other hand, communities, social groups, and class are not organizations, as they do not have rules of behaviour or specific goals. The problem can occur, when we come across the term ‘institution’. The first thing we need to understand here is that organization is not an institution. Institution is â€Å"an established practice that regulate the various activities that make up social life† (Fulcher and Scott, 2009; p. 543). The most common examples of institutions in daily life are weddings and funerals. Although, these are two different terms, there is one class of organizations which is called total institution. Most of the organizations leave people with their separate private lives, but it is not the case with total institution. It is characterised by such features as disappearance of private life, planned and supervised activities, sharp division between staff and inmates, the mortification of the self. The biggest examples of the total institution are mental hospital and prison, where people are isolated from the outside world and society. Now we know what defines organizations, but we still did not get to the point why do we need to study them. From my point of view, it is essential to look at the historical background of organizations. We need to understand how they were appearing and developing trough the time, in order to understand how they are functioning nowadays. In this essay I have decided to look specifically at one type of organizations – business corporations. Weber (1914) said that modern society is distinguished from the earlier one by the appearance of the multiplicity of administrative tasks and the need to expertise and carry them. He called it â€Å"the increasing complexity of civilization†. Weber said that this phenomenon is caused by growing size of organizations, greater wealth and increasing social problems. If we would refer to the history of organizations, we can see the significant changes in structure, polices, employee relations, values, etc. The first interest in organizations appeared in the 19th century, which was driven by industrialization. Industrial revolution was caused by development of technologies, which completely changed the structure of most of the organizations, and lead to the transformation of society. The introduction of manufacturing process completely changed the employment relations. Discipline was the key feature of the new organization, as it helped to control and organize people more effectively – this lead to the process of bureaucratization. New industrialists were looking for the profitable production. In order to achieve it, they needed punctuality and uninterrupted work during fixed hours from their employees. These targets were achieved by bureaucratisation, which was central to the administrative revolution. These rganizations were highly rational, they functioned in a discipline and unemotional manner, their activities were calculated, systematic and predictable. This approach helped the manufacturers maximize the return on their capital. This new manufacturing process was the beginning of the new era of employment relations. Bureaucracy is a systematic approach; all the workers had their duties and were paid respectively. But, as many other theories, this sys tem did not work so smooth in the real life, as it seemed on paper. Employers’ main purpose was to increase the profit, in order to do so, they were underpaying their employees. At the beginning people were happy just to have jobs, but the time passed and workers started to understand and fight for their human rights. This situation caused the appearance of the new type of organizations called ‘trade unions’. Trade union is an organization of workers, who tied together in order to achieve better working conditions. It is suggested that the origins of trade unions lay in the failure of the early Factory act to protect children and women at the work place; as a result many began to work together, forming unions to agitate for change in the law and greater respect for the workers (BBC). As we can see, relationships between employers and workers were getting more and more complicated. In order to keep company’s profitability, employers had to meet workers’ conditions – this brought the necessity of new management approach, which was called scientific or personnel management. This approach was first introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the late 19th century. Personnel Management was an administrative record-keeping function; it attempted to maintain fair terms and conditions for employees. This was the beginning of the employee relations. Its main idea was to pay people for their productivity, the new reward system was introduced. In other words people were paid for the amount of time they worked and for the quantity of items they produced. This was the beginning of new era of management. Lately Personnel Management evolved into the Human Resource Management, it was again caused by the employee’s unsatisfied demands. People were paid properly, but it was not enough anymore. Workers were tired of being treated as machines, they were demanding for more personal attitude. It was the time when Human Resource Management was introduced. It was concerned with carrying out the same functional activities traditionally performed by the personnel function, such as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, etc. But HRM approach was looking at employees from the point of view, that they are the main organizational assets. It was seeking to achieve the competitive advantage trough the strategic development of highly committed and capable work force. In other words, employers were trying to create the comfortable and friendly working environment, in order to keep the best employees in the company. As we can see from the historical background, there were massive changes in the organizational structure; and these changes appeared in a relatively small amount of time. We are living in the world of progress, where everything is developing so fast, that it is sometimes very hard to catch up. By ‘everything’ I mean every aspect of our lives: technologies, government, countries, and of course people. People is the most important cause of all these changes: organization, on the first place, is all about its employees – without them it wouldn’t exist. Thinking about personal development, I would like to mention Maslow Hierarchy of needs: This pyramid clearly explains how workers’ needs were changing through the time: first of all they needed job to earn money for living; when they got it they needed to be secure that their income would be stable (Trade Unions appear); then they needed to feel comfortable in their working environment (Personnel Management); the top two requirements consider the personal recognition and the opportunity for development (this is what HRM is dealing with). Summarising everything said above, we can finally try to answer the question: â€Å"Why do we need to study organizations? † Organizations are imprescriptible part of our life: we are dealing with them practically in any aspect of our lives. We all study at the University at the moment, which means we are all part of this organization. In the future we are going to find the job and, most likely nowadays, going to be the part of another organization. As we can see, we cannot avoid this component of our life. As the Latin saying claims: â€Å"Forewarned, forearmed†. Studying organisations gives us an opportunity to know more about the world we live in, to know our lives and grab our chances. As we can see from the history. It was people, who changed the structure of organizations – simple workers, who was looking for better life. The world has changed a lot and it keeps on changing. Organizations nowadays have to be more flexible and open-minded, in order to attract the best ‘human assets’ and remain competitive; enormous amounts of money are spent on the Human Resource Development. There is prediction that the relationship that individuals will have with organizations will change: there were no longer be fixed working lives. People still need to earn money, but they do not want to be tied up with their jobs. Humanity is developing, we are having different demands and priorities from our predecessors. To go with the times, we need to study the society we live in, and organizations is one of its biggest and important parts nowadays. References 1. BBC/Learning zone Broad Band. Why Did the Trade Unions Come About? Available at: < http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/why-did-the-trade-unions-come-about/11082.html> Accessed: 20/03/2011 2. Bratton, J. & Gold, J. (2007) Human Resource Management: Theory & Practice (4th edition). Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke. 3. Clegg, S. and Hardy, C. (1999), Studying Organizations: Theory and Method. London: Sage. 4. Clegg, S. Kornberger, M. and Pitsis, T. (2008) Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. London: Sage. 5. Fulcher, J. and Scott, J. (2009) Sociology (OUP, 3rd edition). Oxford University Press. 6. Giddens, Anthony. (2009) Sociology (6th edition). Cambridge: Polity Press. 7. Storey, J. (1995), Human Resource Management. London: Routledge.

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Health, pharmaceuticals, and citizenship - Essay Example Cancers are usually realized when they become obvious in an advanced stage requiring mastectomy. Also in the US women are more likely to learn how to deal with breast cancer through friends with the disease, support groups, and fund raising appeals. In Botswana because of the absence of oncology there is no collective experience of the disease or knowledge of the biomedical therapeutic process required for cure. Recently there have been some attempts to disseminate public knowledge through posters and other means, but they do not resonate in Botswana as they are copied from ones in the West and recommend unavailable screening and are without cultural adaptation. On the other hand, diseases such as HIV, hypertension, diabetes and tuberculosis are well known, so Botswana patients have to learn to distinguish these diseases from cancer. Although Botswana has universal care it is geared to grappling with infectious diseases and mother-child health. Cancer is largely unknown by medical wo rkers except in a cancer ward in a public hospital. Furthermore, even in the hospital diagnosis and treatment are hampered by staff shortages and turnover, lack of modern functioning equipment, and appropriate drugs. There is also a high risk of co-infection with diseases such as HIV. Even when some women are told they have cancer, they may self deny until it advances and they are forced to deal with it. Also even many doctors in clinics and private hospitals deny the oncology because of ignorance of the disease and/or they don’t know how to deal with it. When arriving at the cancer treating hospital some patients are distrustful because they already had sought relief from Christian an Tswana prophetic leaders without success. Many do not understand biomedical explanations so it is better to talk in terms of analogies or say things like† you will hate my treatment, but

Racial Tension Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Racial Tension - Research Paper Example ere are countries such as South Africa that have formed policies of positive action and empowerment that only aims to the black without attending to the needs of the white (Grunsell, 203). The claims of white discrimination have been through the several murders of white farmers in those countries. Investigations have however thrown away the argument as they think that the murder have been through motivations in robbery rather than the thought racial tension. Some whites due to racial tension have tried to rewrite history. There was once a claim that blacks were the main cause of apartheid. This shows the extent that there have been racial discrimination and all that was thought to be bad in the old times were linked to the blacks. In some of the countries such as South Africa, racial tension has been seen to grow as a result of economic stagnation in the country. In these economies, there is higher rate of unemployment that is mostly linked to the blacks. The economic growth has been too higher to reduce the rate of unemployment in the blacks. In such countries the level of unemployment continues to rise in blacks while the white are still privileged and are given the first opportunities in the job sector. Racism is blamed for these occurrences. Many whites see the privileges that they have and the policies that favor them and despite the wealth that they have. They see the black as those that are not exposed to any privilege in job sec tor (Grunsell, 209). After the blacks receiving democracy in most of their countries, there still has been ruling by the whites. Studies that have been carried out have brought out the fact that there is a belief that the whites and the blacks will be difficult to come to trust each other. Policies that have been put forward to solve the issues of racism have failed as there are overpowered by the mistrust that occur between the two groups. In the current situation there is the situation of racial tension all over the world. There

Investigation of Investors in People in the UK Leisure Industry - Essay

Investigation of Investors in People in the UK Leisure Industry - Using Fitness First as a case study - Essay Example The corporation’s entire staff, clients, and vendors were affected directly or indirectly when incorporating change. Fitness First UK’s employees work hard in order that client scan recuperate from the stresses of daily life. Perhaps by implementing Investors in People, the largest health club organization, which caters to their external people (clients) can also provide cater to their internal people (employee) and reach its objective more effectively. Hence, the focus of this project was to evaluate how the Investors in People Standard, can be implemented the current policies of Fitness First UK. The Investors in People Standard, or the Standard, provides a framework for organization to follow. However, the framework is kept open and flexible so that organisations can adjust and customize to meet its needs. Based on the actions of the planning cycle, the Standard’s guidelines are to Plan, Do, and Review. It is not strictly structured in order that organizations can implement the Standard in the way that is best. This makes sense and is highly effective because each organization and its people are extremely unique. Investors in People UK list their framework: Scutt (1998) lists, â€Å"The current Director, John Layne, joined Airline Operations during 1994 and quickly identified the need to improve its business performance, customer service, and reduce costs. The Director was aware of the existence of Investors in People and saw it as the tool that would facilitate the implementation of a culture to achieve the required improvements†¦It was formally communicated throughout the function and gained very strong support from the Trade Unions. Fitness First is the largest health club operator in the UK and Europe. Having grown from a single health club, twelve years later Fitness First has 1.2 million members in fifteen countries. There are 166 Fitness First clubs in the UK, which is the focus of this case study. They

Global Warming is real Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Warming is real - Essay Example The earth’s atmosphere contains these trace gases, whose purpose is to prevent some of the heat of the sun to escape into the atmosphere when it is reflected by the Earth. This helps maintaining a certain degree of acceptable temperature on the Earth. When these gases rise in concentration, they start absorbing sun’s heat which results in rise in temperature to an unacceptable degree. Due to the rise in temperature, much of the living organisms are affected, most of which die. The rise in the concentration of these greenhouse gases results in the Earth getting warmer gradually. The debate whether global warming is real or not is going on, and it is being researched whether increase in the level of greenhouse gases like CO2 will eventually lead to man’s death by warming up the Earth to an unacceptable level. It is argued that: global warming is as important an environment issue as air pollution or ozone depletion is, and needs serious consideration so as to save t he Earth and the life. Global warming is real because there are many stakeholders. Humans are being affected by this problem, and will continue to get affected if it is not solved. Human beings are the most important stakeholders of global warming, and are also the cause of it. They will have to understand that their communities are at stake due to abrupt rise in sea level, massive storms and hurricanes, and heat and cold waves. To state some facts, the year 2007 brought worst floods in the history of many countries like Malaysia, UK, North Korea, and other African countries. Pakistan saw the worst flood in 2010, which took millions of lives and took the shelter of thousands of people. After human beings, the next important stakeholders are the animals and plants. Some animals are able to move to places of acceptable temperature, but some are not able to cross the mountain barriers and waters. Plants cannot move, so they die. Another stakeholder is the global governments whose visio n toward solving the issue of global warming depends upon the views of their citizens. Many of these governments have not taken satisfactory moves toward the solution of global warming, but there are other examples like Kyoto Protocol of 1997 which planned to counter the climate change issue (Cooper, para.3). The Southern Baptist Convention of June 2007, which was considered as the country’s largest Protestant denomination, raised concerns about the fact that global warming will continue to affect the poor of the country, because even if steps are taken to counter global warming by reducing the number of factories that emit CO2, this will result in an increase in the cost of energy that will ultimately affect the poor. Global warming is real also because it is resulting in many climate changes. Earth, today, is much warmer than it was 100 years ago. The Earth's average temperature has risen above 1 degree Fahrenheit during the last century, and nearly twice in many parts of t he Arctic. One way the increasing warmth of the Earth can be observed is by observing the trees. In warmer conditions, the trees get thicker and form thick rings. Comparing new trees with older ones can help us understand the difference. Other ways include experimentation with the sediment that rests in the bottom of the oceans and seas. Scientists observe these sediments which contain particles and fossils that tell a lot of information about the climate the time when they settle down at the bottom. Global warming also increases the sea level. High sea level is dangerous for communities living at coastal line because there would be constant fear of flooding. Rise in temperature will result in the melting of ice on the ice pole. These climate changes are

Personal Development Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Development Portfolio - Essay Example In order to more closely align myself with this aspect of my personality, I will have to develop my writing skills, to communicate my thoughts and ideas effectively, and to improve my research skills so that I can explore ideas and concepts which interest me thoroughly. QUESTION 2 Learning Styles and their Impact on Studying Preferences and Developmental Needs I have some challenges in understanding, absorbing, and interpreting texts in a fixed time. My learning style is reflective and thoughtful, so that I am able to make sure of my understanding of a concept, and then work on interpreting, adding to, or developing the concept. This does not mean that I am unable to deal with complex or abstract subject matter, but that my need is to approach it thoroughly, and creatively, rather than just to â€Å"know† it. ... QUESTION 3 Individual SWOT and Commentary It is clear that I will need to develop in the areas as revealed by my SWOT analysis. It is going to be difficult to concurrently study and work toward a career, while I improve my skills in reading, researching, critical thinking and expression. Nevertheless I believe that these are essential skills to guarantee success and satisfaction in a future career. Thus, I will set myself goals and milestones, at which I will be able to measure my progress toward being able to do these things at the level I want to. It is also true that while studying, these skills will grow according to necessity, and I do work with thoroughness and dedication, so what will be the issue is whether I have time to be able to complete what I have to. It is more to be able to create more efficiency in my work patterns that I want to focus and concentrate on the practical skills that will allow me to be and innovator, a thinker, and someone who can creatively apply his t hinking to tasks at hand. QUESTION 4 Bibliography Development Task Commentary The very specific format of the bibliography in the Harvard referencing style at first did provide me with some difficulty but the logic and clarity of the system soon allows the formatting to become almost second nature. Finding appropriate sources can also be challenging. It is tempting to look at the first source you find, and just record and use it. But learning to consider academic credibility, close relevance, and the current and latest information as criteria to select sources does not come naturally. It implies that the Internet is not always the best route, although it is the easiest and quickest. Variety is important, and sourcing journals, peer reviewed journals, online texts, and published texts,

Using Life Story Work to Enhance Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Confidential Human Resource Records Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Confidential Human Resource Records - Essay Example These files could be found in the form of electronic data or paper. The human resource department is highly responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of employee records. The employee records can be divided into three types including personnel file, payroll files, and employee medical file. The data is entailed personnel file includes a job application, contact information, resumes, copy of appointment letter, performance record, etc. The payroll file contains a history on employee compensation record, loans, incentives, etc. The employee medical record is kept under extreme security as it contains employee health record and medical check-up history. The confidentiality of these records is of prime importance. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) demands confidentiality of the information related to employee health insurance given by the employer. Similarly the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensure the confidentiality of employee health and medical record. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) recommends that HR personnel should implement practices for assuring confidentiality by making separate files for keeping each record. The access to these files must be granted under specific conditions (â€Å"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission† 1). In Ohio, there is no law, which allows an employer to permit an employee the access to his or her personnel record. However, there are two exceptions in which the employee could access the information under specific conditions mentioned in Ohio State law. According to Ohio Revised Code 4113.23(A) the organization, hospital, laboratory or employer is liable to furnish the medical record to the employees related to themselves on their request. This section of the law is applicable on all types of physical

ITEC RESEARCH PAPER Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

ITEC - Research Paper Example p. 1). In the workplace, smartphones improve knowledge sharing, strengthen relationships between workmates and their superiors and promote autonomy (Pitichat, 2013). In education, smartphones are powerful learning tools (Bakon & Hassan, 2013). In social life, people are able to stay connected as they share messages, photos and videos (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013). This paper argues that although smartphones have a number of negative consequences, their benefits in peoples social and professional lives are numerous. The paper begins by defining smartphones, it then discusses their present and potential applications, highlights other technologies that compete with smartphones, discusses their benefits in social and professional lives and possible improvements in future. The paper begins with an introduction that defines and describes mobile computing technologies. This gives some background information of the existing technologies before stating the thesis. Next is the definition of smartphones, which are the main focus of the paper. It then discusses the present and potential applications of smartphones in people’s social and professional lives, highlights other technologies that compete with smartphones, discusses their benefits in social and professional lives and possible improvements in future. Bakon, K. A. & Hassan, Z. (2013). Perceived value of Smartphone and its impact on deviant behaviour: An investigation on Higher Education Students in Malaysia. International Journal of Information System and Engineering (IJISE), 1 (1): p. 1-17. Retrieved from: http://www.ftms.edu.my/journals/IJISE/Journal/Perceived%20value%20of%20Smartphone%20and%20its%20impact%20on%20deviant%20behaviour.pdf. Pitichat, T. (2013) "Smartphones in the workplace: Changing organizational behavior, transforming the future," LUX: A Journal of Trans-disciplinary Writing and Research from

Willy Loman Essay Example for Free

Willy Loman Essay Task: Willy Loman is in many ways foolish and objectionable, and yet he still commands our sympathy and even our respect. How far do you share this view of Willy Loman? In your response, you should consider how an actor might interpret the role of Willy.  Willy Loman is the main character of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The play focuses on the last twenty four hours of his life. The main events of his life of his life are revealed using various techniques. Willy Loman always believed in the American Dream, but his character is now old and tired. We can see both sides of Willys character. The first is how he is foolish and objectionable. The second is how he can command our sympathy and respect. This can make him a figure of pathos. I will be addressing these points in this essay. In addition, I will be exploring how an actor would be able to interpret Willys character. Willy Loman can in many ways appear foolish and objectionable. Willy Loman contradicts himself in many ways. He has a very aggressive attitude towards his family, especially towards his wife Linda. It is as if they are a soundboard for Willys problems and frustrations. Although he displays this behaviour towards the other characters, he shows deep compassion towards his family. We see other examples of this aspect of his character. He sees himself living the American Dream, by exaggerating to everyone of how well he can sell his products. The irony of his job is that we never find out what he actually sells. This then makes us have more questions than answers after we have finished reading the play. He likes to contradict himself, by one minute saying how Biff is lazy; however, he then says Biff is not lazy. This then makes us wonder what the relationship is between Willy and Biff, and if anything has happened to sabotage this. We get introduced to two characters, Willys two sons Biff and Happy. Willy has tried to shape both of their lives, but this has not gone well. We see the first mobile concurrency in the play. This was when both of his children were young. When Biff was young, Willy paid complete attention to Biff, helping him with his football career. Happy however, was trying to be notice[d] by Willy. This can make Willy seems foolish, he even encourages and congratulates him when Biff steals a new football to help his passing. It is as if Willy would encourage Biff, but for all of the wrong reasons. This and other events then makes Biff known as a kleptomaniac, that we see glimpses of throughout the play. Happy is trying to get Willy to notice him, through various ways. However, Willy literally ignores him, what can be signs of neglect. Willy feels deluded, by making himself bigger than most people, even if they try to help him physically and financially. Biff then gets a visit from his friend Bernard. Bernard is not as strong or tall as Biff, but Willy likes to use him to help Biff with his studies. He likes to call Bernard anaemic and a pest. Although at this point, Bernard looks as if he is going nowhere, he turns out to be somewhere in his life unlike Biff and Happy. He then gets back to reality, although he stills has a deluded mind. He tries to tell Linda how he made a large amount of wealth when he was working in Providence. However, he has to come closer to the truth when he lowers the value of how much he earned. He finally tells the truth, when he talks about business not picking up. This shows us how objectionable he can be, even though he knows what the truth is. Linda then gets some stockings to darn. We get taken back into another flashback. We discover how Willy had an affair with a colleague when he went on a business trip. He then feels guilty, because he gave Lindas present of stockings to The Women. We see how the two time switches collide together, when he says how he will make [it] up to Linda, and he can hear the women laughing in the background. Although we know that all of the acts that he has done are all out of foolishness, we can feel some sympathy towards Willy, for he is not finding it easy to cope with this pressure. We then find out that this is the reason why Biff and Willy have not had a good relationship. Biff then de-railed off his education, and then found no point in life. He did not look up to Willy as a role-model anymore. If you had to look at this aspect from an actors point of view, you can imagine him being played by someone who likes to over-exaggerate all of his lines. However, we can also imagine him being very tired in his speech in some parts, and always holding his head, like he is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Willy Loman can have another aspect to his character, which is how he can command our sympathy and even our respect. Willy has tried several times to try and commit suicide, always saying how he works himself to death and emphasises the word kill. This then makes us want to make him a figure of pathos and does he have the power to command our sympathy. We are then able to answer this question, by how he is acting throughout just the first act. This is shown when we see how he is trying to make a living for him and his family, yet he can not make the cut. Linda, his wife has got a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve aspect towards her, and this is shown when she makes a compassionate speech about Willy. She talks about him not being the finest character ever lived. This shows us that she knows he has got impurities in his character. She even imitates Willys earlier speech, by how attention must be finally paid to him. This shows that she still will support him, no matter what he has done in the past. These events happen throughout the play, until unfortunately he finally commits suicide. If an actor had to interpret this role, we can say how Willy would be very quick with some parts of his speech, but when he does monologues, he would be very slow and express his speech very well.  In conclusion, Willy is able to do be foolish and objectionable in some aspects, but can become a figure of pathos by making us feel sympathy towards him, and show him respect towards him. These events are very unfortunate, and we hope that this does not happen to us the audience in reality.

Marks And Spencer: Growth and Global Strategy

Marks And Spencer: Growth and Global Strategy Marks and Spencer, originally known as Penny Bazaars, was founded by Michael Marks in 1884 as a clothing sales company in Northern England. Thomas Spencer joined Michael Marks ten years after its startup, becoming co-owner of the company. The company has continued to work under the name of Marks Spencer (MS) since 1894. It became a phenomenon, first in its country of origin, the UK, and later internationally. American chain stores influenced MS to start selling both food and clothes in the 1920s. The company saw itself grow from 1894 to 1939, by opening a staggering 234 stores. MS worked in close cooperation with its suppliers and made strategies for the use of new technologies which in turn led to the highest quality in its products. The company had future foresight thus adding internationalization and product diversification to its strategy in the late 80s. Over the years it took over its competitors, as a major retailer selling diverse product ranges under their own exclusive bra nd in more than 30 countries. Marks and Spencer can be proud of leading the race over all its major competitors in the key areas of quantity, quality, and trust, breadth of range and customer service. MS decided to close one of its stores in Edmonton, along with 14 other stores in Canada, with the 8 remaining stores being closed in a short span of one month. This brought an end to Marks and Spencers 26-year run in Canada. Marks and Spencer were never successful in Canada, said Fin, director of Canadian Institute of Retailing and Services Studies at the University of Alberta. Mounting losses and a retail economy that was fierce and competitive had forced them out of the Canadian market. (Le Riche 1999). The expansion into new retail territory is part of MSs pledge to create a viable business in the Peoples Republic within the next five years. MS has endured a difficult introduction to the retail scene in China from the prosaic and workaday supply chain problems and sizing and pricing issues, to the sacking of the China boss and a death in-store shortly after opening. MS with the help of market research and focus groups are making improvements. At present they have their own buying team in China and their sizing is much better. (Thorniley 2010) In comparison, their entry strategies into Indian Market were a different predicament that MS had to face. Most Indian shoppers were of the idea that MS did not offer the same products as they did internationally. (Jack 2011). MS undermined the Indian market due to its vastness and complexities thus their strategies were deformed leading to problems such as products being over priced which lacked the affordability factor. From 2000 till 2007, MS allowed its former franchisee in India, Planet Retail, to treat it as an up-market rather than a mid-market brand, pricing MS goods even higher than in the UK, and it failed to adapt what it offered to local tastes. In 2008, frustrated that Planet Retail had opened just 10 stores in the seven years since it signed up with MS, the UK-based supermarket chain ended the relationship and in the same year re-launched in a joint venture with Reliance Industries. During its substantial growth, one can note changes in the methods of operation undertaken by Marks Spencer. They were confident they knew what was right for their customers and would be able to satisfy their needs in the long run and this level of belief would help them succeed. This is why they refused to bring changes to the things they did. On examining the expansion of Marks Spencer, one can conclude that the primary reason for their failure to succeed was that they tried to force their tried-and-tested strategy on a market that had their own unique culture and refused to change. As a result, Marks Spencer was forced to bring their expansion plans to a standstill and eventually pulled out. MS always had a much conformed formula which included identical layout, store design, training and so on. They also insisted on using only British suppliers. It was not a very wise decision in 1998 as at the time, plans were made to conquer the European and American markets which had totally different cultures to the British. They believed that customers thought that they received higher quality from British suppliers. From past experience, they implemented their tried and tested formula in various overseas markets. This strategy backfired bringing in a drastic fall in the share price and profits. However, the CEO at the time, Sir Richard Greenbury, insisted that the profit loss was due to the competitive environment. There were many reports that MS no longer understood the customers needs and had misread its target market. Looking into various factors as to why internationalization failed in regard to MS, there are various inter-connecting reasons. Analysts suggest that Greenbury gave focus only to the day-to-day operations of the organization rather than give priority to their long-term strategic plans which needed to be altered. Elements that contributed to the success of Marks and Spencer in UK did not apply to the global market. The long-sustained buy-British policy, the distinctiveness of the retail operation, the priority on a British brand alone and the lack of clear retail positioning and design, all presented problems in the global situation. Another reason behind it was the inexperience of  decentralized control of businesses. When the crisis became inevitable, the reaction was to quickly to distance themselves from this global operation. As Lassarre (2007) commented on Global Strategy, a company needs to possess Global ambitions, Global position, Global business system and Global organization structure processes along with the coordination of human resource management to have a competitive advantage. MS needs to improve on its management and global supply chain. For an organization to survive, change management is critically important in their respective market. It is essential for an organization to understand that every market is in a state of imbalance. Marks and Spencer lacked itself in analyzing their market, finding out what the current trends were, what their customers wanted, and this is one reason why they struggle to keep their customers. The company failed to change with the changing times of their market though being dominant for many years. Finally they found themselves struggling to keep their customers satisfied or even keep their customers. Looking closely at the MS business model, Mellahi (2005) stresses that marketing strategy and its supply chain are some of the reasons for the deterioration of this companys sales and its profits. The buying team behind MS had no contact with customers. MS defines its new creations completely blindly from its customers or its potential customers expectations and demands. Another reason behind the financial decline of MS was the inaccurate supply chain strategy. MS was capable of a well-defined warehouse, sufficient suppliers, structured store network and also had a cost-efficient supply chain. Although a boon, such a supply chain lacks in flexibility. In this scenario MS found it difficult to restructure its  production planning during the one-year product development phase. If a new trend occurred during the one-year development period, it was too late to change all its orders because its suppliers already ordered all the raw materials. Another weakness in the MS supply chain was that it was completely decentralized. MS lacked in one aspect namely being a self-supplier for any products sold in its store. Although St.Micheal was its own brand, it was produced by suppliers. Since all its suppliers were external, it had no flexibility to change any order or to manage the purchase of raw materials or the purchase of semi-finished products. After a century of being leaders in the textile industry, MS should rectify its economic situation and its market image in order to regain its place in the competition among its adversaries. If MS changed its supply chain by using a responsive supply chain instead of the cost-efficient one, like Zara, it would have more flexibility to follow the trend changes and adapt its product to market demand. This will prevent MS from losing its customers because of inaccurate forecasts and building up inaccurate inventory. MS could also adapt its marketing strategy to the growing trends in the textile market. MS should maintain a direct contact with customers thus directing their creations based on the desires of prospective customers. Using this method, it can attract new customers without the fear of losing its loyal customers. This method can also enable MS to have adequate inventory to respond the market demand and to avoid build up of the unneeded inventory. The company needs more changes in order to avoid further  financial problems.(Rankine 1998).To prevent troubles in the future, MS should work and coordinate closely with its suppliers to implement a flexible  production system within their plants. This will allow suppliers to respond to any order changes on time with demanded products. MS obtains most of its products from suppliers implemented in the UK which are relatively expensive than those in European or Asian countries. MS should adopt a new global sourcing strategy where purchasing products from cheaper sources can reduce supplies cost thereby increasing profit margin. Philosophy of Education: Reflection Paper Philosophy of Education: Reflection Paper ABSTRACT My philosophy of education stems from the years of seeing my mother in-law attend classes in order to attain a more lucrative position in her field of business. The visions of her sitting at the table with a pencil in one hand, a highlighter in the other and her Bible perusing several books, newspaper articles, and her personal notes, gave me the insight to strive for a better life. My mother in-law was and still is a firm believer the she can achieve anything with Christ and that her degree was attainable. Seeing my mother in-law so engaged helped me realize the importance of education, becoming a lifelong learner and the possibilities that could be discovered by being a continuous and active learner. Getting a good education was a constant phrase reiterated daily in my household with my children. I understood that education was the common denominator for success and the foundation in which all other professions are based. My goal is to impart into children to be productive citizens , lifelong learners and have a love for God and learning. Keywords: learning, education, children, success Introduction Working in the public educational setting as a Parent Liaison has afforded me the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for education and its importance. In my past experiences, I have noticed the number of students entering school being unable to read, recall, infer or comprehend. These situations with students caused my heart to ache for their learning. I have witnessed beginning kindergartners with no phonemic awareness, very little sight word recognition, and little to no awareness of school and its importance. My daily mission is to instill the value of education in my students and its direct alignment to both their salvation and success in their life. Regularly, I question students regarding their future goals, dreams, and how education will play an intricate part in their success and achieving those goals. Education is the core element in which all other professions are based and rooted. Every profession involves the human connection of educating and pouring into the spir it. I believe that all students can learn and that learning is a lifelong process that can be achieved with students, parents, and the community. Worldview Philosophy of Life Having received grace to be able to walk through this universe for over 50 years, I have come to realize the result of your daily life is the efforts that put forth into the universe. Understanding that people are complicated and hold various experiences is the key to maturity and adult growth. Recognizing this can be a difficult task if the individual is not conscientious in the moment. We are human beings and continuously deal in the flesh. Our emotions can sometimes overtake our conscientiousness which causes the head to lead as opposed to the heart. This view is shared daily with my students as I try to promote the value of education. School life is my life, and my daily mission is not a job but a calling. It is an opportunity to have a positive impact on students and their futures. Pouring quality information into my students in most cases is the only positive affirmation some of them may receive. My ability to breathe positivity into my students spirit may be the only spark that ignites the spirit and assist the students in moving forward within this world. Life challenges my daily practice as a Parent Liaison (educator). However, I am solid in my belief of knowing that education and true quality of education is the foundation and path to any successful career. The connection between school and active learning is synonymous with success and prosperity. Active learning is essential for a full and productive life. With education, one must be intentional, attentive and conscientious of and recognize the value of the presented opportunities. This active involvement makes the work meaningful and creates success. According to Froebels educational philosophy in order for this to take place the student must be in a happy, harmonious environment in which he or she can grow and the whole person can be built (Gutek, 1995). Christians are human beings, and the flesh is part of that existence. The challenges of a Christians daily walk are directly aligned with some of the issues facing our educational system. Christians and teachers (who are Christians) are passionate regarding showing others the purpose of life and being grounded in their personal beliefs, owning that belief, and sharing that belief. In some cases, both teachers and Christians are held in high regard. Their actions must correlate with internal beliefs and be an example for their students and others. Romans 12:2 (ESV) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Philosophy of Schools Learning Being in public education for over twenty years, I have come to realize that building positive relationships is the connection between school and learning. Students come to school with various experiences and unclaimed baggage. As educators, it is important that we recognize and attend and teach the whole child while leaving no stone unturned. Todays educational system and its students does not allow for antiquated and traditional settings and behaviors. The structural settings no longer require students to stay seated in straight rows while the teacher lectures. Because todays students are different, the learning must be different and presented in a manner at the students present level of understanding. Teachers must utilize various pedagogical methods to meet the varying needs of the learners. The learners must be able to actively engage in the process of learning, which includes but not limited to developing critical thinking skills through open dialogue and peer interaction. In addition, teachers should ask thought provoking, deep, probing questions, which extends the learners thinking. Because the learner has various learning styles, it is imperative the teacher is equipped with a multitude of instructional practices in order to differentiate the instruction to meet students at their present level of understanding. Active engagement and the promotion of meaningful technology usage assists in bridging the deficit gap and critical understanding. Teachers must educate themselves to become familiar with todays students and their learning styles. Understanding learning styles assists the teacher with the improvement of instructional delivery and overall classroom management. Regarding improved instructional practices, teachers can assist the various learners by creating learning centers that involves active engagement in order to successfully complete an assigned task. Positive peer interaction can motivate each student to do their best. Pestalozzi and Froebels educational philosophies closely relates to what I believe about education students. Johann Pestalozzi believed that every individual could learn and individuals should have a right to an education. He believed that as a society we had a duty to put these things into practice (Bowers and Gehring, 2004). Froebels kindergarten method is not just for kindergarten students, but can be conducive for all students. Educational Practice A Christians beliefs are directly aligned with their daily practices. Both Christians and teachers  travel a path of selflessness while pouring and teaching valuable, eternal lessons. As an educator  we are always looking for ways to be innovative, but we must remember our students. My  educational practice would be more in line with progressivism and social reconstuctionism,  viewing the learner as the central focus. When working with students I will serve as a guide and  facilitator assisting the student in reaching their learning goals. Students will be introduced to  learning centers and work in with partners. Students will take ownership of their work and their  classroom. My goal is assist to students to prepare for the future and to be independent-thinkers.   When presenting new material to our students, make sure that we clarify the purpose and the  learning goals to our students show them models and examples. According to Graham (2009), we  are to apply biblical truth to all of education, and not just parts of it. Our goal is for the student to  be successful. As colleagues we discuss if something is working or not, so why not take the time  with our students to hold classroom discussions about their learning. In this way educators will  be able to observe how the student is grasping the material and if something needs to change. It  is important that students receive feedback from assignments and to give the teacher feedback  about the learning process. Metacognitive strategies will be implemented to so that students are  given the opportunities to plan, monitor their learning, and self-reflect along the learning process.   Teacher-Learner Relationships   Being a teacher is a true calling that only special people can and should answer. The old adage regarding those who can do and those who cannot teach is meaningless and degrading to all who are in the educational profession. Being a teacher is not just standing in front of a class lecturing and students utilizing pencil and paper to record the transferred information. Being a teacher is about the human experience and making a spiritual connection with those whom you are in contact. According to Graham (2009), we are to apply biblical truth to all of the educational process, not just part of it. The role of a both learner and teacher are important for the others existence. The learner is one who challenges the teacher to critically think and ask probing questions in order to extend their mental capacity. In addition, the learner actively engages in the lesson/conversation and acquires relevant information that is prudent to their success. Ultimately, the learner has to be intrinsically motivated to gain knowledge. The role of a quality teacher is able to reach deep within their learners and appeal to their hearts. By doing this, the teacher can make a connection with the learners and guide them appropriately while communicating the importance of an education and allowing them to see and understand to true benefits of their educational journey. Once the connection between learner and teacher have been established, the teacher can speak words of encouragement, life, and longevity into the learner and giving them a great appreciation for education and its value. One cannot exist without each other. Success can only be experienced if the two (learner and teacher) are united. In the public school setting, building teacher/learner relationship is essential. Witnessing various classrooms, I have noticed that teachers who positively interact with their students experience success on a greater level compared to those teachers who do not buy into their students. Mutual respects are the foundation to a successful teacher-student relationship it is the teacher who sets the tone for and models respectful behavior. Once the relationship is established, the ability to pour into our learners is durable. Titus 2:7-8 (ESV), show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Diversity It is very important for teachers to know their learners and how they learn. As stated earlier, life experiences varies and that must be taken into account when educating our youth. Understanding your learners and appreciating their differences is crucial to both their success and the success of the teacher. Being willing to explore those differences give the teacher a concrete understanding of instructional practices that would be benefit their learner. Teachers should be able to utilize various instructional practices to reach their learners and allow them to be successful. It is extremely important to meet the learner at their present level of understanding and grow their knowledge base. The learners life experiences has an impact on their instructional understanding whether positive or negative. As it relates to diversity, Ruby Payne (2001) noted that students experiences and their ability to attain resources plays an intricate part of the learners success. Payne noted that emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical resources are vital learners of diverse background. Colossians 3:11 (ESV), Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,  barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. As educators with diverse learners, we should remember it is not about us, but Christ in us and in our students. Conclusion As stated earlier, education is the root in which all other professions grow. Educating students about the world and the beauty of Gods glory is the most rewarding mission that can ever be experienced. Conflict occurs when teachers are not kept abreast with the change of society. Just as some ministers must utilize unorthodox methods to capture the attention of our youth in order to move them into the church to learn of Gods love, the teacher, in the classroom setting, must research and stay abreast of the various needs of students and their learning styles in order to meet their academic, social and emotional needs. References Bowers, F., Gehring, T. (2004). Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi: 18th Century Swiss Educator and Correctional Reformer. Journal of Correctional Education, 55(4), 306-319. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23292096 Graham, D. L. (2009).  Teaching redemptively: Bringing grace and truth into your classroom (2nd ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design Publications. ISBN: 9781583310588. Gutek, G.L. (1995). A history of Western educational experience (2nd ed.) Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. ISBN: 9780881338188. Johnson, L. (2011). Teaching outside the box: how to grab students by their brains. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Brand. Payne, R.K. (2001). A framework for understanding poverty. Highlands, TX: Aha! Process, Inc. Russell, K.A., Aldridge, J. (2009). Play, unity and symbols: Parallels in the works of Froebel and Jung. International Journal of Psychology and Counseling, 1 (1), 001-004.

The History Of Education

The History Of Education Education is one of the most important aspects of society and benefits the individual and society as a whole. It benefits society through economical, political and cultural means. But what has to be assessed is whether the aim of education is to benefit each individual, whether it is to further the development and production in society, or whether it is to do both, but in a fair and equal manner without causing separations and problems within society. Modern day society is ever expanding and globalization, which Coatsworth says is where the movement of people, goods or ideas among countries and regions accelerates, increasing. This then results in the world requiring a global workplace of people working for TNCs (Trans-National Corporations) across multiple continents in order to create the biggest amount of profit and spread of goods. Whether globalization is a good thing is one question but what is central, is whether education needs to be transformed to prepare children for this e ver developing market. Arguably, there are many different purposes of education. The Functionalist view is that education unifies and stabilizes society, it benefits society as a whole and is based on a meritocratic system. Education contributes towards social cohesion through shared experiences and a common curriculum. The expansion of education, for Functionalists, is directly linked to the requirements of industrial production. Therefore, the essential purpose of education for Functionalism is to keep society going by creating workers and people who can benefit society economically. The Functionalist belief is that each individual childs achievement is based on how hard the individual works (meritocracy) and whether they want to achieve highly. This is a very positive view of education but unfortunately, Functionalism fails to notice any negatives within society and education. It fails to recognize any exterior or genetic factors that can affect a childs achievement within education such as poverty, gen der or ethnicity. Karl Marx would argue that the purpose of education is to reproduce inequality and social hierarchy (keep the rich, rich and the poor, poor). What Marx says is that children are being labelled in school according to their social class and then the education system makes sure they are kept in that class to produce low-skilled workers and manual labourers for means of production within society. The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation into a mere money relation (Marx, 1848). Making profit is more important to the capitalist society than the effective development and education of our future generations. One of the ways children could be kept in their social class within education is through language. Basil Bernstein said that humans use a restricted and elaborated language code depending on what social situation they find themselves in and with which types of people. The Restricted code is a simple understanding of language used with family and friends whilst the elaborated code is more abstract and complex and would be more commonly used within institutions. Bernsteins research found that working-class children had access to the restricted code whereas middle-class children had access to both the restricted and the elaborated code. It is the dominant use of the elaborated code within education though, that is disadvantaging working class children by affecting their understanding and ultimately resulting in lower achievement from them.(Bernstein, 1977). Marxism would argue that social class is based on the possession of means of production but in the modern day society class is based upon knowledge and wealth. Capitalism has created a society where knowledge creates wealth and power. Overall, the Marxist view would be that education is already preparing children for the global workplace by reproducing inequality and manual labourers who will be underpaid and mistreated in the workplace so that Trans-Na tional Corporations can make the biggest profits; whilst the middle class children shall become the management of the companies and the hierarchy shall be present in the global workplace as it was in school. Webers Interactionist theory examines how individuals and groups create patterns of behaviour which shape the systems. Beckers labelling theory explains how if a teacher labels a pupil negatively in school then a pupil will go on to fulfil that label. Labelling is an effect of the characteristics of a pupil on a teachers views of the student. If a child is labelled in school by a class teacher because they appear scruffy or lazy, this can be down to relative poverty in the home which could cause the child to be frequently tired and without the necessary resources to assist their learning. This can result in a teacher labelling a pupil as lazy, unenthusiastic or simply unwilling to learn, which then goes on to affect the childs achievement within school and possibly even later life. Labelling is potentially a major factor in working class children going on to perform manual labour jobs, making up the majority of a national and global workforce and remaining in their social class. Marx ism would maintain this is true and would state that this is the sole aim for the education system, to produce a global workforce that can benefit society economically. The world is in a transformation that means there is no longer a clear distinction between international and domestic, external and internal affairs (Rosenau, 1990). This statement by Rosenau explains how the world through modernisation is now merged into one global workplace. Globalisation has created a world where each individual country is now reliant upon one another for goods and services and so act not alone, but more as one. Globalisation has integrated rich, affluent, and educated classes, but has fractured working classes and marginalised the poor, who do not have the skills and economic clout to profit from open markets (Shalmali Guttal 2007). This statement from Guttal shows how Globalisation may be positive in terms of benefitting the rich and providing opportunities for the middle class but at the expense of the working class. Therefore if a student struggles academically and cannot go on to higher education, they should not suffer in todays society by not benefitting from the gains of globalisation. This is one way that Globalisation is creating inequality in society and if the education system was to prepare students for the global workplace then this would simply be reinforcing inequality in school. The purpose of education is to benefit the lives of all children in school not just to progress the lives of those children who have already been born into the middle and upper classes. Economic gain is not the vital target for the result of education. Globalisation enters the education sector on an ideological horse, and its effects on education and the production of knowledge are largely a product of that financially-driven, free-market ideology, not of a clear conception for improving education (Carnoy, 1999). Bowles Gintis explain how school relates to the workplace via the overt and the hidden curriculum. Orders are given by the teacher/boss to the student/worker to follow. The person in charge of the student/worker will have to give permission for the individual to use the toilet, when to go and return for fixed time breaks, will assign work tasks to the individual/group, give rewards for hard work, place emphasis on attitude towards tasks, give work to be done at home and discipline the students/workforce. Nearly every single thing a person will experience when they enter the workplace is imitated within the schooling system to prepare students for the global workplace. The restricted and elaborated language code explained by Bernstein not only puts working class children at a disadvantage in the schooling environment but also in the working environment and especially in the multi-national corporations of todays global workplace. If a working class child is underachieving in school because of the dominant elaborated language code used by teachers, then that student will not secure themselves a well-paid job in the management sector of TNCs because of their achievement academically and because of their dominant use of the restricted language code. In the global workplace, as well as in education, the elaborated language code is used. Therefore, the use of the elaborated language code in education and the global workplace is reproducing inequality by keeping the working class limited to the restricted code which results in them only gaining manual labour jobs and becoming the primary workforce of the global workplace. As a result of this, more emphasi s needs to be put on teaching children the elaborated language code in school before they reach the workplace, but in a gradual, subtle way so they can pick it up rather than being at a disadvantage right from the beginning of school. This is one major way that education needs to prepare students for the global workplace simply so that inequality is not being reproduced as a result of the schooling system. Bourdieus forms of capital can link to Bernsteins language codes in terms of class and social structure. Bourdieus says that a group or an individuals position in the social structure depends on three forms of capital: Economic, social and cultural. Economic capital is everything with a monetary value a person owns, social capital is what types of groups the individual may belong to and cultural capital is the way a person may have been cultured such as frequenting museums and art galleries as a child. These three forms of capital are something a child is either born into or not and as a result is crucial to the individuals position in the social structure as they grow up. It is also important to mention that economic capital can be converted into cultural and social capital by means of paying for a University degree from Kings College, London, and influencing the right to membership of an esteemed social group. A further form of capital that Bourdieu also explains is linguistic capi tal. If an individual is raised in a higher class family where the elaborated language code is used on a daily basis and the child even comes into contact with another language such as Greek or Latin, then that is going to raise their position in the social structure right from a young age (Bourdieu, 1986). Consequently, it is easy to see what role that child shall go on to take in terms of hierarchy in the global workplace and what role a child who has grown up without that form of capital will take. Harbison and Myers say that the role of education Unlocks the door to modernization. In terms of capitalism though, it is debatable whether modernization is a positive thing when it is reproducing inequality and reinforcing the class system. However, inequality is being reproduced not just now in a national sense, but a global sense where the poverty-stricken underclass are being exploited for cheap labor in third world countries by capitalist countries such as America. In conclusion, education is crucial to the development of society but not at the expense of the majority of individuals within that society. The rise of the global workplace through Globalization has created possibly more inequality and greed within the world and to prepare students for that in school would be ethically and morally wrong. It would be right to prepare students for the global workplace by dismissing social backgrounds, treating all equally and assisting those in more need. This could go on to reduce the gap in social class to create equal opportunities for all within the hierarchy of the global workplace. School already prepares students for the world of work in terms of its discipline and rules, and with the world becoming an ever increasingly multi-cultural place, schools are teaching children about other cultures. This therefore, is already preparing children for the global workplace. However, when there is so much inequality and exploitation in the global workplace , simply to enable cheap labour costs and higher profits, it is more important to focus on creating equality in the classroom and trying to make sure all children can achieve what they desire. Karl Marx- (1848), The Communist Manifesto. Margaret L. Andersen Howard F. Taylor, (2005) Sociology: understanding a diverse society. Fourth edition. Howard F. Taylor, (2007). Sociology: The Essentials. Cengage learning, P.425 S. Bowles H. Gintis, (1976). Schooling in Capitalist America. Basic Books Ltd. Shalmali Guttal, (2007). Development in Practice, vol 17, numbers 4-5. Taylor Francis Ltd. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. Reproduced in Ball, S. (ed.) (2004) The RoutledgeFalmer reader in sociology of education. London: RoutledgeFalmer, pp.15-29. Bourdieu, P. and Passeron, J.-C. (1977). Reproduction in education, society and culture. London: Sage. Layard, R. Dunn, J. (2009). A Good Childhood; Searching for Values in a Competitive Age. London, Penguin. Paul Willis, (1977). Learning to Labour: how working class kids get working class jobs. Columbia University Press; Morningside edition. Bernstein, B., (1977). Class, codes and Control vol 3. London: Routledge. Bourdieu, P., (1986). The forms of capital. Reproduced in Ball, S. (ed.) (2004). The RoutledgeFalmer reader in sociology of education. London: RoutledgeFalmer, pp.15-29.

Nixon Essay -- essays research papers fc

NIXON Nixon had a difficult early life with many trials and hardships, which affected his character and way of thinking about the world and himself. The premature death of two of his brothers caused him deep-rooted trauma. He had a lifelong inability to trust other people. From the competition between his siblings, he got a keen sense of competition and struggle and a belief that in the end, he was alone against fate and his enemies. He believed vehemently that â€Å"The mark of the man is to be resilient and continually return after set-backs.† Nixon believed that the successful competitor never lets his enemies have the final say in a contest of will. Some of his cruel attempts to discredit his political enemies may have come from the regular beatings his father used to keep Nixon in line. Nixon’s ambition was the theme of his life story. Nixon was born in Orange County, California on January 9, 1913, the second of five sons of Francis A. and Hannah Milhaus Nixon. The Nixons were longtime members of the Society of Friends, more commonly known as Quakers. Nixon was nine at the time that his family moved to Whittier, California, where his father owned and operated a local gasoline station and country store. He attended public schools until the age of 17, when he entered Whittier Collage, a small local Quaker institution. Success in student politics and strong debating skills crowned Nixon’s collage years. Upon graduation in 1934, he won a scholarship to Duke Law School in Durham, N.C. Since his family was short of funds to pay for his lodging and books, he got a part time job. He graduated 3rd in his class and was elected president of the Duke Bar Association. Nixon looked forward to a career with the FBI in Washington, D.C., but returned instead to Whittier to join the town's oldest law firm. When the firm opene d a branch office in La Habra, he transferred there and got some excellent practical experience. Early in World War II, Nixon worked for six months in the Office of Emergency Management; an experience which he said disillusioned him with bureaucracy. At a play tryout during this time, Nixon met Thelma Patricia Ryan, a schoolteacher, whom he married on June 21, 1940. Though he wanted to move to a big city firm to be able to better support his new wife, World War II brought him to Washington, where he worked in the tire-rationing section of the Office of ... ...e American anti-hero. A self-made man, he achieved the American dream – he rose from humble roots to become president. He had the strength of will to hold on to his goal through many setbacks. But his ambition ultimately consumed him, and perhaps his mind. This may have created the paranoia that was his final undoing. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bernstein, Carl, and Woodward, Bob. All The President’s Men. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975. Nadle, Laurie. The Great Stream of History: a Biography of Richard M. Nixon. New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1991 Maroon, Fred J., Wicker, Tom. The Nixon Years 1969-1974: White House to Watergate. New York: Abbeville Press, 1999. â€Å"Richard M. Nixon.† Author Unknown. Date Unknown. â€Å"Richard Milhous Nixon.† Originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of American Political Parties. Date Unknown. â€Å"RICHARD M. NIXON.† Tom Wicker. Date Unknown. â€Å"Richard M. Nixon At a Glance.† Author Unknown. Date Unknown.

Impact of Whiteness on Blacks in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye Essay

The Impact of Whiteness on Blacks in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye   Ã‚      Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye does not focus on direct white oppression of a black community, but rather how whiteness is ingrained in the minds of the black community and serves as a destructive force. There are few white characters introduced in the book, but whiteness and the culturally accepted ideal of whiteness as an indication or measure of beauty is ever present. Morrison's first page, The Dick and Jane story, is a clean, simple and perfect example of whiteness. Mother, Father, Dick and Jane are the family and they live in a pretty house with a cat and dog. This is whiteness. Whiteness is nice, clean, happy and simple. Turning the page we soon discover that perfect simplistic whiteness can turn chaotic and destructive. This first shocking introduction to whiteness not only foreshadows the end of the book, but is also the first of many direct examples of whiteness and its potential to consume the mind and destroy the spirit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the first few pages of the book we find Shirley Temple and a white baby doll, both pretty with their blue eyes and creamy skin. That both of these symbols of whiteness are young and introduced to little black children is very significant. Whiteness is known and begins to warp around and take hold of them from the beginning. They are never allowed to entertain or contemplate their own beauty because they are shown early on symbols of pretty and they will never measure up. White baby dolls are loved and Shirley Temple is adored while their black skin, wool like hair and brown eyes are merely tolerated. We learn from Claudia's example that the only way to keep the whiteness from destroying y... ...whiteness is potentially damaging. It is also effective because is demonstrates how black communities self imploded if they internalized the white ideal. This is very powerful. That notion that whites did not need to by physically present but merely symbolically represented in order to undermine the stability and self-image of a black community. Whiteness then did, and does, have the power to destroy if it is internalized and accepted as the ideal--an ideal that is unobtainable and therefor all the more damaging. Works Cited and Consulted: Davis, Cynthia. "Self, Society, and Myth in Toni Morrison's Fiction." Draper 222. Draper, James P., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. "Toni Morrison." Michigan: Gale Research Inc., 1994. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York, New York: Plume, 1994. Steiner, Wendy. "The Clearest Eye." Draper 239.

Essay --

The problem is, Starbucks is everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you are, in New York or Bangladesh - there is one guarantee – you will find a Starbucks. So, what’s the problem with Starbucks? How has it gone from being the shop that everybody would meet their friends and to be the company is almost as bad as the McDonald’s? Well, let me explain. It finds its origins in the passion of three friends in Seattle. They started a coffee bean roasting business initially to sell high-quality coffees. Then this guy, Howard Schultz, suggested applying a concept of a socializing, reading, and trendy cafà ©s to Starbucks, after he got inspired by coffee shops in Milan. However, it was rejected, and Schultz boldly left the company and established his own chain believing the concept would bring him success. And he was damn right. Then he bought Starbucks, who foolishly ignored his idea, branched it out into the international market, and became a legend of American success story. Anyway, the point is: I am sick and tired of people chattering about their hatred of Starbucks! What’s more, those people think they are so smart and people who like Starbucks are losers. Before I start attacking those haters and some of you close the tab thinking, ‘I don’t want to be lectured by a typical Starbucks lover’, I have to say, I am NOT a Starbucks lover or hater. So you may move your cursor away from resting on the ‘X’. Who could have imagined a coffee shop becoming a popular target of hatred! It seems pathetic to me how people waste their time and energy on cursing Starbucks, but surprisingly they have a long list of their own reasons. (Google and count how many posts are entitled ‘5 reasons I hate Starbucks’ and even websites made purely to critici... ...d†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is mainly because it familiarizes coffee to locals, bringing coffee as a part of life. Also, it is the â€Å"vain† side of Starbucks that keeps moms and pops alive. High-price, bitter taste, and no discount cards leads some customers to turn away from the massive chain and head to localised shops. No wonder why 57% of America’s coffee shops are mom and pops when Starbucks is restlessly expanding their coffee empire at the same time. I would also like to add, the majority of those mom and pop coffeehouses and some other chains like Gloria Jean’s originated from Starbucks – it set a new successful coffee business model. So haters, admit it. Starbucks is too good. It is your needs and vanity that keep it alive and thriving. Don’t waste your energy on debating about a meaningless subject. If you really cannot stop yourself chattering about it, do your research.

To what extent has the conservative party Essay

The conservative party accepts that a degree of state intervention to create more social justice can be justified. This may involve welfare, but also intervention in family situations, in education and through social services in general. There is a sense that we are responsible for the welfare of those less fortunate than ourselves. Thatcherism suggested that we are responsible for ourselves as long as we have the capability and that we should not rely on others or the state. Modern conservatives now accept that we do have mutual responsibilities. Thatcherism saw crime and disorder as a matter of personal responsibility. Though the modern party also believes in personal responsibility, it also accepts that some crime, mainly among the young, has social causes and will respond to intervention by the state and voluntary organisations. Thatcherites would have argued that environmental problems have a market solution based on technology. The current Conservative Party believes that these problems will not right themselves automatically and therefore need state intervention. Thatcherites were extremely traditional in their view of the constitution and political system. Modern conservatives now accept that constitutional reform is essential and that the political system needs a good deal of democratic renewal. Although tax cuts are part of the ‘Cameron agenda’ in the long run, the modern party accepts that tax cutting should not be part of a dogmatic ideology, but instead should only be undertaken when the economic conditions are favourable. In general Cameron’s Conservative party is more adaptable and pragmatic, whereas Thatcherism was a more fixed, dogma with fixed principles. There are, however, several points which could be seen as ways in which the modern Conservative Party retains some Thatcherite ideas Some Thatcherite ideas are that the party still accepts that free markets and competition are essential for successful wealth creation. The party still fundamentally believes that the private sector is a better producer than the public sector. There is still a suspicion of state power. Current  conservatives still believes the state should be curbed and that it interferes too much in personal lives and in business with too much taxation and too much regulation. Although modern conservatives support the pursuit of social justice, poverty reduction and the welfare state, there remains a general instinct that excessive welfare can be a disincentive to work and enterprise. It remains a monetarist party, believing that the state should intervene as little as possible in economic management, should restrict itself to responsible public finance and control of the money supply to combat inflation. The party remains antagonistic to the power of organised labour, seeing it as a barrier to economic innovation, competitiveness and growth. The party retains the euro-scepticisms of the Thatcherites, although its antagonism towards European integration is less marked than it used to be. Fundamentally the party still supports economic free markets in Europe, but not any loss of political sovereignty. In conclusion, the current conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism to a certain extent, as many opinions on issues such as welfare, crime and disorder and constitutional reform have changed since the days of Thatcher. On the other hand, There are still parallels that can be drawn between the conservative party today and Thatcherism, such as ideas of a small government with less economic responsibility, low taxation and a scepticism of Europe.

Barney’s View of Our World

Barney’s (2007) shows on visiting the zoo as well as play reading were fantastic in that they revealed an extremely peaceful view of our world. As a matter of fact, the message of both of these shows was founded on the principle of friendship. Barney’s song in both shows, â€Å"I love you/ You love me/ We’re a happy family/ With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you/ Won’t you say you love me too? † is sensational not only because it focuses on family and love, but also for the reason that it does not leave any room for negativity in human relations.The children on Barney’s shows did not fight at all, neither did they try to beat others in various competitions. Rather, each child’s individuality was recognized and valued. Barney’s show on visiting the zoo expressed the child’s sense of curiosity in a wonderful way. The children had gone to the zoo for a trip of exploration. Moreover, the children were divided by age. Nevertheless, each child knew what was relevant for his or her age group. The younger children did not envy the older children because the latter were more knowledgeable; neither did the older children envy the cuteness of the younger.Rather, they all showed respect for the knowledge given them; and they cherished their togetherness. The show on play reading undoubtedly described reading as fun. Barney sang a song with the children: â€Å"Books are fun/ Books are great/ Let’s sit down with a book today. † All children danced and then sat with books through the song. The show also had a segment on art work. In this, all children drew and painted, without anybody trying to best the others through superior art.The theme of both shows was friendship with respect to learning. The message was: We learn best when we are with friends, when we are positive and happy rather than negative and BARNEY’S VIEW OF OUR WORLD Page # 2 sad. Furthermore, there is no tension of comp etition among Barney and his friends. He is a great group leader for the children, who follow him and love him absolutely.Although our culture is defined by competition, and violence rather than peace is on the news channel, Barney’s television shows remind us about our true universal values. Jesus comes to mind at this point, because he had said that adults must become like children before they can find their way to Heaven. In this way, Barney’s theme and message are totally applicable in our culture, seeing that most of us believe in Jesus’ words. Many children learn about competition very early in life. This competition is often sibling-related.In school, children may start competing for higher ranks. All the same, every individual would like the sense of humaneness whereby everybody is recognized for his or her own talents and skills. Such is the message of Barney, taking us back to perhaps the newborn stage of life when it really did not matter how better o r worse we were with respect to others. It may very well be that Jesus was talking about this newborn stage of life when he mentioned that we must become like children in order to find our way.It is obvious that Barney is not depicting our actual culture in the conditions we live through today. Rather, the show is reminding us about our true universal values – values that everybody forming a part of our culture believes in, unconsciously or consciously. BARNEY’S VIEW OF OUR WORLD Page # 3 References 1. Barney. (2007, March 5-6). Television. Nick Junior.