Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Economic Characteristics of the Age of Royal Absolutism essays

Economic Characteristics of the Age of Royal Absolutism essays During the era known as the Age of Royal Absolutism, many European countries began to look more outside of the realm of their own country. They turned to imperialism in order to gain wealth and power. England, the Dutch Netherlands, France, and Spain competed in North America, Africa, India, and many other areas for supremacy. At times, desire for overseas possession and commerce became so extreme that struggles and disagreements arose between the separate parties. Englands journey into imperialism began on a rough note. Three attempted settlements at Roanoke Island in North America failed due to starvation and disease. In 1607 the British established the first permanent English colony at Jamestown. Within months of their arrival, more than one half of the colonists had died from these same factors; however, the growing of tobacco began to give the colony prosperity. Virginia became Englands first crown colony in 1624, so the king assigned a governor and council to the area. The tobacco industry, which was still growing, caused a need of slavery. This need for slavery is a very important aspect in this battle for overseas commerce. It led to colonization in a totally different area of the world. Africa was another area that held desirable resources for the British; however, they did not become involved until they saw the success the Dutch had had. Their first settlements came in 1700. The main interest in Africa for England was slave trade. The rapidly growing tobacco industry required the acquisition of more slaves at a cheap price, and Africa was able to provide them with what they were in search of. In order to procure these slaves, English colonists took over forts that had previously been owned by Portugal and transposed them into trade stations. Africa was not the only area that the British hesitatingly decide to enter. England constructed colonies in India but only after learning from othe...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Lead Cup Myth

The Lead Cup Myth Some time ago, a popular email hoax spread misinformation about the use of lead cups in the Middle Ages and The Bad Old Days.   Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up - hence the custom of holding a wake. The Facts Lead poisoning is a slow, cumulative process and not a fast-acting toxin. Furthermore, pure lead was not used to make drinking vessels. By the 1500s pewter had, at most, 30 percent lead in its makeup.1  Horn, ceramic, gold, silver, glass and even wood were all used to make cups, goblets, jugs, flagons, tankards, bowls and other items to hold liquid. In less formal situations, people would forgo individual cups and drink straight from the jug, which was usually ceramic. Those who overindulged in liquorto the point of unconsciousnessgenerally recovered within a day. The consumption of alcohol was a popular pastime, and coroners records are filled with reports of accidentsboth minor and fatalthat occurred to the inebriated. Although it was difficult for people in the 16th century to define death, proof of life could typically be determined by whether or not the person was breathing. It was never necessary to lay out hung-over carousers on the kitchen table and wait to see if they woke upespecially since poorer folk often had neither kitchens nor permanent tables. The custom of holding a wake goes back much further than the 1500s. In Britain,  wakes  appear to have origins in Celtic custom, and was a watch over the recently-deceased that may have been intended to protect his body from evil spirits. The Anglo-Saxons called it a lich-wake from the Old English lic, a corpse. When Christianity came to England, prayer was added to the vigil.2 Over time, the event took on a social character, where family and friends of the deceased would gather to bid them farewell and enjoy food and drink in the process. The Church tried to discourage this,3 but the celebration of life in the face of death is not something humans easily relinquish. Notes: 1. pewter   Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica  Accessed April 4, 2002]. 2. wake  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica[Accessed April 13, 2002]. 3. Hanawalt, Barbara, The Ties that Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 1986), p. 240. The text of this document is copyright  ©2002-2015 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is not granted to reproduce this document on another website.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 197

Essay Example The blacks wanted the power and freedom to determine their own destiny. They believed that the black community was not free until they had the power to determine their own destiny. The party leaders also pushed for full employment of the black people. They believed that it was the duty and responsibility of the federal government to ensure that each man gets employment and is guaranteed a reasonable income. They did not believe in working for the white American businessmen since they believed that doing so would lead to oppression and discrimination. The Black Panther advocates also pushed for restitution for slave labor. They believed that the government has been robbing the blacks by exercising unfair treatment and as a result they were demanding an overdue debt as restitution for slave labor and mass murder of the black community. They also pushed for proper and adequate housing. They believed that the white landlords would not give proper housing and so there was a need for the government to build decent housing for its people. Education was also key in this party. The blacks believed that a man without real knowledge of the society, has little chance of survival. They therefore advocated for education that teaches black history. Blacks also demanded that they should be excluded from military service. They believed that they should not be forced to fight for a racist government that is not protective. Besides, they demanded an instantaneous end of police brutality and murder of the black fraternity. They believed that they could organize and form self-defense troops that would enable them to protect the blacks against violent racist police. Consequently, they also demanded that when brought to trial, blacks should be tried by a jury of their own race as defined by the constitution. Finally, they demanded freedom for all black prisoners held in American prisons and jails. This is because

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Literal and Figurative Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literal and Figurative Language - Essay Example When one sees in a mirror, he sees himself. The man ‘staring back from the glass’ is your own self. The usage of simile can be seen in the following line, In the above-mentioned line, the poet compares the man looking in the glass to Jack Horner and chisel, a plum. The poem is metaphorical in its deliverance of ideas as the poet conveys the notion of a man looking for his own self, he cannot cheat himself as it has a disastrous ending but he can befriend himself by knowing him and by being true to himself. If he is unable to ‘look him straight in the eye’, he lacks strength to face himself. It has also some literal aspects such as a man seeing in mirror, sees his own reflection as the poet says, â€Å"A Bird Came Down† by Emily Dickinson also contains literal as well as figurative language. Emily narrates the incident of seeing a bird that ‘came down the walk’, his eating of the angle-worm, his drinking the dew, his rapid eyes, his cautiousness and the poet’s offering of a crumb, each and everything is literal as it appears as a true narration of an event. However, we can also find figurative language in the poem as the poet compares the bird’s flight and his style, His feathers were like oars, which divided the ocean, they appeared of silver color, his flight was like the flight of butterflies and his style of flight was like a swimmer who leaped and bounced, while flying. We can see the usage of simile and metaphor in the above lines. His stirring of ‘his velvet head/Like one in danger’ is again containing a simile. The poem, â€Å"Little Boy Blue† by Eugene Field shows the employment of literal as well as figurative language. The presence of old toys at their places and the dust and rust covering them is indicative of their being old and being neglected, which is literal language. The Little boy blue is the child who owns the toys, one of which is described explicitly, the soldier with the dog. The poet personifies

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Organizational Citizenship Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizational Citizenship Behavior Essay Human Resource Management (HRM) is defined as the organizational function that focuses on recruiting, management, and the directing of the employees that work in the organization. It also deals with compensation, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. Even though the HR functions evolved, some things never change. Since most companies will always need the traditional HR functions such as hiring and firing employees, providing pay and benefits packages, training and developing the workforce, and dealing with employer – employee conflicts. Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is a concept defined as the set of additional activities that are beneficial to an organization and its employees. These activities are not required in a formal way; that is, they are not stated in a contract nor required by the company. OCB is commonly a behavior of employees towards their company and vice versa. It is clear that the organization’s HRM plays a vital role in implementing OCB through creating a well-established relationship between the organization and the employees. Rousseau and Geller argued that this relationship’s status is critical in the amount of OCB produced by employees where the company must deliver first a few requirements. (cited in Morrison, 1996). Schuller states that each company’s HRM has a set of principles and values that are integrated in its overall philosophy, which includes a respectful treatment of its employees (cited in Morrison, 1996). According to Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, and Sowa, how effective is an organization in applying that philosophy is related towards how much the employees feel appreciated in their work place and therefore related to the amount of OCB displayed (cited in Morrison, 1996). OCB is present in all companies and can be considered a cycle. In fact, the HR department encourages OCB through several actions, which pave the way to creating a healthy organizational culture where the company protects its employees who are devoted to their company. This report will discuss OCB in Middle East Airlines (MEA) by taking a closer look at the employee – company relationship and the company – employee relationship. Literature Review on Organization Citizenship Behavior How Companies Encourage OCB In order for employees to work on achieving OCB, the human resource management has to work on some issues to help encourage each individual to participate in developing the company. The management must ensure that several things should be well done: Social Exchange, ldentification with Organizational Objectives, Empowerment, Selection and Socialization, Evaluation and Rewards, Rules and Job Descriptions. In an organization, Blau identified two types of relationships that tie the management and the employees together: the economic relationship and the social relationship (cited in Morrison, 1996). Konovsky and Pugh’ analysis states that it is more likely for employees to perform OCB under good social conditions than economic (cited in Morrison, 1996). Organ claims that this fact is due to several reasons: First, social relationships allow employees to have feelings of mutual trust with the organization and they will build long-term relationships with the management. This will encourage employees to help enhance the image of their company by practicing OCB. Second, the social relationship is one that is ambiguously defined, that is it does not have clear boundaries; therefore employees will more likely include certain citizenship acts in their job tasks (cited in Morrison, 1996). The identification of the employees with the organizational objectives is crucial for achieving OCB. That is because each individual will adopt and familiarize with the values and principles of the company, and hence become a part of its system, which will give a feeling of belonging and an encouragement for being part of the progress of the company. For employees to achieve OCB, Conger and Kanungo believe that they must be first willing to do so, and that is by being encouraged and empowered (cited in Morrison, 1996). Bowen and Lawler claim that many benefits are generated as a result of empowerment. First, it will shorten the time of response of employees to serve their customers. Second, the relationship between the employees and the customers will be more enthusiastic and kind. Third, it will allow the employees to be more innovative and generate ideas for the benefit of the company (cited in Morrison, 1996). Selection is the first phase of the entrance of an employee into a company. During this stage, Shore and Tetrick claim that each individual becomes aware of the job responsibilities in his field. Also, it is through this stage that the company indicates to the employee the responsibilities that the company has towards him as well, such as security, progress and training; hence it identifies a two-way relationship. This will lead to a feeling of respect and interest from the other party, which will lead to employees achieving OCB (cited in Morrison, 1996). Selection is also important in what is referred to by Chatman as person-organization fit: by learning about the organization’s objectives, the employee becomes aware that he or she will be chosen not solely for their job qualification, but for their compatibility with the work environment as well (cited in Morrison, 1996). Socialization as defined by Van Maanen and Schein is when the company prepares the new employees with the set of knowledge, approaches, and behaviors that they should apply in order to fit into their roles (cited in Morrison, 1996). Similar to selection, socialization is about showing the new employee that the relationship with the organization is based on social exchange. This can be clarified through such processes as orientation that holds within it more value than it shows. Chatman claims that socialization also familiarizes the employees with the company’s objectives and values not to mention that it plays a vital part in the empowerment process. (cited in Morrison, 1996). There are two extremes stated by Jones in applying socialization. The first is a highly institutionalized one where the new employees are separated and offered a common learning program. The second end is highly individualized, where employees are left on their own to engage in informal relationships with their fellow employees and to have self-learning experiences. There is however one disadvantage to socialization: when the objectives are clearly defined for employees, they tend to perform solely what they were expected to (cited in Morrison, 1996). Therefore, a company that seeks employee OCB will tend to have a more individualized socialization. OCB by definition includes the set of actions performed by employees that are not asked by management, therefore it is not directly rewarded. Thus, to encourage employees into applying this behavior, O’Reilly and Chatman believe that the company should employ indirect means that will encourage them to do so. That can be done by giving a reward to the organization’s performance as a whole. This will be helpful in two ways: first, it will further familiarize the employees with the company’s objectives and this way they will tend to act more upon achieving those goals through citizenship behavior. Second, by giving an award for the entire company’s performance, the organization will indirectly inform the employees that their job goes beyond what is clearly specified and limited into a certain role or department (cited in Morrison, 1996). According to Bowen, Siehl, and Schneider, when the company imposes a high number of rules and regulation, it is limiting and discouraging the employees’ ability to perform tasks outside their field of work, therefore limiting the OCB that can be achieved in that organization. A high number of rules will clearly define the limits of the economic exchange relationship between the employees and their company which will diminish their will to achieve OCB by determining exactly what the employees are asked to do and not to do and preventing them from engaging in any other action that is indirectly rewarded even if it benefits the company as a whole. Hence, in order for employees to want to perform citizenship behavior, the company must reduce its rules and thus create a social exchange relationship (cited in Morrison, 1996). Like rules and regulations, if a company describes the employees’ job in a very precise and narrow matter, it will reduce according to Bowen and Lawler the citizenship behavior applied by its subordinates. Employees will then have extremely well defined tasks to perform with no regard to any other company-wide actions. That way the exchange relationship between employee and company will more likely to be economic, not to mention that it reduces empowerment by limiting the resources needed by employees such as knowledge and skills to taking action towards OCB (cited in Morrison, 1996). How Employees Exercise OCB: To achieve organizational citizenship behavior, employees must practice different means. First, as Organ defines it, helping behavior is critical and evident in creating inter-employee relationships. Such behavior can be noted in the simplest acts such as when an employee assists his co-worker when the latter is overstrained with his paperwork or any other task being done. Second, according to Organ as well, sportsmanship, another dimension of OCB, is the ability to accept criticism and unfortunate events in the company without complaints, verbal or written. Consider a meeting for a marketing idea where employees are brainstorming. When the group rejects someone’s idea and the latter accepts that without being offended, he/she is considered to have a sense of sportsmanship. Third, organizational loyalty is a major concept when it comes to having a constructive organizational culture. This is evident whereby when employees are loyal to their company, they would feel safer and more content about the workplace and the organization’s culture. Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, Bachrach, 2000) Individual initiative, a fourth aspect of OCB, is represented in taking on additional responsibilities and engaging in task-improving actions without being asked to do so. This also includes encouraging others to do so, which helps the company as a whole improve. (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, Bachrach, 2000) An example is when an employee suggests to adopt a new method of performing a task, which he/she knows will improve the way things s done. Related to this is self-development, which is yet another dimension of OCB. According to George and Brief, self-development pertains to voluntarily engaging in development courses that are not required from the company in the attempt of improving one’s skills and broadening one’s knowledge. (Cited in Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, Bachrach, 2000) For instance, an employee could learn about upcoming seminars and training sessions and inform his colleagues of their dates. A different aspect of OCB is civic virtue, which can be defined as a commitment to the organization as a whole. This takes place through engaging in governing the organization indirectly, looking out for its best interest, and protecting it from threats. (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, Bachrach, 2000) A simple example of this is turning off the lights after having used the restroom. Similar to this is organizational compliance, the last dimension of OCB, which is when an employee complies with the company rules and regulations whether or not the latter is being monitored. Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, Bachrach, 2000) Returning to work right after having finished the permitted lunch break is an example of organizational compliance. It is crucial to note that all these behavioral aspects of organizational citizenship behavior are not part of the work contract or job description. Factors that diminish OCB: Several factors antecede and affect organizational citizenship behavior. Such factors can be set into four basic categories: employee characteristics, organizational characteristics, task characteristics, and leadership behaviors. The influence of these categories on OCB can be either positive or negative. It is evident that OCB is present in all companies, whether on a noticeable scale or an imperceptible one. This report will be depicting the negative relations between OCB and its antecedents, whereby, according to studies done in a meta-analysis by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, and Bachrach, it has been found that organizational and task characteristics have little impact on OCB relative to individual and leadership behaviors which have greater impact on OCB. Employee or individual characteristics affect the presence of OCB and how much the latter contributes to building a constructive organizational culture. Taking two extremes, one can consider an employee who is indifferent of his/her company’s interest. The latter would surely not engage in activities pertaining to civic virtue, thus not exercising good citizenship behavior. The other extreme is an employee who is very concerned about the company’s interest and always seeks to attain goals that hold the company’s benefit. Such employee is more likely to be engaged in the different dimensions of citizenship behavior. To go back to the bigger image, an employee’s characteristics help in determining how well OCB is exercised in an organization. Indeed, it is found that the existence of OCB increases with the increase of employee loyalty and concern to the organization, and decreases with indifference to the greater benefit of the company and the rewards granted for good citizenship behavior. Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, Bachrach, 2000) Leadership behaviors are quite correlated to the presence of citizenship behavior in an organization. According to another meta-analysis reported by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, and Bommer in 1996, leadership behaviors are mostly positively related to OCB, whereby most leaders reward citizenship behavior within performance in general, which increases such behavior in the company as employees are aware of such rewards. The only negative leadership behaviors are contingent and non-contingent punishment behavior as well as leader specification of procedures. This is due to the fact that employees feel confused as to why leaders perform contingent punishment, thereby decreasing their citizenship behavior. Non-contingent punishment is a discouraging factor by itself, which makes it obvious why it negatively affects OCB in an organization.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity Essay

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity Abstract Worldwide Telecommunication, Incorporated (Inc.) is a growing telecommunications company that has an international workforce which changes continuously. As the company’s international personnel base expands, the needs of the employees will vary and become more diverse. As new employees come aboard, the organization will see that not all workers have the same requirements or requests. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. must be able to fulfill the needs of staff at all levels regardless of any potential cultural barriers. Whether the employees’ needs are basic or complex, Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is positioning itself for the challenge. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is an innovative company which offers communication solutions to customers all over the world. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. provides long-distance service and equipment, cellular phones, satellite TV, computers, pagers, calling cards, email, voicemail, wireless services, web services, and more. Due to global availability of the offered products and services, the company has determined the need to employ a universal workforce. Multicultural workforce will allow Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. to effectively operate and service all customers both locally and internationally. As an equal opportunity-employer, the company employs individuals regardless of their ethnicity, creed, gender, or social class. However, the common element of all employees is that they possess the required skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out the job requirements. As a result, the mixture of multicultural barriers does affect teamwork and communication within our large company. The culturally connected obstacles range from language barriers to individual selective perception. Throughout the course of this paper, we will analyze these barriers and conclude how Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. will benefit from a diverse workforce. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is an amazing company in which to pursue a lifelong career. The organization is profitable and business focused, yet still understands the special needs of its employees and customers. â€Å"Successful, expanding organizations often face the threat of losing the strong and unique cultures that... ...r employees. Making the commitments to ensure that each employee is understood will guarantee that the company is successful. Cultural diversity can bring a whole new environment to a company. Changing the atmosphere with trading and understanding could lead to the success or failure of Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. There is so much that each employee can bring to the company it is important to know each individual and his or her contributions outside of their cultural differences. Works Cited Barnett, J. H., & Weathersby, R. (1995, Winter/Spring). Shedding cowboy ways for global thinking. Business Forum, 20(1/2), 9-14. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from EBSCOhost. Gayeski, D. M. (1998, April 11). How to create Learning systems to sustain strong organizational cultures. Retrieved April 18, 2005, from http://www.omnicomassociates.com/culture.html Powers, B. E. (2004). Culture-driven diversity requires a passionate commitment; nine tips to harnessing diversity for business growth. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.refresher.com Rau-Foster, M. (2000, April). Conflict in the workplace. Retrieved April 18, 2005, from http://www.workplaceissues.com/arcomflict.htm

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Asian Americans Essay

Asians are not a homogenous group. They do, however, constitute a significant minority group in the United States. Asian Americans represent many distinct subgroups that speak different languages, worship through different religions, and practice different customs and beliefs. The main groups are East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), Pacific Islanders, Southeast Asians (Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian), and South Asian (Indian and Pakistani). Threads of similarities may run through the subgroups, but they all have distinct histories, origins, and cultural roots. Among these groups, differences also exist within national groups, families, and individuals themselves. Some Asians were born in the United States, while others come from abroad. Some are affluent and come with highly developed skills while others are barely literate. Regardless of success or acculturation, many Asians are stereotyped as the â€Å"model minority† because often the Asian student is often the one who is at the head of the class and is the valedictorian at graduation. Many people believe that the Confucian ideas that stress family ideals, respect for elders, deferred gratification, and discipline, are the reason for high educational achievement. Studies show that Asian Americans are more likely to believe that success in life is connected to what has been studied in school. American schooling may contradict the fundamental cultural beliefs of Asians because it emphasizes individualism and competition, while the ethnic identify of Asian children is often based on their relationship to the group and allegiance to family. Academic achievement and upward mobility are viewed as an obligation for the maintenance of the family, which is the responsibility of all family members. Additionally, Asian parents teach their children to respect authority, feel responsibility for relatives, and show self-control. School failure is seen as a lack of will, and this failure can be alleviated by increasing parental restrictions. Baruth and Manning (1992) claim that Asian American children need reinforcement from the teacher, and work more efficiently in quiet, wellstructured surroundings. These children appear to be more dependent, conforming, and obedient by placing the family’s welfare before their own desires. Asians may be confused with the apparent teacher/student informality of the American classroom, and function better with structure and organization. (Baruth & Manning, 1992). Asian cultures also value the idea of humility and/or self-effacement. Children may not volunteer to participate in the classroom until specifically asked by the teacher. Drawing attention to oneself by virtue of misbehaving might cause great distress and result in â€Å"losing face† because children are taught to value silence, listen more than speak, speak softly, and be modest in dress and behavior. The following suggestions are offered by Feng (1994) as a formula for teachers to address issues concerning the diversity of Asian American cultures. It should be noted, however, that these suggestions could be implemented for any ethnic group. Get to know the customs, values, and traditions of various cultures, and learn the conditions under which students came to the United States. Try to visit the students’ homes and get to know the families. Learn a few words of the students’ native language to set the tone for communication. Encourage native language use at home. Use English-proficient interpreters with parents. Try to learn the children’s names and pronounce them correctly. Be careful not to encourage discord between home values and school expectations. For example, if the home expectation is conformity, don’t encourage the child to challenge the teacher. Academic expectation should be based on ability rather than stereotypical beliefs. Peer tutoring can be used for children who are not yet proficient in English. Know who make decisions for the child and utilize the natural support system. Develop strong home-school links for communication. Avoid assumptions about children’s prior knowledge and experience (e.g., not every child has experienced a birthday party). Discover what you can about Asian parent networks. The best way to remove a cultural barrier is to appear sincere. Common Characteristics of Many Asian Cultures (Culture grams) Greetings: Bow or nod Individuals do not touch each other Little or no public display of affection Stand far apart (even farther than Americans do) Gestures: Smiling and laughing often indicate embarrassment Little or no affection is shown in public It is impolite to speak loudly Hand and arm gestures are not often used in conversation People’s sneezes are not usually acknowledged. People are beckoned by waving all the fingers with the palm of the hand facing down. Pointing is done with the entire hand. Japanese say no by shaking the hand from side to side with the palm forward, and point to themselves with their pointer finger facing their nose. People must sit erect with both feet on the floor; it is impolite to put an ankle on the knee. Yawning is impolite. Vietnamese men do not offer to shake hands with women. General attitudes: Society is group oriented. Loyalty is to the group, the family, and to one’s superiors as opposed to personal feelings. Humility and self-effacing comments are normal. It is essential to act similar to or in harmony with the crowd. People strive to conform in appearance (even when wearing the latest Western styles, people must try to look like everyone else). Reserve and modesty must be observed at all times. It is important to save face at all times, for self and others. People will often allow others to escape potential embarrassment with dignity. Goals and decisions are made with the good of the group in mind, not for the personal benefit of any individual. Time: Being late is impolite. People are prompt or a little bit early (for social as well as business affairs). Family: The family is extremely important. The family has a strong tradition of respect and loyalty. There is a strong sense of family reputation and family obligation. Elders  are highly respected. Many members of the extended family (particularly in- laws) live together. Cultural Backgrounds Teaching and learning styles reflect cultural backgrounds. Students who have teachers from their same culture have little problem understanding the cues provided by the teacher. Students will already be familiar with the appropriate interactional behaviors expected in the classroom. Some students are from cultures with values that promote field dependence (a more community oriented style), while other cultures are inclined to be field independent, which encourages independence and competition. With proper instruction, field-dependent and field- independent students can learn to be bicognitive; that is, their learning styles can be expanded to function appropriately in any given situation. Teachers need to provide activities that incorporate all types of learning styles. If they are aware of their own cultural learning styles and preferences, teachers will be better prepared to recognize the learning styles of their students. Stereotyping Stereotyping can happen when false and exaggerated characteristics of a group are attributed to the individual, but socio typing involves an accurate generalization about cultural groups as a whole. If teachers misinterpret the learning style data and make decisions based on incorrect assumptions, students can be hurt or limited in their school experience. Mainstream teachers are often at odds with their diverse students because they are unaware of the differing cultural values they bring to the classroom. To promote effective teaching, teachers need to plan curriculum and instruction to incorporate the learning styles of their students. If students are uncomfortable in class, they may become bored, unresponsive, or test poorly. Classroom Interaction Based on cultural norms, participation structures describe the interactions of students in the classroom, when and how to speak, and what to speak about. Teachers may misinterpret inappropriate or awkward classroom interaction, as every culture has individual norms that dictate proper classroom behavior and student-teacher interaction. Directness in speech is valued in the American cultures. â€Å"Don’t beat around the bush,† â€Å"Get to the  point,† and â€Å"The bottom line is†¦,† are indicators of the values placed on direct speech. â€Å"Indirect speech† is an objective of cultural patterns held by Asians, Native Americans, and many Latin American cultural groups. It is important to â€Å"save face† by not embarrassing others or shaming another person. High-context cultures (such as Japanese) do not have to talk much because the members of the society communicate with intrinsic knowledge of how others think, feel, and what they ex pect. Low-context cultures (such as American, Swiss and German) must be very specific and explain everything- what is expected, what the rules are, and how things should be done. These cultural expectations are mirrored by how people think and act. Body Language Miscommunication occurs during verbal interaction as well as through body language. Kinesics (the study of body language) includes facial expressions, posture, gestures, body movements, eye contact, or any ritual, that conveys messages or meaning for a culture. The Japanese bow is an example of kinesics. From the American standpoint, a bow is just a hello or good-bye gesture. However, to the Japanese (and some other Asian cultures), a bow can be quite complex because a deeper meaning can be conveyed by the bow. The lower-status individual must begin the bow, and must bow lower than the higher-status person. When the individuals bowing are equals in society, the bow is simultaneous and of the same depth. It can be erroneous to attempt to read someone’s behavior based on our own frames of reference. Nonlinguistic Communication Every culture has its own way of depicting the following domains of nonlinguistic communication: Paralinguistic: Sounds that accompany language and vocalizations that replace speech. Kinesics: The study of body motion, gestures, unconscious body movement. Oculesics: Eye contact and motion to indicate meaning. Individuals from some cultures show respect and interest by making eye contact (e.g. Americans) while other cultures show respect by not making eye contact (i.e., Haiti, and Puerto Rico). Haptics: Location, frequency, and contexts in which people touch. Proxemics: The unconscious use and organization of personal space. Chronemics: Perception and use of time. Monochronic time: Doing one thing at a time, in a linear fashion (e.g., American). Polychronic time: Doing many things at a time (e.g., Hispanic). All cultures operate on their own systems of communication, and these beliefs will be manifested within the everyday context of the classroom. Knowledge of nonverbal communication specific to other cultures will help teachers to understand the students they teach, and well as students’ parents. Educators must be careful not to make the mistake of judging people’s emotions by using their own cultural indicators. Not everyone shows grief, anger, happiness, and embarrassment, or other emotions in the same manner. Students with teachers from their same culture have little problem understanding the cues provided by the teacher and the appropriate interactional behaviors expected in the classroom. Those children and teachers from differing cultures do not know the rules of each other’s cultural rules and have difficulty inte rpreting correct teacher-student interactions. Although not the panacea to end all classroom problems, effective teaching is more apt to take place if both the teacher and student are aware of the benefits of integrating appropriate instructional materials that correspond with culturally congruent teaching and learning styles. Knowing that cultural patterns drive behavior, teachers who are aware that their students have differing cognitive styles are able to adapt their classrooms to include activities that incorporate all types of learning in their teaching. The teacher will begin to understand why some students experience problems when their natural learning styles are incompatible with the teaching style of the teacher. Various researchers have pointed out that Asian students tend to be highly visual learners. Hispanics are generally auditory learners, and non-Westerners are more inclined to learn through tactile and kinesthetic modes. The following information is given as a general guide for teachers to better understand the needs and styles of individual students. Individual personalities will always preside over the overarching cultural characteristics, yet teaching will be more effective and teachers can make modifications and adaptations to their curriculum and if they are aware of cultural differences. Hispanics Carrasquillo (1991) notes that Hispanic students are diverse due to different backgrounds, but they may share general experiences through family  structure, religious beliefs, and general customs. Spanish-speaking cultures include people from many countries (including the United States) with unique characteristics. The common thread is the fact that they all speak Spanish, albeit with varying degrees of fluency, accents, intonation, verb structures (i.e. tu, usted, and vos) and certainly different connotations for similar words. These societal variations can be likened to the differences among the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, and South Africa. Culture grams (produced by Brigham Young University) offer cultural information as an â€Å"aid to the understanding of, feeling for, and communication with other people.†

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Is Deception Justified? Essay

Everyone characterizes deception differently. One may view it as breaking the trust of a loved one and think of it as mere deceit. Others may accept deception as a way to gain/give happiness. Some may even think of it as part of life. More commonly, deception stands being viewed as hand and hand with â€Å"evil†, this includes, not only viewed by people, but also portrayed in movies and novels from all eras of time. Frequently feelings dealing with deceit –lying or jealousy- creates anger in an individual leading into irrationality. However, can a simple trick or lie for the sake of entertainment or flattery allow deception to be justified? Robert Southey once said â€Å"All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.† (Southey 133) If we look through the famous works of today, we notice deception is the major downfall of main characters or villains. In Shakespeare’s Othello the feelings of deceit and jealousy are prevalent throughout the play by Lago, which ultimately leads up to his actions against other characters of the play. However, many disagree with Robert Southey. A philosophy called utilitarianism refers to what is good for a human being. Therefore, according the philosophy of utilitarianism, if deceiving someone saves a life, or causes happiness to another, or others, then deception is justified. The only problem with this philosophy is, how can one measure one’s happiness against another’s misery? Assuming this deception backfires or the deceiver is not happy or is feeling guilty with the decei t. Lying and deception are extremely common when interacting with another person. Nearly everyday, either associating, or being in contact with another, one can expect to either witness or convey deception. â€Å"Deception can be defined as an intentional verbal message that does not honestly reflect an individual’s actual opinion† (Zuckerman, DeFrank, Hall, Larrance, & Rosenthal, 1979). Elias Conetti once stated, â€Å"Adults find pleasure in deceiving a child. They consider it necessary, but they also enjoy it. The children very quickly figure it out and then practice deception themselves† (Conetti, Elias, 1980) Deception may be not justified, but some believe deceit to be acceptable, for example mothers may lie to there kids to eat there vegetables or do there homework. However, the other forms of deception can cause harm to a person emotionally and thus shouldn’t be justified or accepted. Even if, the conveyor thinks he is morally just. Robert Rusking stated â€Å"The essence of lying is in deception, not in words† which means that lying is deception itself whether its trying to make your friend feel better on a bad day, or containing the intentions of being cruel. Deception is nothing other than deception, and shouldn’t be justified no matter what ethics. In a philosophy called Kantianism, developed by a German philosopher Immanuel Kant, the belief is that â€Å"People should be treated as an end and never as a mere means to an end†(Kant, Immanuel 1785 (Kant)). In other words, it is unethical to use people for your own personal gain because people are valuable in themselves. Assuming from the beliefs of Kantianism, deception is only justified if you justify your own deception in other words if you think you have the right to be told the truth, then you are also bound to tell the truth. In conclusion, to me I believe in the utilitarianism philosophy, because if deception saves a life, then the deception is a necessity. Everyday we are deceived, whether by phony politicians or lousy advertisements on TV. Some deception is cruel, irrelevant, and unnecessary, but some can really make someone or people happy. I believe that anything that helps humanity should be justified, but deception just for cruel or bizarre intention shouldn’t be. Therefore, I decided deception can be justified, but only for good intentions. Work Cited Page Mazur, Tim C. â€Å"Lying and Ethics.† Lying and Ethics. N.p., 2010. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"Utilitarianism.† Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. . â€Å"Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.† SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. . Canetti, Elias. â€Å"Quotation by Elias Canetti.† Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. â€Å"Essays.cc – Utilitarianism V. Kantianism.† Essays.cc – Utilitarianism V. Kantianism. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. . Aufderheide, Patricia, Peter Jaszi, and Mridu Chandra. â€Å"Honest Truths: Documentary Filmmakers on Ethical Challenges in Their Work [2009].† Center for Social Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. . Decaire, Michael W. â€Å"The Detection of Deception Via Non-Verbal Deception Cues – Law Library 1999-2001.† The Detection of Deception Via Non-Verbal Deception Cues – Law Library 1999-2001. N.p., 30 Nov. 2000. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. .

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Gothic tradition The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Example

The Gothic tradition The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Example The Gothic tradition The Yellow Wallpaper Essay The Gothic tradition The Yellow Wallpaper Essay one being females considered more prone to mental ilnesses and the paradagime of post natal depression. To explicitly highlight and convey her ideologies and views Gillman wrote The Yellow Walpaper which particularly explores attitudes in the nineteenth century towards womens physical and mental health. Elements of this can also be recognised and depicted in Charlotte Brontes novel Jane Eyre. At the very start of the story, Gillman identifies the place where her character is being held ancestral halls. Her husband being a physician indicates his wealth state thus juxtaposing with the estate being let so cheaply. Continuing, the story does not provide any evidence that the woman is suffering from any mental disease, however she does admit to get unreasonably angry with her husband from time to time. Her husband John who can be viewed as the voice of reason, sharply opposes his wife, the voice of emotion, who enigmatically remains unnamed throughout the story. Such a sharp antithesis occurs also between Bertha Mason and Jane Eyre in Brontes Jane Eyre. Bertha embodies an excess of sexual emotions and desire, on the contrary Jane signifies the conventional and conservative symbol of Britishness. However though many critiques do consider Bertha, not only a symbol of female insanity, but an alter ego of Jane, just as Gillman portrays her character that she is imagining a woman trying to escape from the yellow wallpaper and it is like a woman creeping about behind the pattern. Another significant element which concerns both the novel Jane Eyre and the story by Gillman is the presence of the segregation of the female characters both suffering form mental disorders. Bertha being locked away on the attic while Gillmans character being put in a room at the top of the house. Both the attic and a nursery at the top of a house conveys the idea that things which are unneeded are put their and it also adds a significant amount of enigma to the overall idea. Both those places are also emblems of things that need to be hidden away, in this case insanity must be concealed away from society. As the story progress the reader begins to detect signs of the illness taking over the character. As acknowledged by Gilbert and Gubar, her husband John, uses a conventional method of treatment at the time, which Gillman herself was subjected to by the famous nerve specialist S. Weit Mitchell. As she continues to utilize her time by watching the wallpaper she becomes delusional and begins to associate the colour of the wallpaper with decay and smells, the paper begins to have a vicious influence. Even though at the beginning the narrator feels a little resentment towards the environment as a whole, her mind quickly takes a new direction I am really getting fond of the in spite of the wallpaper. However she exclaims that her fondness might be caused because of the wallpaper. The story slowly takes a shift and the narrators unstable mind becomes more prominent. As the summer approaches its end, the narrator finally asks for permission to leave. Of course such permission is denied gently by John Why Darling! said he our lease will be up in three weeks and i cant see how to possibly leave before. In response, she consumes her whole night in watching the wallpaper hence her insanity reaching a climax. Her thorough analysis of the wallpaper hints the reader that her mind has progressed to a new stage of severe disorder. The narrator hallucinates that her husband has also been examining the wallpaper, nonetheless she is determined that nobody shall find this imaginary mystery of the wallpaper. Her insanity has taken new levels and her mind has completely deteriorated The front pattern does move- and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it! This illustration of the false woman in the wallpaper in some ways mirrors Jane Eyres vision of a vampirical creature the night before her wedding. Again the female state of mind is involved as this vision is actually Bertha who has been taken over by her desires and strong emotions in almost the same way as the narrator in the The Yellow Wallpaper. Furthermore another analogy with Berhta in Jane Eyre could be considered. Both the narrators mind and Berthas mind reach a culmination of instability, which leads them to extraordinary acts of lunacy.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighterâ€World War II

Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter- World War II Most people hear the word Mitsubishi and think automobiles. But the company was actually established as a shipping firm in 1870 in Osaka Japan, and it quickly diversified. One of its businesses, Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, founded in 1928, would go on to build lethal fighter planes for the  Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. One of those planes was the A6M Zero Fighter. Design Development The design of the A6M Zero began in May 1937, shortly after the introduction of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter. The Imperial Japanese Army had commissioned Mitsubishi and Nakajima both to build the planes, and the two companies  began preliminary design work on a new carrier-based fighter while waiting to receive the final requirements for the aircraft from the army. These were issued in October and were based upon the A5Ms performance in the ongoing  Sino-Japanese  conflicts. The final specifications called for the aircraft to possess two 7.7 mm machine guns, as well as two 20 mm cannon. In addition, each airplane was to have a radio direction finder for navigation and a full radio set. For performance, the Imperial Japanese Navy required that the new design be capable of 310 mph at 13,000 ft. and possess an endurance of two hours at normal power and six to eight hours at cruising speed (with drop tanks). As the aircraft was to be carrier-based, its wingspan was limited to 39 ft. (12m). Stunned by the navys requirements, Nakajima pulled out of the project, believing that such an aircraft could not be designed. At Mitsubishi, the companys chief designer, Jiro Horikoshi, began toying with potential designs. After initial testing, Horikoshi determined that the Imperial Japanese Navys  requirements could be met, but that the aircraft would have to be extremely light. Utilizing a new, top-secret aluminum, T-7178, he created an aircraft that sacrificed protection in favor of weight and speed. As a result, the new design lacked armor to protect the pilot, as well as the self-sealing fuel tanks that were becoming standard on military aircraft. Possessing retractable landing gear and a low-wing monoplane design, the new A6M was one of the most modern fighters in the world when it completed testing.   Specifications Entering service in 1940, the A6M became known as the Zero based on its official designation of Type 0 Carrier Fighter. A quick and nimble aircraft, it was a few inches under 30 feet in length, with a wingspan of 39.5 feet, and a height of 10 feet. Other than its armaments, it held only one crew member, the pilot, who was the sole operator of the  2 Ãâ€" 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine gun. It was outfitted with two 66-lb. and one 132-lb. combat-style bombs, and two fixed 550-lb. Kamikaze-style bombs. It had a range of 1,929 miles, a maximum speed of 331 mph, and could fly as high as 33,000 feet. Operational History In early 1940, the first A6M2, Model 11 Zeros arrived in China and quickly proved themselves as the best fighter in the conflict. Fitted with a 950 hp Nakajima Sakae 12 engine, the Zero swept Chinese opposition from the skies. With the new engine, the aircraft exceeded its design specifications and a new version with folding wingtips, the A6M2, Model 21, was pushed into production for carrier use. For much of World War II, the Model 21 was the version of the Zero that was encountered by Allied aviators. A superior dogfighter than the early Allied fighters, the Zero was able to out-maneuver its opposition. To combat this, Allied pilots developed specific tactics for dealing with the aircraft. These included the Thach Weave, which required two Allied pilots working in tandem, and the Boom-and-Zoom, which saw Allied pilots fighting on the dive or climb. In both cases, the Allies benefited from the Zeros complete lack of protection, as a single burst of fire was generally enough to down the aircraft. This contrasted with Allied fighters, such as the P-40 Warhawk and F4F Wildcat, which, though less maneuverable, were extremely rugged and difficult to bring down. Nevertheless, the Zero was responsible for destroying at least 1,550 American aircraft between 1941 and 1945. Never substantially updated or replaced, the Zero remained the Imperial Japanese Navys  primary fighter throughout the war. With the arrival of new Allied fighters, such as the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair, the Zero was quickly eclipsed. Faced with superior opposition and a dwindling supply of trained pilots, the Zero saw its kill ratio drop from 1:1 to over 1:10. During the course of the war, over 11,000 A6M Zeros were produced. While Japan was the only nation to employ the aircraft on a large scale, several captured Zeros were used by the newly-proclaimed Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949).

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Developing an evaluation plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Developing an evaluation plan - Research Paper Example The staff is the most important part of any care setting, so it only makes sense that the staff itself should be surveyed. According to Brown (1992), there must be â€Å"identifie[d] broad categories of determinants of nursing turn-over† (pp. 154). The people who are in the administration should obtain turn-over rates before and after initiating change. This would be helpful in order to analyze whether or not changing policies effectively reduced the rate of turn-over among the nursing staff. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Another thing that the administration should do is to compare patient discharge surveys before the change and after the initiation of change. This â€Å"customer service satisfaction† survey would definitely help nurses to increase their level of effectiveness and visibility.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Staff attitudes towards the patient are definitely issues that must be addressed. If we are to be serious about the quality of the nursing, we need to know what the staff thinks of the organization they are working for, without having fear of retribution. Perhaps an anonymous questionnaire or survey would be a good indicator that would allow those overseeing the staff to more closely evaluate some of their policies. Patient attitudes and perceptions could definitely help the matrix to be devised which would help reduce the turn-over of the nurses in the organization and improve service to the customers, who in this case would be the patients. Patient attitudes and perceptions are part of what will make the rate of turn-over improve or decline. Thus, it is most important to have the patients’ input. The rate of nursing staff turn-over must be addressed. If there is a problem with retention of the staff, there must be something or someone in the organization that is causing these nurses to leave after a short time. Hopefully, with the analysis of the nursing staff, and with the assistance of questionnaires and surveys, it is then and only then that