Edgar Allan Poe and Momentary Satisfaction Revenge

Revenge; Justified or Momentary Satisfaction Revenge is such a common thread in today’s society. It is evident in television, movies, literature, politics, and even among friends at school. Everyone wants revenge. Revenge is a common tendency of human nature, but revenge is never justified. Many people live their lives with the philosophy of â€Å"an eye for an eye†, but as Mahatma Gandhi said â€Å"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. † When you think of all the little things people do to â€Å"get back† at those who hurt them in some way, you begin to see a pattern of destruction, even if it is on a small scale.The point here is that revenge very rarely serves its true purpose, which is a sense of self-satisfaction. Seeking revenge ends up making you look like the bad guy and usually backfires. Humans have an urge to get even with one another for what the other has done. Often time’s karma is a better judge of people than t hemselves. The quote from Robert F. Kennedy that states â€Å"Don’t get mad, get even. † is wrong; as revenge is just a case of self- satisfaction. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allen Poe, in paragraph 29 it states â€Å"Once more let me implore you to return.No? Then I must positively leave you. But I must first render you all the little attentions in my power. † Montresor is mocking Fortunato and then leaves him, he then states (last paragraph) â€Å"My heart grew sick- on account of the dampness of the catacombs. † I believe that he is saying he regrets doing what he did, and that revenge only satisfies ones need for a moment. Revenge is short lived, and has no long term use in this life. It is simply a temptation beating on our door of reality.No matter what level of hurt one does to another; killing a loved one or simply stealing your pencil at school, it is never justified to do something back. In â€Å"A Poison Tree† by W illiam Blake, someone does another wrong; He tries to get even by poisoning him. â€Å"I was angry with my friend, I told my wrath, my wrath did end, I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. † His foe makes him angry so, to get back at him he poisons him with an apple. â€Å"And into my garden stole, when the night had veiled the pole; in the morning glad I see my foe outstretched beneath the tree. He got even with him by killing him; this is taking it to the extremes. There is always another way; â€Å"She got even in a way that was almost cruel. She forgave them. † – From Ralph McGill (about Eleanor Roosevelt). This is saying that instead of revenge do the opposite, forgive. Maybe they want one to do something back to them, but don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing one’s self try to get even. They are not worth it. Forgiveness is not revenge but the willingness of one’s self to move forward with their lives, and not live in the past of what has been done to them.Two wrongs don’t make a right. When someone does another wrong and one’s self does something wrong back it will never make one fully happy. In the Mentalist when Red John kills Patrick Jane’s wife and kid, he joins the C. B. I. team to one day seek revenge on Red John. When he finally captures him, he says he doesn’t feel much better. Revenge is never justified, no matter what. It is a human’s self- satisfaction that drives them to get back but, in the end no one wins; everyone suffers.

Gilgamed vs Aeneid Essay

The Evolution of the â€Å"Highway to Hell† in Classical Mythology Mythology, by denotation, is â€Å"a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.† Myths are an entity that evolve through time and through the changing of culture in order to tailor to the people telling the story; as such, we often see a series of different versions develop reflecting a relatively similar story. In this paper, the similarities and differences of the representation of the Underworld in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Virgil’s Aeneis will be analyzed and applied to the culture of the authors. We read these myths thousands of years after they were written in order to gain an understanding of the world’s past, analyze the minds of our progenitors, and ponder the mystery of human origins. In abridgment, The Epic of Gilgamesh, tells the four thousand y ear old Mesopotamian tale of Gilgamesh, the fifth King of Uruk and demigod. In this myth, the story begins with Gilgamesh and his former enemy and current best friend Enkidu. Together, they kill the Bull of Heaven, a deity sent in revenge by the goddess Ishtar to destroy their crops. When Enkidu kills the bull, he angers the gods, prompting them to kill Gilgamesh’s closest friend in retribution. After this traumatic event, Gilgamesh slips in to a state of infatuation with the meanings of life and death. Searching for the meaning of life and a path to eternal life, he sets off on a quest to find a man who lives in the Underworld and is called Utnapishtim; Gilgamesh believes him to be a mortal man who survived a great flood and was rewarded with immortality. On his quest to arrive in the Underworld, Gilgamesh encounters Siduri: the barmaid at the edge of the sea, Urshanabi: the boatman of the Underworld, and finally Utnapishtim: the immortal keeper of the Underworld. Upon meeting Utnapishtim, Gilgamesh coaxes him into revealing the secret to immortality: a flower at the bottom of the sea. This analysis will be focused on Tablet X. The second major work included in this analysis is the Roman, Virgil’s The Aeneid, Book VI. In synopsis, this myth tells t he story of Aeneas after the Trojan War and his quest to lead his people. The preluding chapters of The Aeneid describe Aeneas’s adventures after the fall of Troy and in the Underworld portion of the myth, Aeneas seeks the Underworld in order to obtain the advice of his late father. In the Underworld, not only does Aeneas meet his father but also his former lover. Virgil’s The Aeneid and The Epic of Gilgamesh both portray two heroes on an adventure mission to the Underworld to avenge the past and discover the future; however there are stark differences in these outwardly similar myths. Initially, when comparing these two stories, one must consider the context from which they come. Virgil’s epic poem is one which draws on the Roman culture and was written between 29 and 19 BC while in contrast, The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest known works of literature and is centered around the Mesopotamian culture of the significantly older 2000 BC. Noting this substantial gap in not only geography, but also the time warp is important as we continue in our analysis of these two works. The Romans depicted in The Aeneid held clear beliefs that one who led a good life would reap the benefits in the afterlife whereas the Mesopotamians’ ancient culture seems to have left their ideas starkly vacant towards the concept of death and the afterlife. When Gilgamesh arrived at the first ingress of the Underworld, he met the barmaid Siduri in her tavern at the edge of the sea. She said to him the following: â€Å"There has never been a ferry of any kind, Gilgamesh, and nobody from time immemorial has crossed the sea† (Tablet X, p. 433). In a very similar style to The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sibyl, The Aeneid’s fortune-telling equivalent of Siduri, also meets Aeneas at the edge of the Sea of Death and tells him, â€Å"All nights, all days too, dark Dis’s portals lie open. But to recall those steps, to escape to the fresh air above you, There lies the challenge, the labor! A few have succeeded†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Aeneid, Book 6, line 128-130). After this warning, she gives Aeneas somewhat cryptic instructions on how to collect a golden branch which, if fate allows, will grant him access to the Underworld. In juxtaposing these two quotes from these scenes of the myths, we can get a sense of the archetypes and ideals behind the people who wrote them. As depicted in the quote from The Epic of Gilgamesh, it comes to light that not only does Gilgamesh not know what to expect from the Underworld and the afterlife, but also Siduri doesn’t quite have a tangible notion of what should happen to someone who passes into the underworld and is not dead. In contrast, the apparently more experienced Sibyl tells Aeneid that it will not be easy, but makes this task sound much more feasible. She has exact instructions for him and quite simply, leaves the verdict of his eligibility to fate. Through this comparison we can begin to notice some of the culture of the respective  times which permeates these myths. Gilgamesh’s tale is older and the author was writing from a decidedly more undeveloped mythological perspective; for the people of The Epic of Gilgamesh’s time, death was undefined and impalpable. However, for the people living in the time in which Virgil was writing, death, although intimidating, was something that one who did not commit sins, did not need to fear. Looking a bit more in depth, we can see that these myths give us a glimpse in to the minds of the people who lived in the time in which they were written. In The Aeneid, Aeneas goes to the Underworld to seek counsel from the deceased whereas in contrast, G ilgamesh goes as part of a quest to ultimately avoid the underworld in immortality. We can see a complete lack of fear of death written through the words of Virgil when Aeneid addresses his deceased father in line 698, â€Å"†¦Father, give me your hand! Give it, don’t pull away as I hug and embrace you! Waves of tears washed over his cheeks as he spoke in frustration: Three attempts made to encircle his father’s neck with his outstretched arms yielded three utter failures.† Through this quote, it becomes apparent to us that Aeneid feels no fear for the dead; he feels simply frustration at the fact that he can’t embrace his father. In blunt contrast, in The Epic of Gilgamesh when the Underworld and death is described, it is described as the following: â€Å"Nobody sees Death, nobody sees the face of Death, nobody hears the voice of Death, Savage Death just cuts mankind down† (pg 435). This description from the older of the two works lacks the s ense of knowing and fate that is seen as a reoccurring theme in The Aeneid; it is an undefined mystery that still has not been conquered. In this ancient text, we are reintroduced to the idea of Gilgamesh fearing the after-life, verses Aeneas facing it and accepting a fate which has been predetermined. In the end, the Underworld experiences of Aeneas and Gilgamesh each bring forth experiences which are similar, yet are each one is molded in its own way to produce something that reflects their corresponding cultures. Both plotlines tell the account of a demigod hero with a god-invoked tragic past and their path to a quasi-interchangeable Underworld as a means of catharsis. Considering that these two myths, having been from as much as a thousand years apart and two different regions of the world, have so many striking plot similarities, one must marvel at the power of the story passed through the generations. Myths have survived the test of time and changing cultures to create the myriad of  memoirs that we still enjoy in the modern age. These myths, although no longer something that we typically consider a part of modern religion, allow us a peek into the past. The history of our development through anthropologic changes and our perpetually morphing understandings of the meaning of life is preserved in the mythological collections of our earliest predecessors. The perspective offered in classic mythology offers us a sense of the concept of life and death as it was viewed by those who lived so l ong ago.

Human Existence Essay

1. The origins of the majority of human existence in North America began with migrations from Eurasia over the Bering Strait. 2. The first truly complex society in the Americas was that of the Olmec. 3. Cahokia was a large trading center located near what present-day city? St. Louis. 4. The agricultural practices of pre-Columbian tribes in the Northeast were characterized by a rapid exploitation of the land. 5. The preeminent European maritime power in the fifteenth century was Portugal. 6. Christopher Columbus  thought the world was much smaller than it was in reality. 7. Amerigo Vespucci  helped popularize the idea that the Americas were new continents. 8. What European explorer gave the Pacific Ocean its name? Ferdinand Magellan 9. Encomienda was  the right to exact tribute and labor from natives. 10. The first permanent Spanish settlement in what is now the United States was St. Augustine. 11. In what way did sixteenth-century Europeans benefit from trade between the Americas and Europe? A large number of new crops became available in Europe. 12. Which of the following was NOT introduced by Europeans to the New World?  Corn. 13. The portion of west Africa that provided the majority of slaves for the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century had well-developed economies and political systems. 14. African and American Indian societies tended to be matrilineal, which means that people traced their heredity through their mothers. 15. In the fifteenth century, slavery in Africa  generally allowed certain legal protections to the enslaved. 16. The European countries that controlled the African slave trade did so in which chronological order, from earliest to latest? the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English 17. What condition in England in the sixteenth century provided an incentive for colonization? The availability of farmland was declining, while the population was growing. 18. In what way were Martin Luther and John Calvin important to English Puritans? Luther and Calvin advocated ideas of religious reform that influenced Puritan thought. 19. The teachings of John Calvin  produced a strong desire among his followers to lead lives that were virtuous. 20. The English Reformation resulted from  a political dispute between King Henry VIII and the Catholic Church. 21. The English concluded from their colonial experiences in Ireland that English colonists should maintain a rigid separation from the indigenous population.

Atomic Spectra Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Atomic Spectra - Lab Report Example Each element have different energy level orbital, due to which, electron movement from one orbital to another is different for each element. As the wavelength of emitted radiations depends on the difference between the energy level of these orbital and so the line spectra, that’s why different elements have different line spectra. Yes, the element will emit the same line spectrum if a different excitation source is used. The energy orbital (in which the electron revolve) are fixed in an element. The electron at lower energy orbit will take some specific amount of energy (irrespective of, it is coming from electricity or flame) and go to some higher orbit. And on return will emit the same energy in the form of photon of particular wavelength. When the light is passed through an element, the element absorbs certain wavelengths while the rest of the wavelength pass through it. This spectrum is called absorption spectrum. The absorb wavelength appear as bright while the background is bright. No, there is no ambiguity in determining the identity of the unknown as there are very less chance (negligible) that spectral lines of any two compounds match. The contamination of dust particles over the unknown is the most problematic error that can occur. Octadecene is a hazard chemical. Its vapor should not be inhaled, and contact with skin and eyes should be avoided. Trioctylphosphine is a corrosive chemical and it causes burns. Oleic acid is a very light and heat sensitive. It is irritating to eyes, the respiratory system, and the skin. The safety precautions that should be taken are Wearing gloves and eye protection. Working should be done in fume hood environment and care should be taken in handling reagents. The disposal of waste should be proper. 2. (1 pt.) Your group should be ready to add the selenium solution to the cadmium solution as soon as the temperature reaches 225ââ€" ¦ C. What experimental difficulties arise of the cadmium heats

How does the social shaping perspective help us to understand the Essay

How does the social shaping perspective help us to understand the social and organizational implications of technological change - Essay Example The paper tells that the thesis that each technology is working if its creator had made successful preparations in already arranged social and political context, is defended from two perspectives. On the one hand, the analysis shows that the role of advertising, political conditions, and gender relations is crucial in the given and other cases of technological development. On another hand, the role of certain choices made by agents of technological change emerges in any case of the struggle for becoming a popular technology. Thus, the presented critics of technological determinism prove the necessity to investigate social and organizational circumstances of any technology entering the market both in retrospective and in the contemporary world. At the very beginning of his analysis, Cowen discusses the role of technology in changing of families in general and women’s position in particular. In fact, he states that technological revolution in the household had already happened a nd changed our daily lives â€Å"in somewhat unexpected ways†. In this context, he draws his core argument from the insufficiency of standard view on Industrial revolution. To put it in author’s words, â€Å"it will be necessary to know more than we presently do about the impact of industrialization on families of similar classes and geographical locations†. After defining this, he presents an analysis of several basic shifts in American society caused by Industrial revolution. Firstly, completely electrified apartments replaced popular gas usage. Consequently, physical (or hand) power became outdated. Supporting the key ideas of technological determinism, in his another work Cowen recognizes technological inappropriateness as the core reason of long entering of electronic devices in the daily consumption market. Then, the appearance of new household utilities had modified the life of ordinary Americans.

Elements of change and continuity in the history of London and its Essay

Elements of change and continuity in the history of London and its cinematic representation - Essay Example It was the Normans who introduced the feudal system to Britain (Norton, 1829). And even before and after that, London has been a town of merchandise mainly (Norton, 1829). It was a city of banks as well (Michie and Williamson, 2004, p.12). These two features of the city have remained till date. And from a very early period, the citizens of London had many privileges given to them by the respective rulers, which were not enjoyed by the rest of the Britain's inhabitants (Norton, 1829, p.50-75). Even in the present scenario, Londoners are more well-off that all other British people. And the position of London as one of the most important places of commerce in the world, though dimmed, has not been entirely lost. The history of merchandise has imparted this city a unique system of governance: Formerly every man in London followed a trade: he therefore belonged to a company. And as the commonality, all the men of London together assembled, i.e. all the members of all the companies, elected the Mayor, so to this day the electors of the Lord Mayor are the members of the companies† (Besant, 2010, p.209). Though many people have shifted from trade into other vocations, the power given to the members of the companies remain (Besant, 2010, p.209). Secondly, the presence of West Minster abbey in the heart of London city is yet another mark of constancy. Even after London adopted democracy, the vestiges of monarchy lingered and even in cinematic depictions of London, the monarch and the palace inevitably finds a place. (Alfie, 1966, Together, 1956, London, 1994). The twentieth century London evolved as a city completely controlled by the rule of law, in the aftermath of the World War 1 (Michie and Williamson, 2004, p.2). Throughout the twentieth and twenty first century, the city has shown great political stability. In the 1950s, city of London, as a business hub, was under a transformation from the dominance of British currency to the rule of US dollar (Schenk, 2004, p.326). The crisis imparted by this diminishing economic dominance has returned to this city now and again and cost it man y developmental pitfalls. And this is why the recent economic recession that affected the United States first had a severe impact on this city as well. 1950s was a decade of the opening up of the economy of the city to such foreign influences. The

Case Analysis Leo Burnett Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case Analysis Leo Burnett - Essay Example Leo Burnett merged its operations with a similar company in the advertising business in 2001 (O’Neil). However, LB did retain its name. Janet Carmichael was virtual team leader who headed the operation of the company. Gaining trust as a team leader requires developing precise plans and objectives, which would define the nature of relationship that should exist between the virtual groups. It is evident that geographical differences separated the groups. However, the team leader did not develop precise objective, which could enforce trust among the teams. The case projects lack of trust among teams, which led to their poor performance. Success of any project depends on its implementation plan. Carmichael did not develop implementation plan that would define the kind of role each team would play. Coordination is an important aspect that the virtual teams did not embrace. Communication office is a pillar in any successful company. LB London and its sister company in Toronto had a communication lapse, which is responsible for the woes that the company faced. Team leaders should ensure that they develop mechanisms which would enhance communication and timely information delivery. It is apparent that telephone calls and emails are not enough for business to realize its success. Team leader must be able to meet the virtual teams, share their problems and success, and finally project the way in which the team should operate. Virtual teams must be able to see defined protocols, which handle the problems that they may be having. Meetings are very important, especially when a company has various teams working in different locations. Meetings help the leader to identify any lapse that his or her team is facing. This would create trust between the team and its leader. The case illustrates ineffective communication between virtual teams and its consequences to the company. It is apparent that team leader should device effective ways which would give reflective

Expressionism in Art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Expressionism in Art - Assignment Example The paper "Expressionism in Art" gives a detailed information about expressionism art. The primary objective of the expressionist style was to registerthe subjective responses that the artists harbored in context of events or objects. Expressionism never intended to project a realistic and true to life picture of the objects as they existed. It always had more to do with the delicate world of feelings and emotions then to attempt a literal interpretation of the real worldly forms and events. Expressionism relied for its strength and potency on the subtle sensitivity of an artist. Vivid colors, two dimensional subjects lacking a depth or perspectives and distortions turned out to be the hallmarks of the expressionist art. The goal of the expressionist art was to capture potent, extreme and distorted emotions that originated in an artist’s sensitive mind as it come in contact with the varied events and forms in the real world. The quintessential premise, on which expressionism w as based, was the belief that an artist’s response to the real world objects and events happened to be so intense that it left an indelible mark on the form of art. In expressionist art, the artist enjoyed a sense of freedom to exaggerate or distort the surface elements in consonance with the subjective pressures being experienced by the artist. Expressionism not only allowed an artist to express oneself, but also aspired to generate an emotional response in the viewers. Expressionist art happened to be a reflection of its times.

The Role of Religion in the United States and Egypt Essay

The Role of Religion in the United States and Egypt - Essay Example US Puritan ancestors believed that men were born evil but had the potential to be good, through self-control and self-motivation. The Protestant religion teaches that self-discipline and hard work contribute to the "godliness† of individuals (Chapter 9), which is reflected in the beliefs about human nature, and in the attitude towards work. Similarly, the Islamic belief proclaims hard work as a cherished virtue (Chapter 10). Muslims believe that people are born good and develop into positive directions (Chapter 10). The Americans view time as a key resource (Chapter 9). Their present efforts and resources are oriented to the future. Unlike the US, the time has different dimensions in Egypt; it is not a linear adherence to schedules and deadlines, but rather an abstract mixture of people and transactions (Chapter 10). The equality in the United States is proclaimed by Constitution, while the Islamic guiding document proclaiming equality is the Koran (MS Encarta, 2003). Still, st atus and financial power in both cultures are the sources of social inequality. The United States places a strong emphasis on status-defining factors like money, and power (Chapter 9). Similarly, the Egyptian society comprises of the ruling minority of Afrangi, high government officials, and academicians, and the ruling majority of natives, Baladi (Tehuti Research Foundation, 2003).The individualistic American society is much different from the group-oriented Islam, where family traditions are highly cherished (Chapter 10).

Understand & explain the Accounting Equation and its components Essay

Understand & explain the Accounting Equation and its components - Essay Example Understand & explain the Accounting Equation and its components Furthermore, it makes sure that financial statements reflect acrual basia of accounting. Adjusting entries are necessary because a single transaction may affect revenues or expenses in more than one accounting period and also because all transactions have not necessarily been documented during the period. The determination of an objective net income as well as the correct balances on the Balance Sheet. There are two types of adjusting entries the deferrals or the prepayments and the accruals. They are further categorized into four types of adjusting entries which includes accrued revenues, prepaid revenues, accrued expenses and prepaid expenses. Accrued revenues which are also referred to as accrued assets refers to revenues whichhave already been earned but have not been paid for and thus have not been posted in the general ledger. These are adjusted in the financial statements by debiting the asset accounts recievable and crediting the the relevant revenue account. An example of ac crued revenue may occur when an architecutral firm offers consultancy services of $ 1300 to a manufacturing enterprise but fails to bill its services untill next accounting period. An adjusting entry to record the income in the correct period would be done by Accounts Reciavable $ 1300 Consultancy Income $ 1300 Prepaid income refers to revenues or money recieved from clients before the services has been earned. The effect of this transaction is at first when the cash is received; cash account is debited and credited as unearned fees or customer deposits. When a Cleaning services company receives $ 1000 being payment for its services for 5 months in advance which includes two months of the next accounting period is an example of a prepaid income. The adjusting entry at the end of the accounting period would be Cleaning Income $ 600 Prepaid Income $ 600 Accrued expenses relates to expenses which have been incurred by a firm but have not been paid paid for. An illlustration of an accru ed expense usually occurs when company pays its rent expense for rent relating tothe previous month. Thus if the rent expense amounts to $ 12000 a month. While recording the last salary payment at the end of an accounting period the adjusting entry will appear as follows; Rent Expense $ 12000 Accrued Rent $ 12000 Prepaid expenses relates to the expenditures which have been paid for recorded as assets which are paid for in advance. An example of a prepaid expense may arise when a company prepays $ 2000 relating to advertising and promotion expense, which relates to the next accounting period. To make adjustment entry in the general ledger the journals will be as follows; Prepaid Advertisement and Promotion $ 1300 Advertisement and Promotion $ 1300 There are other adjusting entries which may bad debts, depreciation allowances and stock or inventory adjustments. One example of such adjustment may arise when a manufacturing company purchases a motor vehicle for $ 0.65 million which is a ssumed to depreciate by straight-line method for 5 years then at the end of the first accounting period to adjust the motor vehicle value to ensure there is no balance sheet overstatement will be done as follows; Depreciation Expense $130,000 Accumulated Depreciation – Motor Vehicle $ 130000 Finance officers to ensure that they record adjustment entries in a computerized accounting system usually conduct a comprehensive mothly examination- cut-off procedures- of trial balance. This is done to ensure that all incomes and

Arguments upon the American dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arguments upon the American dream - Essay Example As stated by renowned American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the novel ‘The Great Gatsby’, the American dream is the pursuit of happiness. Every American man has been trying his best in order to do better and earn more by getting a better job. In the novel, the protagonists, or the members of the family try their best to achieve as many possessions as they can as well as acquire wealth and make something of themselves. They each have a dream of their own and try their level best to achieve the status of a rich person. In the modern day and age as well, most Americans share the same dream and have tried their best to climb up on the wealth ladder in order to be able to have a higher purchasing power so that they can earn a higher status for themselves in society and be able to demand for more products. (The American Dream - F. Scott Fitzgerald) However, this very dream has been denounced according to the American people, commonly known as the Whites, because of the influx of a large population that has been setting and establishing itself within America, for a very long time. The Whites feel prejudice within their hearts against immigrants for the sole reason that they feel that the other people have been taking their jobs away and have thus, in the process, taken away their ‘American dream’. Because of this, the Whites are not being able to fulfil their desires due to the shortage of jobs and employment opportunities as well as seats in educational institutions, schools and colleges. The White race within the confines of the United States has also been shifting over the years because of migrations by people from different countries, belonging to different races. According to a number of reports, over the years, the shift has been so much that half of America consists of the Whites now and the rest of it consis ts of people belonging to other races, mostly the Blacks and the Browns. (Government Census) A race is a line of people measured on the basis of their skin colour; there are a number of people that are ‘racists’ or those that discriminate on the basis of a person’s skin colour and do not offer him jobs or educational opportunities because of the same reason. For a long time, White people have been known to be racists because there has been a history of them discriminating against people belonging to other races. Today in America people belonging to other races have been facing this problem very harshly and are finding it difficult to survive there. The Whites simply mention that they are forced to take these steps in order for them to be able to retain their jobs and other opportunities and not have everything being given away to other people. Being racist is a bad thing because discrimination on any ground is not a civil action to carry out. However, for the mos t part, there is a certain amount that the country might lose out on by losing a White majority because a vast amount of industrialization has been brought about by the Whites. They have been able to contribute a great amount to the world of modern information and technology with the help of the advent of the internet as well as other global communication facilities. They have set the bar for the

African American Literature Essay Example for Free

African American Literature Essay African American literature has a strong deeply rooted background in the history of America, thus giving the writers categorized in this genre a strong message to convey in any story they chose to tell. From tragic life moments to happy life moments, the writers have the ability to tell their story in a variety of methods. This canon of literature serves as a diary for the African American community. All of the literary works that compile this genre reflect the many twists and turns a collective group of persons must endure while struggling to achieve a place in history. The following discussion of three historically significant African American stories reflects the struggles one race of persons had to endure on their journey throughout various time periods in America. The Short Stories In the short story, My White Folks Treated us Good by Mariah Hines the author describes in first person account of a situation when African American slaves were treated well in comparison to the stories of abuse, rape, and neglect most persons are accustom to reading from this era. The slaves never went hungry, always had clothes to wear, were able to work under their own accord, always treated with respect, and were told to take Sundays off while also being encouraged to attend church on Sundays. The slaves were in fact treated so well that when they were free to leave, they choose to remain at their former master’s farm and continued working for him. Hines concluded the Master continued to support his former slaves. Hines stated â€Å"Master helped us much as he could. Some of us he gave a cow or mule or anything he could spare to help us (p. 34). † Moving forward in time, the short story Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston describes a situation of domestic abuse in a long term relationship between a wife, Delia Jones, and her husband, Sykes Jones. Sykes enjoyed torturing Delia, he would find ways to make her job as a washwoman more difficult by kicking the clothes across the room or by scaring her with ways related to her fear of snakes. Sykes enjoyed fighting; he in fact enjoyed it so much so that he intentionally picked fights with Delia. This type of torture strained their marriage to the point of near silence on a daily basis. Sykes thought it to be a good idea to bring a rattlesnake into their home. The rattlesnake got lose in the home, Delia was able to get outside the home but Sykes remained in the home and was attacked in their bedroom. Sykes yelled to Delia for help and comfort, but she was unable to come to him related to fear. Delia finally walked to the door, but due to the nature of his injuries and the distance to the doctor she understood he would not make it through this attack, therefore she allowed him to pass in their backyard. â€Å"She could scarcely reach the chinaberry tree, where she waited in the growing heat while inside she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye which much known by now that she knew (p. 108). † This story shows how those who choose to abuse others always pay for those actions in the end. Alice Walker wrote the story Nineteen Fifty-Five, about a young white singer, Traynor, who purchased a song from a young African American woman, Gracie Mae, and went on to become famous after recording and releasing his own version. His version of Gracie Mae’s song continued to eat away at Gracie Mae for the rest of her life. It did not have the same meaning, nor was it loved by his fans for the same reasons she hoped it would be. The fans loved Traynor, not the song. Traynor continued to keep in contact with Gracie Mae throughout his time in the army, touring, marriages, and divorces. Then towards after many years, contact stopped and Traynor was found dead after 15 wives and a troubled road in the end. Gracie Mae lived vicariously through Traynor and his portrayal of her song. Gracie Mae herself lived quite happily through the birth of many children, the divorce and/or death of three husbands, the showering of gifts from Traynor, and his ultimate death. Gracie Mae did have a connection to Traynor that flowed deeper than her song. â€Å"One night I dreamed Traynor has split up with his fifteenth wife p. 297). † Due to the stereotypes and prejudices of this time period Gracie Mae and Traynor were never able to express the emotional connection they felt between each other. Common Literary Conventions Literary conventions and themes were similar in the stories; connotations, culture, undertones, and main characters were alike. The three stories were written in first person and portrayed a personal struggle endured by each main character. The main character was always female, strong, and independent in different way. The stories span three different periods of time, yet still reflecting similar struggles in very different settings. These conventions are important when connecting the messages of these stories. Each has a story of struggle, some are internal while others are outward, and each woman must find inner strength to change or cope with their situations. Beginning with My White Folks Treated us Good, this story was historically important in relation to conveying the happiness that could be found in such a dire situation as slavery. Hines showed not all slavery conditions were adverse or abusive; there was still the possibility of enjoying life, and gaining independence by getting the break needed, such as the freeing of all slaves, to make one’s own life better. In Sweat, Hurstson was able write a story about a woman able to persevere in a dreadful situation of both mental and physical abuse. During this time in history, women were not able to be independent and outspoken due to a fear of judgment or increased abuse. Delia was given the chance to be free from the abuses of Sykes and took that chance by allowing him to die from his injuries, thus resulting in her freedom. Following in the same suit, Nineteen Fifty-Five expressed the internal struggle of a woman’s desire to be understood and independent. Gracie Mae wanted to sing her own song and live her own life, without connection to a version of her song that did not represent the original intent. Gracie Mae was happy with her life, but was never free from what the release of her song brought to her life. Conclusion Culturally, these stories are important to all American’s. The historical significance of these stories and the emphasis on equality places a connotation of acceptance and availability of equal opportunity to all persons regardless of color, social class, age, race, gender, or personal situation. African Americans are able to tell their personal stories of struggles and triumphs through literature. This literature is a valuable tool for all persons wanting to educate themselves about significant times in American history. References Young, A. (1996). African American Literature: A brief Introduction and Anthology. New York, New York: HarperCollins College Publishers.

Cultural Intelligence in Thai Society

Cultural Intelligence in Thai Society Abstract The purpose of this article was to explain and discuss cultural intelligence in Thai society where Buddhism plays a very important role to daily life of Thai people. Cultural intelligence is important can be helpful for individuals who interact with people from different cultural backgrounds and help for manage effectively culture differences. According to the model Thomas and Inkson (2004), the development of cultural intelligence occurs in five stages are reactivity, recognition, accommodation, assimilation, and proactive. There are three characteristics to increase cultural intelligence including integrity, openness, and hardiness. These characteristics look similarly in Thai culture factors. As Buddhism plays a very important role in the daily life of the Thai people. Since about 95% of the people in the kingdom of Thailand are Buddhist Therefore, Thai society or Thai people have basic from Buddha core teaching which helps people in everywhere to become more to develop cultural i ntelligence. Keywords: cultural intelligence (CQ), development cultural intelligence, Thai society Introduction In the recent year cultural intelligence (CQ) has been introduced into the global business literature (Earley, 2002; Earley Ang, 2003). This concept is meant to reflect the capability to deal effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. The ability interacts effectively with people who are culturally different. Globalization has been accelerated by a host of factors in the international business environment, including the following: New international trade agreement the growth of international trade the growth of multinational corporations the restructuring and downsizing of organizations the privatization of state enterprise the ability to locate business, particularly manufacturing, wherever cost it lowest the ability to execute financial transactions instantaneously on a global basis the transition of command economies to free markets the expansion of international migration the ability of information and communication technology to transcend time and distance (Th omas Inkson, 2004). Although international commerce may have existed for many years ago, it is only in the past few years that globalization has such a broad effect on business. Until recently only a few very large multinational companies were concerned with foreign operations. For most firms business was largely local, tried closely to the city or region in which they were located, and certainly limited to the confines of the country. Now, business extends across all manner of porous boundaries—some of which have become so porous they have almost ceased to exist—across the entire globe. Even very small firms now have the capability to be global. With a computer, a modem, and telephone connection it is possible to be a global business almost instantaneously. Because of globalization, the environment of business is now more complex, more dynamic, more uncertain, and more competitive than ever before. And there is no evidence that these trends will reverse or decrease (Thomas Inkson, 2004). Globalization of people is the result of dramatic shifts that have taken place in economics, politics, and technology. However, the day-to-day reality of global business involves interactions and relationships with people who are culturally different. In business today, we travel overseas among people from other cultures, we speak with them on international telephone calls, and we correspond with them be e-mail. Even in our home cities, we notice that more and more of our colleagues, our clients, and even the people we pass in the street are observable from cultures different from our own. The trend is inexorable. The range of different cultural backgrounds in huge; colleagues, business associates, and contacts probable represent countries or ethnic groups from all over the world. Johansen and McLean (2006) said that: Globalization, communications technology, immigration, an increased focus on religion and spirituality, and the ease of both domestic and international travel offer an opportunity to work, learn, and interact with people whose backgrounds differ from our own. To be effective, HRD practitioners must recognize how cultural background, assumptions, and view of the world influence an understanding. (P. 1) Culture can be seen as shaping the nature of social structures as they grow and adapt (Hofstede, 1991). Earley, Ang, and Tan (2006) suggested that â€Å"cultural intelligence as operating within a diversity context consisting of at least three layers – individual, team, and organization† (p. 168). As mention above, Earley (2002) concluded that it is a challenge to create suitable behavior in a new cultural setting that makes cultural intelligence unique. What is exactly cultural intelligence look like? How to improve cultural intelligence? Thomas and Inkson (2004) suggested three characteristics to increase cultural intelligence including integrity, openness, and hardiness. They also describe that culturally intelligent people see the connections between a culture and its context, history, and value orientations. People realize that knowledge of the culture of a country or region is only valuable in the context of understanding its religious, philosophical, and historical issues. All of these inspire the author to think about what does the relationship between cultural intelligence in my home county, Thailand. Thai culture has been greatly influenced by Buddhism. Thai culture is often known as â€Å"Thai-Buddhist culture† (Dhirvegin, 1998, p. 13). Buddhism plays a very important role in the daily life of the Thai people. Since about 95% of the people in the kingdom of Thailand are Buddhist (Chadchaidee, 2005). Do any Thai people really need to develop cultural intelligence? If yes, what kinds of cultural intelligence that Thai people needed? Purpose of the article This article is aims to explain and discus about cultural intelligence issue especially in Thai society. In order to clearly understanding, the author will present the concept of cultural intelligence, Thai culture and society, Buddhist core teaching will be discussed. Cultural Intelligence Issue There are many scholars define cultural intelligence (Earley, 2002; Early Ang, 2003; Earley, Ang Tan, 2006; Erley Mosakowski, 2004; Earley Peterson, 2004; Tomas, 2006; Thomas Inkson, 2004). In this section, the author will present an overview of cultural intelligence that including definition of cultural intelligence, components of cultural intelligence, characteristics supportive of cultural intelligence, and developmental stages of cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence, one component of cultural competence, is defined as â€Å"a person’s capability to adapt effectively to new cultural contexts† (Earley Ang, 2003, p. 59). More specifically, cultural intelligence is â€Å"a seemingly natural ability to interpret someone’s unfamiliar and ambiguous gestures the way that person’s compatriots would and colleagues would, even to mirror them† (Earley Mosakowaski, 2004, p. 140). Cultural intelligence captures a person’s capability to adapt effectively to new cultural contexts and it has both process and content features (Earley Ang, 2003; Thomas Inkson, 2004). Similar to earlier definitions, Thomas and Inkson (2004) present the three component of cultural intelligence.   According to the Figure 1, Thomas and Inkson (2004) described at first, the culturally intelligent manger requires knowledge of culture and of the fundamental principles of cross-cultural interactions. This means knowing what culture is how cultures vary, and how culture affects behavior. Second, the culturally intelligent manager needs to practice mindfulness, the ability to pay attention in a reflective and creative way to cues in the cross-cultural situations encountered. The last, based on knowledge and mindfulness, the culturally intelligent manager develops behavioral skills, and becomes competent across a wide range of situations. These skills involve choosing the appropriate behavior from a well-developed repertoire of behaviors that are correct for different intercultural situations. All of three elements are interrelated with the other. This knowledge is only the beginning to becoming culturally intelligent. Cultural intelligence involves understanding the fundamentals of intercultural interaction, developing a mindfulness approach to intercultural interactions and finally building adaptive skills and a repertoire of behaviors so that one is effective in different intercultural situations. If we accept the notion that cultural intelligence is learned over time through intercultural interactions we can also envision that individuals pass through various stages of development in their level of cultural intelligence. Thomas and Inkson (2004 pp. 66-68) presented five stages to develop cultural intelligence including: Stage 1: Reactivity to external stimuli. A starting point is mindlessly following ones own cultural rules and norms. This stage is typical of individuals with very little exposure to, or interest in, other cultures. Parochial individuals do not even recognize that cultural differences exist. If they do, they consider them inconsequential. People at this stage of development can be heard to say things like â€Å"I dont see differences, and I treat everyone the same.†. Stage 2: Recognition of other cultural norms and motivation to learn more about them. Experience and mindfulness produce a newfound awareness of the multicultural mosaic that surrounds us. A heightened sense of mindfulness presents a sometimes-overwhelming amount of new information Curiosity is aroused, and the individual wants to lean more. People at this stage often struggle to sort through the complexity of the cultural environment. They search for simple rules of thumb to guide their behavior. Stage 3: Accommodation of other culture norms and rules in ones own mind. Reliance on absolutes disappears. A deeper understanding of cultural variation begins to develop. The cultural norms and rules of various societies begin to seem comprehensible and even reasonable in their context. The recognition of appropriate behavioral responses to different cultural situations develops; however, only fairly obvious cues are attended to, and adaptive behavior takes a lot of effort and is often awkward. People at this stage know what to say and do in a variety of cultural situations. However, they have to think about it, and adaptive behavior does not feel natural. Stage 4: Assimila tion of diverse cultural norms into alternative behaviors. At this stage adjusting to different situations no longer requires much effort. Individuals develop a repertoire of behaviors from which they can choose depending on the specific cultural situation. They actively experiment with new behavior. They function in a number of different cultures almost effortlessly and with no more stress than if they were in their home culture- Members of other cultures accept them as culturally knowledgeable and feel comfortable interacting with them. They feel at home, almost anywhere, Stage 5: Proactivity in cultural behavior based on recognition of changing cues that others do not perceive. People who are highly culturally intelligent have the ability, through continuous sampling of internal states and external cues, to sense changes in cultural context, sometimes even before members of the other culture. They are so attuned to the nuances of intercultural interactions that they almost automa tically adjust their behavior to anticipate these changes and facilitate better intercultural interactions among others. They seem to intuitively know what behaviors are required and how to execute them effectively. Individuals at this stage of development may be quite rare; however, it is a level of cultural intelligence to which we all might aspire. Griffer and Perlis (2007) stated that the development of cultural intelligence begins with a study of self and the awareness that everyone has a multi-perspective identity. Many people look into a mirror and describe themselves on the basis of what they see and subsequently describe others in the same way. Looking into that mirror, we see characteristics that can be easily described as race. Multi-perspective identity is defined as â€Å"characteristics of our identity that enable each individual to view reality through specific perspectives based upon ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class† (Perlis, 2001 p. 11). This concept can certainly incorporate other forms of difference that comprise one’s identity; however, the definition for our work addressing the development of cultural intelligence will focus on these basic cultural characteristics. As pre-service we begin to see themselves as multi-perspective individual s and understand the interrelationships between these forms of their identity, they will develop cultural intelligence. Thomas Inkson (2004) suggested the possession or development of these underlying characteristics – integrity, openness, and hardiness – can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence easier. Integrity is â€Å"having a well-developed sense of self and understanding how one’s own belief system motivates behavior† (Thomas Inkson, 2004 p. 65). People differ in the ways they describe our inner self cannot be directly known by other people. It is important for us to have an honest understanding of ourselves. Openness is â€Å"showing deferential respect and a willingness to learn from others† (Thomas Inkson, 2004 p. 65). It is mean inquisitiveness particularly about people from different cultures. Hardiness is â€Å"robustness, courage, intrepidness, and capability of surviving unfavorable conditions. If we are hardy we can cope with stress, recover from shocks, and perceive stressful events as interesting and meaningful and as an opportunity for growth and learning. † (Thomas Inkson, 2004 p. 65). In summary, Cultural intelligence is a person’s aptitude to task successfully with people from different culture background and understanding. Cultural intelligence has three component of cultural intelligence include with knowledge, mindfulness, and behavior. The development of cultural intelligence occurs in five stages are reactivity, recognition, accommodation, assimilation, and proactive. Finally, the author present three characteristics to increase cultural intelligence including integrity, openness, and hardiness can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence. The next section the author will present about Thai culture and society. Thai Culture and Society Thailand is situated in the heart of Southeast Asia with Bangkok as the capital city. Thailand spreads out over 513,115 square kilometers of land and stretches some 1,620 kilometers from north to south and 775 kilometers from east to west. Thailand is divided into four natural regions: the north, northeast, the central plain, and the south. The Kingdom, a society that is also free, cohesive, and open, remains one of the most attractive places in the world to visit and conduct business. Buddhism is the faith of approximately 95 percent of the population (About Thailand, 2007). Today, Thai people share a rich ethnic diversity, Mon, Khmer, Tai, Chinese, Malay, Laotian, and Indian stock, with the result that there is no typically Thai. About 80% of all Thais are connected in some way with agriculture, which influences and is influenced by the religious ceremonies and festivals that help make Thailand such a distinctive country (UNDP: Thailand Human Development Report, 2007). It should be noted that the concepts of Thai culture are mostly similar to Buddhist principle. Buddhist principles are pragmatic (Payutto, 2003) as we can see from one of the teachings about pairs that though little he recites the Sacred Texts, but put the precepts into practice, forsaking lust, hatred and delusion, with right knowledge, with mind well freed, cling to nothing here or hereafter, he has a share in religious life (Wannapok, 1988). There are the main ideas of Buddhism are contained in the statements known as The Noble Eightfold Path and the Middle Way. Truth defines the Buddhist way of life and contains ail the ethical teaching and practices of Buddhism. It provides the way and means to attain the goal as set forth in the third Truth. This way is called the Noble Eightfold Path as it consists of eight factors as show in Table 1. Table 1: The Noble Eightfold Path as it corresponds to the Threefold Training The Threefold Training The Noble Eightfold Path ‘Panna’ or Wisdom Right View Right Thought ‘Sila’ or Morality Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood ‘Samadhi’ or Meditation Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration. Knietim (2009) suggested that Right View is means to see and to understand things as they really. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. Right Thought is the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. It can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Right Speech is importance of speech can save lives or break, make friends or enemies. Right Action is expression and involves bodily actions. Right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Right Livelihood means that one should earn ones living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. Right effort is mental energy, it is the force behind right effort. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right mindfulness is the ability to see t hings as they are, with clear consciousness. Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go. Right Concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations The eight aspects of the path are not to be understood as a sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles that have to be seen in relationship with each other. The eight factors of the Path are therefore organized into a system called the Threefold Training of morality (comprising the Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood factors), concentration or thought development (comprising the Right Effort,  Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration factors), and wisdom (consisting of the Right View, and Right Thought factors) (Chanchamnong, 2003). One of the most complex values in Thai culture is â€Å"The concept of Kreng Jai†. It is very difficult for foreigners to understand. This concept is the concept of being â€Å"considerate†. Komin asserts that this concept underlies a significant portion of everyday interpersonal behavioral patterns of the Thais (Komin, 1990). She further explained that: Its closest meaning is to be considerate, to feel reluctant to impose upon another person, to take another persons feelings (and ego) into account, or to take every measure not to cause discomfort or inconvenience for another person. Kreng jai refers to such attitude predisposing to ones resulting behavior towards someone else. Kreng jai behavior is to be observed by all, superiors, equals, and inferiors, including intimate relationships like husband-wife, and close friends, with differences in degree. (pp. 161-162) In general, Thai people helps others people without expecting any return or any compensation. At the same time the person who receives help will feel indebted to the helper and he will remember that and try to repay or return the favor at a later date. This is one of culture factor called â€Å"The concept of helping each other† (Joungtrakul, 2008). One of the most important in Thai society is the concept of ‘Bunkhun’. Thai people deeply and will be quite difficult to change. There are limitations in applying this concept as it may go beyond proper practice. However, to ignore or to delete it from a model would be difficult and may cause some problems in practice. Its removal could do more harm than good. There is no doubt Buddhism has a conscious significant role in the everyday Thai life. With regard to religious activities, likewise, the Thai are constantly engaged in merit-makings, and numerous other religious ceremonies. These activities are religious rituals. And as a Buddhist country, there are such activities to perform all year round, at home, at work, and in the community. Komin (1990) described that Thai people are sympathetic to others and it becomes the nature of the Thais in general. The application of this concept will create cooperative attitudes and collective efforts by the two parties to achieve common goals. Thai people also practice this concept in their daily lives and the phase of ‘meet half way’ is understandable by the Thais. This concept calls â€Å"The concept of compromising†. As the Thai culture is a â€Å"Thai-Buddhism culture† (Dhiravegin, 1998, p.l3), the middle path is a way of life for a Thai. Thais are compromising in nature and try to avoid any explicit confrontation. Thais follow the Buddhist principles of helping all people. This is usually done by joining in constructively creating social harmony and unity according to the four principles of helpful integration (Sangaha-Vatthu), which are: (1) Dana: giving, sharing (helping through money material goods); (2) Piyavaca: amicable speech (helping through words); (3) Atthacariy: helpful action (helping through physical effort); (4) Samarattata: participation (helping through problem solving) (Payutto, 2000 p.7). Buddhism Role’s and Cultural Intelligence in Thai Society According to three characteristic of Thomas and Inkson concept, there are integrity, openness, and hardiness which can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence. They explain that ‘Integrity’ is having a well-developed sense of self and understanding how one’s own belief system motivates behavior. ‘Openness’ is showing deferential respect and a willingness to learn from others. ‘Hardiness’ is robustness, courage, intrepidness, and capability of surviving unfavorable conditions. In the view point of the author, these three characteristic of develop cultural intelligence relate to some part of Buddha’s core teaching that show in Table 2. Characteristics to improve cultural intelligence relate to Buddha’s core teachings Characteristics Buddha’s core teachings Integrity Chanda: the will or aspiration. This is compatible with the faith that leads to achieving wisdom (Chanchamnong, 2003, Payutto, 2003). Openness Citta: Thoughtfulness, i.e. making a conscious effort to think analytically in order to achieve the right views (Chanchamnong, 2003, Payutto, 2003). Hardiness Viriya: the effort, the energy which one exerts in the right way to accomplish the right view (Chanchamnong, 2003, Payutto, 2003). According to Table 2 shown the relationship between the three characteristics to improve cultural intelligence relate to Buddha’s core teachings is very closely. For the stages of cultural intelligence development, from literature review and compare between cultural intelligence concept of Thomas and Inkson (2004) with Buddhist principle concept especially as shown Table 2. The author beliefs that in Thai society, Thai people will be getting into develop stage of cultural intelligence with not too different. In fact the Buddha core teaching trains the people go to be the good person like other religion, help each other’s sympathy and support the society. Indeed, the Buddha core teaching focus in human resource development specially begins from self development, physical and mentor. That is mean the people who develop their own self will gain more cultural intelligence. Conclusion Cultural intelligence is important for individuals who interact with people from different countries, religious background – those with different cultural backgrounds. Cultural intelligence is a person’s aptitude to task successfully with people from different culture background and understanding. According to three characteristic of Thomas and Inkson concept, there are integrity, openness, and hardiness which can support acquisition of a cultural intelligence. They explain that ‘Integrity’ is having a well-developed sense of self and understanding how one’s own belief system motivates behavior. ‘Openness’ is showing deferential respect and a willingness to learn from others. ‘Hardiness’ is robustness, courage, intrepidness, and capability of surviving unfavorable conditions. Three characteristic of develop cultural intelligence have relate to Buddhist core teaching. Indeed, the Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to right happiness. Buddhism in Thailand is strongly influenced by traditional beliefs regarding ancestral and natural spirits. Therefore, Buddha ways can help Thai people to develop a repertoire of behavioral skills appropriate to different intercultural situations and will be able to choose the right ones for a given interaction. The Thai word say â€Å"Khao mueng tar-lew, tong lew-tar tarm†, the meaning in English is â€Å"When in Rome, do as the Romans do† as a great cultural intelligence. References Chadchaidee T. (2005). Essay on Thailand. (17th enlarged edit.). Bangkok: Thanapol Vitayakarn. Chanchamnong S. (2003). The Buddha’s core teachings. Bangkok: Saisungsukaphapjai. Dhiravegin, L. (1998). Evolution of Thai political and dministration (in Thai) (6th ed.). Bangkok: Thammasat University Press. Earley, P. C, Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: An analysis of individual interactions across cultures. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. Earley, P. C, (2002). Redefining interactions across cultures and organizations: Moving forward with cultural intelligence. Research in Organizational Behavior 24, 271-299. Earley, P. C. Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review (10), 139-146. Earley, P. C., Ang, S., Tan, J. S. (2006). CQ: Developing cultural intelligence at work. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Earley, P.C. and Peterson, R.S. (2004). The elusive cultural chameleon: Cultural intelligence as a new approach to intercultural training for the global manager. Academy of Management Learning and Education 3(1), 100-15. Griffer M.R. Perlis M.P. (2007). Developing cultural intelligence in preservice speech-language pathologists and educators. Communication Disorders jhQuarterly, 29(1), 28-35. Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind: Intercultural cooperation and its Importance for survival, Cambridge, England: McGraw-Hill. Johansen B. P. McLean G. N. (2006). Worldviews of adult learning in the workplace: A core concept in human resource development advances in developing human resources, Advances in Developing Human Resources 8(3), 321-328. Abstract retrieved July 8, 2009, from http://adh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/8/3/321. Joungtrakul, J. (2008). The Stride: A concerted industrial action in Thailand. Bangkok: Business Law Center. Knierim T. (2007). The Noble Eightfold Path. [Online] Available from http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html. [2009, July 25] Komin S. (1990). The Psychology of the Thai people Values and Behavioral Patterns. Bangkok: National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Research Center. Payutto , P.A. (2000). A Constition for Living (6th ed.). Bangkok: Saha Dhammikkha Press. Payutto, P.A. (2003). The Pali Cannon: What a Buddhist Must Know. Bangkok: S. R. Printing Mass Products. Perlis, S.M. (2001). Sexual orientation and multiperspective identity on a small, Catholic campus: An analysis of the cultural climate and multicultural organizational change. Doctor dissertation, Temple University, Philadelphia. The Royal Thai Embassy (2007). About Thailand: An overview of Thailand. [Online] Available from http://thaiembdc.org/aboutthai/overview.htm. [2009, July 1] Thomas, D. C., Inkson, K. (2004). Cultural intelligence: People skills for global business. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Thomas, D.C. (2006). Domain and development of cultural intelligence: The importance of mindfulness, Group and Organization Management 31(1), 78-79. United Nations Development Program: Thailand Human Development Report 2007; Sufficiency Economy and Human Development. [Online] Avaliable from: Retrieved http://www.undp.or.th. [2009, July 18] Wannapok S. (1988). The Buddha’s words in the Dhammapada (6th end). Bangkok: Chormafai Press.

Research Strategy for Employee Motivation Research

Research Strategy for Employee Motivation Research Research is seeking through methodical processes to add to ones own body of knowledge and to that of others, by the discovery of nontrivial facts and insights (Sharp et al., 2002). Davis (1999) defines business research as a systematic, controlled and critical investigation of phenomena which used to help the managerial decision makers. Before conducting a research there is a need of clear planning of how to conduct the research. According to Saunders et al. (1997) research strategy is the general plan of how the researcher will answer the research question that has set. There should be clear objective that derived from the research question and specify the source form where to collect data for the research. For this research primary and secondary data will be used. Primary data is the data which does not found in a compiled way. The researcher need to collect it and compiled in such a format that help in the decision making process (Bryman, 1988). On other side those data that has a lready been collected by someone for some other purpose is known as secondary data (Gill Johnson, 2002). Research is a scientific and systematic search for related information about topics and its study. It is a systematic method of finding solutions to problems. According to Clifford woody research comprises of designing and redesigning problems, forecasting hypothesis, collecting, organizing, and evaluation of data, making deductions and research conclusions at last carefully testing conclusion to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis. RESEARCH DESIGN: bit modified required Research design can be thought of as the structure of research it works like glue that connects the entire found element in a research project and put them together. For doing my research on motivation of employee performance in ASDA, CROSSHURBOUR (London, UK), I choose Descriptive research method. The objective of this research is to portray accurately the characteristics of a particular group, situation or individual. For this research I would like to do make interview and questionnaires that is a quantitative research method. A well defined questionnaire was used effectively to gather information on both overall performance of the test system and specific components of the system. For this I will follow the following steps, I will ask permission form the appropriate person in the ASDA Croeehurbour, UK that I can start to research on the store, Then I will make a questioner form related to the employee motivation, After this I will run a pilot testing of the questioner form, to see weather they are acceptable or not according to the business and academic standard, Then I will randomly give the questioner form to the employers of ASDA, i.e., involving some managers, team-leaders, supervisors, day and night shift colleges both male and female. Then I will analysis the collected data and find out conclusions on these. I believe this method will narrow down a very broad field of research into easy researchable topics. This research design is also useful for testing whether scientific theories and models actually work in the real world. PILOT/ PRE-TESTING: To see how actually the questionnaire works a pilot/ pre-testing of questionnaire was conducted, which was distributed to some people who are expert in the field and then all of them were collected back as completed questionnaires and take their feedback. On the basis of doubts raised by the respondents of this collected questionnaire, the questionnaire was redialed to its present form. As a result of the pilot test, minor changes in word selection and instructions were made to the questionnaire. METHODOLOGY The research design for this study employed a descriptive survey method. The target population of this study included employees at the ASDA, Crosshurbour London, UK). The sample size included all 50 employees of the target population out of 300. Forty-eight of the 50 employees participated in the survey for a participation rate of 96%. From a review of literature, a survey questionnaire was developed to collect data for the study [(Bowen Radhakrishna (1991); Harpaz (1990); Kovach (1987)]. Data was collected through use of a written questionnaire hand-delivered to participants. Questionnaires were filled out by participants and returned to me. The questionnaire asked participants to choose the appropriate relevant to them, ranking the importance of factors that motivated them in doing their work: 1=strongly agree . . . 5= strongly disagree. DATA COLLECTION METHOD: I collect data through by two ways, Primary data Secondary data The data that required for our project will be collected through two sources, firstly from the primary sources and this source consists of the data analyzed from questionnaire and interaction with the user at that time only and secondly for secondary data I will be collected from records, company websites journals, books and magazines, internet as a source. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: While conducting the research some issues need to follow. The procedure of data collection should maintain properly. Reliability and quality of data should be ensured. The permission of the appropriate authority is necessary before doing the investigation for primary research. The information cannot be used for any other illegal or unfair purposes and the information must remain as the property of the researcher. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: There are some certain limitations for this study which are mentioned below- Survey has been done only on the employee of ASDA, CROSSHARBOUR (London, UK), not whole ASDA in UK. The time of study was limited. The study is based on a sample size of data collection. The employers were chosen randomly. It was very difficult to get the information from the primary sources due to busy scheduling. Ref: Used in this chapter http://www.joe.org/joe/1998june/rb3.php Bowen, B. E., Radhakrishna, R. B. (1991). Job satisfaction of agricultural education faculty: A constant phenomena. Journal of Agricultural Education, 32 (2). 16-22. Harpaz, I. (1990). The importance of work goals: an international perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, 21. 75-93. Kovach, K. A. (1987). What motivates employees? Workers and supervisors give different answers. Business Horizons, 30. 58-65. Questionnaires to the managers Date: 20.02.2011 Manager ADSA Supermarket Crosshourbour London,UK A STUDY ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION Sir/Madam, As a part of my project I would like to do research and gather some information from you, about employers motivation in the organization. It will help me in an in depth study of project. I would be obliged if you co-operate with me in filling the questionnaire. Since the questionnaire is being used for academic purpose, the information gathered will be strictly confidential. Sincerely Md. Badiuzzaman MBA Researcher Please see attachment below. Kindly answer the following: Name of the employee: Position: Researcher: Md. Badiuzzaman Organization name: ASDA, crosshurbour Date: 20/02/2011 (Please put cross [X] in the appropriate box) 1. How long been you are working here? A) Less than 1 year B) 01-05 years C) 06-10 years D) 11-15years E) More than 15 years Is the Present HR functions is working effectively in the company to motivate employees? Highly satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied How employee motivation adding value to the company? By- (Rank 5- strongly agree, 4-Agree, 3-neutral, 2-disagree, 1-strongly disagree) No Factors Rates 1 Employees are sincere to their job 2 Giving best output to the customers 3 Making good relations with the managers 4 Making the work place as a friendly environment 5 Helpful attitude towards change Is the human resource management strategies meeting firm goals and objectives: Yes No Occasionally Is the motivating factors increasing firms profitability? Influence Does not influence No opinion What are the most effective factors that being used to motivate the employees? (Rank 1, 2, 3, 4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. respectively) No Factors Rank Salary increase Bonuses Leave Motivational talks Recognition What other HRM practices could ASDA implement to improve employee motivation? (Rank 5- strongly agree, 4-Agree, 3-neutral, 2-disagree, 1-strongly disagree) No Factors Rank Rewarding on weekly basis sales Employee of the months (recognition) Selected goal for the individual Seasonal instant reward Offer help with career goals Pinpoint each employees personality Find out employees need at work What HRM strategies are generally using by ASDA to motivate their employees? Questionnaires to the EMPLOYEES Date: 20-02-2011 A STUDY ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION Sir /Madam, As a part of my project I would like to gather some information from you which will help me in an in depth study of the project. I would be obliged if you co-operate with me in filling the questionnaire. Since the questionnaire is being used for academic purpose, the information gathered will be strictly confidential. Kind regards MD. Badiuzzaman Kindly fill the following: Name of the employee: Position: Researcher: Md. Badiuzzaman Organization name: ASDA, crosshurbour Date: 20/02/2011 (Please put cross [X] in the appropriate box) 1. Are you satisfied with the support from the HR department? A) Highly satisfied B) Satisfied C) Neutral D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied 2. How long been you are working here? A) Less than 1 year B) 01-05 years C) 06-10 years D) 11-15years E) More than 15 years 3. Management is really interested in motivating the employees? A) Strongly agree B) Agree C) Neutral D) Disagree E) strongly disagree 4. Are you satisfied with the effort to you and your performance by the superior and the team members? A) Highly satisfied B) Satisfied C) Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied 5. Which type of incentives motivates you more? A) Financial incentives B) Non-financial incentives C) Both 4. How far you are satisfied with the incentives provided by the organization? A) Highly satisfied B) Satisfied C) Neutral D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied 7. Do you think that the incentives and other benefits will influence your performance? A) Influence B) Does not influence C) No opinion 8. Does the management involve you in decision making which are connected to your department? A) Yes B) No C) Occasionally 9. What is your suggestion about the recognition given by the management? A) Highly satisfied B) satisfied C) neither satisfied nor dissatisfied D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied 10. Whether your suggestion will be considered during your job? A) Frequently B) Rarely C) Occasionally 11. Does the mission and purpose make you feel the importance of your job? A) Always B) Mostly C) Sometimes D) Rarely E) Not at all 12. Do you agree that frequent chance has been given to improving your skill and job knowledge? A) Highly agree B) Agree C) neither agree nor disagree D) Disagree E) Highly Disagree 13. Do you agree with the company functions conducted in your organization? A) Highly agree B) Agree C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Disagree E) Highly Disagree 14. Are you satisfied with the stress relief programs conducted in your organization A) Highly satisfied B) Satisfied C) Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied D) Dissatisfied E) Highly Dissatisfied 15. Do you get the information you need to do your job well? A) Highly agree B) Agree C) Neither agree nor disagree D) Disagree E) Highly Disagree 16. Please provide the following rates. (5- Strongly agree, 4- Agree, 3-Neutral, 2-Disagree, 1-Strongly disagree) No Factors Rates Reasonable periodical increase in salary Job security exist in the company Good relationship with co-workers Effective performance appraisal system Effective promotional opportunities in the organization Good safety measures adopted in the organization. Performance appraisal activities are helpful to get motivated Support from the co-worker is helpful to get motivated Company recognize and acknowledge your work 17. Rank the following factors which motivates you the most? (5- Highly, 4- Normal, 3-Neutral, 2-Not much, 1-Not at all) No Factors Rank Salary increase Promotion Leave Motivational talks Recognition 18. What changes can be made to improve the work place environment? Have to include SEX: M or F (Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/7523739/sathy at 23.02.2011 at 09.20pm) ( Source: http://www.experiment-resources.com/case-study-research-design.html ) (Source: www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/marketing-research/research-validity-and-reliability/ , 22/02/2011, 5.10pm) (Source: http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/marketing-research/research-validity-and-reliability/,/, 22/02/2011, 8.15 pm.) (source: www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/marketing-research/research-validity-and-reliability/, 27/01/2010, 8.15 pm.)

The Motivation Behind the Columbine High Shootings Essay -- Columbine

The Motivation Behind the Columbine High Shootings Every major spectacle carries with it the potential of a new way of looking at the past and implications of a future. Usually within a brief period after the event, a consensual "explanation" is fashioned through the news media and by the political pundits who occupy much of the space and time dedicated by the media to the event. Political pundits seated in front of the camera become part of the event, often becoming a part of the process of transforming an event in time to a spectacle. In this case, the event was the murder of 13 and wounding of 23 persons at the Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The event took place on April 22, 1999 and, because of the subsequent suicide of the two teenage perpetrators, observers could only speculate on their motivation. While students were still hiding from the gunmen and while the police were still plotting their strategy, the media coverage began. Perhaps two impulses led to the coverage. First of all, the victims were not the children of the Hutus or East Timorese or even the Kosovos. These were "our" children and the parents our "friends." Their grief could have been ours. In fact, in a month plus a few days, five million dollars were donated to the survivors and the victim families even without there being a major fund-raising drive (Morning Edition, NPR, June 8, 1999). Secondly, the event had the earmarks of a media spectacle, that is, by transmogrifying the event to something beyond itself, the news media knew they would again be able to maximize their profit margins on the grief and graves of others. Events are news stories; spectacles are dollars. The old tv newsroom characterization of "if it bleeds, it leads" has been replaced in their business office à ³from graves to the gravy train. In its societal context, the Columbine school shootings are not an obvious part of a discernible sociological pattern. We know that approximately 4,500 youngsters are killed every year in intentional shootings, with thirty per cent of that number probable suicides. That's almost 13 a day, the same number as were killed in Littleton (The Washington Post, April 25, 1999). The data on school shootings, according to the Center for Communicable Diseases, indicate that only about 28 per cent actually occurred inside the school and that one-third of the victims were not... ...de behind my choices. You need to face the fact that this comes as a result of YOUR CHOICES....You taught these kids not to accept what is different. Harris and Klebold, armed with guns and bombs, grotesquely mobilized what little power they thought they had. Perhaps at another time or in another place these murders would not have occurred. But right now, the issue is power. That is our final lesson. One Georgia school board member -- obviously aware of the issue -- said following the Conyers, GA shooting: "We've got to let these kids know who's in charge of the schools" (New York Times, May 24, 1999). Violence in all of its manifestations is based on an exercise of power. It represents a means to gain power, to maintain power, or as a response to a threat to one's power. As long as a society maintains the legitimacy of social hierarchies, of the right of some people to have power over others, there will be violence. One can either seek to diffuse the concentration of power or to control violence. By its very character, the attempt to control violence is self-defeating. The control will itself become violent. The quest for a society without coercion is only now being charted

The Hostility Between Gene and Finny in A Separate Peace by John Knowle

The Hostility Between Gene and Finny in A Separate Peace by John Knowles Gene feels increasing hostility toward Finny before his fall from the tree. In the novel A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles, the hostility between Gene and Finny increase because of the competition inside of them both to be better then one another. It is about the increasing competition between Gene and Finny and the hostility it brings. The hostility finally burst inside Gene and for one instant it takes over. It makes him do something he will always regret. Gene’s increasing hostility towards Finny finally brings the down fall of their friendship. Gene’s first form of hostility toward Finny was the realization that Finny could get away with anything. First instance was when Finny was wearing his emblem, the pink button-down shirt, and Mr. Patch-Withers came up to him. Mr. Patch-Withers ask him about the shirt and Finny told him the meaning of the shirt. As he explained the substitute headmaster became more amused about the situation and allowed Finny to get away with breaking the school dress code. After this instance Gene admitted to being envious of Finny in this Quote, â€Å"I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn’t help envying him that a little, which is perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying your best friend a little.† (18) In this quote Gene is just saying that he envies his best friend for some thing that he can’t do. This situation is the first of many forms of hostility towards Finny that brings about the incident in the tree. At the Patch-Withers party anther sign of Gene’s increasing envy towards Finny is shown. This happens when Finny again gets away with breaking the dress code. At the party when discussing the bombing of Europe, Mr. Patch-Withers discovers that Finny is wearing the school tie with his pink shirt. With some quick anecdotes about how his shirt is a contribution to the war effort and also be glad he wore a belt because his pants could fall down. With these quick anecdotes Finny got away with it, gave Mr. Patch-Withers a good laugh and enraged Gene’s envy towards Finny. Gene gave this quote about the instance, â€Å"He (Finny) had gotten away with everything. I felt a sudden stab of disappointment........† (21) Gene really does not know what he is feeling he says, but deep down it is hi... ...out to wreck my studies. That explained blitzball, that explained the nightly meetings of the Super Suicide Society.............Sure he wanted to share everything with me , especially his D’s in every subject. That way he, the great athlete, would be way ahead of me. It was all cold trickery, it was all calculated, it was all enmity.† (45) Gene thinks he was doing this by cramming his schedule with clubs and sports so that he won’t have time to study and wreck his school grades. Then Finny can be better than him at everything. Gene’s misunderstanding of Finny, not understanding that Gene did need to study and that it did not come naturally, enraged Gene more making him ready to explode. â€Å"I (Finny) didn’t know you needed to study.† (50) When Finny said this Gene took it way out of proportion making it Gene’s final straw. Gene was so enraged that he could not take it that Finny only meant that brains came natural. With the final straw gone Gene lost it. His mind was in such confusion that he followed Finny out to the tree. He climbed up it, and with out any regard for human life, Gene exploded. He shook the limb making Finny lose his balance and fall to the ground.

My sop to nyu review

I am confident that combination of business and legal studies would enable me to show best of my intellectual capacity and prosper in competitive commercial market. I have stayed among top student in class during my five years of law study from an institution where mode of academic instruction was only in English. My active participation In debate, mock trials and community service had earned me numerous ward to which a honor given by international court of Justice Judge hold an exceptional value as I was not only chosen among 120 best legal scholars In world but only Indian to receive that as of now.My association with Mr. Wang during internship made me learn role of international arbitration in rsolving disputes where parties belonging to different legal system are involved with common interest. I was fortunate to submit my inputs to combat problem like smuggling across international border. currently I am in final ear of competing my masters in international in past . relation alt hough I have completed my diploma in business management.The professional experience which I gained while working in an international law firm had developed my base toward application of law In regard to international business among two natlon. The more I experience, the more I felt that my tralnlng In India falls short of what I needed to effectively deal with my International counterpart In course of my practice . My vision lies to gain Insight Into legal structure of U S A. hich us biggest foreign investor of my country. Which is world fastest developing economy.A exposure to study LLM at NYU in international business regulation, arbitration and litigation will help me to analyze procedural law on international business and likely influence policymakers in its direct indirect benefit to my country in term of business opportunity and competitiveness by issuing measures to bring more foreign investment, cautious approach toward intellectual properly right,peacefull ettlement of int ernational dispute through arbitration on faster node as I want to serve as foreign legal consultant for my country after doing LLM from USA.

School Uuniforms

The years that we are in primary school is the time that we as teenagers start discovering ourselves and realize our uniqueness. With this natural fact, it is not surprising that practically every teenager nowadays attempts to stand out in the crowd as much as possible.Our appearance, clothes and style is one of best and easiest ways to express ourselves, and it definitely helps people reach an understanding of who we really are, and why. However, there has been an ongoing debate on whether school uniforms should be completely abolished in all schools, both private and public, or, on the contrary, uniforms should become a compulsory addition to all middle-level educational institutions.Despite the friction between the pros and cons, I personally stick to the idea that school uniforms should be introduced in all public and private schools, as wearing school uniforms does not make unfair comparisons between student’s incomes in terms of clothing and that it aids students in deve loping their inner qualities instead of focusing on the outer aspects of themselves in the crucial earlier years of their lives. Firstly High schools are stressful enough as it is with school work and studying, but add being bullied because of your appearance and it could become overbearing.Uniforms help students in school academically and socially. It can be beneficial to parents as well; they do not have to spend as much money on school apparel. On the other hand, many people disagree with having school uniforms, saying that it doesn't give the student the right to express their individuality. However, I think uniforms build a sense of discipline and unity and are the appropriate attire to be worn in school. That is why I strongly believe uniforms should be enforced in every school whether public or private. It can be difficult for students to â€Å"fit in† with their peers.Because of their appearance, social situation or financial background, students can be discriminated and even bullied up to the point where they do not want to attend school anymore. Uniforms establish the unity of the whole school, making everyone equal. â€Å"It feels great wearing a uniform. It makes me feel like I am part of something,† says Malika a 15 year-old attending Thomas Brown York High School. Deciding on what clothes to wear to school can be stressful in the mornings. Uniforms get rid of that hassle, of waking up earlier to pick your outfit for the day.You're ready to go as soon as you put your uniform on. Also, students carry themselves differently when they are wearing uniforms. They take school more seriously by dressing more professionally. Uniforms are also less inexpensive. As a result, Parents gain immensely by buying uniforms than individual clothing for each school year. Statistics show schools that have established the school uniform had a 52% increase in student attendance and a whopping 78% jump in passing grades. Teachers say their students are mor e focused and productive in class.This shows how uniforms can help students achieve their potential in the classroom by helping them concentrate more on their school work than their clothes. It prevents bullying and violence. It helps create a more educative and welcoming environment to students by showing equality and unity to the whole student body. The over-all idea is that uniforms are easy and efficient. Secondly School uniforms have been around just as long as schools themselves, and they play a much bigger role in education than most people think. Uniforms have been proven to promote learning and help kids stay focused in school.Many people believe putting on a uniform resembles a parent putting on a suit, and getting ready for work. This makes the students take a more serious interest in the work they are doing at school. Also, it has been proven that wearing uniforms provides less of a distraction than fashionable clothes create. With uniforms, there is absolutely no contro versy over who has the newest, coolest clothes in school. Many students of public schools believe that school uniforms should not be introduced because it is restraining people's freedom of expression and does not create diversity.One example how uniforms restrict learners are that â€Å"without the outlet of expression in their clothes, students may turn to inappropriate hair styles, jewelry, or makeup† . So by restricting students of their clothing choice, they will still find a way to show their personality in their hair, jewelry, and hairstyles. Soon schools will start regulating those as well and boom! The school controls everything that is offered to a child. A second supporting example as to why uniforms are an awful proposal are because uniforms may not be comfortable for all students nd they can not wear their uniforms outside of school, and thus, there is the double cost of both uniforms and casual wardrobe (Public School Uniforms). In school, if a child is trying t o learn, but is not comfortable with the uniforms' fabric, it would cause a great burden and distraction to one's learning. Also many families are struggling in today's economy and are trying to save as much money as they can. Having to pay for regular clothes and uniforms start to add up to the family's expenses. A third example would be that uniforms create a false sense of security.According to Rashida Khilawala, â€Å"if the student gets used to being respected for their mind and not looks, the â€Å"outside world† could come as quite a surprise to them†(Khilawala). Face the truth; the â€Å"real† world can be an ugly place to live. Even if uniforms decrease violence and everyone is treated equal, the outside world does not run as orderly and smoothly as it would in a school. Of course all parents want to protect their child from any harm, but by fooling them into a safe environment, they are put at more risk then ever. Theses are some facts as to why; many children and teens are against uniforms in public schools.

Benefits of technology Essay

Grandmother Selina grew up in age where everything was made by hand. She went to school where teachers mostly used chalks and wooden boards. However, today, teachers no longer use chock boards, instead they use smart boards or overhead projector. Selina used to carry a dictionary for school every day for her English class. However, today, there are fewer students carrying dictionaries because they have an access to an Internet; which helps to find the meaning of a word in less than a minute. Technology has a tremendous impact on people’s lives. It has become part of our everyday life. People have used technology as a great source of time saver. As a society, we have witnessed how technology has affected society negatively, but the advantages the technology has given people outweigh the disadvantages. As the technology has evolved, people have noticed how technology has been a useful tool in terms of increasing employment. According to Burnstein, â€Å"U.S. technology and business innovators recognize that robots in factories have potential to save and create more jobs than they eliminate†. The majorities of factories in the United States use machineries and robotics to produce products instead of paying someone to do it. Many people have argued that the technology evolution has increased unemployment because companies have replaced people with robotics and machineries. Even though more companies replace people with machineries; however, the good news is that the more companies replace machineries with people, the more companies will hire people with higher paying skilled jobs. People will now have to learn how to use machineries and robotics to work in companies that needs specialist on certain machineries. For example, people might get a job as a computer technician or machine operator. Also, many robotics and machineries related companies will have to hire people that design, build, and progr am the equipment. Nowadays, technology is fast paced and it is becoming more advanced day by day. Today, the majority of people that work in a company with large information technology divisions need a computer to get their work done. According to Jerome, there has been a new technology invention of distant servers that can easily replace the computer hard drives. However, â€Å"the cloud is already putting Americans to work. Google’s team has more than 1,000 employees, Texas cloud company RackSpace eploys 3,700 people, and  California-based provider Saleforces.com has 235 open positions, according to The Wall Street Journal†(Jerome). Technology has made our jobs so much easier. As a society in a whole, we need to take an advantage of what technology is providing us. For example, farmers’ physical labors have disappeared because now they use machines to do the work. According to Nye, â€Å"As recently as 150 years ago, most people in Europe and the United States were farmers. T oday, less than 5 percent remain on farms, and industrial work occupies only about 25 percent of workers† (Nye, 7). Because of this, many people argue that technology has impacted the job creation negatively. It has not just made our lives easier, but it also has helped people to save time and to find a better job. Few decades ago, construction workers used to work with tool such as hammers, ladder, and ropes. However, today, people use machineries such as nail gun, paint sprayer, and cranes. As Nye mentioned, â€Å"Tedious and dangerous factory work has been replaced by robot or automatic machines, while millions of people hold jobs that did not exist 150 years ago in the industries created around new technologies, such as computing, musical recording, broadcasting, design, advertising, and research and development† (7).Technology is advancing so rapidly that we might stay behind if we don’t adapt to it. Because of this, people need to improve their technological skills. The more we familiarize with technology, the more opportunity we will have finding a job. As technology has incre ased in our lives, we have been able to characterize the importance of technology in our social life. Technology has made our lives so much easier. For example, we don’t have to go to a bank to deposit checks because people can do this by simply uploading a check in their bank’s mobile application. Also, technology has provided us with Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system to travel without getting lost or asking for help; even cars are being made with GPS systems which helps drivers to comfortably drive wherever they want to. There have been many pros and cons about social media. In addition, some people say it has affected the way we communicate negatively by diminishing our social skills. However, the benefits of technology in our social life have overthrown the disadvantages that technology supposedly causes. Today, most of the people are using social media such as twitter, Facebook, Skype etc†¦ The popularity of Facebook and twitter has increased tremendously during the past few years; it has been a  great tool to keep in touch with your friends and fami ly. According to the psychiatrist Marley, â€Å"People who follow a lot of Twitters from diverse backgrounds could quickly build up an understanding of lots of people, and this in turn would enable them with ‘people knowledge’ that would better equip them for social interactions with people†(Marley). There are thousands of twitter users that are from different country, who speaks another language, and who shares different customs than others. Even though people are not interacting face to face with others, people can easily feel comfortable and get better understanding which can help communication. â€Å"In an age when all aspects of life are becoming increasingly electronic, social networking sites are turning into a social scene that caters young and adults, and provides for their interactive needs while connecting peers and colleagues worldwide† (Wittaker). Social networks can be a great way to look for support. Most of the time, people find support on social network when they feel sad, lonely or bored. According to Torr: Several studies have specially countered some prior research linking Internet use with isolation or depression, showing experienced users may find a greater support online, become more satisfied with their interaction and communication, and generate new relationship through the ability to contact others more easily than they can offline (Torr, 26). Also, social media makes it easier to communicate for people who don’t feel comfortable talking in person. Today, technology has been used as new way of entertainment. The majority of teenagers carry a smartphone; some people see this as a bad thing because they only use it to play games. However, what people don’t realize is that it is becoming a game changer. The reason why cell phones are becoming a game changer is because â€Å"kids themselves are bringing the device to school, we adults brought laptops into sc hool, and they are a yawn, as are netbooks because the kids see cell phones as their generation’s technology†(Soloway). Today, kids are much more familiarized with technology than what we were as a kid. In addition, technology also has changed the way we entertain ourselves. For example, our parents experienced music very differently than today’s digital natives. Not so long ago, people used to buy cd’s to listen to music or take pictures in a roll of film that had to be taken to the pharmacy to be printed out. However, today people can easily take a picture, share songs, or music videos through social network sites  such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Teenagers today, â€Å"expresses themselves creatively in ways that are very different from the ways their parents did at their age† (Palfrey, 6). Technology also has influenced the way people get important informations. For example, Internet provides us with great medical information such as how to cure a virus, fever or any kind of illnesses. According to Haugen, â€Å"a survey made on March 2005, about 17 million said that Internet had played a crucial and important role in helping them with major illness or medical conations†. Sometime, people use the internet to find a recommendable doctor nearby. For all these reasons technology has positively impacted the way that people participate in a social life. Other than technology being beneficial in our social life, we have also seen how the technology has provided benefits in the field of education. The majority of school districts prohibit electronic devices in classroom because it distracts them from learning. What parents and teachers don’t realize is that mobile devices such as smartphones can help students to understand the material better. Parents, teachers, and administrators refuse to allow students to use smartphones in class because students spend their time on social networks. However, â€Å" ‘ significantly more students who use mobile devices in the class room express a stronger interest in subjects than students than students who do not use these devices in classroom’† (Armstrong, 39). Learning social skills through social network can be an important skill for students to thrive in the future as a professional. As Gerber mentioned, â€Å"Social networking sites offer teenagers the opportunity to navigate everyday technology, learn valuable computer and social skill, and polish their language efficiently† (Gerber).As students interact with their friends through social networking sites, they become friendlier. They have an opportunity to meet other people not only inside of school, but also outside of school. Today’s generation are more literate, creative, and more socially skilled than their parent’s generation because of their early familiarity with the Internet. Social networking does not only improves student’s communication skills, but it also allows students to â€Å"share information and creative original work such as poetry and film† (Wittaker).College students have experienced the benefits of technology in many ways. For example, if students don’t know the meaning of any work, the first thing that they do is look it up online. This does not only give an  understanding of a word, but it also gives time to look for a variety of information. Also, in many colleges, instructors provide students a website where they can submit their class works and check their current grades. Since everything is becoming electronic, we have noticed that people are no longer reading newspapers. The time when we see someone reading a newspaper, are usually elderly pe ople. Most of these elderly people think that digital natives are not learning effectively because they don’t read newspapers. However, this argument is completely wrong because technology allows students to access tons of information that they’re interested in. According Palfrey mentioned, â€Å"Digital natives pick up bits and pieces of news and information as they go about their day, not in a single sitting at the breakfast table or in the front of the television in the evening†. Since today’s students have an easy access to the internet, they just look up for any news that they feel interested in. Technology has not only made learning easy, but it also has trained students to improve technological skill for the future where everything is going to be electronic. Grandmother Selina would have been lucky if she was born in today’s age. She would not have had to carry heavy dictionary to her class. Technology has made our life less complicated by saving t ime and allowing more flexibility. Technology has changed in a blink of an eye. As a society, we have realized that without technology our lives would be slow-paced. It has helped to improve people’s knowledge, ability to work, and greater ability to improve people’s communication. People need to be up to date with the technology because that’s what the future holds for us. In few years from now, we well depend on technology to survive; since it is becoming a part of our lives. People need to stop worrying about the negative impact of technology, and focus on what technology has to provide us. Works Cited Armstrong, Alice. â€Å"Technology In The Classroom It’s Not A Matter Of ‘If,’ But ‘When’ And ‘How’.† Education Digest 79.5 (2014): 39. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. Burnstein, Jeff. â€Å"Technology and Automation Create Jobs.† Unemployment. Ed. David Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"Robots Can Create Jobs, Too.† Robotic Industries Association, 2010. 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