John Updike’s A&P Essay

The nineteen fifties marked the era of differences between the parents and their children. Not until the nineteen sixties was there turning point in the nation. The generation gaps are the differences amongst the younger generation and their elders, and mainly amongst children and their parents. Generation gap still occurs today, in thing varying from behavior, to genres of music, and even in usage of language. The new generations try to express themselves as something different from the old, embracing new slang, trying to form a separation between themselves and the previous generation. In John Updike’s â€Å"A &P†, a teenage boy named Sammy works at a local store called A&P. Sammy is a young casher, that stands up to his boss and he stands up for three girls who are dressed in bathing suits. Sammy lives in a small town, where nothing really happens. There is a struggle within every teenager. Sammy doesn’t like his job at the store or the store itself, and he finds the customers to be like sheep. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts, you know, sheep, seeing a scene, they had all bunched up on Stokesie†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Updike 1170). The girls were like a pinball and the store is like the pinball machine, because Sammy could only see the girl’s heads as they went through the aisles, â€Å" the whole store was like a pinball machine and I didn’t know which tunnel they’d come out of†(Updike1169). Lengel is like a kingpin, because he is the manager of the store. Sammy’s observations on the people in the store build up on his internal conflict. According to Joseph Lostracco’s â€Å"Analyzing Short Stories†, Sammy shows an internal conflict between his limitation due to social class and the need to be admired (Lostracco 99). This conflict becomes a pparent when Sammy struggles between wanting to stand up for Queenie and her friends and the desire to be liked by others by not saying anything to Lengel. The other ‘market dwellers’ were shocked, with Queenie and her friends for walking into the store wearing bathing suits and no shoes. Sammy’s conflict occurs when his manager Lengel was telling the girls they couldn’t wear swimsuits out in public. Lengel found it to be inappropriate for women to be in swimsuits in public places, Lengel tells the girls â€Å"Girls this isn’t the beach† (Updike 1169). Updike states â€Å"Its one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other much anyway, and another thing in the cool of the A&P†¦.†(Updike 1168). According to Lostracco, Sammy’s  conflict becomes an external one between him and the grocery store manger. Sammy feels that if he comes to the girls’ rescue he will win their favor (Lostracco 99). Sammy feels like he can impress the girls, but the girls left before he quit. There is a conflict for approval in every culture. There were generation gaps going on during the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties, the young people wanting different things from their parents. But the big turning point in culture was not during the nineteen fifties, but in the nineteen sixties. The Young people wanted to feel free, and be their own people. Queenie wanting to be part of the movement and Sammy is stuck between the two generations. Lengel claims that the girls are embarrassing themselves, where as Sammy states that â€Å"You didn’t have to embarrass them†(Updike 1170). Even if society is able to determine its own moral code and culture, it doesn’t fulfill everyone’s needs. According to Lostracco the tone achieved in â€Å"A&P† is based on humor at the expense of growing up. Updike handily illustrates the impulsivity of youth who yearn to be accepted (Lostracco 100). The three girls gets Sammy’s attention when they walked into the grocery store, wearing only their bathing suits. Sammy describes each of the girls in great detail, but goes in more detail with Queenie then with her friends. Queenie is the leader of her group, she’s confident. Sammy thinks that Queenie is ideal but not perfect, â€Å"She has sort of okay hair that the sun and salt had bleached done up in a bun†(Updike 1168). Sammy likes the girls and he thinks about them a lot- how they interact, and what they wear and goes into great detail of how they look. Sammy describes Lengel is strict, uptight and is you’re stereotypical boss. Lengel is a hard worker who is misunderstood and he takes Sammy’s place when Sammy quits his job. Sammy also sees Lengel as someone who doesn’t miss much-â€Å"Sunday school superintendent.† Lengel hides in his office all day. Lengel tries to explain to Sammy when he quits that he is hurting his parents, and that Lengel has known Sammy’s parents for years, â€Å" Sammy, you don’t want to do this to your mom and Dad†(Updike 1171). Sammy realizes that he doesn’t want to do this to his parents, but Sammy is his own person. Sammy rebels against the store, because how Lengel treated the three girls. Lengel criticizes the girls because they are wearing bathing suits. The bathing suits symbolize the girls’ neglect of the social rules of their small town. For Sammy the bathing suits symbolize freedom and a getaway from the world that he is  stuck in. Coming from two different generations Sammy and Lengel sees the girls wearing the bat hing suits from different sides. Lengel criticizing the girls symbolizing Sammy trying to find out who he wants to be. Sammy is a hero, because he stood up not only for Queenie and her friends, but also for something he thought was ok. The nineteen sixties had transformed the nation. The nineteen sixties was the turning point for the United States. According to Rennay Craats people demonstrated for the end of the war and racial discrimination (Craats 4). The nineteen sixties were full of huge protests, some of which turned violent. People protested racism, the war in Vietnam, and the government. The Civil rights movement had spread across the nation, as many young Americans protested to get the nations attention about the civil rights. Sammy was stuck between wanting to be his own person and wanting to make his parents happy. According to Lostracco, Sammy’s rebellion can see as a reaction to the basic morality he faces in his hometown, a very ordinary and uneventful small town (Lostracco 100). Queenie was ‘the leader’ of the group. Sammy realized how hard life was going to be for him after he quit his job, â€Å"My stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter†(Updike 1171). Sammy knew that he did what he thought was best for him, even though it might mean people being upset with him. Today the gaps are getting bigger due to the massive amounts of technology the younger g enerations use. During the nineteen sixties Americans took part took part in the social revolution. Taking part in peace, and social justice. Women were looking for equality, the younger generation looking to be different. Queenie and her friends wanted to be able to walk into the grocery store in the swimming suits and with no shoes, and having it be a problem. Today it is more acceptable for women to walk into grocery stores with shorts and a swimsuit on then it was in the nineteen sixties. Sammy had a reason to stand up to his boss Lengel and be his own person, because of how Lengel was criticizing the three girls. Generation gaps have been going gone for years. Sammy was trying to ‘find himself’, during the story. Sammy stood up for what he thought was right, and helped out the three girls. John Updike uses first person to describe the experience of the three girls in the store, and Sammy’s experience of working there. John Updike shows in A&P just because people believe in something doesn’t mean you have to believe in the same thing.  There is a co nflict that occurs in not just in teenagers but also the adults every day. Work cited Craats, Rennay. â€Å"History of 1960’s†. Weigl Publishers Inc., 2002. http://books.google.com/books?id=1tm_44Ln4EUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. November 14, 2012 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† Fiction 100 an anthology of short fiction. Thirteenth edition. New Jersey,2012. Lostracco, Joseph. â€Å"Analyzing Short Stories.† Seventh edition. Revised printing. 1992.

Jack London Questions and Essay on “To Build a Fire” Essay

1. What does â€Å"survival of the fittest† mean, and where does the phrase come from? â€Å"Survival of the fittest† means that species or race with the best acquired characteristics would survive. And the phrase comes from one of the authors that most influenced London, Herbert Spencer. 2. What is socialism? Why was London attracted to it? Socialism is an economic system in which the means of prediction are owned and controlled by the working class. And London was attracted to it because of his experience in life gave him an insight into the terrible effects of poverty on people who had no political power. 3. What is social Darwinism? What were its origins and how did London interpret this philosophy? Social Darwinism was a late 19th century sociological theory which was primarily based on the writings of Herbert Spencer, which they originated from his writings as well. And London interpret this philosophy, London interpreted his philosophy as thinking that the Anglo-axon where superior to everyone. PART 2 1. What is the setting of the story? The story â€Å"to build a fire† takes place in Yukon in Northwestern Canada, in the winter when the man starts out to make his way to a mining camp at like around 9 AM in the morning and whatnot. 2. What is the central conflict of the story? What is the source of the struggle? The central conflict of the story is that the man is stuck and lost out in the wild, and he is rapidly catching frost bite on his body(fingers and hands) and he is trying to survive without a companion out in the wild, and I think the source of the struggle is that he didn’t have a companion that could have helped him throughout the story because he felt like he didn’t need one, even though he was told that it is unsafe to go out in those lands without a companion. 3. What happens to Tom Vincent at the end of the story? What does he learn? At the end of the story Tom Vincent finally gets a fire started and makes a sacrifice of burning his hands because of the frost bite condition, so he goes through the pain to save his life, because he thinks that no hands is better than no life, and the he keeps on rubbing his feet and warming his hands for I believe three hours, and the very next day he pitifully lips to the cherry creek camp and learns that you shouldn’t travel alone. PART 3 1. What happens to the central character at the end of the second version? At the end of the second version the central character which I believe is the man, dies because of him freezing to death beside his dog, but the dog fortunately does not die. 2. Which one of these endings do you think more clearly meets the conventions of naturalism? Be sure to consider the concept of determinism as you list your reasons. I think that out of both the endings, that ending two clearly meets the conventions of naturalism more because natural laws overcomes the man, by killing him which in a way shows that very little importance the man can overcome his death. And also in the second version the man does not have a name which shows how little importance the man is to jack London as a unique person and whatnot. I think that the second ending has an aspect of determinism in fate, which plays an unpleasant part in the man’s death. Focus Question: How does â€Å"To Build a Fire† illustrate the elements of naturalistic literature? â€Å"To build a fire† By Jack London illustrates the elements of naturalistic literature in many ways throughout the second version of the story which was written in 1908, because of Jack London trying to portray across the ideas of naturalistic literature and whatnot. Naturalistic literature was a literary movement during the 1880’s and 1940’s that used realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment has inescapable force in shaping a human character. It wanted to represent a picture of literary movement that replicated a believable everyday reality unlike romanticism and surrealism which portrayed idealistic and of the supernatural. Naturalism is usually defined as the philosophical conclusion that the only reality is nature. There are also many varieties of naturalism. And in the story â€Å"To build a fire† the man views death as a part of nature that cannot be stopped at all, which is one of the reasons why â€Å"To build a fire† is a great example of naturalistic literature, determinism, and social Darwinism as well. Jack London was an author who grew up in poverty because of his father’s absence in his life and of his mother’s as well. He was born on January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, rise by his mother and step father, John London. He left school at the age of 14 then later adopted the socialistic views as a member of protest armies of the unemployed. He was even arrested in 1894 in Niagara Falls and jailed for vagrancy. He educated himself in public libraries and at 19 he gained admittance to the University of California at Berkeley. His life was much laid out with obstacles and depression of some sort, but all this influenced his socialism and naturalistic literature which later helped him become one of the most important authors. Characteristics of naturalistic fiction, which in â€Å"to build a fire† was the man, attempt to control their own lives, but are usually threated by outside forces, which was the environment in the story. They also have settings that tend to be dark, harsh, and are sometimes urban. In the story it would be Yukon which is showed as a hard, cold, dark place. They also often deal with brutality as well as struggle for survival, like how the man tried to survive by trying to build a fire and even trying to eat his dog. They also generally build their work around the concept of determinism. Determinism means that people are at mercy of the forces beyond their control, like nature in the story. That’s why â€Å"to build a fire† has so many characteristics of naturalism literature. But in the story naturalism literature is most shown in how the man doesn’t overcome the environment because it’s already written by the circumstances of the environment that he will die because of such harsh cold temperature. And determinism is expressed through the man’s desire to the fire even though he is faced with horrible odds. â€Å"Day has broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey†, shows how cold the day was which is an example of nature against both the man and the dog is. Another good example of how the story gives out a naturalist basis is when the mad describes â€Å"powder frost† and â€Å"crystalized breath† which is an element showing that you can use to picture the realness of the story, because you can imagine what it would be like to see your breath freeze before your spit freezes before actually hitting the ground. I also found that â€Å"To build a fire† also illustrates social Darwinism because of how both the man and the dog end up at the end of the story. At the end of the story the man dies because his biology and naturalistic environment don’t allow him to survive. Herbert spencer first coined the phrase â€Å"survival of the fittest† which jack London in my opinion illustrates in the story. An example of it would be how the dog survives instead of the man; I think it would survive because of its fur coat, and its ability to survive better in such environment. The dog acquired the best characteristics that helped him survive unlike the man who dies freezing. All in all I think that â€Å"to build a fire† by Jack London does illustrate determinism, social Darwinism and naturalism literature, from him trying to survive by building a fire to how the dog survived instead of the man because of his biology.

A Study on the Different Opinions about Human Categorization Based On Physical Traits and Sexual Orientation

A Study on the Different Opinions about Human Categorization Based On Physical Traits and Sexual Orientation Society’s Characterization of the Condemned Although we like to have a promising view on our own mortals, we and our society can be cruel and unforgiving even when we don’t expect it. We see our viewpoints of classes, races, and sexes all being similar coexisting in in a world of equality, but our decisions on who to put on death row and who gets to walk will always be apparent to our personal prejudices. The truth is, our brains are incapable of judging somebody solely for their actions, and not taking anything from their physical appearance to the sexual identity into that judgement. If we were to decide a person’s fate without seeing them or hearing anything about them besides the crime they’ve committed, our prison and death row inmates would be a completely different cast of people. But, since we’re exposed to the race and gender of everyone put on trial, our judgements reflect the qualities of these people in the harshest of ways. The race or sexual identity of an individual involved in any certain situation can completely compromised by the society around them, and that stands true with inmates on death row. In our country, a white female going on trial for murder will have a completely different outcome than a black male convicted of doing the same thing. For a lot of people, whether or not they know it, the race or sexually identity of the accused can greatly affect their punishment, regardless of the crime they commit. Separate human beings have separate subconscious desires to punish or defend one class of individuals differently than others, and this prejudice holds true in even the most extreme of situations. Nobody can completely ignore the details of person placed in front of them, everyone has their own dark opinions that greatly affect any situation. When those opinions spread across a community and take hold of entire societies, many may seem racist or sexisttrials as â€Å"normal†, and judg e them according to the expectations of their neighboring peers. Because of this, a single person can be put to death while being judged from one society, but freed if they were judged by another, different society. In some instances, the identity of the person who committed the crime affects the outcome more than the crime itself. Of course, this prejudice does not only fall into place in established countries. This is a phenomenon happening around the world, with some dilemnas being more extreme than others. A great example of this was in the article Uganda’s Death Penalty for Gays, in an entire culture is attacked, threatened, and harshly judged more than others. In Uganda, homosexuals are punished for any kind of gay behavior, no matter what the context or situation. Gays are outcasts here, and are treated as such. The entire community has a clear hatred for this specific type of person, and that opinion is heavily reflected on their laws and punishments. From these rules and terms, we have the right to assume the people of Uganda exercise these prejudices in their daily lives and behavior. Their characterization of who they’re killing and for what reasons don’t just apply to their culture, but are most likely influenced by it. Even though it’s not nearly as extreme, what’s happening in Uganda is similar to what’s happening to the African Americans in our country. There are no laws strictly tailored against the black community, yet America is commonly blamed for using excessive force and punishment against African Americans and people of foreign countries. Looking at the statistics from the Death Penalty Information Center, we can see that 75% of murder victims in cases leading to an execution were white, even though only roughly 50% of murder victims in total were white. Assisting this information, only 43% of inmates on death row are white, even though 72% of our country’s population is white. Although we promote equality for all races, our society seems to judge the ethnic community harsher than caucasians and females, and the punishments we choose to inflict on one race may not apply to another, regardless of the crime. That being said, we also tend to make the punishments for men much more cruel than those towards women. If a woman rapes or murders someone else, the chances of her being put on death row is much slimmer than if a man did the same. In contrast to this, some countries in the Middle East will murder a woman for talking back to a man. All these small details over who the person is generally overshadow what the person has done, and that’s something that can greatly change the outcome of somebody’s entire life. Every community has different values, and your punishment for any crime would probably change based on where in the world you were standing. In a perfect world, all races and genders would be treated equally, everywhere. Unfortunately, every society has prejudices they can’t escape from, and the subtle repercussions from those may be the difference between life and death.

Health as an Expanding Consciousness Research Paper

Health as an Expanding Consciousness - Research Paper Example She received a Master’s degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing and Teaching in 1964 at the University of California. In 1971, she was awarded a Doctorate of Nursing Science and Rehabilitation at New York University (Newman, 1994). She completed her graduate studies at New York University from 1971 to 1976. During this time, she worked and taught alongside nursing theorist Martha Rodgers. In 1977, she was the professor in charge of graduate nursing studies at Pennsylvania State. In 1984, she was a nurse theorist at the University of Minnesota and later served as the Director of Nursing at the clinical research center at the University of Tennessee. Newman is one of the successful female nursing scholars and theorists in the 21st century. She has taught and led research activities in several institutions. Her education achievements serve as a challenge to nursing students in the university. The purpose of the theory is to present the relationship between individual consciousness and health conditions. Concepts †¢ Expanding Consciousness †¢ Consciousness †¢ Movement †¢ Time †¢ Space †¢ Pattern †¢ Pattern recognition †¢ Transformation Definition of concepts a. Consciousness is the information capacity of the system and its ability to interact with the environment. Consciousness does not cover only the cognitive and affective awareness but includes the interconnectedness of the living system (Endo, 2004). Expanding consciousness is becoming aware of oneself, finding meaning in life, and reaching new levels of connectedness with other populace and the globe. Pattern is information that presents the whole, creates understanding of the meaning of the whole, and relationships at once. Coming in touch with one’s person helps become aware of the other persons pattern, which is called pattern recognition. Transformation is a change that occurs at once rather than gradually in a linear fashion. Movement is a reflection of consciousness and person conveys self awareness through the movement from posture, language, and body (Newman, 1994). Time is a function of movement and a measurement of consciousness that centers primarily on the percei ved duration. . Space is the three-dimensional expanse where all matter exists. Rationale Statements and Propositions Some individuals suffer from chronic diseases and other disabilities that cannot be separated from their health issues. Nurses view such individuals as those faced with uncertainty, debilitation, loss, and death in the long run (Picard, Jones and Newman, 2005). Structure Newman begins by stating and defining concepts used in the theory. She then states the propositions and assumptions made in the theory. The paradigm shift is them stated by explaining the shift from instrumental view to relational view. The meta-paradigm shows the relationship between the person, environment, health, and nursing. The theory assumes that: Health encompasses conditions that are referred to as illness or pathology. Pathological conditions can act as a manifestation of the total pattern of the person. The pattern that manifests itself as pathology exists prior to structural or functional changes. Removal of the pathology will not change the pattern of the individual. If the pattern of an individual can only be manifested by becoming ill, then that is the health of that particular individual. Health is an expansion of consciousness. Theory critique Origin and Context Newman conceived the idea of health as expanding consciousness when caring for her who has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Newman, 1995). Both Newman and her mother experienced alterations in movement, time, space, and consciousness. They also

Alexander Graham Bell Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alexander Graham Bell - Research Paper Example From an early age Bell demonstrated great intellectual curiosity and potential. Bell â€Å"became interested in botany and at age twelve built a contraption to aid a neighbor in his flourmill† (Mackay, pg. 9). His father published texts on elocution and Bell demonstrated a strong propensity in this subject. Bell would later attend prestigious high school, followed by college, and was generally recognized as mediocre at both. Upon graduation Bell began experiments with sound following his father’s interest in elocution. His experiments would ultimately lead him to become â€Å"Professor of Vocal Physiology and Elocution at Boston University† (Mackay, pg. 111). While Bell experimented with a number of sound elements, his work with the telephone undoubtedly holds the greatest contemporary relevance. In this context of understanding, Bell had â€Å"begun experimenting with a phonautograph in 1874† (Town, pg. 189). While he recognized that he was on to something he realized lack of proper funding and knowledge to complete his final invention that would electronically transmit the human voice. These challenges were overcome when Bell first encountered Gardiner Hubbard and Thomas Sanders who would help fund his invention, as well as Thomas Watson who had the required knowledge in engineering to put it together. Ultimately, â€Å"in 1876 Bell would complete his invention of the telephone, three days after receiving the patent† (Ross, pg. 302). While later in his life Bell would invent the metal detector, his greatest cultural contribution is undoubtedly telephone. Even as Bell made a substantial social contribution through his invention of telephone, the question of what the world would be like without Bell is a complicated one. While Bell invented the telephone, it’s clear that there were elements that emerged in contemporary technological platforms and allowed for this invention to occur. It is highly probable then, that if Bell had not invented his

Rational thinking in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rational thinking in Business - Essay Example No business can exist long in the market using irrational methods or thoughts. This paper explains the importance of rational thinking in business. â€Å"A thought, belief or attitude is rational to the extent that it satisfies five criteria: It is consistent with the facts or the objective reality; It helps preserve ones life and health; It helps one achieve ones short and long-term goals; It helps one avoid unwanted conflict; It helps one feel the way one wants to feel† (Alexander) In business objectives are important. Every action in a business setup is done for obtaining certain business objectives. These objectives are achievable only if the actions were supported with facts and logics. For example it is not possible for a construction business group to invest heavily at present because of the economic recession going on. The fact that people are reluctant nowadays in spending more on real estate sector is the rational or fact behind such thoughts. On the other hand the same business group can think about heavy investment once they see evidences of improvement in economic situations for achieving their long term goa ls. â€Å"Healthy rational thinking requires; an adequate attention span, patience and the ability to focus, to observe, interpret, perceive and consequently develop logic† (Yahya). In business, the ability to observe and focus is important in perceiving and interpreting the problems correctly. The correct interpretation of the problem is important in finding out correct solutions. For example, a business executive who wrongly interpret the market, based on rumours and opinions of others may fail to take sound and healthy decisions in favour of the organization. Rational thinking is the most common problem solving methods in business. For example in a business organization, the manager has to judge the performances of the workers based on their capacities or abilities. A rationally thinking manager will take actions against an

Self-awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Self-awareness - Essay Example Besides the positive qualities of a leader that were listed by Tichy and Devanna such as the willingness to decide and capacity to do so, persuasiveness, responsibility, intellectual capacity, vitality and endurance (34-38); I would also like to develop other qualities to address organizational needs and objectives that will be present in future organizations. Leadership theory There are two leadership theories that are consistent with my development plan or plan of action, and they can best demonstrate my plans as a future leader, one among them is the functional leadership theory. This theory according to Wren is particularly significant when a leader wants to address some of his or her behaviors that are perceived to contribute to organizational or team effectiveness (27-29). This theory supports my plan since it argues that I should do whatever is necessary for my subordinates in order to ensure that the organizational goal is attained and thus, in a way I will be contributing to the team’s effectiveness and cohesion. ... This theory gives me the opportunity to lead a team and if the team conduct itself in a manner that I prescribed, then it will be considered that the organization has been able to attain its goals, which warrant the team members to be reward for their efforts. Personal strengths and weaknesses This course has exposed me to assignments and learning activities that have informed me of my leadership strengthsand weaknesses all together. However, for this research I entirely relied on two tools that I used to identify different aspects about my leadership style that makes it more effective and those that hinder it from attaining absolute perfection. The tools consist of the transformational leadership questionnaire (TLQ) and the assessments that are in leadership theory and practice (LTP). This assessment is made up of eighteen different questions and these questions vary in nature with the leadership competencies they aim at measuring for example the human skill, technical skill or conc eptual skill (Tichy and Devanna, 89-94). Thou I have never pictured myself as a â€Å"people person† the transformational leadership questionnaire showed that my major strengths as a leader are the ability to imagine and share in other people’s feelings and experience, strong follow through, ambitious, compulsive and articulate. These strengths to me mean that I appreciate others and I care for their needs. These strengths also portray me as an effective leader in offering constructive responses to the efforts of my subordinates and that I also boost the confidence of other people, while still conveying enthusiasm. By the simple fact that I am able to offer constructive responses to the efforts of my subordinates it means that I am good in communication. According to Carter, a leader

Quality Improvement in the Concrete Blocks' Production Thesis

Quality Improvement in the Concrete Blocks' Production - Thesis Example Corrective Action and Preventive Action 22 2.5. Implementing ISO9001:2008 22 2.5.1. The Quality Statement 22 2.5.2. Document Control 25 2.5.3. Quality Processes 27 2.5.4. Quality Assessment or Baseline 28 2.5.5. Internal Audit 29 2.5.5.1. Root Cause Analysis 30 2.5.5.2. Corrective and Preventive Measures 31 2.5.5.3. Internal Audit 32 2.5.6. External Audit 34 2.5.7. Goal Setting 35 3. Methodology 36 4. Bibliography 54 Quality Improvement in the Concrete Blocks’ Production 1. Introduction ISO 9001:2008 is a set of criteria that can be applied to all organizations regardless of type, size and product or service provided e[Hoy-09). No matter the industry a properly implemented ISO 9001:2008 forces the organization to exceed itself by letting each department involved in production of its product to do a better job after each internal audit [Phil-09]. The primary question that will be answered in this paper shall be whether or not the implementation of the ISO 9001:2008 in the proc esses involved in the manufacture of concrete blocks will improve the quality of each block manufactured by the organization. The secondary question that will be answered by this dissertation shall be: what are the steps involved in the implementation of the ISO 9001:2008? The third question that needs to be answered will be: what are the organizational processes that will be affected by the implementation of the ISO 9001:2008? Another quern that will be posited shall be: how can the quality be improved or maintained when the ISO 9001:2008 is fully operational or implemented already. Using the collective experiences of authors and industry practitioners of ISO 9001:2008 an implementation framework will be developed for an organization that manufactures concrete block to ensure if not guarantee its quality (Cia - 1t). The primary impetus for the organization in ensuring the quality of the concrete blocks they manufacture is to ensure the safety of the people that will be using th em (Cia -101). Concrete blocks are used as walls or support structure of buildings. An improperly produced concrete block could result to injury and even death (Kal). Not only it is imperative to ensure the safety of the concrete blocks but also another immediate concern would be to ensure that the whole production process is efficient and can offer a maximum yield.  The Plan Do Check Act is in the heart of the Toyota way of doing things (Sobek II and Smalley). Toyota has been studied and have been written about several times that it is negligent not to include the lessoned that we can learn in the way they used the Plan Do Check Act concept in their management style. Toyota being the most successful implementation of the concept has not stopped in developing new ways of improving itself. In the true essence of its adherence of continual improvement in the Plan Do Check Act framework the â€Å"Toyota Way† was developed (Lik - 04). The ISO 9001:2008 and its predecessor Qualit y Management Systems have strictly used the same concept in the operation and implementation of the ISO framework. All the authors through their work have been one in saying that the first step towards achieving success in the implementation of a Quality Management System is the organization’s determination and dedication in settling the current state of its manufacturing processes. To determine the current state of the manufacturing process to produce quality products the following has to be established first. What constitute quality in the creation of quality

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Case Study - Essay Example For the general information from the Head Office a mail feedback form should be available on the system of the employee. Since the employees are not functioning from offices Instant Messages through virtual messengers can’t be used because simultaneous online presence of employees is impossible. The Daily Correspondence can be effectively handled through emails and single text message can be used to convey information to all the employees instantaneously. In case of inter personal communication with a personalised message on the mobile phone, to check email can help. Alternately, all employees can be asked to activate mobile phone message flash for every email received with help Internet service provider and mobile phone operating company. Another effective way to coordinate communication will be by asking all employees to check their emails at least thrice a day. This will ensure deliverance of routine correspondence and messages. Another alternate way is to flash a message o n the telephone asking the employees to check their emails for time sensitive information. Telephonic conversation should be used to convey bad news messages. The employee delivering the message can add a sobering influence in such a case. In case of some bad news or emergency messages, that relates to all the employees, email should be used and a simultaneous message to check emails can be delivered on the cell phones. ii) When most of the staff are telecommuters and operate largely from virtual offices, the cheapest, the fastest method, the most reliable and foolproof method of communication is through online Instant Messaging. The messenger of any commercial operator like AOL, Yahoo, or Google can be used. Alternately, a small and a specific web application can be developed that is installed on the telecommuter’s computer system. The moment, the computer is switched on, the telecommuter goes online. A buddy list on everybody’s messenger can be

The Great Depression Essay Example for Free

The Great Depression Essay The Great Depression (1929-39) was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. In the United States, the Great Depression began soon after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment as failing companies laid off workers. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its nadir, some 13 to 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half of the countrys banks had failed. Though the relief and reform measures put into place by President Franklin D. Roosevelt helped lessen the worst effects of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the economy would not fully turn around until after 1939, when World War II kicked American industry into high gear. Historical Importance of the Great Depression: The Great Depression, an immense tragedy that placed millions of Americans out of work, was the beginning of government involvement in the economy and in society as a whole. Dates: 1929 early 1940s Overview of the Great Depression: The Stock Market Crash After nearly a decade of optimism and prosperity, the United States was thrown into despair on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day the stock market crashed and the official beginning of the Great Depression. As stock prices plummeted with no hope of recovery, panic struck. Masses and masses of people tried to sell their stock, but no one was buying. The stock market, which had appeared to be the surest way to become rich, quickly became the path to bankruptcy. And yet, the Stock Market Crash was just the beginning. Since many banks had also invested large portions of their clients savings in the stock market, these banks were forced to close when the stock market crashed. Seeing a few banks close caused another panic across the country. Afraid they would lose their own savings, people rushed to banks that were still open to withdraw their money. This massive withdrawal of cash caused additional banks to close. Since there was no way for a banks clients to recover any of their savings once the bank had closed, those who didnt reach the bank in time also became bankrupt. Businesses and industry were also affected. Having lost much of their own capital in either the Stock Market Crash or the bank closures, many businesses started cutting back their workers hours or wages. In turn, consumers began to curb their spending, refraining from purchasing such things as luxury goods. This lack of consumer spending caused additional businesses to cut back wages or, more drastically, to lay off some of their workers. Some businesses couldnt stay open even with these cuts and soon closed their doors, leaving all their workers unemployed. The Dust Bowl: In previous depressions, farmers were usually safe from the severe effects of a depression because they could at least feed themselves. Unfortunately, during the Great Depression, the Great Plains were hit hard with both a drought and horrendous dust storms. Years and years of overgrazing combined with the effects of a drought caused the grass to disappear. With just topsoil exposed, high winds picked up the loose dirt and whirled it for miles. The dust storms destroyed everything in their paths, leaving farmers without their crops. Small farmers were hit especially hard. Even before the dust storms hit, the invention of the tractor drastically cut the need for manpower on farms. These small farmers were usually already in debt, borrowing money for seed and paying it back when their crops came in. When the dust storms damaged the crops, not only could the small farmer not feed himself and his family, he could not pay back his debt. Banks would then foreclose on the small farms and the farmers family would be both homeless and unemployed. Riding the Rails :During the Great Depression, millions of people were out of work across the United States. Unable to find another job locally, many unemployed people hit the road, traveling from place to place, hoping to find some work. A few of these people had cars, but most hitchhiked or rode the rails. A large portion of the people who rode the rails were teenagers, but there were also older men, women, and entire families who traveled in this manner. They would board freight trains and crisscross the country, hoping to find a job in one of the towns along the way. When there was a job opening, there were often literally a thousand people applying for the same job. Those who werent lucky enough to get the job would perhaps stay in a shantytown (known as Hoovervilles) outside of town. Housing in the shantytown was built out of any material that could be found freely, like driftwood, cardboard, or even newspapers. The farmers who had lost their homes and land usually headed west to California, where they heard rumors of agricultural jobs. Unfortunately, although there was some seasonal work, the conditions for these families were transient and hostile. Since many of these farmers came from Oklahoma and Arkansas, they were called the derogatory names of Okies and Arkies. (The stories of these migrants to California were immortalized in the fictional book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. ) Roosevelt and the New Deal: The U. S. economy broke down and entered the Great Depression during the presidency of Herbert Hoover. Although President Hoover repeatedly spoke of optimism, the people blamed him for the Great Depression. Just as the shantytowns were named Hoovervilles after him, newspapers became known as Hoover blankets, pockets of pants turned inside out (to show they were empty) were called Hoover flags, and broken-down cars pulled by horses were known as Hoover wagons. During the 1932 presidential election, Hoover did not stand a chance at reelection and Franklin D. Roosevelt won in a landslide. People of the United States had high hopes that President Roosevelt would be able to solve all their woes. As soon as Roosevelt took office, he closed all the banks and only let them reopen once they were stabilized. Next, Roosevelt began to establish programs that became known as the New Deal. These New Deal programs were most commonly known by their initials, which reminded some people of alphabet soup. Some of these programs were aimed at helping farmers, like the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration). The End of the Great Depression: To many at the time, President Roosevelt was a hero. They believed that he cared deeply for the common man and that he was doing his best to end the Great Depression. Looking back, however, it is uncertain as to how much Roosevelts New Deal programs helped to end the Great Depression. By all accounts, the New Deal programs eased the hardships of the Great Depression; however, the U. S. economy was still extremely bad by the end of the 1930s. The major turn-around for the U. S. economy occurred after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the entrance of the United States into World War II. Once the U. S. was involved in the war, both people and industry became essential to the war effort. Weapons, artillery, ships, and airplanes were needed quickly. Men were trained to become soldiers and the women were kept on the homefront to keep the factories going. Food needed to be grown for both the homefront and to send overseas. It was ultimately the entrance of the U. S. into World War II that ended the Great Depression in the United States.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari English Literature Essay

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari English Literature Essay The monk who sold his Ferrari is a story about Julian Mantle, a high-profile attorney with an extreme schedule and a set of priorities that centre on wealth, power and reputation, which provides a tactic to living a simple life with greater balance, strength, courage and abundance of joy. This story by Robin S. Sharma is the tale of Julian Mantle, a lawyer brought head on with a spiritual calamity. The fable starts in a  glorious garden  with a  lighthouse  in the middle of the soil. Out of the lighthouse walks a  nine foot tall, nine hundred pound Sumo wrestler who is naked apart from a  pink wire cable  covering his private areas. He trips over and falls on a  stopwatch,  which had been lying on the floor, and loses consciousness. Nevertheless, the wrestler wakes up to the  fresh perfume of yellow roses  coming from a distance and when he looks over there, he discovers that there is a diamond-studded pathway there. He takes that pathway only to continue on in this magnificent life and to complete his journey of spiritual importance and search for inner peace. Julian Mantles spark of life begins to flicker and so he begins a life-changing journey and unearths the ancient ethnicity of India. During this journey he learns the value of time as the most important commodity and how to cherish relationships, develop joyful thoughts and live fully, one day at a time. Julian Mantle, being the exceptional lawyer he was, had achieved everything most people would like to have: professional triumph with a seven-figure income, a luxurious mansion in a neighbourhood occupied by celebrities, a private jet, a summer home on a tropical island and his cherished possession a flashy red Ferrari parked in the centre of his driveway. Suddenly he had to come terms with the unforeseen effects of his disturbed lifestyle. John, who is a friend as well as co-worker of Julian, narrates the story. He begins by describing Julians extravagant way of life, his over-the-top courtroom theatrics, which constantly made the front pages of newspapers and his late night trips to the citys most excellent restaurants. The turning point in Julian Mantles life came about when he collapsed in the courtroom all of a sudden. The doctors said that it was his obsession with work that had caused him the heart attack. The last few years Julian had worked day and night without caring about his mental and physical health. That helped him become a very rich and successful lawyer but took charge of his physical, as well as mental state. At the age of fifty-three he looked like he could be seventy and to top that, he had lost his sense of humour. At the hospital, he had refused to meet any of his colleagues and then on one fine day he quit the law firm and packed off without saying where he was headed. Three years passed without any news from Julian then one day he stopped by to surprise his friend and former colleague John, who was now a pessimistic older lawyer. However Julian, in the past three years, had been astonishingly altered into a healthy man with physical exuberance and spiritual vigor. His heart attack shook him into realization mode and Julian Mantle decided to sell all his property and left for India. The author talks about Julians odyssey, how he met the sages of Sivana who had an enormous effect on him. Julian Mantle discloses his story of transformation and his secrets of a happy and rewarding life with his friend John. Julian portrays to him Sivana a small place located in the Himalayas, the land of rose-covered huts, composed blue waters with white lotuses floating on the surface, adolescence and liveliness, stunning glowing faces, fresh and exotic fruits. He tells John about the sages of Sivana who knew all the secrets of how to live life happily and how to accomplish ones dreams and attain ones destiny. Julian narrates his experiences with Yogi Raman, the leader of the sages of Sivana, as he was the person who taught Julian the secret of leading a happy life. He narrates to John the fable that contained the seven virtues for a life abundant with inner peace, joy and prosperity of spiritual gifts. Mantle reveals the seven virtues of enlightened learning. Them being 1) master your mind, 2) follow your purpose, 3) practice kaizen, 4) live with discipline, 5) respect your time, 6) selflessly serve others and 7) embrace the present. He tells John the methods that he learned from Yogi Raman on how to tackle our minds with simple techniques like the heart of rose technique and the secret of lake technique. He tells John how to develop the mind and how to use obstacles for expanding knowledge ones self. He talks about establishing and pursuing our own principle and teaches John the ancient art of self-leadership with practices such as do the things you fear and the five step method for attaining goals. He expands about the importance of self-discipline and respect for time. He describes techniques such as the ancient rule of twenty and the vow of silence. He teaches John, as well as the reader, on how to focus on the priorities and thus maintain stability and simplify life. He gives examples that prove that determination is the essential virtue of a fully actualized life. Julian teaches John the virtue of self-sacrifice in serving others. He asks John to embrace the present and live in the present. He tells him not to sacrifice happiness for accomplishment and to relish the journey of life and live as though each day was his last. Towards the end of the book Julian asks John to spread these secrets for the benefit of other people. Embracing John like the brother he never had, Julian departs. The message is a bit too clichà ©d and the lectures too finicky for the reader who is more or less familiar with the values and insights gathered by Julian Mantle from the sages of Sivana. Each of the things Julian Mantle came across on his spiritual journey signifies something important. 1) The magnificent garden represents ones mind It is important to cultivate ones mind on a daily basis. Letting only positive thoughts into the mind is essential. Negativity should be considered a sin. 2) The lighthouse signifies our principles in life. A persons life is restricted and so it is vital to concentrate on ones lifes main aims. Laugh, love and live everyday fervently. As Julian had learnt at from the Great Sages, every day should be treated as ones last one. 3) The sumo wrestler symbolizes self-development This involves building strength of character, developing mental toughness and facing problems bravely. The word Kaizen  means the never-ending and daily development of ones self. It signifies crossing the limits in order to develop mind, body and spirit in spite of fear, danger and anxiety. 4) The pink wire cable signifies control A wire cable consists of many strings that have been woven together. The strings, by themselves, are feeble and yet, together when they form the cable it is strong. Determination and discipline are like the strings that need to be woven together to make the mind and body strong. Discipline and self-control are the acts of controlling the mind and this can be done by replacing weak and negative thoughts with strong and positive ones. 5) The stopwatch represents time: Time is the most important service of ones life and it is essential to learn how to make the most use of the time given. Time is fixed and everyone must be able to live life to its complete potential. It is said that time mastery  is the foundation of  life mastery. 6) The fragrance of the fresh yellow roses denotes service 7) The diamond-studded pathway represents enlightened living Live an enlightened, blissful and rewarding life. Live and believe in the now factor. As Julian Mantle had learnt, live in the present and think that every day is the last one. In brief, The monk who sold his Ferrari written by Robin S. Sharma should be regarded as one of his best written books as it looks into the deeper aspects of life; those aspects being the reasons as to why each person is themselves.

The Benefits of Telehealth in Rural Populations Essay -- Healthcare

Benefits of Telehealth in Rural Populations Kansas is considered a rural state in the United States. Merriam-Webster (2012) defines rural theoretically as â€Å"open land† or â€Å"relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture†. The U.S. Census Bureau considers rural to be â€Å"open country and settlements with fewer than 2,500 residents† (Cromartie, 2007). Nearly 17% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, which is about 80% of all U.S. territory (Cromartie, 2009). What this means that there is more land mass compared to the people inhabiting the land; rural communities have fewer people living in larger, more remote areas. Individuals living in rural communities have different cultures and experiences than those living in urban communities, which can become problematic in regards to healthcare. Many factors such as sociocultural, financial and structural issues create barriers to healthcare access for individuals living in rural America. Sociocultural factors include self-reliance, education, language and beliefs; financial factors include inadequate health insurance, income and resources; structural issues include the physical distance to travel, ability to travel and time to travel to healthcare facilities or healthcare professionals (Graves, 2008). For decades, individuals living in rural areas have been considered medically underserved. Access to healthcare is a problem that has been increasing for individuals in rural America due to aging populations, declining economies, rural hospital closures, rising healthcare costs, healthcare provider shortages and difficulties attracting and retaining healthcare personnel and physicians (Bauer, 2002). This population experience more health disparities than t... ...nities: toward eliminating rural health disparities. Online Journal Of Rural Nursing & Health Care, 10(1), 4-6. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2004). Retrieved June 16, 2004 from http://m-w.com/dictionary/rural Moffatt, J. and Eley, D. (2010). The reported benefits of telehealth for rural Australians. Australian Health Review. 34. 276-281. Saqui, O., Chang, A., McGonigle, S., Purdy, B., Fairholm, L., Baun, M., Yeung, M., Rossos, P., Allard, J., (2007). Telehealth videoconferencing: Improving home parenteral nutrition patient care to rural areas of ontario, canada. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 31(3). 234-239. Sevean, P., Dampier, S., Spadoni, M., Strickland, S., Pilatzke, S., (2008). Patients and families experiences with video telehelath in rural/remote communities in northern canada. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18. 2573-2579.

Essay --

As can be seen in fig.1, the VCS system converts given IMGE into random shares. To the naked eye, the random shares do not providing meaning. The VCS system has many applications in the real world. They include transmission of military orders securely, authentication and authorization, transmitting passwords and so on. The researchers worldwide focused in physical properties like color, pixel expansion etc. The proposed construction of VCS based on threshold for levels of whiteness; color VCS was considered in colored VCS. Other scheme is proposed which allows sharing of multiple secret images. Naor et al. introduced EVCS (Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme) with a simple example. This paper proposes EVCS corresponding to VCS. The EVCS takes a secret image and the original share images as input and generates shares that can satisfy the criteria given below. †¢ Secret image can be recovered from any subset of shares. †¢ Forbidden shares can’t be used to obtain secret image. †¢ All the shares are meaningful images. EVCS is something similar to stereography where covering shares are m...

Comparing Romantic Opposition in Billy Budd, Bartleby the Scrivener and Artist of the Beautiful :: comparison compare contrast essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚   Herman Melville wrote some of the most widely read works in the history of literature during the late nineteenth century.   He has become a writer with whom the romantic era is associated and a man whose works have become a standard by which modern literature is judged.   One of his most well-known and widely studied short pieces of fiction is a story entitled, simply, Billy Budd.   In this short story, Melville tells the tale of Billy Budd, a somewhat out-of-place stuttering sailor who is too innocent for his own good.   This enchanting tale, while inevitably entertaining, holds beneath it many layers of interpretive depth and among these layers of interpretation, an idea that has been entertained in the literature of many other romantic writers.   Melville uses a literary technique of developing two characters that are complete opposites in all aspects and contrasting them throughout the narrative, thus allowing their own personalities to adverse ly compliment each other. Melville also uses this tactic in another well-known short story, Bartleby the Scrivener.   Much like Melville's two stories, another romantic writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses this tactic in his short story, The Artist of the Beautiful when he creates two completely different characters who vie for the same woman's love.   Both writers use the contrary characters to represent the different facets of the human personality.  Ã‚   Using this idea and many others, these romantic writers, Melville and Hawthorne, created works with depth of meaning that were both interesting to read and even more intriguing to interpret.      In his short story, Billy Budd, Melville uses this romantically based idea of characteristic opposites in two of his main characters, Billy Budd and Claggart.   To give the comparison even more strength, Melville also puts these two characters in virtually opposing roles in the story.   Billy represents the good that is present in humans and Claggart represents the bad.   Similarly, Claggart takes on an intelligent persona while Billy appears to be a bit innocent and uneducated in the ways of the ship.   These two men are essentially at odds and appear to represent the dueling facets of the human conscience, the sort of angel and devil on the shoulder.   Claggart wishes to rid the ship of Billy and eventually, the captain of the ship is forced to hang Billy because of Claggart's malice.

Effective Leadership through Communication Essay

An effective leader with a team of multicultural and multilingual individuals, requires basic skills in communication. This paper discusses some basic types of communication and a possible methodology to ensure that the communication is understood. Communication in different forms Firstly it is important to having a basic understanding of communication, Bonvillain discusses this when she states that language is: â€Å"The primary means of interaction between people. Speakers use language to convey their thoughts, feelings intentions and desires to others. Bonvillain then goes on to say that: ‘We learn about people through what they say and how they say it; we learn about ourselves through the ways that other people react to what we say; and how we learn about our relationships with others through the give and take of communicative interactions. ’ (N. Bonvillain, 2003 Language Culture and Communication, p. 1) Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern discuss communications within teams and further analysis the categorisations in a 2006 Harvard Business Journal: â€Å"People tend to assume that challenges on multicultural teams arise from differing styles of communication. But this is only one of the four categories that, according to our research, can create barriers to a team’s ultimate success. These categories are direct versus indirect communication; trouble with accents and ? uency; differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority; and con? icting norms for decision making. † Both of these statements support that communication can be broken down in to different categories, but the categories differ depending on the context. In my opinion whether the communication is verbal (spoken language) or non-verbal (gesture or body language) or contextual (shared experience), discovering new cultures through experience rather than theory is not without its difficulties, small signals, that may easily be missed, can be key to the formation of a successful team. For example in southern India the simple act of saying thank you can leave an individual offended, this is because â€Å"thank you† is something a senior would say to a junior employee at work to show a power status, and so an individual thanking a peer would be impolite where as in the UK individuals are taught to say thank you from an early age for all transactions. An extremely common gesture in India is the head nod or wobble, this gesture does not necessarily relate to a yes or no response, it can mean â€Å"ok†, â€Å"I hear you speaking† or â€Å"I understand† this can be confusing and one individual in the conversation may not understand the route the conversation has taken if they are not aware of this gesture. This is supported in further research: â€Å"Communication in Western cultures is typically direct and explicit. The meaning is on the surface, and a listener doesn’t have to know much about the context or the speaker to interpret it. This is not true in many other cultures, where meaning is embedded in the way the message is presented. † (Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern Harvard Business Journal, 2006) As with the head nod the use of the smile can differ greatly wherever you are. In India I have been invited to a few weddings; it is the tradition here for the reception to be held prior to the ceremony. The reception consists of the Bride and Groom standing on a stage and all the guests joining them to have a photo taken, in these photos, no one smiles. From my research this is because, for the Bride this can be an unnerving experience, she is about to leave the comfort surroundings of her home, and step in to a new world of her husbands, the bride has been taught to appear shy, and the friends and relatives are respecting that tradition. Depending on the culture a smile can mean different things. In the German culture, according to Nees, a smile â€Å"is used with far more discretion, generally only with those persons one knows and likes† (Nees 2000. P. 93) where as in Korean culture, too much smiling is often perceived as the sign of a shallow person. Dresser notes that this â€Å"lack of smiling by the Koreans has often been misinterpreted as a sign of hostility†. (Dresser, 1996. 21). Challenge: How to manage when in the field In my opinion it is the reaction to these misunderstandings or communication barriers that is the key to the success or failure of the interaction, how the Team Leader reacts and the attitude they exhibit is the difference between learning the greater complexities of an individual’s culture and offending them. This is discussed further on in the paper, in techniques and tools. To ensure the success of a multi-cultural team a single unifying objective needs to be understood by all, Cartmill discusses this point: â€Å"Language lets us get vast numbers of big, smart fellow primates all working together on a single task – building the great wall of China or fighting World War 2 or flying to the moon. † (M. Cartmill, 1998, Gift of Gab p. 56) Putting this in the context of a Raleigh programme the objective remains the same for all, this is to complete a 3 month programme volunteering in remote communities whilst contributing to sustainable development. Although the end goal may be the same, the driving force or the motivation for each individual will be wildly different. For example one individual entered the Expedition to personally develop his social skills by living with a group of people in close proximity and to be taken out of his comfort zone; another individual wanted to be taken seriously and no longer seen as the group clown. For a Team Leader to be successful it is important that they understand the overall group objectives and individuals motivations, that the team leader has open communication channels with all individuals within the team, and that the individuals have the opportunity to share and express their own culture and identity. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language states that: Cheering at a football game, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, or shouting names or slogans at a public meeting can both re-enforce your group identification and reveal a great deal about you – in particular your culture, regional origins, social background, education level, occupation, age, gender and personality. (Crystal, the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, 1997. 13) A Team Leader can achieve this by using the structured personal development journals. The journal breaks down the expedition in to the 3 phases and askes appropriate questions to help the volunteer to think about and express their motivations and aspirations of the expedition. Once the volunteer fills the appropriate section the Team Leader has 1:1 sessions with all individuals in the team, this gives the individual time with the Team Leader specifically to discuss their development and any support they require from the Team Leader, this is also an opportunity for the Team Leader to provide feedback. By having this conversation and writing it down it provides a chronological account of the volunteer’s time on programme thus showing their journey through development and achievements. The Team Leaders and Day Leaders also run group sessions through facilitated reviews, to inform group bonding. E Griffin talks about this in A First look at Communication Theory (1994. p173) It is a very natural inclination when meeting someone to talk about a topic that both parties might enjoy; and should those talks prove interesting, it is equally natural for friendships to form and evolve. The more points of contact you can establish, the more comfortable you feel. Secondly facilitated sessions with the team over the first few weeks to unite them as one team, simple tasks such as a group contract and discussing â€Å"house rules† provides boundaries and a framework for individuals to work from, by doing this through facilitation the team are setting their own boundaries and gaining an understanding of each other, thus also providing a platform to challenge each other if the boundaries are breached. Techniques: Facilitation, Eric Burnes tools A useful tool or methodology I have found is Eric Burne’s Transactional Analysis (TA). In its most basic form the model teaches that there are 3 ego states, Parent (Taught), Adult (thought) and Child (felt), if you communicate with someone from the Child ego state the response you will receive is one from a Parent ego state and vice versa, and the most beneficial form of communication is Adult to Adult. In my opinion is that if this is taken in the context of communication (verbal or non) within multi-cultural teams, if a team leader can address all individuals as an Adult, an adult will respond, warranting a productive team or successful project. It is important to note that the different categories of communication are important at this point as only 7% of meaning is in the words spoken, 38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said) and the final 55% is in facial expression or body language. Adding to this the knowledge that cultural differences can be as simple as a smile, an adult response will encourage the individual to participate in the communication and explain rather than be mocked (child) or scolded (Parent). An example of this would be: The day leader of the group (the day leader is an individual from the team who is chosen by the team to be the temporary leader, and usually is in this position for 3 days) had allocated tasks for the group, on day 3 of their day leader duties there was unrest within the group,(this unrest was fueled by the day leader) a team of 4 had been working on one particular part of the project which was digging cess pits for sanitation units, the day leader had allocated herself to this task for the 3 days and was unhappy at the amount of time standing in a muddy hole. Due to her frustration and the teams bickering, she approached the Team Leader and started shouting about the situation (raised voice, arms crossed in front of body, emotive language = Child ego), how it was extremely unfair that they had this task and how disgusting standing in a puddle was. The Team Leader responded in a (calm voice of normal range, arms to the sides creating neutral body language = Adult ego state) and asked questions such as: Is there anything you could do differently to resolve the situation? How can we all ensure this does not happen again? The response from the day leader was instantaneous, the shouting stopped and the day leader re allocated the team to different roles, set up a rotation system with a suitable handover discussion and communicated the change to the entire team. This is an ideal scenario, the change in response was very fast. Sometimes it may take a few interactions from the Adult ego to bring the other individual to reciprocate appropriately. Conclusion This example demonstrates that the reaction of the Team Leader ensured that the â€Å"issue† was resolved. By doing this through questioning and facilitating a conversation, the day leader felt that they were in control of the group, and were empowered to make decisions, then communicate those decisions, better enabling the day leader to perform their role whilst being supported by the team leader. As it can be the first time they have lead a team, add to this cultural differences and language barriers and It can be a very confusing and intimidating time for a day leader, and the Team Leader should expect confrontations like this, When we talk about culture it is useful to understanding it can be broken down in to basic topics, such as why and when someone smiles, and accepting that it may differ from what we already know. This helps the individual to have an open mind and appreciate that everything they know about human behavior in their own environment, can, and should, be challenged, and the results are likely to appear different from what they currently know.

Green Marketing Critique

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY AB 0501 Green Marketing Individual Critique Report Word Count: 1,079 By Desmond Leong The Subject Matter The subject matter of the article revolves around the benefits of purchasing an electric car over conventional fuel powered cars.The article also addresses the various aspects beyond the traditional debate on whether electric cars are simply a greener alternative to fuel powered cars, it dwells, albeit not too deeply, at the political perspective of sustainability, the economic advantages and convenience for consumers, the security provided with the shifting of reliance from fuel to electricity as electricity comes from a multitude of sources, being very well diversified in terms of their sources and the various kinds of pollution that electric cars reduce which include noise pollution and air pollution.These aspects discussed all have an intertwined relationship in the complex debate on whether electric cars are indeed better than fuel powered car s, for example, the political perspective of sustainability is intertwined with the security provided with the shift from fuel to electricity, especially for countries like the US. This is because in terms of sustainability, the US looks first at how their country can be sustainable, ergo, reducing their reliance on middle-east oil, and this involves attaining security in terms of diversity of sources of electric energy.Also, the economic advantages for consumers are intertwined in a relationship with the amount of pollution produced and the political agenda supporting the purchases of electric cars, as the economic advantages don’t only come in cheaper fuel, but also a generous tax rebate of up to US$7,500 from the purchase price per electric car. Hence, the various aspects on arguments for purchasing a car have an incredibly intertwined relationship amongst each other in their united front against fuel powered cars.First Argument However, there are always two sides to a coi n. For the political perspective of sustainability and the security provided with the shifting of reliance from oil to electricity, there is a counter-argument. The electricity generated to charge the cars are largely from power plants that require fossil fuel to work. There is a debate that gallon for gallon, electric cars are only 21% efficient compared to fuel powered cars (Minkoff, 2012).While it is true that electricity does come from multiple sources, the bulk of it still comes from burning fossil fuel and hence, doesn’t go a long way to ensuring sustainability in the long run. The evidence on the counter-argument points are true as they do cite information from government research (â€Å"Electric Vehicles,† n. d. ). However, there is the assumption that electric cars will not improve in efficiency over the years which due to the rapid advancement of technology in recent years, is very unlikely.Second Argument Next, the charge stations for electric cars lack the infrastructure for fast charge times. Addressing the perspective of consumers having huge convenience owning an electric car, in the article it wrote that charging your electric car is easy and you can just plug it into your home at night. However, people tend to overlook the charge time, which can range from 20 hours on a 120 volt outlet to 30 minutes on a 480 volt outlet (â€Å"Charging Basics,† 2003).Compared to 5-7 minutes for petrol stations, even the fastest 30 minutes would be an eternity for someone charging his car on the go. However, there is also an additional argument that there has been a breakthrough in battery technology that allows batteries to get an extremely fast charge (Peters, 2011). The evidence for the charging times are accurate as it is published on Nissan’s official website, it does sound alright when charging overnight, but it does pose a problem when you have multiple cars or live in an apartment where you don’t have access to multipl e charging docks.For the source of extremely fast charging batteries, it is true and existing now, but there lacks infrastructure in today’s time because of the need of a smart grid. The assumption in this argument is that most families would only have one car they need to charge, have multiple charging terminals at apartments and everywhere around the world would have a charge station. I find this a huge assumption to overlook. If a family has multiple electric cars, they would face difficulties in rotating their charging schedules, not to mention that apartments and HDBs wouldn’t have sufficient charging points for the many cars.Lastly, for trips from Singapore to Malaysia, there is a huge risk that there are no charging points over there due to the electric cars not penetrating the market there yet, and this would cause a lot of problems similarly in other countries too. Third Argument For the argument that electric cars will reduce air pollution significantly, it i s true that electric cars produce tremendously little air pollution, however, their source of pollution is actually measured by the source of electricity used to charge them (â€Å"Will Electric Vehicles,† n. . ). An electric car that gets its energy from an unclean source like coal or oil, may produce more pollution than an internal combustion engine. Currently, most of the world get their electricity from coal burning, which produces the most pollution, rendering electric cars to be actually contributing significantly to pollution. The evidence from this argument is true, largely because it stems from the very common knowledge that electricity is generated from coal and oil power plants.However, I believe that it is easier to reduce and control pollution from a few thousand coal and oil burning power plants than a few million tailpipes, which means in the long term, electric cars do have pose a huge advantage in the areas of boosting control over pollution. The assumptions here are that cleaner sources of energy will not rise and contribute more to generating electricity. I find this assumption untrue as more and more effort is being put in to improve clean and renewable sources of energy (â€Å"What others are doing,† n. d. , hence, whilst coal and oil remains the largest generators of electricity, this is only for the short term. In the long term, other cleaner sources should take over. Conclusion In conclusion, electric cars will be the long term solution to a lot of our problems, they will solve air and noise pollution by cars, pollution by companies boiling crude oil to get petrol, reduce our reliance on non-renewable fuels which will increase our country’s security as we can seek alternative forms of energy, which will lead us closer to being a self-sustainable world.There are many areas that needs brushing up before electric cars can fully replace petrol cars, but the future is looking bright for them as tremendous advancement in technology has given us very encouraging signs along with the increased government support in encouraging greener technology and greener sources of energy. References Minkoff, M. (2012). Do Electric Cars Really Reduce Dependence On Fossil Fuels?. Political Outcast. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from  http://politicaloutcast. om/2012/08/do-electric-cars-really-reduce-dependence-on-fossil-fuels/. Electric Vehicles (EVs). (n. d. ). Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. fueleconomy. gov/feg/evtech. shtml/. Charging Basics. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. nissanusa. com/leaf-electric-car/home-charging#/leaf-electric-car/faq/list/charging. Peters, J. (2011). New Structure Allows Lithium Ion Batteries To Get A Quicker Charge. Scientific American.Retrieved September 23, 2012, from  http://www. scientificamerican. com/article. cfm? id=new-structure-allows-lithium-ion-batteries-quicker-charge. Will Electric Vehicles Really Reduce Pollution?. (n. d. ). Ret rieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. physics. ohio-state. edu/~wilkins/writing/Samples/policy/voytishlong. html. What others are doing. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. cleanenergyfuture. gov. au/why-we-need-to-act/what-others-are-doing/.

Four Basic Ways a Divisionally Structured Firm Could

There are four basic ways a divisionally structured firm could be organized. What are these four ways? Give an example of each. The four basic ways a divisionally structured firm could be organized are 1) by geographic area. An example of this would be any organization with similar branch facilities located in widely dispersed areas; 2) by product or service. Huffy is an example of divisional structure by product; 3) by customer. Book publishing companies often organize their activities around customer groups as college, secondary schools and private commercial schools; and 4) by process.An example of this is a manufacturing business organized into six divisions: electrical work, glass cutting, welding, grinding, painting and foundry work. Each division would be responsible for generating revenues and profits. Compare and contrast restructuring and reengineering. Restructuring involves reducing the size of the firm in terms of number of employees, number of divisions or units and num ber of hierarchical levels in the firm’s organizational structure. Restructuring is concerned primarily with shareholder well-being rather than employee well-being.In contrast, reengineering is concerned more with employee and customer well-being than shareholder well-being. Reengineering involves reconfiguring or redesigning work, jobs and processes for the purpose of improving cost, quality, service and speed. Whereas restructuring is concerned with eliminating or establishing, shrinking or enlarging, and moving organizational departments and divisions, the focus of reengineering is changing the way work is actually carried out. Reengineering is characterized by many tactical decisions, whereas restructuring is characterized by strategic decisions.

Anglo Saxon Culture as Reflected in Beowulf

Every culture has its own set of beliefs values and customs. Cultural beliefs, values, and assumptions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout a lifetime. A culture is the sum of a group’s way of life and this is no different with the ancient Anglo Saxon culture. Cultures usually have distinct figures that reflect their culture as a whole. The importance of religion, values, and heroes are reflected a great deal in the epic poem of Beowulf accurately showing the Anglo Saxon culture as a whole. Men dominated the Anglo Saxon society and the people loved a great hero like that of Beowulf. They believed a hero should be a keeper of his promises, be boastful and produce great physical strength. Also Beowulf was an outstanding fighter and loyal to everyone he met. He believed no one was greater than anyone else; Beowulf showed great respect even to his enemies by fighting them one on one (â€Å"Anglo Saxons† 48). Even when Beowulf knows fate is against him and he is going to die; he continues to keep fighting; â€Å"†¦No prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise† (Beowulf 60). Beowulf’s boastful self-confidence, his overpowering strength, and his victories in battle make him a classic legendary hero and a model for the Anglo Saxon culture. A very important element in the society of the Anglo Saxons was the mead hall. The mead hall was essentially a meeting place for dinners, story telling and the party for victories (Bjork 89). The mead hall symbolizes security, fellowship, and all that is good in the world (Bjork 90). The mead hall was thought to be the safest place in the entire Kingdom. In Beowulf the mead hall was described as â€Å"the foremost of halls under heaven† (Orchard 77). This mead hall was called Herot serving as a palace for King Hrothgar. This is where Beowulf dismantled Grendel in an epic battle. Beowulf preferred to fight with his bare hands. The typical Anglo Saxon warrior was not blessed with the great talents Beowulf was blessed with so they used various weapons like: the spear, sword, shield, seaxe, and bow and sling. The spear was the most common weapon of choice and could be used as a missile or used in hand-to-hand combat. The sword was not a common weapon used at all because it was very expensive to produce. The sword was usually given to a great warrior who has demonstrated courageous acts in battle. All warriors had a shield that was made of wood and usually lined together by metal. A seaxe was a single bladed knife that was carried on the belt on the warrior and was used more as a tool than an actual weapon (Beowulf 112-113). Anglo-Saxons valued religion very highly. There is much controversy over Beowulf in dealing with pagan and Christian beliefs because historians believe both were integrated although Christianity seems to be more prevalent. Religion was the center of people’s life at this time and is demonstrated in Beowulf when Beowulf calling for God exclaims †¦ â€Å"the almighty the maker of the earth†. Up until the 6th century it is back and forth between Christianity and Paganism. The greatest sources of information on the pagan period of religion are from the 7th to 8th century testimonies, such as Beowulf (Orchard 25). Paganism dealt with the worshiping of many gods. The celebration of glory has such emphasis in Beowulf because human praise is the highest goal of the pagan characters. Anglo Saxon warriors wore helmets for battle with a pagan god on them named Freyr. Those who grew up praying to Thor to protect them with their shield and helmet before they went to battle were involved in the pagan religion (Orchard 33). Paganism seemed to be the religion of choice for many Anglo- Saxon warriors while Christianity did not evolve as quick in warriors (â€Å"Saxons Culture†). Margaret E. Goldsmith who wrote â€Å"The Christian Theme of Beowulf† exclaimed the teaching of St. Augustine and St.  Gregory are incorporated in Hrothgar’s sermon. Goldsmith said Beowulf was sort of a Christian historical novel, with selected bits of paganism purposely laid on as â€Å"local color† such as the references to fate or Wyrd (Bloom 127). All considered Beowulf shows religion, expresses values of everyday life and explains what a true hero in all about in Anglo Saxon times. The Anglo Saxons express their cultures through wonderful literature such as Beowulf, which is a record of heroic deeds. The Anglo Saxon society believes in great men such as Beowulf that have good morals and exemplify devotion to their country. Beowulf derives its main plot from folk tales; and as W. P. Ker has said, â€Å" it is difficult to give individuality or epic dignity to commonplaces of this sort (Bloom 14). The author of Beowulf recognized the obligation of giving his hero emotional and ethical value through association with events the Anglo Saxon people would recognize as hero-like. It was not enough that Beowulf should display unequaled strength and courage in his victories over gargantuan monsters but the value of these exploits must be enhanced by Beowulf’s deep and emotionally justified concern for those he fought (Bloom 14). The physical power of Beowulf does not give him the moral dimensions and the title of an epic hero. The loyalty and unselfishness Beowulf displays makes him the ultimate Anglo Saxon hero and the great epic of Beowulf will never be forgotten because there is no greater idol than Beowulf.

Renaissance and Reformation. King Henry VIII Research Paper

Renaissance and Reformation. King Henry VIII - Research Paper Example The Tudors were elements of the house of Lancaster which had clashed with the House of York, another noble group, in the epoch of the national war in England called the War of the Roses. A Lancastrian insurgence had grown against Yorkist King Richard III. Henry Tudor overcame King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field and took the throne of England. The marriage contracted by King Henry the seventh was thus very significant as it united the York and Lancaster sections and in fact caused the War of the Roses to cease . Henry VIII was the second boy born to his parents, the first being Arthur and his sisters were Margaret and Mary Tudor. He adored his mother the Queen who was a loyal and obedient woman, an exemplary female who closely portrayed the virtues that the society of that period expected its womenfolk to espouse. In childhood, Henry VIII was greatly pampered and spoiled. Kings in his time were believed to be anointed entities that rarely could make a mistake and even if they did, their mistakes would be used by the Deity to cause an advantage to the nation in some manner. His mother and grandmother apparently believed this notion to the fullest. His father was another matter. King Henry VII favored Prince Arthur, Henry’s older brother. He was the one to inherit the throne and so he was given more consideration. Prince Arthur was bestowed with royal responsibilities while Henry was left to develop his own preferences. Both brothers were strictly monitored and their friends were carefully chosen. His relationship with his father strained both Henry VIII and the King, though more so the younger man. Henry VII seemed aware of the reality of his son’s disposition and especially after the death of his first son, feared the popularity of his second son2. It even seems that he sensed in Henry VIII a drive for power and a festering ruthlessness in hiding. The Six Wives At the age of two, Arthur had been affianced to Katharine of Aragon. This was a common practice at that time and especially as concerns princes and princesses who were used repeatedly by ambitious parents to foster alliances and pacts with foreign countries that would see their powers increase. Henry’s position as the irrelevant child lasted until a few months after his tenth birthday. Arthur, his elder brother, died at his castle in Ludlow. Within a year, his mother had also passed away along with her newborn because of an infection that she had contracted as she recovered from her confinement. The loss of his mother, brother, and baby sister affected his father more than it did Henry VIII. Another tragedy that took place was Arthur’s death. The older Prince had been married to the Spanish Catalina de Aragon on 14th November, 1501. A bond of matrimony between the House of Tudor and the Spanish throne would ensure more respect for both rulers and strengthen their positions. Prince Henry had guided his sister in law and future spouse up the steps of the St. Paul’s Cathedral to say her vows and would later introduce her

Illegal Immigration in Los Angeles in the 1980's Essay

Illegal Immigration in Los Angeles in the 1980's - Essay Example These new immigrants arrived in a new country possessing little more than what they could carry on their back. They were challenged in many ways including their legal status, yet were able to make significant social, cultural, and economic contributions. This paper will discuss the lives of these undocumented workers during the 1980's and present the dynamic changes that resulted from their arrival. It will present the view that the cultural and demographic landscape of Los Angeles was shaped by these illegals, and has had a continuing effect on California as well as the United States. The life of an illegal immigrant began as soon they approached the United States and prepared to cross the border. Often they would be met by angry mobs, riots, gunfire and chaos (Custred). Once across the border they would continue to confront racism, exploitation, and a hostile political environment. Though they would be outcast socially from mainstream society, there was an emerging labor market eager for cheap and reliable workers. It was no coincidence that the rise in illegal immigration during the 1980s coincided with a rise in the demand for cheap labor during the same period (Morales and Ong). Because the undocumented workers were here primarily for employment, their lives centered around and were greatly influenced by the work they performed. These jobs were almost universally at the bottom of the pay scale in unskilled occupations such as household help or farm worker. With no legal status, limited English skills, and no formal education, these illegals were destined to t he life of poverty and hardship that they were trying to escape. The immigrants would most often settle together or would be herded into a group by social necessity. Farm workers would band together to share expertise and form groups that would follow the crop that currently needed planting or harvested. They would work the lettuce fields, the vineyards, and fruit groves as the season demanded. This constant travel was especially rough on the children. Forced to move from school to school they were able to obtain at best a sub-standard education. Often they were needed in the fields when not attending class and the simple pleasures of childhood were not available to the child of an illegal migrant worker. Sometimes the missed pleasure would be as simple as being able to sleep late on the weekends. For the immigrants that worked in the domestic business, the canneries, and the processing plants, life was more stable. Yet with this stability came a new set of problems. Unable to escape the poverty of low wages, they would endure cramped quarters, high rent, and substandard conditions. Acuna tells of the mounting stress of living as he tells of a child's experience living in these conditions. "Ten year old Yuri de Paz wakes up each morning in a cramped Pico-Union apartment she shares with eight other family members, and walks to school through a Los Angeles neighborhood that is so dangerous that police have barricaded it to keep drug dealers out..." (291). The difficulty of raising a family under impoverished conditions while struggling to earn a living was only one of the challenges that faced the undocumented workers. The inability to speak and write English presented another obstacle to

Auditing and Accouning Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Auditing and Accouning Ethics - Essay Example The audit committee, which performs the audit, plays a very important role in preventing financial reports from being fraudulent. The auditors should be independent members with suitable accounting and financial expertise, to appraise the policies underlying the financial reports and to assess their validity. Auditors should ask pertinent questions to clearly understand every transaction, allegation or investigation that has happened. An audit aims to draw out the essence and truth from every answer and helps to examine the controls and processes, employed by the company, in any complex transaction that may be out of the normal process of controls. The requirement of an annual audit prompts companies to establish an effective compliance programme, which will have anti-fraud controls, to detect fraud, and proper investigation conducted, if fraud is detected. An audit is like a tool that ensures that financial reports would be accurately created and updated, internal control system would be in place and proper reporting and investigation of improper actions would be made. Most corporate fraud cases have originated at the highest managerial level. The multi-billion dollar cases of fraud involving WorldCom, Enron and Tyco International, were all results of the fraudulent activities of the respective chief executives of the companies. Tyco International’s CEO, Dennis Kozlowski, was charged with misappropriating 400 million USD of company money on an extravagant lifestyle and personal expenditure. Similarly, the cofounder and CEO of telecom giant WorldCom, Bernie Ebbers, got convicted for a fraud of 11 billion USD, in 2005. Kenneth Lay, CEO of Enron, was charged with a corporate fraud that ultimately resulted in the collapse of the company. However, in spite of strict laws that have been instituted to prevent huge losses to shareholders, employees and investors, corporate fraud is

Health insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Health insurance - Essay Example Therefore, this paper will look into a health advertisement and discuss it in its fullness. Health and health insurance as a topic is important in most people’s lives. Decisions on what the best medical policies are suitable for an individual and their families as well as what medical services are best suited for them often take center stage in planning. Therefore, companies and medical providers have the obligation to research and find out what consumers need and how effectively they can provide these needs. They have to take into consideration; the pricing, the treatment, cause of the drug as compared to its complements, then advertise it in a manner that will captivate the consumers and make them want to try it. Advertisements assure the target market of how effective the product is and how well- tested it is should be included to erase any fear of bad and severe side effects or otherwise. There is an advertisement of the Swiss drug maker, Novartis, on multiple sclerosis disease that says â€Å"Hey MS, Take This!† (Olson). The advert is about people who refuse to let the disease control their lives. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord. These parts of the body are the central and core parts that control most, if not all the other body parts. Multiple Sclerosis can affect the body hindering an individual’s perfomance as well as personal independence; thus, making them rely on assistance for the rest of their lives. The advert shows people with the Gilenya drug on their tongues that are stuck out (Olson). This shows that they are willing to fight against any disease that may want to affect their bodies neurologically or otherwise. The text â€Å"Hey MS, Take This!† (Olson). The graphics of extremely good-looking and healthy persons brings out the defiance nature that we should adopt against any condition. It is encouraging and shows a positive fighting spirit and the strength that

Integrated Critique of Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene and Kozol's Savage Essay

Integrated Critique of Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene and Kozol's Savage Inequlites - Essay Example These perceptions are the reason why a lot of people are dying to go to America; to fulfill their American Dream, as it is commonly known. What they don't know that behind this beautiful image of freedom, peace and equality lays a system that is so cruel and selfish that one would reel at just the thought of it. There are many books that are written in the pursuit of enlightening the readers about the negative side behind America's systems. These books are written not to dampen the spirits of the Americans and the aspiring immigrants of America but to show them the picture that America is not a perfect country it may be a haven for some, but there are also some people who may find it otherwise. The book "Savage Inequalities' by Jonathan Kozol is one of the widely read book that talks about the not-so-good-system of America. This paper is aimed at analyzing the contents of the said book, and thereby evaluating the probable cause and effect of this book to its readers. Also, this paper aims to find out whether Kozol's book is able to make an objective point of view regarding America's unfair system. In Jonathan Kozol's book, "Savage Inequalities", Kozol has described the real happenings in the American Public School System. Conducting visits and research in America's public elementary and high schools, Kozol made a shocking discovery: that despite the new age and laws in America about equality in social class and race, discrimination is still happening and it is taking place in the public elementary and high schools; the place where children go to and learn about these stuff. What is more shocking is that it is done blatantly and no one is taking a stand against it. What more, people who can make changes about these things are even choosing not to address the problem and even voting against doing something about it (Kozol, 1991). It is a vicious cycle, really. Children who are educated in public schools that are inferior in quality, both in facilities and in the academic area, would grow up to occupy the lowest strata in the work force . Since they are used to poor conditions, they would be contented to live with the small wages and poor benefits they would be getting from such jobs. They would marry and their children will once again go to such public school. In turn, children of the rich and the middle class go to good public schools - schools that are complete in facilities and have a good faculty and system. These children would be given good education so that when they graduate they will get jobs that are high paying and white collar. And when it is their turn to raise a family, their children will go to the same good public school their parents went to. So you see, the school serves as a capitalist system that requires the reproduction of the division of labor (Bowles, 1972)). The rich and middle class, knowing that these work at their advantage, see no point in improving the system. In fact, they even create policies to maintain their place in the social strata. Inequality in social status is not the only thing that Kozol has discovered in his rounds in these public schools. He has also found out those public schools that house children of color are more inferior in quality. A good example of such school is the public school in East St. Louis. East St. Louis is populated