My Graduation Day

Dear Alice, Hi, how about your academic result? Getting full marks again in Mathematics paper? It’s ok you did not attend my graduation day as you were sitting for your final year examination. Well, I will give you a vivid account of what happened on that day. One of the biggest moments of my life was the day of my graduation. I was walking towards a new beginning in life, a new chapter that filled my body with excitement. At that moment I realized how fast the time had passed by, and that I was no longer a child, but an adult. As the graduation day was an important moment in my life, I must dress up nicely to â€Å"to kill†.I went shopping with my friends to choose some beautiful clothes. I also picked some attractive accessories to put on my clothes. It will give me a nice look during the graduation ceremony. Receiving some card and messages from the friend and relatives, I felt gratified and delighted. They congratulated me for successfully graduating from a prestigi ous university. Besides encouraging me to chase my dream, they also wished me to be successful in my new chapter of life. The day of graduation finally arrived. I woke up early to go get my hair, nails, and make up ready for the big day. I dressed up in a purple and red robe.I was on cloud nine when Professor Tan said that I was dressed â€Å"to kill†. Tell you secretly, I was not used to wearing the high-heeled shoes. It made me feel uncomfortable when walking. Wearing the gown and mortar board, I felt extra special and confident. Students and their parents congested the hall. Happiness was written on their face. I scoured the hall, looking out for daddy and mummy. I tried to spot them but to no avail as the throng of people crowded the hall. I finally found them by using the mobile phone. Mummy doesn’t usually use make up. Yet, on my graduation ceremony, she did it.I was pretty surprised that mummy looked twenty years younger than her actual age. My friends even prai sed that we didn’t look like mother and daughter but sisters. The thunder of applause from the students rocked the hall when the guest of honour entered. After a series of speech was delivered, it was the time to deliver the scrolls to the graduates. Many waited eagerly for their turn to go onto the stage to receive their scrolls. I started having butterflies in my stomach. Daddy and mummy just stared at me and that just made me even more nervous because I knew what they were thinking â€Å"our baby girl is grown up now†.So I just smiled right back to cover up my nervousness. Yet, in fact, my heart was thumping relentlessly. â€Å"Nancy Yeow†, my name was finally called. Walking up to the stage, I received the scroll. At that moment, I felt a sense of success. Everything was over in a few seconds. For me, the photo-taking session was much delightful. Daddy, mummy and I smiled broadly and took photos in front of the hall. I captured many photos with my friends to o to keep as treasured memories. I had lunch in a restaurant with daddy and mummy and I shared my happiness with them too.I also attended a graduation party at friend’s house in the evening. Playing and chatting, we enjoyed the gathering very much. I was happy that I graduated with all my friends and moved on to something bigger, as in the society. But I couldn’t help the fact that I was sad about leaving the university and being separated with my buddies. I will not forget the memorable event. I love the university life very much. Alice, always put your best foot forward in academics and enjoy your secondary school life. It will be your treasured memory. Till then, do take care. Your loving sister, nancy

The East Indian Presence

The last name Thompson Is one of Scottish decent. But the person who owns the name has absolutely nothing to do with the Scottish, This Is a common scenario for the many that Inhabit the small Island of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad, where the population of â€Å"just over a million people,† as it is colloquially recited, is a large mosaic of different ethnicities from different parts of the world, and immigrants from each ethnicity came many different reasons.These reasons, over time, have come to include slavery, indentured servitude, slave ownership, better lives, private businesses, and eventually leisure. The majority of the Trinitarian population Is comprised of people from East Indian parentage. L, along with my maternal side of the family fall into this category. East India refers to the country on the Asian continent where many know the natives for exotic spices, colorful tapestries, and art crafted by hand that creates a sense of the far and mystical land of India ma ny imagine as unreachable.But in the United States they are reachable, for almost 100 ears now, and today we share the America we all love with them as friends, colleagues, business partners, and neighbors. But It was not so In the beginning. East Indians came to the united States to create a foothold In the American dream of all. Instead of welcomes, though, they were met with the prejudices of the â€Å"white men† that rule the land with their unjust and racial hands. They were accused of being lethargic and detrimental to the country despite their contributions to the economy of the Pacific Coast.The East Indians began their movement out of India by first landing In British Columbia. The Immigrants came from many different areas of India such as Bengal, Gujarat, and the united Provinces. The propaganda pushed by Canadian employers created the impression of opportunity and success in working on the railroads. L The treatment the Indians received in British Columbia, however , was less than suitable for a hardworking employee. Many arrived there with verbal contracts for work that were never acknowledged, and living conditions unsuitable for the severe winters they encountered.From there, around 1907, they found their way down to the Pacific Coast of the united States In search of friendlier employers and better wages and weather. 2 They settled largely in Bellingham, Washington, and parts of Oregon, working in lumber mills. In these areas, it was easy for Indians to feel more comfortable at work since mill owners were indifferent to their turbans or their skin color. 3 Soon, there were around 1,072 Indian immigrants in the United States. 4 When eventually Euro-Americans caught on to how Indians may be endangering their Jobs, hundreds of them complained to the mill owners about being replaced and workers.As a result of these actions, Euro-Americans were able to convince employers that it was dangerous and unpredictable to have the â€Å"rag-heads,† as they called them, working for them and taking Jobs away from white workers. One can see the hypocrisy in the situation if one revisits the lethargic and volatile nature of these Euro-Americans themselves. In response to these injustices, the East Indians were forced to move further south into California. 5 As Indians entered California, in about 1907, their numbers again increased to around 1,782.Many moved to the port of San Francisco and the small city of Chic, Just north of San Francisco, because of the favorable treatment they received. Many set to work with the West Pacific Railway where eventually there were as many as 2,000 Indians working on the Pacific Railroad. As more time went by, less Indians worked the railroads after 1908 but they completed the construction of many bridges, tunnels, and railroad section work between 1907 and 1909. The Indians then turned their attention to agriculture in 1910, during Californians agriculture boom.This provided many Jobs for the Indians. 6 But in another unjust response to their hard work, Indians were now faced with opposition by different organizations. One of the organizations that proved determined to keep out Indians was the Asiatic Exclusion League. The Asiatic Exclusion League used their influential status to write Congress on several occasions about the â€Å"detrimental† effect that they believed Indians had on the American people. These â€Å"detrimental† affects included everything from industrial effects to moral effects.The Asiatic Exclusion League worked to its fullest to inhibit success for the â€Å"Asiatic† (Asiatic also included the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino people of Eastern Asia) as much as possible in order to ensure their removal and deportation if possible. In 1910, the Asiatic Exclusion League further propelled the removal of Indians by describing the way they live as a disregard for â€Å"the decencies of life†. 7 In the later months of 1910, the num ber of Indians admitted into the United States began to decrease and by June 1910, some were turned away and had to find ways around the main ports to get into the country.Indians tried alternate routes through Hawaii, Mexico, and even hiding until they could go unnoticed with those who were tot deported. 8 When one thinks about what the â€Å"American Dream† means, is what the Indians experienced what comes to mind? For most it is not so difficult. Many may see a definite struggle, until a great opportunity presents itself that can set one's destiny on the perfect path that one can be successful and pass that success onto further generations.But what Indians endured in coming to the United States, seems to be more difficult than one usually anticipates in trying to live out the â€Å"American Dream. † What can be said for the Indians and their so-called â€Å"American experience,† is that hey accomplished what they needed to in order to push past all the injust ices encountered and move forward. But I cannot say that they were able to enjoy the results of all their efforts. Nearly 100 years later, not many are aware of either their efforts on the Pacific railroads or the hardships they endured before and after that time in the United States.While many other ethnicities are able to look back at history books and read about their ancestors' endeavors and contributions to the United States, those of East Indian decent are unable to do so as easily. East Indian he efforts of the other Asiatic who came in search of the same work. Only they are outwardly credited, while the East Indian presence in United States history seems almost nonexistent. However, as one walks down the diverse and multicultural street of Devon Avenue, one encounters many different cultures and peoples.But one culture in particular that is prominent and well-known is the section known as â€Å"Little India. † This section is filled with many different places that one might hope to only see in India itself. Shops that sell saris, the traditional clothing worn by women, and salary zamia, the rotational clothing worn by men, restaurants that advertise their many Indian foods, and even Jewelry stores with the most precious and elaborate Indian gold. These shops line the avenue in the most ornate way. This section of Devon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, is a good example of the presence and story of the East Indian peoples. Devon Avenue is home to many different cultures and ethnicities on several streets, but where the Indians mostly inhabit is on and around Mohammed All Zinnia Way and Mahatma Gandhi Mark. This section is also known as â€Å"Little India†. Here one sees an entirely new environment, one that completely envelopes the culture, lives, and surroundings of native India. I have been to India before and was surprised to feel as though I had returned. Everything looked real and authentic. As I looked around I expected to see Indians wh o may look and dress as though influenced by the American society, but this was quite the contrary.There were men, women, and children walking around dressed as if they Just arrived from India. Women wear brightly colored saris, ones that, according to Mrs†¦ Patella, a woman I stopped outside one of the sari-selling stores, â€Å"†¦ Re exactly, if not better than those in India. And the jewelry is some of the most wonderful there is. â€Å"10 Redcap, author of Ethnic Routes to Becoming an American: Indian Immigrants and the Cultures of Citizenship describes the exact same scene in the sass's when she first comes to America.There are, surprisingly, also many video stores that proclaim their Plywood contents and vociferously advertise with â€Å"film tunes† and, as Redcap illustrates, â€Å"window-hung Indian movie posters, featuring red-lipped, voluptuous women leaning against bare- cheated, brooding men in skin tight leather pants. 11 One man, Visual Ramparts, we nt so far as to say that â€Å"Devon is like an India away from India†¦ When my mother misses India (my father) takes her here and lets her spend the day, then she feels better. â€Å"12 All this and more contributes to the Indian story here in America.The story of the Indian peoples is an arduous one. They had to fight for a long time so that America could hear their voices. And when eventually they did, the Indians could feel more comfortable and accepted in their surroundings. Because they were now comfortable and more of them had better reasons to stay and bring heir families, in 1985 they accounted for more than 500,000 within the United States population. 13 Many of the immigrants settled in urban areas like New York , Miami, Anaheim, Washington D. C. , Houston, San Francisco, and of course Chicago. 4 With the settlement of these immigrants in these areas, they created sections with great diversity which attracted many other ethnicities, or encouraged them to create sec tions for themselves. But over time, some of these cities' diversity has dwindled diverse neighborhoods in the country such as Brooklyn and Queens in New York and Rogers Park in Chicago. 5 And in these communities, Indians play a significant part. These communities have helped make their presence known to the American people, because now there are people who are willing to speak out and educate the American people about their culture, lifestyle, and history.In the world today, people want to know more about them and are genuinely interested because of the diversity of the culture. As Helsel so puts it, â€Å"In the early sass's one could count on his or her fingers the number of articles and books about Asian Indians†¦. By 2003, the number had increased to more than 300. 16 Therefore, the evidence presented clearly supports and enhances the story of the Indian ethnicity making it more interesting and fascinating to others. It creates a will to understand their culture among ot hers from different backgrounds, especially when one exposes themselves to an environment like Devon Avenue.It sparks curiosity as to where these people came from, what their customs are, and what are the foreign things seen in the shop windows of Devon. When the East Indians came to the United States, looking for the American Dream, they found close to none of it. Though as time went on, some of hose who were not deported in 1910, found ways of living in hiding while working at the same time. And quite some time after that, they began to find work more easily in the United States. While still being part of a group plagued by prejudice for a long time, many soon came to accept them and their culture. 7 Many decided to move to other states that offered a lot of opportunity like New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. These places offered many Job opportunities like factories and other industrial work. New York was also a place where they could settle and await the arrival of their Emily who might immigrate later. In these places, Indians established small communities where they could all find comfort in one another. Soon these communities became known as â€Å"Little Indians,† like on Devon Avenue. 8 Today, there are East Indians in all fifty states. But the most populated are still New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, Florida, and of course, California where it all began. 19 Today, the East Indian presence in the United States is quite noticeable, but their presence is not enough to say that they have truly influenced the American fabric or the essence of America. They are here, and many know of them, but they and their culture are still seen as significantly different from what many know the average American culture to be.In closing, East Indians have made it into the American society and today fit in very well. They live alongside us everyday in workplaces, schools, and businesses. But as the presented evidence supports, this was not an easy goal to ach ieve. East Indians do not get the credit they deserve for their role in the construction of modern America and their part in United States history. History reedits many other ethnicities that worked beside East Indians on the railroads with its construction and omit the existence of the East Indian presence.This creates the illusion that East Indians are part of the groups of immigrants that moved to the United States in fairly modern times and did not contribute to making America what it is today. The goal of history is to educate others about different peoples and who they influence different times and places. This courtesy is not shown to those of the East Indian parentage in the United States history, although they, much like many muggy into the modern United States. They do not deal with a lot of prejudice, and many find their culture interesting and exotic.If anything, many more Americans are more interested in knowing about their culture and practices rather than bashing or b elittling it. In the America we live in today, a lot in the culture is commonplace and Americans are always trying to find something new and attractive to create a hybrid of to fit into the American lifestyle. One can see an example of this back in the sass's with the artist Gwen Stefan. She marketed her style with an East Indian flare wearing he decorative â€Å"bind'† on her forehead and sporting henna tattoos on her body.

Grandfathers Funeral at Age 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Grandfathers Funeral at Age 6 - Essay Example Hearing about how good he was made me appreciate the new side of him and really wished I had gotten his better side when he was living. Age 6, father argued that although I was still young, I was old enough to attend my grandfather’s funeral. At the age of six, my grandfather passed away after suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. Grandfather got sick 3 months ago and went quickly perhaps because of his old age. I was really tensed when it came to family viewing. I wondered how hyperactive I was and how the experience of the funeral could have appeared for me. However, I felt that it was significant to celebrate grandfather’s life because he was a very important figure in my life. This was actually part of family life and being that I was part of the family, my father thought it wise to include everyone. It made a lot of sense celebrating the life of someone who had a great effect on the family. He had achieved several things in his life and he told me many stories before his death. I was personally touched and felt that attending the funeral would be the final way of saying bye to him. He handled himself in a wise manner. I so much felt that I lost something precious in my life. People were mourning and my parents talked less about the old man. Various people shared great things grandfather did during his lifetime. Interestingly, no one talked of another part of grandfather and this made me think that he must have been a man of the people who never committed sin. The whole experience was quite humbling and I thought about how cool my grandfather was. Pictures on the walls showed a smiling old man who supposedly loved everyone. I felt he was the happiest man I ever set my life on. Grandfather understood and comforted me most of the times and I wondered if I would ever get such kind of a person in life. Saying goodbye to grandfather was crucial and sheltering from the lifecycle event such as death could definitely lead to fear.  

Nintendo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nintendo - Research Paper Example The Staying power projects that the firm has what it takes to remain in the market in posterity, since they produce quality products, are environmentally conscious and have worked to create a good reputation among their clientele base (Nintendo). The porter 5 analyses shows that Nintendo does not face a serious threat in regard to supplier power or new entrants as they control most supplies and the market is not currently very permeable due to the dominance of the firms already in it. Customer bargaining power is also limited due to the low cost of Nintendo’s products in comparison to rival firms; this is however not a long term situation and could easily change based on rivals strategic management. Threats from competing firms as well as substitute goods is substantially high since the other firm in the market provide alternatives, sometimes better ones that could reduce Nintendo’s customer base. Introduction Nintendo is one of the world’s oldest commercial firm s in the world and without doubt the oldest gaming company in existence today. It was started in 1889, 124 years ago as a Japanese playing card company and today, it has a $15 billion franchise with thousands of retail outlets world over. Despite its retrospective dominance, today it is faced with stiff competition from new companies such as Microsoft and Sony, which have taken over its lead. Nintendo introduced and popularized several products like coin operated video game machines and the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), the world famous Gameboy and the Nintendo 64. With time, it has become a household brand with loyal customers and it is estimated that over 40 percent of Americas households have at least one branded product form the firm. Today, the firm is not only profitable but it is also among the market leaders concerning innovation and productivity as well as ethical business practices. However to realize the degree of success it has achieved required astute strategic management to ensure the firm not only remained productive but also relevant and dynamic enough to align itself to the changing times and when need arose be the force for change. The following analysis are thus carried out to present a clear picture of the strategic management decisions that have propelled the firm to its current position as well as explicate its current industrial placement. Analysis A SWOT analysis is a critical examination of the Strengths, Weakness, and Threats and opportunities facing a business, this is one of the most popular and reliable business analysis framework since it is all-inclusive and accommodating. One of the firm’s most significant strengths is to be found in its extensive global latitude that has allowed it to realize a geopolitical presence of near universal proportions with openings in majority of the world countries. Although most of the manufacture and design is primarily carried out in Japan , it has strong distribution networks that are have taken full advantage of the advent of globalization to make itself relevant and available. The global scope of the business means it is not overly reliant on particular markets considerably reducing the overall risk by creating a variety of contingencies. Its brand and logo have been adopted worldwide and acquired a good reputation as an electronic as a

Event management planing for Playwright Media in Birmingam Essay

Event management planing for Playwright Media in Birmingam - Essay Example They also offer projects that are aimed at giving young people practical skills that they can utilize. Their C.O.M. Youthnity Project is a 6 week media program that gives students an introduction to basic film, photography and radio. They also take volunteers to help with these youth oriented programs and this helps since they are able to connect better with the students. Since its establishment in October 2009 Playwright Media has successfully worked with a number of Third sector organizations to promote and showcase their services. Through the success of smaller projects Playwright has managed to sustain lengthy contracts. In particular Playwright Media has played a key role in the growth and sustainability of several small organizations. PlayWright believes 'your goals are our goals' and their consultants work hard to achieve them, whether they be increasing profit or turnover, attracting and retaining customers or simply maintaining competitive advantage, PlayWright can always he lp. Right now, PlayWright is looking to create an event that will help push its client base when it comes to corporate events and reach out to its target audience. It also wants to make people aware of the youth centric programs it handles. Objectives: PlayWright Media has two specific objectives to plan this event. 1. To significantly increase their client base for their corporate services, with a focus on companies based in South Birmingham. 2. To significantly increase the awareness of their organization and its services to its target audience. Solution An event targeted at SMEs, that is, Small to Medium Enterprises that will help them realize that they are in fact the future of the nation, and how the right marketing will help them increase their productivity and give them better output. It has always been a misconception that media services are targeted mainly at large scale enterprises. This, due to the fact the most obvious and main stream of promotional media such as televis ion and newspaper advertisements are very expensive due to their wide coverage. Smaller agencies do not allow such expenses in their budget, one, because they do not need to reach out to such a wide audience and two, because spending on such activities seems nothing short of frivolous to them. They concentrate on servicing their immediate geographic area and bank on word of mouth to spread word of their services. Pettit and Singer (1985) state that SMEs normally operate in less concentrated markets, with greater competitive pressure. In the last three decades, the economy of Birmingham has gone through a tremendous change with manufacturing being replaced by the service sector as the principle source of employment. This is expected to create over 50,000 additional jobs in the city in the next decade. (birminghameconomy.org.uk) A new research has shown that only nine per cent of Birmingham’s SMEs have created over 50,000 jobs in the city in the last three years. (birminghampos t.net) Thus, we can say that SMEs are the future of Birmingham and to take them to a higher level, they must be given the right guidance, support and coverage. Event: â€Å"SMEs: Brightening Birmingham† The event will be a corporate style seminar followed by a group discussion revolving around Small and Medium Enterprises and the future prospects they have in Birmingham. The theme of the event will be â€Å"SMEs: Brightening Birmingham†. SMEs in the area of South Birmingham will be invited to this event. The idea is to make people

Chapter 2+3 of my dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Chapter 2+3 of my dissertation - Essay Example Also, there will be a discussion about the difference between a true follower of a religion and someone who is trying to be more practical, the possibility of applying someone’s religion in another country with a different religion, and the difference between Hindus and Muslims in their beliefs as they are portrayed in the text. Also the Hindu portrayal of God and how that has changed throughout history needs to be explored in The Circle of Reason. instability created in the frontier regions as a result of independence generates the background in this book. The history of India especially after the partition with Pakistan and how the Indians characters in the novel show their nationalism differently are the backbone of this novel. Since religion and nationalism are meshed throughout the story, both will be examined in this chapter. In the end, this chapter will prove that Amitav Ghosh in The Circle of Reason portrays people in realistic situations of colonial/postcolonial India. Even though these characters were placed in unfamiliar situations to readers not from India, Ghosh relates their lives in a humanistic way. Every reader can understand the frailty of human personality from this novel through something familiar to all; religion and nationalism. The Circle of Reason starts with the arrival of a child to a childless couple. A man of reason, Balaram, lost an estranged brother, only to gain his nephew. Balaram studied phrenology, or the studying of skull shape to determine personality traits. Since his nephew’s head was shaped like a potato, Balaram called him Alu. Balaram and another man, Bhudeb Roy, lived in the same village on a border town, until a feud arose between the two men. Religion and nationalism is the undercurrent of a story that deals with superstition and reason. Bhudeb Roy deals in superstition for personal gain, whereas Balaram believes in reason. Various religions are weaved into

Global Talent Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Global Talent - Assignment Example Becker, Huselid & Ulrich (2001) found that accessibility problems can arise in many forms including accessibility of value-added metric to acquire and accessibility of the value added by the metric after it has been acquired. In the current context, issue of accessing the value that the metric add to the organization after it has been acquired is what is being focused. In such a situation where there is lack of accessibility to value-added metrics, the first point of call in overcoming the situation should be the organizational structure. This is because where there is a bureaucratic and overly centralized organization structure, the flow of resources and even information across all quarters of the organization becomes highly limited. As a result of this, it is very difficult that all members within the organization can have a feel of the value added to the HR activity by the new metric. For example when the metric is used to collect data about employees, it could be that the outcome of such data will not be made known to the employees. In such a situation, chances are that employees can resist any future implementation of new metrics. This is because the employees will not have any basis on which they can justify or testify to the benefits of the metric. But where there is an open system being operated where the outcome of the value added by the metric is openly discussed, implementation will not be problem because all employees are likely to come on board and

Managing Buiness Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Buiness Organization - Essay Example For instance, professionals are gaining more say in the running of organizations. Even where governance is by people who own the majority stakes, their own positions and the respect, they command are contingent upon their competence rather than ownership (Ahuja, 2005 880). "Management is the art of getting things done through other people. Management is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business. Without it the resources of production remain resources and never become production." (Sharma, 2004 11) This definition emphasizes that the managers achieve organizational objectives getting things done through the employees. Human resource Management is very essential for successful running of an enterprise. It ensures proper use of physical and human resources by deriving the best results. It leads to efficient performance and higher productivity. Human Resource Management is very essential for every organization to make productive use of human physical and financial resources or the achievement of the organizational goals. It helps in determination of objectives. No organization can succeed in tits mission unless its objectives an identified and well denied. Management helps in achieving these objectives by the efficient use of resources. In management, the term 'manager' means overseeing the subordinates at work by their superiors. It is the function of leading, co-coordinating and directing the work of others to accomplish designated objectives. It refers to the direct and immediate guidance and control of subordinates in the performance of their task (Sharma, 204, p.110). Role of manager in an Organization from the Onset of the Industrial Revolution The role of a manager in an organization has been shown below: Fig. Role of manager (Sharma, 204, p.111) (a) As Mediator- Manager acts as a mediator between higher-level management and the workers. (b) As Medium of Communication - manager acts as a medium of communication between higher-level managers and workers. He explains management policies to the workers and conveys the workers' attitudes, opinions, grievances and problems to higher-level management (Silbiger, p.103). In other words, he communicates (i) To the workers what the management expects from them and (ii) To the management what the workers want. Thus, manager bridges the gap between the expectations of management and demands of operatives and workers. (c) As Convertor - Manager acts as a convertor in the sense that he occupies such a key position which turns plans and policies into actual results through the efforts of workers. (d) As Inspirer - manager acts as an inspirer in the sense that he inspires workers to cooperate and contribute to the best of their capability for the achievement of organizational objectives. (e) As Leader - Manager acts as a leader in the sense that he influences the workers to work with team spirit for the achievement of organizational objectives. He also provides a cohesive force, which holds the group intact and develops a spirit of cooperation and discipline among the employees. (f) As Guide and Friend - Manager acts as a guide and friend in the sense that he educates and trains the workers, creates friendly environment and solves the disputes of the workers. In this way, he ensures team spirit, co-operation and discipline amongst the members (Sharma, 2004, p.115) Thus, the Manager is expected to secure not only the efficiency of operations but also the team spirit, co-o

International entreprenureship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International entreprenureship - Essay Example The study will give details regarding the background and the gradual development of Hewett Packard as a company and Carly Fiorina as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A background analysis of the company and the CEO would be given to highlight the varied situation managed by the CEO. It is observed that Carly Fiorina might have exhibited certain leadership skills in certain situations but her sole focus on attainment of goals reflects her aggressive behaviour. The organizational climate within a company becomes an essential part of the value system of an individual which helps him / her to achieve corporate goals. The author of the study will highlight the present scenario of Hewett Packard under the managerial control of Carly Fiorina and its impact on the business activities. Finally, the study will conclude with various facets of leadership that have evolved from the observation of the leadership skills exhibited by Craly Fiorina by the author. Background Analysis of Hewett Packa rd & Carly Fiorina Hewlett Packard (HP) is an American multinational company, which is headquartered in California, United States (Hewett Packard, 2013a). The company specializes in manufacturing products, technologies, services, solutions and software to individual and corporate customers in the government, education and health sectors. Hewett Packard is known as the world’s largest IT generation and technological company in the world especially after the launch of EcoPod. The inception of the company was in one car garage by William Hewlett and Dave Packard. It is regarded as one of the largest PC manufacturer of the world since 2007 and it specializes in manufacturing computing, data storage, networking hardware, delivering services. The major product lines include computing devices, enterprise and industry standard internet servers. The main objective of the company is to innovate high quality IT innovative products and create a niche for itself in the market. At present the CEO of the company is Carly Fiorina, who has been serving the tenure of this post since the past few years. Carly Fiorina started her career as a secretary in a small business organization and was one of the first women to lead a Fortune 500 company, Hewett Packard during the tenure 1999 to 2005. She had earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and MBA degree from Maryland University and Masters of Science from Massachusetts University. Her tenure at HP led to reinvention of the company with state of art innovation facilities, achievement of market leadership, transformation of the cost structure and acceleration of growth. In spite of opposition from management, Carly had successfully acquired Compaq computers, which was known as one of the biggest mergers in the company history. During her tenure, the company’s revenue had doubled to $88 billion and had almost generated 11 patents in a single day, which improved the profitability and cash flow of the com pany. Presently, the CEO serves as the chairman of Good360, which is regarded as the world’s largest philanthropy organization. Carly was politically active and has

Chef Satisfaction Essay Example for Free

Chef Satisfaction Essay The findings showed that employees’ job satisfaction directly and positively influences organizational commitment, but does not directly influence job performance. Employees’ job satisfaction enhances job performance only through organizational commitment. Internal marketing, empowerment and leadership also positively influence job satisfaction. Empowerment and leadership enhance employees’ organizational commitment. Internal job stress negatively influences employees’ job satisfaction and external job stress enhances employees’ job performance. According to the findings, this paper realized the main factors which influence hospitality industry employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance, which can function as criteria for human resource management in the hospitality industry. Key words: Hospitality industry, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance.   With the change of the industrial structure in recent years, the output value of the service industry has become more than 70% of the GDP in most advanced countries (CIA, 2009). Thus, the service industry plays a significant role in national economic development. In 2008, as the world encountered a financial tsunami, the governments of different countries selected potential service industries and supported them with resources, in order to energize economic development. The hospitality industry is a typical service industry, and it is critical service industry around the world. In Taiwan, the scale of the hospitality industry has been increasing year by year. According to the Statistics Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs, in 2001 the business volume of the hospitality industry in Taiwan was NTD 261. 3 billion. In 2006 it passed NTD 300 billion and in 2009 it reached NTD 321. 7 billion. However, the hospitality industry refers to labor services and relies on manpower in areas such as production, delivery and restaurant service. Thus, the hospitality industry is mainly based on services. As mentioned in Bitner’s (1995) framework of the service marketing triangle, service providers play a critical role in the service industries. In service industry management, regarding the importance of employees, Heskett et al. (1994) proposed the framework of service profit chain. In the service profit chain, there are critical linkages among internal service *Corresponding author. E-mail: [emailprotected] tcmt. edu. tw. Tel: +886-2-28102292 ext. 5009. Fax: +886-2-2810-6688. Tsai et al. 4119 quality, employee satisfaction/productivity, the value of services provided to the customer, customer satisfaction and company’s profits. This chain shows that internal service quality can enhance employee satisfaction, which will enhance employee productivity and further result in external service value and enhanced customer satisfaction. Finally, the company can make a profit (Zeithaml et al. , 2009). Therefore, satisfied employees make satisfied customers. Service personnel satisfaction significantly influences organizational commitment and job performance on customer satisfaction and corporate operational performance (Ladkin, 2002; Dunlap et al. , 1988; Tansuhaj et al. , 1988; Chowdhary, 2003; Yang and Chen, 2010). How to enhance service personnel satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance is a critical issue in service industry management. In past research on employee satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance, many scholars (Babin and Boles, 1998; Bernhardt et al. 2000; Van Scotter, 2000; Koys, 2003; Testa, 2001) have validated that employees’ job satisfaction positively influences job performance and organizational commitment. In studies on factors of employees’ job satisfaction, job performance and organizational commitment, the service profit chain proposed by Heskett et al. (1994) and service marketing management model indica ted by Tansuhaj et al. (1988) on overall service industry both demonstrated that managements internal marketing activities produce job satisfaction and commitment to the organization. In addition, many studies have found close relationships between leadership, employee satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance (Billingsley and Cross, 1992; Yammarino and Dubinsky, 1994; Burton et al. , 2002; Avolio et al. , 2004; Chen and Silverthorne, 2005). The above studies have mainly focused on the educational service industry, retail industry, manufacturing service industry, medical service industry and governmental institutions, but have not conducted indepth explorations on the hospitality service industry. Hopfl (1994) indicated that in the service delivery, firstline employees must be empowered to some degree in order to cope with customers’ special demands. Thus, job empowerment can be treated as important management to encourage first-line service personnel and immediately solve customers’ differential demands. Avolio et al. (2004), Caykoylu et al. (2007) and Chen et al. (2008) respectively conducted empirical studies on medical personnel and employees of the telecommunication industry, banking industry and postal industry, and found that empowerment positively influences employee satisfaction and organizational commitment. One issue worthy of further study is the extent of how empowerment positively influences hospitality industry employee satisfaction and organizational commitment. In addition, first-line employees face different customer demands and supervisor requirements, therefore job stress is a critical issue for them. Jamal (1990) and Jex (1998) suggested that reducing employees’ job stress could enhance employees’ job satisfaction and job performance. Williams and Cooper (2002) and Ouyang (2009) indicated that proper job stress would enhance employees’ job performance. In the hospitality industry, the influence of job stress from external customers and internal supervisors on employees’ job satisfaction and job performance is an issue worthy of further exploration. Based on the above, internal marketing, leadership, empowerment and job stress are possible factors of service industry employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance, and these factors are validated in various service industries. However, the outcomes in different service industries are not the same. For the hospitality industry, it is important to validate and analyze the influences of the above factors on employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance. Thus, this study intended to combine internal marketing, leadership, empowerment and job stress and proposed an integrated model of hospitality industry employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance. Hospitality industry employees in Taipei City were treated as the subjects, and the researcher probed into factors of hospitality industry employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance in order to function as criteria for management in the hospitality industry. LITERATURE REVIEW Job satisfaction The term â€Å"job satisfaction† was proposed by Hoppock (1935) who suggested that job satisfaction means employees’ emotions and attitude toward their jobs, and is their subjective reaction toward their jobs. The definition of job satisfaction is generalized into three categories: (1) Definition of generality: Job satisfaction refers to the affective reaction to one’s job as the most (Ozer and Gunluk, 2010). Job satisfaction, which is one of the most important necessities for an individual to be successful, happy and productive, is a feeling of satisfaction, that is, an outcome of the perception of what the job provides for an individual (Ay and Av aro lu, 2010); (2) Definition of difference: This refers to the degree of satisfaction and the difference between ndividual actual returns and required returns. For instance, Porter and Lawler (1968) suggested that the degree of satisfaction depends on the difference between a person’s actual returns and expected returns; (3) Definition of criterion framework: Peoples subjective perception and interpretation on objective traits of organizations or jobs would be influenced by individual criterion framework. According to Smith et al. (1969), job satisfaction is the outcome after a person interprets the job traits according 4120 Afr. J. Bus. Manage. o the criterion framework. The influence of certain work situations on job satisfaction is related to many factors, such as comparisons between good and bad jobs, comparisons with others, personal competency and past experience, etc. Job performance Kane and Lawler (1976) suggested that job performance refers to the record of the results when employees have practiced a job for a certain period of time. According to Schermerhorn (1989), job performance refers to the quality and quantity accomplished by individuals or groups after fulfilling a task. After a certain period of time, measurements of employees’ job performance could serve as criterion for promotions, wage adjustments, rewards, punishments and evaluations. Cascio (2006) suggested that managers must specifically define performance to allow the teams or employees to recognize the organizational expectations in order to fulfill the organizational goals. In other words, managers must set concrete goals, trace the fulfillment degree and evaluate the teams’ or employees’ performance. Van Scotter and Motowidlo (1996) suggested that employees with a high degree of job enthusiasm will demonstrate extra effort and devotion, and will actively seek out solutions to problems at work in order to enhance their job performance. Robbins (1998) divided the measurement of job performance into job result, job behavior and personal traits. Lee et al. (1999) divided job performance into efficiency, efficacy and quality. Efficiency refers to the employees’ output rate and is the ability to accomplish tasks before deadline. Efficacy refers to the employees’ goal accomplishment rate and proposals. Quality refers to the employees’ error rate and complaint rate, supervisor satisfaction, customer satisfaction and colleague satisfaction. This study suggested that in the application of this construct to measure hospitality industry employees’ job performance, efficiency should refer to the employees’ speed in customer service, efficacy should mean the accomplishment of tasks assigned by customers, and quality should mean the employees’ performance in customer service. As to measurement, Shore and Thornton (1986) indicated that self-evaluation allows individuals to participate in performance evaluation and serves as a criterion. Based on the above, according to the views of Lee et al. (1999), this study divided job performance into efficiency, efficacy and quality, and measured hospitality industry employees’ job performance using employee self-evaluation. Smith et al. (1969) proposed the Job Description Index (JDI) to measure job satisfaction, with the constructs including wage, promotion, job, supervisors and colleagues. Black and Gregersen (1997) found a positive correlation between job satisfaction and job performance. Organ (1990) suggested that when employees are satisfied with their work, they are willing to sacrifice themselves and devote to their organization. Organizational commitment From the perspective of attitude, Porter et al. (1974) indicated that organizational commitment is a person’s active and positive intention to identify with and internalize organizational goals and value. According to Reyes and Pounder (1990), organizational commitment is the strong belief and intention to identify with organizational value, devote to and stay with the organization. Mathews and Shepherd (2002) suggested that organizational commitment refers to workers’ attitude, behavior and connection between individuals and the organization. Guest (1995) indicated that organizational commitment is at the core of human resource management. It transforms traditional manpower management into the core of human resources. Organizational members’ attitude or intentions particularly indicate the importance of employees’ organizational commitment. Dee et al. (2006) suggested that organizational commitment is a person’s intention to devote to and be loyal to the organization. Lambert et al. (2006) suggested that organizational commitment is the structural phenomenon of trading between individuals and organizations. It increases with time, but it does not lead to a transferable investment outcome. Thus, in theoretical study and practical use, scholars have valued organizational commitment in human resource management. In recent years, many scholars have probed into organizational commitment from the view of Porter et al. (1974). Thus, this study also followed the above view and divided organizational commitment into value commitment, effort commitment and retention commitment. This study further treated these three constructs as criteria to measure hospitality industry employees organizational commitment. Definitions of these constructs are thus shown: (1) Value commitment: a strong belief and identification with organizational goals and values. 2) Effort commitment: the intention to devote more to the organization. (3) Retention commitment: a strong intention to continue being part of the organization. Internal marketing Internal Marketing (IM) is the process of handling staff as internal customers and projects as internal products that satisfy the needs and desires of the customers and adhere to the company’s goals (Berry and Parasuraman, 1991). Rafiq and Ahmed (1993) suggest that internal marketing involves â€Å"a planned effort to overcome organizational resistance to change and to align, motivate Tsai et al. 4121 nd integrate employees towards the effective implementation of corporate and functional strategies†. Joseph (1996) suggested that internal marketing is can be applied to marketing and human resource management, combining theoretical techniques and principles in order to encourage, recruit and manage all employees in the organization and constantly improve external customer service and mutual services. In addition, Ahmed et al. (2003) defined internal marketing as the emp loyees’ evaluation of the reward system, internal communication, training and development of the company. Internal marketing empirical research in the service sector has proven that internal marketing has influenced on internal customers (that is, employees) satisfactions. Berry and Parasuraman (1991) suggested that the advantages of internal marketing implementation in organizations are as follows: (1) To acquire and keep excellent talent; (2) to provide a common vision so that employees have job purpose and meaning; (3) to give employees the ability and knowledge to accomplish the work; (4) to encourage employees to share the results of teamwork; (5) to create job designs be based on the findings of marketing studies. The aforementioned views reveal that corporate implementation of internal marketing allows employees to enhance service quality, which increases the production and profits of the companies. The implementation of internal marketing in the organizations results in an internal service culture, raises service consciousness and increases profits (Parasuraman et al. , 1985). Based on the views of these scholars, internal marketing is critical for organizations and influences external marketing to further enhance customer satisfaction. According to the these definitions and based on the views of Rafiq and Ahmed (1993) and Ahmed et al. (2003), this study treated employee evaluations of reward systems, internal communication, and training and development of companies as criterion for measuring internal marketing of the hospitality industry. Leadership Leadership refers the process of influencing the team to accomplish the goals (Robbins and Coulter, 2005). Leaders are key success factors of an organization (Bass, 1985; Daft, 2002). Skillful leaders recognize and use the interpersonal relationships of the team and strengthen the members’ loyalty and morale. Effective leaders must learn skills such as patiently sharing information, trusting others and recognizing the timing of interventions (Steckler and Fondas, 1995). In recent years, numerous scholars have tried to discuss leadership from new perspectives. New studies of leadership theory have particularly stressed the influences of demands between leaders and subordinates, the interaction of personality traits and situational factors on leadership (Bargal and Schmid, 1989). Corporate leaders must select a proper leadership according to their subordinates’ different demands for supervision, in order to enhance employee satisfaction and fulfill expected goals. Bass and Avolio (1997) divided leadership into transformational leadership and transactional leadership. In transformational leadership, subordinates trust, respect and are loyal to their leaders. Leaders can develop their subordinates’ potential and enhance their confidence by changing their values and beliefs in order to increase their organizational commitment, intention and motivation to create exceptional outcomes. Transformational leadership can be divided into ideal traits, ideal behavior, the encouragement of inspiration, and the stimulation of wisdom and individual care. In addition, transactional leadership means leaders and members remain in the process of negotiation and mutual benefit instead of a persistent one-purpose relationship. Social exchange theory is treated as the theoretical base. When subordinates act according to their leaders’ expectations, they will have returns with a specific value. Transactional leadership can be divided into contingent rewards, and active and passive exceptional management. Most quantitative studies on leadership have created questionnaires using the MLQ scale designed by Bass and Avolio (1997). The MLQ scale includes two constructs (transformational leadership and transactional leadership). This study also designed a leadership questionnaire for the hospitality industry according to the MLQ scale. Empowerment Empowerment signals a transition away from traditional development that confined people’s role to that of passive recipients, effectively rendering them dependent on handouts in the form of foreign aid (O’Gorman, 1995). Bowen and Lawler III (1992) define empowerment as sharing with frontline employees four organizational ingredients: (1) Information about the organizations performance; (2) rewards based on the organizations performance; (3) knowledge about contributing to organizational performance; (4) power to make decisions that influence organizational direction and performance. Murat and Thomas (2003) suggested that empowerment does not simply refer to telling employees that they are empowered, but aims to allow the employees to recognize what power has been authorized. Boudrias et al. (2004) suggested that in managerial circles, empowerment application includes two types: (1) Empowering the responsibility of decision-making to subordinates while emphasizing rich work environments 4122 Afr. J. Bus. Manage. and diverse authority, information, resources and support, and providing the opportunity to learn in order to improve performance; (2) psychological empowerment, which refers to employees’ experiences of empowerment that are inferred as a mediating variable of empowerment and expected results. According to Sherman (1996), empowerment acknowledges that employees have the power to change in order to encourage employees to increase their competency. Kanter (1993) suggested that empowerment can keep employees from feeling helpless. Organizations could thus reduce negative effects such as low morale. The most significant effect of empowerment is to enhance employees’ abilities and self-efficacy (Conger and Kanungo, 1988). Bowen and Lawler III (1992) suggested the advantages of empowerment for organizations below: (1) To rapidly respond to customer demands and questions; (2) a high degree of employees’ job satisfaction; (3) positive interactions with consumers; (4) employees with creative thoughts; (5) the creation of loyal customers. About the definition of psychological empowerment, Spreitzer (1995) defines this concept as the psychological state that employees must experience for managerial empowerment interventions to be successful.

The role of Women in the Middle East

The role of Women in the Middle East There are over half a billion women in the Muslim World in Middle East. They are in Much of the world lack support of the fundamental functions of a human life. Their social Status is low and they receive lack respect by the men. Women in the Middle East also are less nourished than men, less healthy, less opportunity but more vulnerable to physical violence and sexual abuse. Women in Middle East are discriminated by men, religion or even law. They are much less likely than men to be literate or to have a professional or technical education. The only function of women in Middle East is producing children. But the situation has some improvement in nowadays. Some of the women in the Middle- East are standing up and try to fright for their rights. But actually, most of the women in the Middle-East, especially those who live in conservative countries, are still accept their status and the role that they play in the society. (Mahnaz Afkhami, 1996) Women need to play a proper role in the s ociety especially in the conservative society or countries. For example like in Saudi Arabia. The proper role means to be a good children, good wife and good women. In the Middle East societies, most of the people are welcome to have a boy rather than girl. There are several reasons make people prefer to have a boy. First of all, most of the middle-East countries still are the agriculture base community. Therefore, have a boy is more prefer than have a girl. It is because sons are valued for the muscle power they can provide in the fields. Also, in Middle- east there is absence of the adequate social security system. (Ramsay.m.Darik Elsa Marston, 1996) So that sons are supposed to take care their aging parents. But girls on the other hand Often seen as an expense that will not bring family benefits, but only will work for their Husbands family. (Ramsay.m.Darik Elsa Marston, 1996) Furthermore, sons can carry On family name and honor but girls cannot. Therefore, in the eyes of middle- east people Boys are more valuable than girls. This makes the status of girls is lower than boy. Due to the above reasons, the status of girl in Middle East is lower than boy. For example, Most of the name in Middle East always has positive meaning. But some of the girls Names have negative meaning, like Dalenda which means destroy. From this example, We can easy discover that the status of women in Middle East is low. (Ramsay.m.Darik Elsa Marston, 1996). Furthermore, in Middle East most of the girls expect to do more works at home than boys. They need to wash the dishes, preparing food and taking charge of younger children. It is very common to see a child to take care a baby. Girls when they are reaching 11 years old. Then she will be require to be a prefect Islam woman. She will teach by her mother to be a shy and quiet girl. To learn the traditional behavior and skills of Islam. They need to dress more conservative and need to obey their father, brother pr even male relatives or der and advice. They are required to be a prefect girl. Base on the Koran says the seeking of knowledge is a duty of every men and every women. Therefore, even is a girl also will have an opportunity to be educated. However, most of the conservative family in Middle East only willing to sent their girls to the Traditional school. To learn the traditional behavior and norms. The conservative families mainly oppose to sent their girls to the modern school because they believe if a girl learns about something besides the Korans then they might try to communicate secretly with someone outsides her house. Also, the modern education is expensive. The money put on a girl would be waste when she went to live with her husbands family. Therefore, only 38 to 44% of girls in Middle East countries would get a chance to study. (Mahnaz Afkhami, 1996) Although, the girls also can have an opportunity to be educated, but there is a two society in middle- east. For example in Saudi- Arabia require sep arate schools for boys and girls. (Mahnaz Afkhami, 1996) The girl in Saudi Arabia needs work harder at school but they would not have a summer vacations or there are less recreational activities for girls. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia girls need to wear uniform, which is long- sleeved blouse, ankle length skirts or even she needs to wear abba ( Full length black cloak) to school. Moreover, the teaching sllysmulls in Saudi also is quite conservative and old- Fashioned. The schools are teaching the girls how to be a good mother. Also only encourage they be a nurse or a teacher in future but no more. Isam is the majority religion in middle- east, according to the Mohammed speaking, Men have a status above women. And men have authority over women because God has made one superior to the other. Due to this tradition religion, therefore, the women status in the Middle East is low. In some extreme traditional Islamic lands such as Saudi Arabia women are expected to remain strictly obedient to men, womens behavior is not Only the key to her family honor, but also is a key to remain the mortality in the middle East society. Therefore, the western thinking is a kind of dangerous to the traditional society. As this may lets a girl to against her family or fathers order. Moreover, the image of women in right behavior is a necessary safeguard to the culture preservation. Therefore, in many Middle East countries, like Saudi Arabia has a special enforcement Unit knows as religious police. These men aggressively watch the public for such Offenses as women driving and unmarried couples appearing together in public. Also in Saudi Abria women are not allowed to works, study or dress as she pleased. Furthermore, she cannot drive or go out alone. Or even women have no freedom to go to other Countries alone. Womens rights are strictly restricted. ( Martha C. Nussbaum, 2000) Protect the girls honor is the great and important responsibility of the father in middle East. This led out two conservative tradition customs in the middle- east world: Female Circumcision and Honor killing. Women and girls in middle- east countries are affected no matter in urban or rural, educated or non- educated. When a girl is about 5-6 years old then she needs to be circumcised. ( Waris Divie Cathleen Miller, 1999) It is because in the mind of people in middle- east it can prevent a girl from becoming wild and can ensure she will remain virgin until marriage and will then remain faithful to her husband. Or even it can make a girl a woman, purifies, more beautiful. The girls in middle East believes it is another tool for the men to control the women in middle-east. However, the circumcision is quite dangerous to the women. It can result in permanent physical and emotional damage also can cause infections or fatal. (Ramsay.m.Darik Elsa Marston, 1996) so it really is a horrible tradition in the Middle East world. Moreover, if a girl has a Misbehavior then her father or brother will have a right to kill her without serious Punishment. It is because they need to protect the name and honor of their family. Traditionally, the honor of the family depends on the behavior of its female members. So that it is very important for the family to protect female sexual purity. Need to protect the women from sexual misbehavior. Base on the Koran God created sexual desire in 10 parts. Then he gave 9 parts to women and 1 part to men. So women must be closely watched. Therefore, in her familys eyes the longer a daughter waits before marrying, the greater chance that she will disgrace herself with some men. So that most of the girls in Middle East is early married. But the traditional marriage watch in Middle East is lack of Romanic moves but just like a Kind of business. The parents choose the husband for their girl only base on one reason Is this marriage is a right match? The marriage usually is like a kind of alliance Between two families. Furthermore, the marriage will bring th e economic and social Advantages to both families. The girl in Middle East usually has to marry a man she has never met. Or even parents suppose their daughter to marry with an older man. Girls act Like an asset of the family. So the family would like to sell their girls at the highest price. So a girl may be expected to marry a man who can bring the economic benefit to her Family. If the girl wants to disobey her fathers choice then the only way for her can do is run away or attempt suicide. This really is a tragedy in the Middle East world. Wife must need to obey her husband as the male has a dominance status in the middle- East world. According to the Koran says If a wife is rebellious, then her husband should Admonish her, punish her to her couch and strike her. Therefore, the religious gives the Men a right to hit their wife. So the domestic violence is quite common in the Middle East. Also, in the Middle East world polygamy is allowed. That mean man can have more than One wife . Islam allows a man to have up to 4 wives. This is very common in some Conservative countries like in Saudi Arabia. But in fact, women can gain more power When they become older. They will handle the right of household finances, discipline children and not hesitate to speak her mind. In Middle East, it is quite easy for a man to divorce his wife anytime. But if divorce the men need to pay all married cash to his wifes family and the women can keep the gold, jewelly, clothing and need to move back into her fathers or brothers household, under the eye of her male relative. In the tradition view, a wifes primary job is to bear and raise children- especially boys. They are not encouraged to go out for working. It is because working and earning living is the mans responsibility. In fact, if a woman need to go out for working. Then it is a sign to show that her husband cannot support her living. This really is a shameful to the male. But even, the woman can go out for working. However, t here is still sex segregation in some countries. In Saudi Arabia, women can only be a teacher, nurse and mother. The government is restricting the woman to manage business, travel aboard to study, eat in restaurant. Also, women only can work in the restaurant, hospital, newspaper and magazine which for women only. Both in the west and middle east societies, veiling is the popular word for the practice by which a woman conceals her hair and body and sometimes her face. A more accurate term is bijah. The reason for the women to wear the bijah is to hide the sight of womans beauty. Furthermore, it turns their thoughts away from pious, proper behavior: an adolescent youth suffers from frustrated sexual desire and a middle aged man thinks of discarding his wife and finding a much younger and beautiful woman. All of these would led the society become instability. So it is a responsibility for women to prevent these things happen. So they need to put on the veil. Moreover, some of the wome n to go out to the society and can move more freely and not bothered by men. Otherwise, an unveiled woman would likely receive cold stares and insults. Therefore, a woman veiled may say that she feels greater freedom and more safety than she did before adopting the bijah. Furthermore, a veiled woman can prove that she is a good Islam woman and other people will respect her and regard her only as a coworker, fellow students and not as a sex object. Another advantage of the veil is allowed woman stop thinking about her looks and to move concentrate on the important things, such as her job, study and family. Lastly, a girl who covers her face can make her parent to believe her she will behave properly and not attract improper attention. This makes it easier for a girl to go out and spend times with her friends without bother. To conclude, in fact in some Middle East countries the women status has some Remarkable improvement. They can be more independence. There is increasing numbers of women have no men to support them. They can go out for working like in Libya woman even can be a soldier. More and more women love working and see their works as an expression of individual ability, self esteem and growth. Also, more women are choosing to remain independent, postponing or refusing marriage. They even want to work after marriage. Some of them even said they would not marry with a man who wanted them to give up their career. This is really is a sign of improvement in Middle East world. But there is still a long struggle for the women in Middle East to fight for their better life and rights.

Biography of Adolf Hitler :: essays research papers

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th 1889 in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria. Adolf grew up with a poor record at school and left, before completing his tuition, with an ambition to become and artist. Between the ages of sixteen and nineteen, Hitler neither worked nor studied, but had gained an interest in politics and history. At the age of nineteen when his mother had died he had no relatives that were willing to support him and for about four years he spent his time on the streets and in shelters. In 1913 Adolf Hitler, still homeless, moved to Munich in southern Germany. At the outbreak of the first World War, in 1914, he volunteered for service in the German army. He spent some of his time as a prisoner-of-war, at a camp at Traunstein before returning again to Munich. When he went back to Munich he had been involved with politics, his responsibilities given to him was for publicity and propaganda. Hitler had success with this drawing thousands of people to his speeches and the group had changed their name to the National Socialist German Workers Party( or Nazi for short ) on April 1st 1920. By 1921 Hitler had virtually secured total control of the Nazi party. Hitler later had run into some trouble with Munich police. He was charged of treason in 1923 and sentenced to five years in jail. This gave Hitler very much needed publicity for his party and he was released only spending six months in prison. The collapse of the Wall St. Stock exchange in 1929 helped the Nazi party. Hitler campaigned hard for Nazi candidates, promising the public a way out of their current hardship. He did not win this campaign but four years later he was appointed Chancellor in a coalition government. By July Hitler had proclaimed a law stating that the Nazi Party was to be the only political party allowed in Germany. Churches were prosecuted and ministers he preached non-Nazi were frequently arrested by the Gestapo and carted off to concentration camps. Anyone opposing of the Nazi party or of Hitler’s ruling was killed after the party was notified. These occasions happened frequently and the secret police (the Gestapo) were killing many people for this. The Jewish population was increasingly persecuted and under the Nuremburg laws of September 1935, Jews were no longer considered to be German citizens and therefore no longer had any legal rights.

A Separate Peace, The Natural, The Scarlet Letter, and The Old Man and the Sea :: Separate Peace Essays

A Separate Peace, The Natural, The Scarlet Letter, and The Old Man and the Sea In the society-centered world that has existed for thousands of years, Emerson's and Thoreau's recommendation of living as a self-reliant individual can be a difficult task to accomplish. Society puts pressure on its members to conform to its standards. Nonconformists are shunned by society and as a result have difficulty retaining their nonconformist position. According to Emerson's Self-Reliance, though, this nonconformist, independent stance is the only thing that can bring a person peace. Emerson believes a truly great man lives in the world, but at the same time trusts himself, believes in himself, and is, in a word, independent. Many people have applied the ideas of Emerson and Thoreau not only to their lives, but also to the characters in books they have read, regardless of whether the author intended such interpretation. The ideas of Emerson and Thoreau can be applied to many of the novels we read in class this year, including The Natural, A Separate Peace, The Old Man and the Sea, and The Scarlet Letter. In each of these novels the main character experienced many difficulties in which he either succeeded or failed. The successes and failures of any particular character were a result of his self-reliance or of his society-reliance. In The Natural, by Bernard Malamud, the main character, Roy, failed to focus on what was best for him because of his reliance on society rather than on himself. This problem became evident early in the story when the woman Roy met on the train shot him. Had Roy focused on his game, perhaps gone out and practiced baseball rather than visited the woman, he never would have gotten shot. Having such skill as he had, he could have easily signed with the Cubs, and he could have had an extraordinary baseball career. Unfortunately for him, Roy put too high a priority on his relationship with the woman from the train. As a result, Roy's baseball career not only didn't start for another 10-15 years, but also was nothing compared to the career he would have had with the Cubs. Generally, people learn from their mistakes. As Malamud writes on page 217, "He [Roy] thought, I never did learn anything out of my past life, now I have to suffer again." Rather than straightening out his priorities in the years between the time he was shot and the time he actually played baseball, Roy made no change.

Bruce Dawes poems Essay

Bruce Dawes poems explore the impacts of consumer culture and are an indictment of the growing materialism in modern society. In Enter Without So Much As Knocking (1962), Dawe portrays a world dominated by consumerism, which has lead to `conformity, and eroded the individuality of many people. The idea that our view of the world can only be seen through television and that our experience of life is restricted and controlled by it is highlighted in the satirical poem, Tele Vistas.(1977) This idea is revisited in The Not So Good Earth.(1966) Television in consumer society is the prime source of information and entertainment. Dawe expresses his concern that we have become desensitized to human suffering because it is presented to us as entertainment. The central message of the satirical poem Enter Without So Much As Knocking by Bruce Dawe is that â€Å"you are dust and unto dust you shall return†. Dawe’s biblical allusion emphasizes that it doesn’t matter how many consumer items and materialistic things are bought, everybody ends up the same way, back to dust again. Society is portrayed as the product of the consumer age and human life is determined as a by-product, lacking in real value and soon rendered obsolete. Dawe suggests that contemporary society is false and superficial. The intertextual reference to ‘Bobby Dazzler’ epitomizes this: an empty smile behind the welcoming faà §ade reinforced through the superficial clichà © â€Å"all you lucky people† undercut by Dawe’s mocking tone in â€Å"and he really was lucky because it didn’t mean a thing to him†. The family is defined in terms of what they look like in advertising jargon: the mother is ‘economy size’. Consumerism now defines identity or lack of individuality. This brings the idea that in order to belong to a consumer based society, the individual must conform. This idea is reinforced through negative listing in â€Å"he was old enough to be realistic like every other godless money-hungry back-stabbing miserable so-and-so†. The derogatory labeling is a clichà ©d reference to the gossiping and derisive comments that characterize the materialistic culture Dawe is criticizing in his poem. Tele vistas (1977) is another satirical poem where humans are identified on the terms of brand names of communication companies, â€Å" Sanyo-orientated, Rank-Arena bred†. This use of metaphor reinforces how identity is shaped by  consumer culture – their character/personalization is determined by their choice of technology. The modern god is television and its viewing content is being satirized heavily by Dawe. This poem thoroughly ridicules the dominance of television media in our lives. Reality is defined by media constructs – relationships and human conversation comes second. Through Dawe’s indictment of consumer culture, he raises the issue that modern society lacks identity, individuality and purpose and that contemporary Australians are typically co-dependent on television for basic human interaction, †a faulty tube led to their meeting†. The romantic cliche’s juxtaposed with references to television suggest that the relationship of the couple would not have occurred without TV. The demise of the relationship is foreshadowed through the juxtaposition of ‘ever-faithful’ with an alliterative metaphoric reference to ‘’World at War’ in the final lines of the poem. Dawe suggests that relationships built on shared consumerism are ultimately shallow and unstable. The Not So Good Earth, like Tele Vistas, is centered on the commonplace activity of watching television. Dawe expresses his concern that individuals have become desensitized to human suffering because it is presented as entertainment. Vivid imagery of human suffering is juxtaposed with the upbeat tone to describe the satisfaction achieved by a good quality picture. This is made evident through the phrase, â€Å"using the contrast knob to bring them up dark, all those screaming faces†. Life footage is depicted as a product like a movie to be judged on its value to the consumer through, â€Å"on the quieter parts where they’re just starving away†. It is a very satirical poem that creates black humor. Through the characters’ complete insensitivity and absence of either empathy or sympathy, Dawe expresses amazement at the complacency of people in our society. A metaphoric and satirical reference is made by the poet commenting on the destruction of less privileged communities â€Å"We never did find out how it finished up†¦ Dad at this stage tripped over the main lead in the dark, hauling the whole set down smack on its inscrutable face, 600 million Chinese without a trace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The light tone that focuses on the loss of the TV trivializes the loss of life referred to in these lines. By adopting the voice of a consumer Dawe parodies consumer culture and exposes the insensitivity that accompanies  shallow materialistic values. Enter Without So Much As Knocking (1962)outlines how consumer culture has eroded the individuality of people. This is also evident in Tele Vistas (1977) as Dawe portrays that life can only be seen through a television screen, not through common encounters. The Not So Good Earth (1966)is a very satirical poem that creates black humor through the idea that society has become desensitized to human suffering due to consumerism.

Jessica Yassen’s Philosophy of Meaning and Value Plan

Abstract As a leader in today's society individuals need to have an understanding and an approach outlined to describe their meanings and values in life. An application plan describes personal experiences and outlooks, philosophies on life, ethical standards, values, along with personal career plans and growth. This paper demonstrates the author Jessica Yassen's approach to meaning and value along with her application plan. This plan will describe how Jessica Yassen will apply her philosophies guided by theories from philosophers in the traditional era such as Aristotle, modern era such as Descartes to Wittgenstein, and postmodern era such as Derrida, Foucault, and Rorty. This plan will be revised as postmodernism continues to be redefined through the creation of new paradigms in society. Jessica Yassen's Philosophy of Meaning and Value Plan Meaning, significance, importance, value, worth is a debatable issue. Meaning is a quality inherent in something independent of an individual who considers something meaningful. The sections that follow are from the author's own set of values and meanings. While she attempts to argue her case convincingly she knows that this is all just one point of view and can be discounted as such. Approach to Meaning and Value The author's perspective and value system believes that there is no meaning in unity that has any relevance to the personality. The personality cannot know unity and therefore cannot know the meaning of unity. There is no fixed, inherent meaning in our lives, in creation, in duality. Everything is subject to change, so all meanings will change. The meanings given to things are a complex product of culture, beliefs, personal values, philosophy, realizations, life experiences, habits, and more. Society often uses meaning to construct a coherent narrative of our lives and uses this narrative to give a context for the decisions made according to the values held. The narrative changes as society changes. When more people seem to share the same narrative or meanings there is a less threat to that narrative or those meanings. In the extreme this can lead to non-engagement with those that do not share the same narrative and exclusion of people who did share the same view but now do not. This develops the accepted shared reality of societies. That concept of meaning and purpose occupy the mind and drive many of our emotional responses such as euphoria to the other extreme of depression. The more negative the emotion, such as anxiety, one tends to originate from a perceived threat to or conflict in what society considers meaningful or purposeful. Moore and Bunder (2002) stated that Aristotle valued the power of human reason, with the influence of culture, to envision and classify nature and human understanding and to make ethical judgments concerning the good man. The author agrees with Aristotle in the fact that humans are naturally emotional and have an understanding of what is good and what is not. Even if someone does not act ethically, he or she has the ability to listen to reason of what he or she did wrong and why the action is perceived wrong in society. Leary (1980) described Rene Descartes as having an understanding that philosophy is the study of wisdom where wisdom governs everything in life. Another view from the modern era was that of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Moore and Bruder (2002) stated that Ludwig used analysis philosophy to derive value. The author leans towards Ludwig's views in the fact that she analyzes everything and believes there is a reason in seeing the true reality. In the post-modern era, views from Jacque Derrida, Michael Foucault, and Richard Rorty were formed. These postmodernist believe that reason is subjective and that truth is non-existent. They tend to believe what they are told in their social group and are always looking to answer the reason; however, when the answer is found, they challenge the answer. The author believes that those that embrace the postmodern paradigm will be effective based on the fact that they will always be trying to improve themselves, those around them, and the systems they work with always believing that there will be always be room for growth because perfection can not be obtained. They will challenge those that work for or with them to think critically and creatively to do their best. As a leader, the author realizes that the world is constantly changing and before she can challenge my team to think critically and creatively, they must have an up-to-date knowledge of the business area and world improvements. She would need to assess and address learning needs and evaluate the impact on the team and the company. Learning would need to be work-based such as mentoring, shadowing, and training where appropriate. After the learning opportunities have been addressed, then as a leader, round table discussions with the team will help spark the creative and critical thinking. Personal Experiences The author has experience on how to spark creativity and helping others think critically. Her last manager had team meetings where everyone participated in fun exercises such as using craft items such as buttons, balloons, aluminum foil, ties, marbles, and markers to build the perfect team member. The designs were very creative. Using this type of creative thinking with round table, the author can see system designs taking place through creative interactive thoughts. Challenging users by offering incentives is also a win-win. An example is where the author's company implemented a new program where an incentive was to be given for figuring out the best way to implement a new feature needed. A user came up with the best way to effectively program the feature and design to implement. This saved the company about $25,000. The reward was a week of paid time off. Now everyone thinks and knows that there are incentives to do better through creative process such as designing a system to thinking critically such as processes and system impacts. Personal Philosophy on Life The author's personal philosophy on life is to be kind, honest, helpful, truthful, and generous. Her personality is best suited for a profession in information systems. She loves to work with computers and the technologies surrounding computers. Fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are influences that affect new computer users in today's society. Ethical Standards and Values If someone's personality is able to function in society and permits him or her to reasonably efficiently live and prosper according to his or her own value system then he or she is doing well. When individuals become aware of aspects of the personality that interfere with their ability to realize what they value then they should use personality tools as part of the approach to doing something. If someone operates from a value system that seeks no fixed meanings or purpose he or she will often find such personality tools to be highly effective as there is a greater facility for letting go of the attitudes and habits that are the source of most personality conflicts. The belief system of the mediator is crucial in their ability to meditate. Some belief systems are not useful and too much identification with self-analysis unconsciously creates its own problems as demonstrated by those who struggle in meditation. Surrender, acceptance, self-love are the context in which the application of personality tools and a moderate amount of self-analysis can facilitate more effective meditation. Meditation can be used to avoid facing the issues that interfere with melting and can help society notice, accept, and work through the same issues. If someone is content and relaxed in life then he or she is probably melting in life and so will melt more completely in meditation. Future Plans and Ambitions The author's career plans and ambitions are determined by several factors. These factors are based on her family, education, resources, and potential growth opportunities in her career path. Her first step is to familiarize herself with various options available. Once she has determined which career option entices her the most, she will find a course to help take her to her goal and determine preparations needed to achieve her goal. To be effective in her career plan, the author must lay out both long-term and short-term goals. The short-term goals are building blocks towards the larger long-term goal. Some of the short-term goals will include course work, training, and preparation required to achieve the ultimate goal. As the author grows, she realizes that her goals may change. This will be factored in her decision-making process. Every decision is limited only by what she is capable of now or in the future and her ability to identify alternatives. She will explore alternatives available keeping in mind her core values, commitments, resources, and constraints. Working hard and never underestimating what can be achieved is the author's motto. Evolution Growth and Changes There is no evolution towards some future perfection if there is no universal sole purpose for life. In fact biological evolution, when understood in the way biologists intend, offers a good analogy for the many ways humans can develop and unfold. Biological evolution is not striving to produce the perfect organism. The process of evolution favors the reproduction of organism that is well suited to a particular environment. As the environment changes so will the form best suited to that environment. There is no grand purpose to the changes in the environment and so there are no purposive changes in the organisms induced by that environmental change. The tendency to find meanings in the phenomena that manifest around us can be seen as a product of evolution. There is a biological advantage in responding to an observed pattern that results in more food, less danger, or other factors. Responding to apparently random or coincidental events as if they were connected is advantageous. Enlightenment in Life While there may be no ultimate meaning, purpose, or truth in life, life comes with the wonderful and mysterious gift that enlightenment can be realized. And while realization of this serves no ultimate, the knowledge has profound consequences for the way someone can live in his or her life and how to encounter the process of his or her death. And so there is value and meaning and purpose and truth to be found in helping others realize enlightenment. As someone who has realized enlightenment, the author choose to spend time helping others to realize the same state in their way because her value system considered this to be profoundly liberating and, within this narrative, gave her pleasure to see others finding that liberation too. This offers a radical and empowering insight and the possibility of resolution of personal and social conflict enabled by the shift of perspective inherent in the state. Challenging situations or concepts in order to question habitual value systems, let alone engage in the process of changing the situation takes conscious determination and interaction. Indeed, their value system may be very hostile to any process that involves questioning one's value system. The concept of a hostile enlightened person does not rest easily with value systems that equate enlightenment with perfection of the personality but makes perfect sense if remembered that the personality does not realize the state of enlightenment. Perfection of the personality is not necessary to realizing enlightenment. Society can still be reasonable at letting go even with value systems that are judgmental or have a personality that struggles to cope with people or life. Enlightenment essentially involves letting go of absolutely everything just for an instant, and does not require that everything is sorted out before let go. If there is nothing that is more important than anything else, no way of living more meaningful than any other way, then society cannot hide from acting to help our fellow human beings behind statements such as ‘life is meaningless, only transcendence from this world of pain is meaningful'. The notion that this imperfect world is something to escape from may result in toleration of human suffering and dismissal of people who have given their lives to help others as being misguided. This has been used with effect by oppressive religious or political regimes. Applicable Aspects of Philosophy Care has to be taken in the expression of values not based on ultimate meanings to individuals who value the concept of there being ultimate meaning. Unless someone has had a strong experience of being in stillness and has had the opportunity to develop a sense of individuality there can be a devastating effect to have his or her sense of personal meaning and purpose deeply questioned. Values of kindness and compassion would restrain the philosophical aggression that would attack another's beliefs. If society considers that values are personal and not universal then there is no imperative to inflict someone's own value system on others. From this perspective there is a balance to be found between meeting someone's own needs and the needs of those around. At times society must also decide that, according to their values, to tolerate or not the behavior of someone's acts of violence, abuse, and intolerance for others. Traditional notions of morality and spirituality are also challenged by value systems. Concepts such as sin and karma have no place if there is nothing inherently wrong or right in any action. This does not mean that the abuse humans inflict on each other should be tolerated or condoned. Society finds that human values consider an action or attitude as being unacceptable and the social consensus of a group of a community that institutes laws to control behaviors that that community decides to not tolerate. Many societies are currently in turmoil because the traditional socially controlling religious values are breaking down with the rise of individualism and liberal tolerance. The author believes that no action is inherently bad or good. Every action has consequences across the whole of our lives to one extent or another. To act from self-interest and hatred will polarize interactions with life and cause those interactions to be based on self-interest and hatred and a life led in this context is less likely to find contentment. In order to respond positively to difficult events in life many people use the concept that such difficulties are meant to be and that they offer learning opportunities. There is a sense that their life is heading in a particular direction or to a particular goal and challenging situations are stepping-stones on the way perhaps guided by some universal intelligence. These attitudes help integrate survivable challenges but struggle to withstand lethal situations and seem trite in the face of the worst of human tragedy or abuse. Conclusion Many discussions of enlightenment will give the impression that through its realization the truth is known and that there is no mystery left. While the realization of the eternal state of unity that is enlightenment means that in that state there is no mystery, the truth of that state is known absolutely; the utter simplicity of this state can only answer questions that pertain to duality and life with a deep contented wisdom that things are as they are. Society can not reach closure in life nor finish the narrative of everyone's lives because there is and always will be another perspective, always something unconsidered, or unknown. Only in unity is there such closure since unity has the simplest of narratives that never changes. The joy of enlightenment for the author is to be utterly content that all the meanings she finds in life and the purposes she gives are like ripples in the sand that will be reformed with every wave, allowing a new creative and refreshing response to life.

Community: Psychology and Graduate Educational Experience Essay

How do you think your graduate educational experience will be different from your undergraduate experience? How would you describe a graduate learning community? What would be the key components of a learning community and how might it be different from an undergraduate learning community? I believe that the undergraduate level guides the individual to become a better researcher. It also pushes the student to think at a more critical level. The undergraduate level will also change the thinking process within the individual by making them change their thinking principles. At graduate level we are held to higher expectations and we must have more discipline. The reason for this is because at this level the amount of knowledge we will be receiving is greatly expanded upon. This is the start of a form of mastery in the subject and allows us the ability to get a deep understanding and idea of the subject. The graduate learning community is a group of individuals along with the instructor that share the same passion and drive in the subject field of study. This allows everyone to gain knowledge from each other and gives us the ability to grow stronger in our field. The learning community is a concrete environment for instructors to pass on years of experience and knowledge to the student by following the class as it was designed to be taught. This allows students and instructors alike to input their perspectives on the subject, which increases the knowledge gained. In other courses that I have taken with other schools, participation was at your choice. As long as you meet the minimum requirements you still got a good grade. To be successful the more participation you have the more knowledge you gain, thus making you more successful in your field of study.

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay

Public education, it can be argued, shapes society, instils social mores and indoctrinates the impressionable with those philosophies the elites value. This essay will focus upon three main areas intrinsic to the education system. These are the social reproduction of ideas, the life chances created and instilled through education, and the socialisation of the individuals undergoing the educational process. Two main sociological perspectives that are useful when studying the education system are Functionalism and Critical Theory, because they focus on macro issues and social structures more than the interactionist perspective. Functionalists believe that the school system is an agent of social reproduction, which operates to reproduce well integrated, fully functioning members of society (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 114). Critical theorists, conversely, hold that education is the most effective mechanism for promoting social change and for giving opportunities to less privileged groups so that they can advance their social standing. However, education usually reproduces existing social divisions, maintaining the relative disadvantage of certain groups (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 106). Munro (1994: 108) describes the different approaches by stating that, â€Å"functionalists tend to see education as synonymous with socialisation, while a conflict theorist is inclined to view education as ideological- that is, reflecting the interests of particular groups.† Functionalists hold that the major institution for social reproduction is the education system, whereas, from a critical perspective, teachers, who oversee this reproduction, have been made into administrators of programs that provide â€Å"manpower capitalisation† through planned and directed behavioural changes (Illich, 1973: 327). Illich (1973: 327) comments, from a critical perspective, that teaching and learning remain sacred activities separate and estranged from a fulfilling life. This is because the things being taught do not line up with the necessary knowledge needed for life outside of education, and that â€Å"learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen† (Illich, 1973: 324). This means that the knowledge provided is set to a secret agenda. The learning process, which supposedly passes on the values and mores necessary in society to students,  is not, however, meeting these needs effectively. Relevant information, that is, knowledge, which will add skills to the labour market, is becoming less practical and more theoretical, expanding the gap between study and work. Regardless of this, employers and social elites have attempted to use the schools for the reproduction of compliant workers (Davis, 1999: 65). This double standard has been discussed in a best selling song, ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd (1978) in which they stated that the reproduction received through the school system was set to a hidden agenda, and that society would be better off without it. Drucker (1973: 236) equates the influx of educated people to the potential for producing wealth in any given country. By stating this, educational socialisation and the development of educated people is the most important function education can have. He goes on to state that while this may be the case today, throughout history, being uneducated provided the wealth of a given nation, due to the class differences, and that education was for the rich and idle while the work was performed by the illiterate. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of moveable type in the 17th Century (Drucker, 1973: 232). The moveable type meant that education could be performed at a reduced rate, and words became a commodity that was necessary for improving the quality of the labour force. Education is purported to provide the best possible life chances for its graduates, yet in reality, in many ways education diminishes these chances. Heinz (1987: 132) points out that the life chances of graduates are in a state of flux, that when the labour market is depressed and work is difficult to find, then young people will opt for more education as a means of delaying their entry into a tight work force. â€Å"The school then takes on the function of a warehouse; it is a place to mark time. At the same time school acts as a socio-political instrument for reducing social and political conflict, and this function gains predominance over its main function of educating young people.† In many cases the academic credentials earned are unnecessary for working-class jobs (Furlong and Cartmel, 1999: 12), which changes the focus of education, making it oppressive and irrelevant (Davis, 1999: 83). Heinz (1987: 131) states â€Å"secondary  school-leavers face a worsening outlook when they want to start in working life, and joining a preparatory program is increasingly becoming the only alternative to unemployment.† There are a growing number of young people who are finding it harder to find a place, whose prospects on the labour market are poor, being qualified but underemployed, or drifting between unemployment and occasional jobs (Heinz, 1987: 131). This increases social inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. By acting as a warehouse education is not preparing students for life but rather crippling their life chances. The alternative to this are to reassess the curricula and teaching methods, reintegrating skilled workers into vocational education, ensuring that knowledge will be of direct benefit to graduates in obtaining a place within the work force. There are fewer and fewer opportunities becoming available, and school leavers have to undergo more and more relevant vocational training. However, fewer school-leavers are able to go directly into the vocational training they want. Heinz (1987: 130) noted a growing trend 16 years ago that â€Å"Depending on the region, only between one-third and one-half of these school leavers succeed in getting a training place†, and in 1994 Munro (1994: 109) observed that the â€Å"school-to-work transition† had failed which had major ramifications for everyone involved, causing â€Å"underemployment of school leavers† (Munro, 1994: 116). The seriousness of this trend is made even more apparent by the fact that school-leavers are even ready to enter apprenticeships that lead them into dead-end occupations (Heinz, 1987: 129). Drucker (1973: 232) however, states that while this may be so, to be â€Å"uneducated is an economic liability and is unproductive,† even though education is producing an â€Å"unemployable, overeducated proletariat.† (Drucker, 1973: 233) According to Mehan (1973: 240) education is a â€Å"major socialisation agency,† which moulds the individual’s self-concepts into a socially accepted format, allowing each individual to be slotted into a specific function (Sargent, 1994: 240). Sargent (1994: 240) points out that in the function of education â€Å"values are essentially involved† and are taught beside worldly knowledge. However, this knowledge interprets the world, but does not necessarily  correspond with any external state (Sargent, 1994: 232). The transmission of knowledge, skills and values, helps to sort and rank individuals, that they might be better placed in the labour market (Munro, 1994: 96). This raises a paradox, however, where education is seen by many as the best possible means of achieving greater equality in society (Sargent, 1994: 233), yet it categorises the graduates into job specifications, personality types and the opportunities granted to each. Sargent (1994: 231) furthers this thought by explaining that the education system is an integral part of determining position and power in our society (Sargent, 1994: 231), and that through education the class structures are compounded, making it more difficult for those in the working classes from advancing in the social hierarchy. The education institution both absorbs and perpetuates the ideology, â€Å"masquerading as ‘knowledge’, which legitimises inequality† (Sargent, 1994: 231). Regardless of the inequalities produced, it has become the â€Å"absolute prerequisite of social and economic development in our world† to have a highly educated pool of people ready for the labour market (Drucker, 1973: 232). In conclusion, the failure of the education system to reduce social inequality and produce better workers, raises serious doubts as to its effectiveness. Life chances created through education appear to be diminishing, despite the extension of education. The knowledge taught seems to be ineffective in preparing students to cope with life. Functionalists need to reassess the structure of education, as it loses its ability to effectively provide for graduates, becoming dysfunctional in its goals to remove inequality and give a head start to people entering the work force. When looking at the education system, it is necessary to ask if the cost spent on educating people is being effectively used, considering the increasing number of educated poor. The gap between knowledge taught and life experience needs to be bridged, for education to effectively function. If, as it appears, schools are to socialise and reproduce effective and functioning members of society, the curricula has to be ad dressed. Bibliography Davis, Nanette J. (1999). Youth Crisis: Growing up in the High Risk Society. Praeger Publications, Westport Drucker, Peter F. (1973). ‘The Educational Revolution’, Social Change: Sources, Patterns, and Consequences (2nd ed) Amitai Etzioni and Eva Etzioni-Halevy (Eds). Basic Books Inc., New York. pp 232 – 238 Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (1997). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham Heinz, Walter R. (1987). ‘The Transition from School to Work in Crisis: Coping with Threatening Unemployment’, Journal of Adolescent Research (Vol 2). pp 127 – 141 Illich, Ivan (1973). ‘The Breakdown of Schools: A Problem or a Symptom’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., Canada. pp 311 – 336 Mehan, Hugh (1973). ‘Assessing Children’s School Performance’, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., Canada. pp 240 – 264 Munro, Lyle (1994). ‘Education’, Society and Change: A Sociological Introduction to Contemporary Australia Brian Furze and Christine Stafford (Eds). Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd., South Melbourne. pp 96 – 128 Pink Floyd (1978) ‘The Wall’, The Wall. Mushroom Records, California. Sargent, Margaret (1994). ‘Education – for equality? employment? emancipation?’, The New Sociology for Australians. Longman Cheshire Pty. Ltd., Melbourne. pp 231 – 256 Webb, J., Schirato, T. and Danaher, G. (2002). ‘Bourdieu and Secondary Schools’, Understanding Bourdieu pp 105 – 106 (Reprinted in Sociological Reflections on Everyday Life: GSC 1201 Reader). Allen and Unwin, Sydney. pp 227 – 238