Interpersonal Conflict and Effective Communication Essay

Interpersonal Conflict and Effective Communication - Essay Example Based on the movie presented, there were two identified sources of conflict. One of these conflicts is the people-focused conflicts and the other one is the informational deficiencies. People-focused conflicts were based on emotions and feelings and present an argument by means of personal attack (Hammond, 2011, n.p.). People-focused conflict was demonstrated on the film when Sarah attacked the personal integrity of Hitch as a date doctor, seeing Hitch’s job as a scam. People-focused conflict does not only center on the main characters since it is a movie dealing with emotions. In fact, people-focused conflicts were also observed on Albert’s confrontation with Hitch telling him that love was not Hitch’s life but his job; on Sarah’s best friend attacking the integrity of the unknown date doctor; on a newspaper vendor judging Albert as Allegra’s boyfriend; and on people in the story who judged Hitch’s personality. Actually, the movie projected a predominantly people-focused conflict against the main actor, making him the person to blame for all of the related conflicts.  On the other hand, informational deficiencies such as misinterpretation from different conclusions were observed. This was demonstrated on judging Hitch unfairly as a date doctor. His viewpoints about his work have been different from the understanding of society and interpersonal conflict arises because of misunderstanding.Effective Handling of Conflict  

All My Sons by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

All My Sons by Arthur Miller Essay Explain how Arthur Miller makes this moment in his play All My Sons so dramatic. Refer to Extract 6 for passage In his play All My Sons, Arthur Miller makes the moment of George Deever’s arrival highly dramatic through the sense that a crisis looms for the Kellers and is then narrowly avoided. Hostility is reduced to calm and jovial equanimity through Kate Keller’s maternal dominance and controlling nature, and this in turn ensures that the threat posed by George is negated. At first, the interactions between Chris and George are adversarial as Chris repudiates the truth George asserts. Kate Keller resists Chris too, though in a very different way, which is ultimately successful in nullifying George and the threat he represents to the false reality of Joe Keller’s innocence. The initial interactions in this passage create a hostile atmosphere that arises from the clash between George Deever and Chris Keller. George has arrived to insist that Ann does not marry Chris because Joe’s guilt, or, more particularly, Joe’s dishonesty about his guilt, resulted in their father’s imprisonment and the destruction of their family. Chris insists that George â€Å"won’t say anything now.† He intends to marry Ann and, more importantly, has systematically suppressed any doubts about his father’s innocence. Miller has George speak past him to Ann, â€Å"you’re coming with me,† he says, and again, â€Å"you’re coming with me.† This repetition in his dialogue conveys his tenacity and suggests that he’s unlikely to desist. His challenge to Chris is part of a larger challenge to the false reality in which the Keller’s have been living, a reality in which Joe is innocent. Kate has protected thi s reality for years and proceeds to do so again now. When Kate Keller enters she immediately adopts a tone of maternal care and concern toward George. â€Å"Rais[ing] both hands† she â€Å"comes†¦ toward him† saying â€Å"Georgie, Georgie.† This diminutive calls into the present George’s past, his childhood and the happy associations he would have attached to Kate Keller during that time. Miller’s stage directions describe how she â€Å"cups his face,† a gesture suggestive of the affection and intimacy between a mother and young son. She remarks that he has become â€Å"grey† and that â€Å"he looks like a ghost.† This dialogue paints a vivid image of George as a gaunt and almost lifeless figure deserving of pity and perhaps plays on any feelings of self-pity he might have. She declares that she will â€Å"make [him] a sandwich,† and insists that he is â€Å"going to sit here and drink some juice.† Her theatrical and almost hyperbolic performance is one that seeks to emphasise her concern for George’s well-being and the motherly desire to nourish him and see him in good health. George is not actually her son, instead he belongs to the now fractured and dysfunctional Deever family. There’s a real sense that Kate is playing on this. She works to establish the nature of her interaction with George as obviously maternal, and thereby implicitly encourages him to adopt the corresponding role of dependant and grateful son. Moreover, Kate works to displace both George’s mother and Ann as the female figure to whom George owes the most loyalty and thereby establishes her own dominance and control. â€Å"What’s the matter with your mother,† she asks, â€Å"why don’t she feed you?† This question undermines George’s mother as a capable maternal provider. Next, Miller has her takes aim at Ann, admonishing her for saying that George was â€Å"fine† since he so demonstrably is not. Just as George’s mother supposedly fails to nurture him, Kate points out a similar failing in Ann when she notices Ann hasn’t given George grape juice. Ann says â€Å"defensively† that she â€Å"offered it to him.† The stage direction that describes her tone as â€Å"defensive† makes it clear that she feels as though she is under attack. And indeed she is. Kate’s reply is said â€Å"scoffingly,† showing that she is ridiculing Ann for her apparently inept attempts to adequately care for her brother. By undermining both George’s mother and sister, Kate implicitly offers herself as the female figure on whom George can really depend. Ultimately, Kate succeeds and Chris defers to her utterly. Hostility dissolves into amiability and affection. Miller makes it clear from the beginning that George â€Å"always liked† Kate. This stage direction reveals a vulnerability he has in regard to her. At first he is gently dismissive of her, saying â€Å"I know† and â€Å"I feel all right.† This dialogue suggests he isn’t buying into her performance, or at least not at first. Eventually, however, he declares â€Å"Kate, I feel hungry already.† This line signals a crucial shift. It is so obviously said with affection and good humour. Clearly, the thought of doing anything to hurt Kate could not be further from his mind. Moreover, it indicates that he has adopted the role into which she has been cajoling him; that is, the dependent and acquiescent son. Throughout this passage Kate is highly manipulative. She is motivated by an instinct to protect the false reality she and Joe perpetuate and on which she depends if she is to see her husband as anything but a monster who killed their son, Larry. Her success hinges on quelling George and the uncertainty of this is what creates the angst-ridden drama at this moment in the play. Ultimately, of course, her success is only momentary.

Comparing the Films The Dead Poets Society and The Breakfast Club Essay

Comparing the Films The Dead Poets Society and The Breakfast Club There are numerous differences between the two movies, and although they’re both in a different setting and different time frames, there are also many similarities. â€Å"The Dead Poets Society† is set in the mid 60’s in an upper class prep school. On the other hand â€Å" The Breakfast Club† is set in the 80’s at a typical public High School in a middle-class suburban neighborhood. Although one movie has a timeline of a whole school year, and the other only goes through one day, they both show very clearly how the average student life is and was in their respectable time frames. It is easy to compare and contrast everything from settings and timeframes, to obedience, to discipline, and also even stress given by parents. I believe I could only compare these two movies if they were realistic, and I believe that they were for the most part. It is very clear in these two movies how obedience, and disciplinary action has changed over the years. In â€Å" The Dead Poets Society,† the kids got in trouble for such things as staying up past curfew or not turning the lights off when they were supposed to. Of course this is how some schools still work but it’s definitely no longer the social norm. When’s the last time you heard about someone getting spanked with a paddle in school? It has been a long time since I’ve heard about something like that, In America at least. If a teacher were to spank a child today, not on...

Comparison of Book and Movie of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

Comparison of Book and Movie of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is a book written by Ken Kesey to accomplish a certain mood within it's chapters.   The feelings and moods given in the book differ greatly from those in the movie because of multiple changes in character development.   Each and every time a movie is produced from a book, the producers are forced to change parts of the story in order to suit the audiences needs for a faster paced plot.   It is impossible to capture every mood or setting which the author creates.   What is lost can sometimes be the real meaning behind the story.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The characterization of chief Bromden is a good example of the changes made from book to movie.   His past is a vital piece of information contributing to the mood and understanding of the story.   In the movie, Bromden is nothing more than a crazy Indian who doesn't want to talk so pretends to be deaf and dumb.   Much of the understanding and respect is lost in the transition between book and movie.   In the book, Bromden has flashbacks to his childhood, lighting on significant points in his childhood.   His background is never even brushed upon in the movie.   Of course it would have been nearly impossible to tell of Bromdens life in a movie, much less show the world from his point of view as in the book. Bromden is still a very interesting character but the real puzzle to his problems is lost.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   McMurphy is a very sly, cunning man.   He knows how to play his game and does it well.   In the book as McMurphy progresses, he goes through many stages where he is rebellious, then docile, then rebellious again.   This is due to the fact that he learns exactly what it means to be committed and what it takes to be released.   Then he begins to see that all his ward mates (I don't know what you want to call them) are counting on him so he becomes rebellious again.   These reactions to his environments encourage McMurphy to be not crazy but intelligent and quick.   This is exactly the way a character such as McMurphy should act.

Analysis of Miss Emily in “A Rose for Emily” Essay

In the fiction† A Rose for Emily â€Å",Miss Emily’s life in particular its gruesome and saddened by the outcome of Tan Wan and as well as the central figure in the daily lives of the other two – her father, her dead lover’s fate, should not only to us Bring thriller, and the offensive suppressed, perhaps, there should be more apprehensive and thinking, because this can be called Faulkner’s short story on behalf of its work, its title has been leaked by its authors described the emotional character Secret. Is no longer the tragedy of death, behind the death of the self-stick to the face and secular blue suit, which is rooted in the history of the thick soil, and even more awesome. The author in the novel approach will be a symbol of its head. Novels for readers to show the United States after the civil war in the south of social change, as well as different social groups in the South of the fate of history. The collapse of the old South, the decline of the aristocracy of the South, whites in the South, as well as to enhance the self-consciousness Southern black suffering and hope of life co-exist, to varying degrees, reflected in the novels, William Faulkner regarded the past as a repository of great images of human effort and integrity, but also as the source of a dynamic evil. He was aware of the romantic pull of the past and realized that submission to this romance of the past was a form of death. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, Faulkner contrasted the past with the present era. The past was represented in Emily herself, in Colonel Sartoris, in the old Negro servant, and in the Board of Alderman who accepted the Colonel’s attitude toward Emily and rescinded her taxes.. The novel contains the existential factor, to explore the existential theme of the show. That through the works of Faulkner’s life again alienated people, to show his concern about the situation of human existence,From William Faulkner as a writer in the South of the United States is in a special historical period of ideological complexity and contradiction of, their analysis of the short story in two main lines of the refraction by the Fuk Faulkner to the south of the old love-hate complex of the South, to provide readers with a new perspective in order to better understan d and appreciate the works, By the time the representatives of the new, progressive Board of Aldermen waited on her concerning her delinquent taxes, she had already completely retreated to  her world of the past. She declared that she had no taxes in Jefferson, basing her belief on a verbal agreement made with Colonel Sartoris, who had been dead for ten years. Just as Emily refused to acknowledge the death of her father, she now refused to recognize the death of Colonel Sartoris. He had given his word and according to the traditional view, his word knew no death. It is the past pitted against the present–the past with its social decorum, the present with everything set down in â€Å"the books.† Emily’s world, however, was already in the past. When she was threatened with desertion and disgrace, she not only took refuge in that world but also took Homer with her in the only manner possible–death. Miss Emily’s position in regard to the specific problem of time was suggested in the scene where the old soldiers appear at her funeral. There are two perspectives of time held by the characters. The first perspective views time as a â€Å"mechanical progressionâ₠¬  in which the past is a â€Å"diminishing road†. The second perspective views the past as â€Å"a huge meadow which no winter ever quite touches, divided from them now by the narrow bottleneck of the most recent decade of years†. The first perspective was that of Homer and the modern generation. The second was that of the older members of the Board of Aldermen and of the confederate soldiers.. Emily held the second view as well, except that for her there was no bottleneck dividing her from the meadow of the past. Emily’s room above the stairs was that timeless meadow. In it, the living Emily and the dead Homer remained together as though not even death could separate them. In the simplest sense, the story says that death conquers all. But what is death? On one level, death is the past, tradition, whatever is opposite of the present. In the setting of this story, it is the past of the South in which the retrospective survivors of the Civil War deny changing the customs and the passage of time. This article from the feminist point of view of psychology to re-read the , an analysis of Emily was confused with a tragic sense and reason in an attempt to add a kind of used to be trampled on Suppressed and ignored the different voices – the voices of women, people from the female psychology and thinking, learn to build self, pay more attention to women’s mental health and human hearts to their homes.

Essay Sample on Capital Punishment My Point of View

Essay Sample on Capital Punishment My Point of View A great many cases can be made in justifying for and against capital punishment. My view is that capital punishment is wrong in all circumstances as I believe in the most compelling argument of all which is based on: the risk of killing an innocent person, failure to recognize a person can repent and change and that disproportionate poor and ethnic minorities could be killed. Committing a crime involves performing a social act that offends the laws of a society. This can range from stealing a packet of crisps from a shop, to murder. There are lots of reasons for which people commit a crime, whether it is because they are poor so they have to commit robberies to survive, or because they are mentally ill and do not realize the difference between right and wrong. At the present, drugs are a major reason for generating crime. Drug addicts need drugs to keep themselves functioning properly. So to do this, they need money to buy drugs. The only way they can get the money, if they have run out of their own, is by committing money making crimes and stealing. There are a variety of ways to punish the criminals but it is not, and should not, be all about punishing them. I believe the cause of the problem should be found out, and that this should be solved. For example if a man steals to feed his family, he should not be punished as this is the states fault for not providing for his family. Punishment can be used as a deterrent to stop the criminal committing crime. It can also be a form of â€Å"revenge† on the criminal for his actions. It makes them suffer for their crime. The punishment can also protect society from the criminal. The criminal could be dangerous, and it could be for the publics wellbeing and the criminals welfare if he is punished. Punishment can also be used to give the criminal a chance to restructure his life, so they can change their ways and make him less likely to commit another crime. The arguments for bringing it back can be entirely debated. One argument is that it deters potential murders. I believe this is untrue as it is proven that most murders are committed in a moment of passion so the alleged killer would not really be thinking about the repercussions. If a person is coldly killing people, I believe the person may have a problem, possibly mental health issues, and should see a psychiatrist rather that being locked up. Some say that capital punishment defends civilians and police from violence. But I ask what is jail for? The argument for, is deeply weighted, as it can then be argued, once the accused has served their prison sentence, they will be released again and therefore be a threat to society again, and will be able to re-commit more crimes. However, if they are put to death, they will not be able to re-offend and consequently not be able to be a threat to society any more. Some people for capital punishment tell me, it costs the taxpayer too much mo ney to keep a criminal in jail and why should they be made to pay for this anyway. But, can you really put a value against human life? Is it not the most priceless and precious gift ever given to you? Also, upon doing research in America where capital punishment still exists, I found out in Texas it costs an average of $2.3m to prosecute and execute a convicted criminal each year, while it only costs $400,000 for life imprisonment. Innocent people will always be preyed on. You just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and BANG, all your freedom is gone, or if capital punishment was brought back, your life. Since 1973, ninety-five of the inmates on death row in America have been fully cleared by the courts. One man, by the name of Kerry Sanders, a mental health patient, was picked up for sleeping on a bench during October 1993 in LA. A routine check showed that a Robert Sanders had escaped from a prison in New York that morning. This Kerry Sanders was obviously not Robert Sanders yet was still arrested. As he was had mental health issues, he signed a confession saying he was Robert Sanders because â€Å"he was told to†. He was sent to a maximum security prison where he was sexually assaulted by other inmates, all while his mother and sister were searching over the streets of LA for him. Only after the real Robert Sanders was arrested, was he set free. But, imagine had this man been sentenced to earth, you would not be able to bring him back to life. Religion is the oldest argument in the book and can swing both ways. Jesus said â€Å"to turn the other cheek† thus saying do not use capital punishment as a form of revenge. It is also reported when a woman was going to be stoned to death for committing adultery, Jesus told the crowd that â€Å"he without sin â€Å" should throw the first stone consequently saying that it is not humans here on earth right to judge and punish another person. In Judaism, they believe â€Å"an eye for and eye† and â€Å"a tooth for a tooth†, and in Islam, the laws state that for certain crimes, such as murder or adultery, the death penalty should be used. In spite of this, both religions have long traditions of justice and mercy, and Islam says, even if the execution is at that moment taking place, if the victim’s family forgive the accused, the death penalty should not be carried out. I therefore believe capital punishment is wrong, and that under no circumstances should it be used. Yet, I also believe â€Å"life imprisonment† should mean just that, and not just 10- 12 years. In order to protect society, â€Å"life imprisonment without parole† should be considered. This would not only take into consideration the welfare of the innocent, but also if someone was wrongly accused, they would be able to be released whereas you cannot do this with capital punishment. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on Capital Punishment topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Raves Essays - Electronic Dance Music, Electronic Music, Dance

Raves Essays - Electronic Dance Music, Electronic Music, Dance Raves Raves Imagine you are in your at about 1:00 in the morning. Its pitch black outside and youve been lost for hours. Nothings good on the radio. Your dying of thirst and your drenched with sweat. Your just about to turn around, when you open your windows for some fresh air and you hear it. The bass is in sync with your heartbeat. It is the vibe that is so commonly talked about within this culture. You follow this music and youve arrived at your destination: A rave. Raves consist of about 300-6,000 kids aged to about 17-25. A big empty wear house, a fog machine and a DJ. Every single rave has 1 type of music: techno with a ton of base. It tends to be electronically created with a very fast-paced. Techno music has its origins in gay dance clubs. Hip-hop also has had a big impact on techno music. Rave dancing ranges from being highly choreographed and stylistic all the way to thrusting your body back and forth. Ravers say they lose their selves to the beat and become one with the music by letting the music control their movements. Someone once said: Techno was made not only to be played, but to be listened to loudwe are called not to listen, but to feel. And how do you know when the rave is and where? Well flyers are put up. A flyer isnt going to straight out say RAVE! you have to look for the secret messages only Ravers know. They do this to avoid the mainstream. A rave poster can be spotted by noticing that within the words that are on the poster, every E, X, and K, are capitalized. There are certain colors that the flyers will have on them. A lot of times there will be a cartoon character on it, or smiley faces and aliens. Now, I could do a whole paper on fashion. Basically there are classes of people grouped by what they wear, not how much money you have and what not. The most common class is the Candy Ravers you would define a candy raver by being a female or male (but mostly female). Candy Ravers have short hair thats usually in barrettes or pigtails theyre usually carrying around stuffed animals, or sucking on lollipops or pacifiers. They wear glitter all over their bodies and stickers on each cheek. Normally they will have a TON of jewelry weighing down each cheek. Theyll sport a shirt with childhood heros such as my little pony, care bares, strawberry shortcake ect. The next class knows as the Hip Hop Boys are usually pared up w/ candy Ravers. Hip Hop boys are in fat pants and head to toe adidas Logos. Occasionally you will see them wearing bug eyed glasses with suspenders. The 3rd of many rave classes is the Gwen Stefani class. They are always girls and are wearing crop tops or anything that will bare their belly. They wear track pants, or swish pants and are sporting every piercing known to man and more. Gwen Stefanis match are the club Ravers. These males dress in wife beaters; tube socks up to their knees, and very room cargo or army print pants. They will have a tight shirt or no shirt and every club Ravers boxers WILL be exposed. They will have spiky hair usually with frosted tips and they wear either a visor, or no hat at all. Regardless of these 4 classes (out of many) the rave scene will include snow hats; electronic colored wigs, 5-inch platforms and everyone will have glow sticks in their mouths. As you can observe it is very hard to stick out at a rave. The candy Ravers dress like little girls because they know that they are there and that is all that matters. They feel they need to recapture the child that has died in them. The kid they used to be when play was the most important thing and it didnt matter that mom and dad were fighting. It didnt matter that they were having money problems and it did not matter that there was a hole in the o-zone layer. From the time you walk into

Late Adulthood Case Study Essays

Late Adulthood Case Study Essays Late Adulthood Case Study Essay Late Adulthood Case Study Essay Valentine has been losing his hearing which typically add up in lat adult hood years (Ch 17, pg. 491). He feels horrible and helpless. Even though his doctor gave him an ear piece so that he can hear, he just don’t feel comfortable. He never noticed how important his hearing was until now. As he is getting older he has realized that he hasn’t accomplished a lot of dreams. But now that he has balance issues because of the fact that he wasn’t a really active person in his younger years as he should have been, now he can’t do as much as he would like to (Ch 17, pg. 495). For example, he has always wanted to go rock climbing with his wife. Life has passed them by so quickly. They got to involved with everyday problems that they never took the time to take a vacation for an adventure. His life satisfaction is not as great as many of his friends are (Ch. 18, pg. 517). There is one thing he don’t regret, that is his family. His son has made him very proud. He never would of thought that his son would grow up to be a doctor. Other people pressure there children to do something in their lives, Valentine and his wife always supported their son in everything he did. He is just a fortunate father with a great son. His college friends and their wives come and visit Valentine and his wife every weekend. They usually talk for hours which is part of their social engagement (Ch. 18, pg. 517). Although they all live a different life style they have managed to keep their friendship strong. Especially in these years where it is needed the most. They have all involved themselves in volunteer work so that they wouldn’t be at home bored and doing nothing or even just being lonely.

East Asian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

East Asian History - Essay Example A man is allowed to marry if his wife fails to give birth to a baby boy. People use to sold their daughters if they want to work in the lands of rich land lords. The subject of this paper and my ancestor is one of those poor women who struggled hard to live her life, the one who loved her daughters and value them. She had to bear pain of foot binding and post marriage customs but she didn't give up and continued to work hard and serve her family and children. I was glad to know by my mother that my ancestors lived in song dynasty as I was very fond of knowing about ancient China specially song dynasty. My ancestor was born when the country was under Confucius rule, so according to the traditions she was named "daughter no 2" as she was the second daughter of her parents Her father was a farmer and she daily saw her mother working harder than her father and other males. Her mother loved her a lot as she had to sell her elder daughter (daughter no 1) to a rich land owner in order to earn bread and butter by farming on their land. It was one of the happiest days of her life when she takes the first step and gets clothes to wear and straw shoes by her mother first time since she was born. It was made up of hemp (the cheapest material). While playing with her friends in the land, she was deeply impressed by the silk material wore by the daughter of the land lord and wishes to express her desire but was scared as she never saw her mother expre ssing anything My ancestor loves to play with children's living in the vicinity " such as flying kites and sliding down a stairway railing, to activities meant to emulate the adult males around them - playing the zither, writing poetry, and enacting a ritual washing of the Buddha."1 . As she grew up she had to wear old clothes of her mother. She always wore her hairs in two coils. She was amazed one day when unexpectedly her father took her to the market and was excited to see shopkeepers as' "one merchant is raising banners above his shop, another is supervising the unloading of grain sacks from transport boats on the Canal. Another individual is getting dressed, and the establishments, many of which seem to be for eating and drinking, seem on the whole relatively deserted2 . She looked strangely when she saw a person walking with them with his young son and another man came and did a strange practice. She asked her father what the man did and he replied that this is a tradition: "When a father goes out The son must follow behind If on a road he meets a senior He puts his feet together and joins his hand In front of a senior, He does not spit on a ground"3 She became happy as she thought his father will ignore her question now she expected something more from he father and thought he might buy something for her but her excitement comes to an end when her feet were binded. When my ancestor grew up she thought that it is said that Confucius tells us how to"act in accordance with the principle of humanity"4 then why she and other girls have to face this inhuman act of foot binding. When my ancestor turns 19 her mother told her that the greatest duty of women is to have a son. On one morning

Rhetorical Analysis Essay(William Gibson-cyberpunk) Essay

Rhetorical Analysis (William Gibson-cyberpunk) - Essay Example According to Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Gernberk’s stories were described as ‘hackneyed adventure tales in which heroes outfitted in dubious space metal wrecked alien words and rescued space maidens’ (New Grolier Multimedia encyclopedia 112). The popularity of the Amazing stories led to new entrants in the 1920s and 1930s to include, Science wonder stories, Wonder stories and Astounding stories. It was Campbell’s work which gave a credible representation of science fiction on how technology has an impact on individuals as well as their cultures through complex narrative techniques as well as exhaustive approaches to subject matters. His works have been regarded as the golden age of science fiction under which science fiction writers such as Robert A. Heinlein, Theordore Sturgeon and Isaac Asimov flourished. Major themes of science fiction are listed by Grolier as robots, alternate worlds, faster- than- light travel, the seeding of the galaxies by the humans and aliens and its many astonishing consequences and the full range of possibilities presented by the nuclear power. The impact of technology on everyday lives and on the planet’s fate became more dominant in science fiction from the 1950s onwards. Most notable development was the New Wave associated with authors such as Brian Aldiss and J.G Ballard whose focus was on topical issues such as environmental depletion, urban overcrowding, and how technology relates to drug abuse, crime and sexuality. The new wave in some aspects introduces cyberpunk’s attention to the impact of technology on the present no less than on the future an important component which features in William Gibson’s works and his contemporaries – that of computer technology. This continuous intermingling of reality and fiction has depicted science fiction as a means of sharpening the awareness of a people to their reality by de-familiarizing it through imaginations and fantasies (Heuser

Legal Issues of Business Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legal Issues of Business Organizations - Essay Example The leave is only given because of three reasons; First, in case of birth or the employee has to take care of the employee’s eligible child or, when the employee has to provide foster care or adopt a child. Second, if the employee has to offer care to his/her immediate member of the family, including child, spouse and parent whose health condition is serious. Third, if the employee has to take care of own health condition that is serious according to the physician. During this period, the employee is not eligible to get his salary, but entitled to group health advantages. Considering the provisions, the twins were eligible children of the Employee A; he was entitled to a maximum leave of 12 weeks. As well, employee A’s spouse gave birth to twins prematurely, meaning that, it might have caused serious health complications. Therefore, he was obliged to stay with her as she recovered from her health condition. Since the Act provides for an employee to take care of spouseâ €™s health, the leave was justified. According to the Act, the leave is unpaid. Therefore, Employee A was wrong to request for the withheld salary. The manager acted within the legal requirement for not approving payment to the employee who was granted leave under such circumstances. In situation A, the act was not violated. Section B Analysis of situation B regarding the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 According to the provisions of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), the employees who have reached 40 years, or older than that age are protected in the workplace (EEOC, B, 2008). It prohibits all forms employment discrimination in relation to the employee’s age. Under the act, it is illegal to discriminate the employee about his/her age from enjoying the privileges, terms and conditions of employment, such as hiring, compensation, firing, benefits, promotion, job assignments, layoff, and training (EEOC, B, 2008). The Act also provides that , the older employees should be favored with such employment privileges, terms and conditions, even if the practice would affect the junior workers, below the age of 40 years (EEOC, B, 2008). In addition, the Act prohibits retaliatory actions on the employees who are opposed to the discriminative practices on gender, or someone who has filed a discrimination petition on age factors, testified against such discriminatory acts, and investigating such practices (EEOC, B, 2008). Considering situation B, it was illegal to discriminate Employee B on employment promotion simply because he/she was 68 years. From the situational analysis, Employee B has been in the company of 42 years and his/her performance record was above average. This might be as a result of the long experience that he/she had in the company. Indeed, the employee seems to have mastered the ways of doing the work effectively, which resulted to exemplary performance. Therefore, promoting a younger worker whose performance was only adequate, because he/she was 32, years contravened the provisions of the Act. The management of the company should have favored the older employee because he was above average and the law protects them from all forms discrimination regarding the employees age. Precisely, the law

Construction of gender and sexual identities Essay

Construction of gender and sexual identities - Essay Example It has aptly been observed that every culture of the world maintains some specific characteristics and traits, which distinguishes it with the rest of the cultural groups and communities at large prevailing within the same natural and physical phenomena. This distinction is generally dependent of several sub-cultures existing under one culture, which not only divide the individuals into factions and groups, but also provide them with identification on the basis of their likes and dislikes, and priorities and aversions as well. Consequently, the sub-cultures of society work in an active and effective way by not only uniting the like-minded people under one platform, but also helping them in respect of winning their rights and privileges particularly at the time when the majority of the population appears to be standing at the opposite side, censuring and condemning the minority group in one way or the other. It is especially the case with the homosexuals, which have established their specific sub-culture, and have invented and introduced particular terms and jargons in order to convey their messages to their community members on one hand, and conceal it from the members of outer groups on the other (Warren 1998). The present paper aims to concentrate upon the gender and sexual identities with reference to the homosexuals in order to get acquainted with their sub-culture and mode of communication while living in the societies, an imperative majority of which still regard same-sex relations as perversion and deviant behavior (Macionis 2007). Sexual identity and the terms related to it, according to Ponse (1978), are applied in quite a different way in gay and lesbian environment to the dominant mainstream social set up. In addition, there also exists a sub-culture within the gay environment, which could only be comprehended with by the members of homosexual community, as well as the individuals interested in the same. As a result, an imperative proportion of the m ajority population remains almost unaware of the terms to be applied in order to express some specific action, performance or identity in general. For instance, the term gay had frequently been applied in order to demonstrate the individuals carrying jolly and care-free disposition in past; though, the same adjective has become entirely confined to defining homosexual males and females, and the previous usage of the word focusing jovial people has ceased to exist in main culture and homosexual sub-culture as well (Sherwin 2006). However, some of the terms are exclusively applied to identify homosexuality. Unger & Crawford (1993) argue that the feminists have articulated various terms in order to make division between sex and gender, determining the biological characteristics, and social traits and qualities of the homosexuals respectively. For instance, the notion lesbian explains a female engaged in a homosexual relationship, though in past it was donated to the individuals belongi ng to the Greek island Lesbos (248). Similarly, the notion active simply describes a vigorous and energetic person, though in homosexual acts, the same defines the person playing dominant part in homosexual relationships by penetrating into the recipient or passive partner; the terms dominant and top also define the penetrating partner, while submissive and bottom signify the receiver respectively. Hence, Ponse (246-47) appears to be justified in her claim that the terms used by the majority of the population are applied interchangeably in gay culture, and hence display the meanings that are quite different to the actual application of the same in their nature and scope. On the contrary, the essentialists strictly confine sexual behavior on the basis of the biological characteristics of males and females. As a result, males and females should always play dominant and submissive roles as per the demand of their sex organs and biological traits.

Scavenger Hunt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scavenger Hunt - Research Paper Example Researchers have to plan for the whole process and allow adequate time for each activity in the research (Ronald, 2013) Some information is not easy to collect given the security and limited access to certain types of information. This paper will reflect on the importance of gathering information in PR. This essay also outlines processes and procedures involved in collecting data in research as well as reflecting overall experience of research. This will be based on five questions that the researcher sought answers from different sources in order to have a firsthand experience of research in Public Relations. Reliable data and statistics about different issues and trends in the United Arab Emirates can be obtained from different sources. Reliable sources are those that have authority either from the government of UAE or from other international organizations that work collaboratively with the UAE. Five main sources of information on various topics in the UAE include the National Bureau of Statistics of the UAE, The World Health Organization (WHO), International Labor Organization (ILO), The United Nations Organization (UNO), and the Forbes magazine (Aaref, 2005). These sources give data on different topics ranging from demographics, economic trends, politics and social lifestyles. This list of sources comes from international and local sources that have authority in their specific areas. Power toothbrushes are more effective that manual toothbrushes in the short term. Power tools are automatic and easier to manage. The brushes can regulate themselves for instance by preventing one to brush too hard on the gums. These toothbrushes are however very expensive and out of reach for most people. The current infant mortality rate in the United Arab Emirates stands at 0.9 in 1000 births (Aaref, 2005). This is a relatively good rate in relation to rates in other countries in the world and

Construction of gender and sexual identities Essay

Construction of gender and sexual identities - Essay Example It has aptly been observed that every culture of the world maintains some specific characteristics and traits, which distinguishes it with the rest of the cultural groups and communities at large prevailing within the same natural and physical phenomena. This distinction is generally dependent of several sub-cultures existing under one culture, which not only divide the individuals into factions and groups, but also provide them with identification on the basis of their likes and dislikes, and priorities and aversions as well. Consequently, the sub-cultures of society work in an active and effective way by not only uniting the like-minded people under one platform, but also helping them in respect of winning their rights and privileges particularly at the time when the majority of the population appears to be standing at the opposite side, censuring and condemning the minority group in one way or the other. It is especially the case with the homosexuals, which have established their specific sub-culture, and have invented and introduced particular terms and jargons in order to convey their messages to their community members on one hand, and conceal it from the members of outer groups on the other (Warren 1998). The present paper aims to concentrate upon the gender and sexual identities with reference to the homosexuals in order to get acquainted with their sub-culture and mode of communication while living in the societies, an imperative majority of which still regard same-sex relations as perversion and deviant behavior (Macionis 2007). Sexual identity and the terms related to it, according to Ponse (1978), are applied in quite a different way in gay and lesbian environment to the dominant mainstream social set up. In addition, there also exists a sub-culture within the gay environment, which could only be comprehended with by the members of homosexual community, as well as the individuals interested in the same. As a result, an imperative proportion of the m ajority population remains almost unaware of the terms to be applied in order to express some specific action, performance or identity in general. For instance, the term gay had frequently been applied in order to demonstrate the individuals carrying jolly and care-free disposition in past; though, the same adjective has become entirely confined to defining homosexual males and females, and the previous usage of the word focusing jovial people has ceased to exist in main culture and homosexual sub-culture as well (Sherwin 2006). However, some of the terms are exclusively applied to identify homosexuality. Unger & Crawford (1993) argue that the feminists have articulated various terms in order to make division between sex and gender, determining the biological characteristics, and social traits and qualities of the homosexuals respectively. For instance, the notion lesbian explains a female engaged in a homosexual relationship, though in past it was donated to the individuals belongi ng to the Greek island Lesbos (248). Similarly, the notion active simply describes a vigorous and energetic person, though in homosexual acts, the same defines the person playing dominant part in homosexual relationships by penetrating into the recipient or passive partner; the terms dominant and top also define the penetrating partner, while submissive and bottom signify the receiver respectively. Hence, Ponse (246-47) appears to be justified in her claim that the terms used by the majority of the population are applied interchangeably in gay culture, and hence display the meanings that are quite different to the actual application of the same in their nature and scope. On the contrary, the essentialists strictly confine sexual behavior on the basis of the biological characteristics of males and females. As a result, males and females should always play dominant and submissive roles as per the demand of their sex organs and biological traits.

Gilbert and George Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gilbert and George - Research Paper Example In understanding and using pictures, I would like to argue that Gilbert and George explore various aspects of the society in explaining the structure and basic tenets of the society, the current living styles and the methods people should use to lead comfortable lives, away from the influence of societal judgments. One perfect part that Gilbert and George arts do well is explaining the various parts of human development in the society, as the classify and explains each part use. There is a clear explanation of how the parts work in the society and how art is an expression of the self. The basic point in understanding art is first to learn the structures and how the structures are interconnected to form a complex system of images, figures, sculptures and pictures that make up art. Gilbert and George understand the needs of art lovers and from the pictures’ content, it is definite that the artists carried out a study on identifying the specific needs of art lovers especially in collaboration of the integrated systems of the society and other life formation tactics. In my own view, the manner in which an artist approaches a piece of art or sculpture determines the rate of understanding and clarity from the viewers, which is definite to arouse a liking towards a specific piece of artwork. Gilbert and George exploit their talent in showing these aspects. One picture that Gilbert and George use is We. In the picture, Gilbert and George draw images of themselves standing asymmetrically .

Cultural Investigation Essay Example for Free

Cultural Investigation Essay The paper will discuss the main aspect of a Comanche and what their culture is like. The paper encapsulates an interview from such a Native American and this interview will be analyzed with the help of other sources from the Internet. The paper will be followed by first introducing the Comanche tribe with their features and then go about analyzing the interview. The culture of the Comanche will be discussed in the light of how they treat their elders, children and their relatives. The culture also includes some of their important aspects of religion along with the language that they use. The paper will attempt to cover the overall aspect of the Comanche and their effect in the society. Introduction to a Comanche â€Å"The Comanche are a Native American group whose historical range (the Comancheria) consisted of present-day Eastern New Mexico, Southern Colorado, Southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of Northern and Southern Texas. There might once have been as many as 20,000 Comanches. Today, the Comanche Nation consists of approximately 10,000 members, about half of whom live in Oklahoma (centered at Lawton), with the remainder concentrated in Texas, California, and New Mexico. † (Wikipedia, 2006 ) From the above definition it can be understood that the Comanches are very old inhabitants of the United States of America and have long lived there. There are a number of reasons why the Comanches had left their older origin which is near Wyoming. The tribe had shifted to Arkansas where they are now inhabited. The reason why the Comanche is given a name like that is because it is believed that they like to fight and act as strangers to the other people. The origin of Comanche comes from a Spanish word and this is why it is used. They have always been a separate group and have not mingled much with the other tribes and other citizens of the country. Interview of a Comanche The name of the interviewee was Andrea Pahdocony who belongs to a tribe called Comanche of Oklahoma Lord of the Plains). The following questions and answers provide a summary of what their culture is like and how they live their lives. The questions and answers will then be analyzed along with other material to understand what their culture and beliefs are along with their values.

Science field trips | Teaching

Science field trips | Teaching Introduction For several years, many science concepts have been accepted and included into the curriculum, however more often than not these concepts are incorporated as a division of topics within a specific discipline. For example, specialty science courses like environmental biology, environmental chemistry, environmental physics, and environmental geology. Field trips to local spots of interest can be an educational and enlightening component of a science course. In spite of the complexity of arranging these and creating them into the course curriculum, they should be strongly measured. Plan field trips in advance so that the time is used efficiently. For example, if a visit to the local zoo is considered, give students some initial worksheets on animal behaviour while they are there. A visit to a local water resource, information about environment and flora and fauna should come first and follow the trip. Procedures for environment assessment are available from many sources, including the local department of natural resources, the local EPA office, or other professionals like the scenic rivers coordinator in your state. However the acceptance of science teachers on the use or the incorporation of science fieldtrips in the curriculum has been put in question. Some teachers are hesitant to conduct fieldtrips for various different reasons. Their attitude and behaviour towards this well accepted practice varies from training to a personal judge of their capacity. A study regarding the effect of training on urban science teachers perspective on the educational potential of science fieldtrips had been conceptualized to address the trend and its implication to the academe. Review of Literature The quality of learning that students acquire and the degree of experience that students have from their educational activities depend greatly on their teachers. The National Standards for Science Education has incorporated a detailed parameter for teachers and teacher preparation programs that will assist in advancing science literacy in their students. There are a very limited number of researches published that evaluates teachers opinions with regards to taking their students to natural environments such as museums to learn. The research proposes that teachers give importance to outside learning experiences but also report disincentives and significant institutional roadblocks that stand in their way. This review of studies and literatures will discuss how teachers are motivated by this other form of teaching environment and teaching mechanism. Insight from studies in the last thirty years as to what factors facilitate the learning experience for school field trips were discussed (Bitgood, 1989; Price Hein, 1991; Griffin, 1998). Falk and Dierking (1992) discuss perceptions that John Falk and associates have gained from their various studies involving field trips. They said that children begin a field trip with two programmes. The first programme is child-centered and focuses on what students imagine they will be doing: seeing exhibits; having fun travelling there; buying gift shop items; and having a day off from their normal school routine. The second programme communicates to the schools and museums expectations. These programmes are that they assume they will learn things and be meeting people who work at the museum. Field trips are undertaken with a particular reason. These purposes vary. Griffin (1998) did a study involving school excursions to museums in Sydney Australia, and found teachers stated disagreeing purposes for going on field trips. Some of the teachers viewed the field trip as a change of tempo for students and a social experience. Some teachers formulated learning oriented objectives pertaining to the curriculum presented to them. Griffin found that teachers explicit and implicit purposes may differ. There are teachers who wishes to incorporate social interaction and enrichment of previously discussed or presented topics therefore resolve the field trip in highly educated manner in which their knowledge and skills will be further enhanced. She suggests that teachers may react in this manner because they are uncomfortable with their capacity to manage their students in an unfamiliar environment. She feels that teachers are perhaps ignorant of, or unable to understand many of the pr inciples of learning in informal environments, such as learning through play and direct involvement with phenomena. In addition, she found that the teachers purpose for the field trip influences the students rationale for the visit. Therefore it can be said that students attitudes tend to mirror the teachers attitude (Griffin, 1998; Griffin Symington, 1980). Research studies by Gottfried (1980) and others support the idea that teachers view field trips as enrichment experiences (Gottfried, 1980; Brigham Robinson, 1992; Griffin, 1998). With this given analysis it presupposes that fieldtrips appeal to the educating world as means of escape to a usual habit or pattern. Sometimes it holds true that teachers are not sure of how to facilitate a learning environment outside the four corners of the classroom. As observed some may let the students wander off to the new environment without making any further information on what is seen and observed in the environment to where the educational fieldtrip is conducted. The author was quick to assume that teachers attitudes and motivation to adapt a science fieldtrip in the curriculum relies on their outlook of how they will perform or how prepared they are to facilitated and head the said trips. The accountability is overwhelming for teachers in the eyes of the author. In this case I presume that the author knows the essence or the importance of the teachers readiness to hold such responsibility in being motivated to include a science fieldtrip in their curriculum. Connections between Informal Science Sites and Schools In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the development of relationships between informal science sites and schools. This is conceptualized to the detection that informal education sites have the potential to offer more than a one-time field trip to teachers and students. According to Ramey-Gassert (1997), science fieldtrips has many potential benefits. These include improving motivation and attitudes, interactive participation, and fostering curiosity. In itself this may be reason enough for teachers to be interested in promoting connections between schools and informal education sites. In a sense, fieldtrips may encourage students to actively take part in the study. In fact the application of what is taught at school may be seen and experienced firsthand during fieldtrips. Having done so, teachers may use this to stir students curiosity and further encourage them to find means to improve or develop what they have seen. Technology is best taught if the application is seen and viewed by the students. Michie (1998) found that the environment of informal science learning, which incorporated features such as voluntary, unstructured, non-assessed, open-ended, and learner-centered (p. 248) led to heightened student interest. This open-ended learning experience can also have optimistic effects on how students feel about science learning. (Gottfried, 1980). While the most beneficial facet of informal science learning may be the often incalculable notions of appreciation and motivation for further learning, researchers have also reported gains in content knowledge by students (Gottfried, 1980; Fiso, 1982; Munley, 1991). The freedom to manipulate, operate and explore the learning environment makes learning highly conducive and interesting. This attitude may be encouraged to further stress a point or a concept. Teachers may utilize this to explore the students perception and opinion regarding a particular topic. Teachers may very well plan a curriculum under which interactive participation may be facilitated. Most importantly, informal science sites can offer teachers and students something which they often cannot experience in the formal classroom. Mullins (1998) illustrates the experience this way: it is precisely because informal science sites are informal learning settings, where attendance is voluntary. In an informal science sites, the visitor is at liberty to wander at will, taking in things that connect to previous knowledge and experience, and discovering new ideas with pleasure (p.42). The appeal of fieldtrips to students is not confound to it being compulsory and rigid. In fact as previously mentioned the idea that this environment is less strict and more open has its appeal to students more and more interesting. However, before teachers aspire to make schools more like an informal science sites, it is important to understand the inherent differences between schools and informal science sites. Despite doing a similar activity as with the classroom as students in an informal environment, there are important disparities between the assumptions that are made as the teaching/learning is taking place. Informal learning stands separately from school learning in that it is free-choice, non-sequential, self-paced, and voluntary. The formal education system was not designed in this way. Schools are designed to teach students so that they are equipped to function successfully in society. The learning requirements are set as standards that all students are expected to learn. The teaching and learning that most often occurs in schools involves obligatory learning in which learning is focused by a programmed set of requirements imposed externally by a forced authority (Falk, 2001). Unfortunately, as Falk and Dierking (1992) point out, learning has become tantamount with the words education and school where learning is perceived as primarily the attainment of new ideas, facts, or information, rather than the consolidation and slow, incremental growth of existing ideas and information (p. 98). Recognizing these disparities is vital to understanding how each approach and their associated fundamental assumptions are part of the whole learning experience for students and teachers. Instead of trying to make one institution be like the other, a suitable approach may be to recognize the strengths of both informal sciences sites and schools and to bring those resources together to better serve both teachers and students. Anderson (2004) points out that the informal and formal education communities are pursuing the same goal of educating the public even if it originates from different assumptions and inherent qualities. One way that informal science sites can contribute to this objective is by helping teachers to gain assurance in teaching science. Science teaching assurance, or science teaching self-efficacy, is an essential component of effective science teaching. Teacher effectiveness has been found to be one of the most important factors influencing teachers work (Bitgood, 1993; Lessow, 1990) and is an important factor in teacher motivation. Horizon Research, Inc. (2001a) reported that long-term association with an informal science sites can begin to shift a teachers confidence in science teaching. For example, one teacher in their study reports, This museum has done a lot for the individual teacher. I think many of us have undergone a long-term change in our teaching style, and are more confiden t and comfortable in a student-centered teaching approach (p.16). Price and Hein (1991) assures that gains in science assurance and enthusiasm by elementary school teachers after they were engaged in collaborative projects with an informal science sites. According to a national survey which appeared in 2001, only approximately 25 percent of elementary teachers feel they are well qualified to teach science (Horizon Research, 2001a). Furthermore, teachers will normally avoid situations where they qualm their ability to perform successfully. Improving elementary teachers science teaching confidence is therefore an imperative factor in the development of science education. As results of this recognition of the advantages of informal science learning, an increasing number of universities are collaborating with informal science sites in preparing their future teachers. Muse, et.al (1982) describes the many benefits includes the chance to work with children of different ages and backgrounds, the chance to work with other teachers, the chance to practice good science teaching and gain assurance, and the knowledge of science teaching resources. Across all of these partnerships, the specific strengths of the informal sites are acknowledgement and brought into the training of future teachers. As suggested by a university professor, in addition to the benefits of a unique kind of teaching and learning that occurs in informal environments, research also advocates teachers can benefit from the resources and programs offered by informal science sites. This can include interactive exhibits, educational materials and science equipment that many teachers and school districts cannot afford or do not have access to in school (Rennie, 1995). Teachers who not using Informal Science Horizon Research Inc. (2001a) established that there is nearly one informal science education institution for every 1,000 elementary school teachers in the United States. Yet these institutions serve only 10 percent of all U.S. teachers teaching science. While there has been a changing focus to heightened the numbers of these relationships with teachers, many teachers do not seem to be using museum resources in partnering ways where unambiguous links are made to classroom curricula and teachers return for additional assistance and partnership as needed throughout the school year. The literature on this subject revolves around the assumption that using informal science actually pertains to taking field trips. These studies do not openly concentrate on those teachers who continually use informal science sites in many different ways. Nonetheless, these studies show why teachers may not be as likely to take their students on field trips as other teachers. Explanations for why teachers are not taking field trips can be arranged into several categories. Logistics: transportation coordination and cost (Lessow, 1990; Michie, 1998; Price and Hein, 1991), safety concerns (Michie, 1998); and student misbehaviour and large class size (Fido and Gayford, 1982; Lessow, 1990; Price and Hein, 1991) External Support System: a lack of support from the government who see the field trip as a vacation (Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998; Price and Hein, 1991); and a lack of support from other teachers who are uncomfortable with new experiences and getting out of the classroom (Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998) Personal Motivation: such as fear of failure (Mullins, 1998), lack of energy and time (Lessow, 1990; Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998; Price and Hein, 1991) low interest (Mullins, 1998); and lack of personal knowledge of and positive experiences with informal science sites (Fido and Gayford, 1982; Michie, 1998) Availability of Resources: inadequate choice of informal science sites (Michie, 1998) Orion (1993) points out that many of the complications involved in linking informal science institutions and the formal education system can be addressed to differences in size, orientation, and mission. Informal science sites tend to be smaller than school systems, are profit oriented and are mostly private. Ramey-Gasset (1996) asserts that these obvious differences can make associations very difficult to attain. While both classroom teachers and informal science sites educators have the similar Objectives of educating students, they approach it from very different outlooks. Schools and informal science sites have not viewed themselves as equal partners; asserting that each feels that they are performing different things in terms of science education, and one does not necessarily complement the other. There is also a common view of informal science educators as pseudo-educators. Claiming that museum educators practice some of the best teaching in a community may not be entirely correct and may overestimate the teaching proficiency of these teachers (Munley, 1991, p. 14). While many informal science sites educators are superior teachers, many do not have the experience or training to serve as model teachers. For this truth, many school administrators and teachers may not view the informal community as a competent partner in science education. However, this may change. Creating standards for informal science educators has the impending to positively impact future partnership between the informal science community and schools. Factors Influencing Teachers to take Field Trips The focal point of this research is on teachers who use the resources of informal science on a regular basis. This subject appears to be focused on the actual field trip and not on using informal science resources in different ways and on a regular basis. There are numerous studies that address this concern of the factors influencing teachers to take field trips. Lessow (1990) surveyed 585 teachers on their use of informal science and used quantitative analysis to settle on the possible correlations between teacher quality and use of informal science. Some of his major findings were that teachers took more field trips when they had taken personal trips to a particular site felt that their students gained either cognitively or affectively. Lessow (1990) did not find that those teachers who assumed having a science related hobby, read science journals or attended more professional development took more field trips. And those teachers with more experience teaching also did not take more trips than other teachers. While this study had some interesting findings, it did not disclose the nature of these trips or teachers personal thoughts on taking them. While Lessow (1990) addressed the efficiency of the field trips, this was determined primarily through survey answers and focused around the use of pre-visit and post-visit activities. Therefore, ho w these teachers used these sites was not revealed. Michie (1998) interviewed 28 secondary science teachers in Australia to determine the influences on them to organize and conduct field trips. It was found that teachers who took field trips wanted to give students hands-on, real life experiences which they could not have in the classroom. He also said that while there was some perplexity on the usefulness of field trips, most teachers accepted the cognitive gains associated with the trips. There were some teachers who commented on the emotional values. In addition, six more experienced teachers elementary teacher to college professors were chosen for follow-up interviews. These expert teachers reported that they conducted field trips for three reasons. The first was because of the positive benefits they and their students receive in reference to the relationships that developed among students, between students and teachers, and between students and informal educators. Mullins (1998) reported that these relationships raised confidence , invigorated lives and enhanced their questioning and learning (Mullins, 1998, p. 165). The second reason these teachers chose to take these outdoor trips was that they acknowledged that their thinking on how learning takes place had changed after engaging in these environmentally based trips. They realized the worth of interactive learning and project-based learning where the students were involved in real-life projects. The third reason was simply because of the experiential benefits. They said that nature taught them how to teach; and that observing students attach with nature was their main purpose for having field trips. This study also reported that most of the experienced teachers all had positive field experiences as children. While the literature concerning the factors motivating teachers to take field trips is informative, there is the absence of a clear picture of teachers who choose to frequently use the resources of informal science. Further, at a time when the majority of elementary teachers do not feel well-equipped and credible to teach science and are teaching less science (Horizon Research, 2001a), hearing from those elementary teachers that do feel confident in their ability to teach science and incorporate informal science in their teaching can inform this issue. While many teachers will take their students on at least one field trip during the year, fewer will lead effective field trips where students gain both cognitively and affectively. Many teachers will use it as a form of leisure or will not amalgamate it into their curriculum (Lessow, 1990). Support for Using Informal Science Realizing how and why these teachers continually use informal science was the focal point of this study. And directly related to this is the support they receive for using informal science. An important result of this study is that the existence of support is indispensable to whether these teachers use the resources of informal science for the gain of their students. However, it is paramount that they have support. This can have significant effects on less experienced teachers. Mullins (1998) found that a teacher support system, either from peers or administrators, makes the distinction in whether a novice teacher chooses to pursue informal science opportunities. A large portion of the required assistance for using informal science is budget. This is especially the case for taking students on field trips which is the primary way in which these teachers and most other teachers tend to use informal science (Inverness Research Associates, 1995). The cost will be used for transportation and money for entrance fees. A school (or most often, the school district) allots a certain amount of field trips based on priorities and what can be afforded. These costs can be huge obstructions to teachers use of informal science. Teachers identified transportation costs as a major limiting factor to using informal science in studies by Lessow (1990) and Michie (1998). These two studies focused on teachers who did not necessarily use informal science on a regular basis. The teachers in those studies were accompanying their grade level on their allotted yearly field trips. The teachers do not directly refer to money as a limiting factor. Kaspar (1998), in his survey of administrators and teachers in regards to the use of informal science, also found that more experienced teachers did not list administrative tasks and logistics as obstacles. The teachers are experts at navigating these barriers. While funding is always important to their use of informal science, these teachers talk more about the basis of the funding. Based on the teachers stories, they are more concerned with the emotional support they receive from these sources. This importance of administrator support is reflected in Mullins (1998) study where a lack of support by the school administration was one of the most frequently mentioned obstacles to taking field trips. This is further supported in a statement made by an experienced teacher who uses informal science regularly in her teaching. Those teachers have to somehow have an administration that understands that a field trip is not just kids getting away from school; its not a play day. The administration has to understand that it is an extension of the classroom. Five hours on a field trip can be worth far more than five hours in the classroom. Administrations and school boards have to be able to see how field trips can positively impact grades and see that its okay to be different (Mullins, 1998, p. 134). Further, administrative support has been described as being extremely important to teachers ability to effectively teach science (Ramey-Gassert et al., 1996). District and state current policy on science education likely affects some teachers use of informal science. This is especially true for Betty, who expresses how the de-emphasis on science and focus on passing the state standardized tests has hindered her teaching of science and use of informal science. None of the other teachers expressed this same sort of frustration. Teaching at a school in a low-income area where passing the tests was of major concern was likely an important factor. While Greg also teaches in a high-poverty school, he is somewhat protected due to his district-approved and specially funded science-focused classroom. Without administrative support of some kind, even a highly motivated teacher will find it difficult to do the things he/she would like to do with students in science inside or outside of the clas sroom. Administrative support is narrated as a motivating factor in these teachers ability to use the resources of informal science although to different degrees among them. A teacher in a small school in a large district relies heavily on principal support, while another in a large school in a smaller district relies mainly on district level support. Administrative support is likely to be especially significant for teachers in low-income areas. Without district support of non-profit program, most teachers would have difficulty involving their class in such an extensive off-campus project with an informal science site. The success of that program has largely been due to the collaborative nature of its beginnings and the community encouragement it has received. While the fact that most teachers do not discuss it does not mean that it has not been an essential factor, it is a factor that they may have taken for granted. This is the case in the higher-income schools where there tends to be mo re parent support for these trips and projects especially in terms of funding. Parents, in turn, are able to financially support these projects and trips and since many mothers work at home, they can act as chaperones. Surprisingly, there is little in the discussions on the importance of parent support in teachers use of informal community resources. The studies of teachers use of informal science tend to focus more specifically on the field trip and not the teachers themselves (e.g. Lessow, 1991; Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998). Further, those studies focus on either experienced science teachers from all levels of education (Mullins, 1998) or on more typical teachers on a grade level field trip (Lessow, 1991; Michie, 1998). Yet, parent support was found to be a significant authority on all of the teachers in this study. Teachers realize the significant role that parents play in making that possible. When parents are not able to pinch as much due to financial limitations or work schedules, those teachers rely more heavily on administrative and outside support and must try harder to provide informal science experiences for their students. Because the teachers in this study are often responsible for planning the field trips for their grade level, many of them express frustration at the negative attitudes of other teachers towards project involvement and science in general. On a finding supported by Michie (1998), it shows that teachers reported some resentment from other teachers if they took students on field trips. However, in Michies study, the students were in secondary school. The teachers protested because students were taken out of class or were late for another class. The teachers in this study are experienced, science-oriented, curious teachers. And unfortunately, they are not the standard in the mentoring profession. They are more like the teachers in Mullins (1998) study, even though those teachers were mostly secondary-level teachers and college professors. They were clearly passionate about teaching science. Mullins (1998) found that the more experienced teachers reported fear within the teacher to be the most significant obstacle to teachers implementing field trips. One teacher said, Its just not familiar. Teachers need someone because most of them are troubled by the idea that they are in fact clueless as to what may transpire during fieldtrips. Youre likely to do things the way youve always done them unless you have some good reason to do something differentlike if there is a real good program and someone suggests field trips and they take teachers out and then teachers say, Oh, thats not so hard, I can do this. Teachers want to; they just dont know what to do because we do so little of this in our teacher training programs (Mullins, 1998, p. 136). While the teachers in this study have ultimately been responsible for their choice to use informal science in their teaching, they are the first to admit that it has required plenty of support financial, logistical and emotional. All of these teachers claimed to require support to use informal science. It is not something they can easily do on their own. These teachers are excellent at navigating the barriers in terms of their use of informal science whether it is simply rallying parent support despite a lack of funds, holding bake sales, or finding ways to bring informal science into their classroom. And if these teachers, who are clearly exemplary science teachers, require support and encouragement, then it is likely that other teachers need even more encouragement in using informal science. As mentioned earlier, the average elementary teacher is likely to feel apprehensive about teaching science, and will lack the confidence needed to seek out informal science opportunities. The exceptional teachers in this study often found this on their own it was the emotional support that they needed in order to continue the pursuit of their science teaching goals. Based on my interpretations, providing more support for teachers in using informal science is a logical place to begin to focus energy so that more teachers are likely to look to these community resources. Highlights of the Teachers Attitudes towards Conducting Science Field Trips Field trips can be referred as one of the three ways through which science can be taught through formal classroom teaching, practical work and field trips. In the United States teachers tend to use the term field trip instead of excursion. There have been a number of challenges to define field trips. The definition used in most the researches is taken from Krepel and Duvall (1981): a trip arranged by the school and undertaken for educational purposes, in which the students go to places where the materials of instruction may be observed and studied directly in their functional setting: for example, a trip to a factory, a city waterworks, a library, a museum etc. (p. 7). The use of the term field work emphasizes some of the formal exercises which are conducted outside of the classroom, usually in biology and geology at senior high school and tertiary levels. These activities may be referred to be a subset of field trips or excursions. Much of the literature start off from museums and science centers, other noted venues such as zoos, aquariums, planetariums and field study or nature centers (see reviews such as Falk Dierking, 1992; Ramey-Gassert, Walberg Walberg, 1994; Rennie McClafferty, 1995, 1996). It often relates a range of effects on visitors, rather than students per se, Quantitative studies of the attitudes of teachers towards field trips were done and facilitated by Falk and Balling (1979), Fido and Gayford (1982) and Muse, Chiarelott and Davidman (1982). The researchers found that, in the opinion of teachers, the positive benefits derived from field trips were Ha

How does Hardy elicit sympathy for the three main characters? :: Free Essay Writer

How does Hardy elicit sympathy for the three main characters? Thomas Hardy has an extremely clever way of obtaining sympathy for a character. Hardy has specific ways to elicit sympathy by varying the level of sympathy he gives to character. He either gives sympathy to someone or takes it away from a character so more sorrow seems to be on another. He also uses powerful language to strengthen his points and finally he shows sorrow from a character’s point of view. He uses these techniques on the three main characters (Rhoda, Farmer Lodge and Gertrude) exceptionally well. We first see Farmer Lodge in his gig while bringing his new wife Gertrude to Holmstoke. He sees his son but completely ignores him: â€Å"One of the neighbourhood. I think he lives with his mother a mile or two off.† (Page 4) Gertrude asks Farmer Lodge who the boy is but he totally disregards his son and does not even acknowledge the child. He does not even tell his new wife that the child is his son. We give him no sympathy for this cruel act as he should have at least greeted the youngster. In comparison, Farmer Lodge’s son looks up to him: â€Å"Mr Lodge, he seemed pleased, and his waistcoat stuck out, and his great golden seals hung like a lord’s† (Page 70) It seems his son wants to get to know his father and holds him in high regard as his description of Farmer Lodge is rather flattering. Hardy has made Farmer Lodge seem unfeeling and not caring about his son. This is another reason not to feel sorry for Farmer Lodge. Farmer Lodge ignores Gertrude and her needs because of her withered arm: â€Å"Half a dozen years passed away, and Mr and Mrs Lodge’s married experience sank into prosiness, and worse.† (Page 19) She needed his help and support but still he ignored her. This is cruel as he marries her and then ignores her. It is wrong. Hardy portrays him to be bitter and heartless and therefore he receives no sympathy what so ever. At the end, Farmer Lodge’s character changes, he tries to make up for his previous behaviour and how he ignored his son by setting up a reformatory for boys: â€Å"he went away to Port-Bredy, at the other end of the county, living there in solitary lodgings till his death two years later of painless decline.† (Page 33) Hardy uses strong words such as â€Å"painless decline† which gives atmosphere about the solitude he lived in. It is clear that Farmer Lodge wants to make up for his previous behaviour by setting up the reformatory and giving a â€Å"small annuity† to Rhoda. How does Hardy elicit sympathy for the three main characters? :: Free Essay Writer How does Hardy elicit sympathy for the three main characters? Thomas Hardy has an extremely clever way of obtaining sympathy for a character. Hardy has specific ways to elicit sympathy by varying the level of sympathy he gives to character. He either gives sympathy to someone or takes it away from a character so more sorrow seems to be on another. He also uses powerful language to strengthen his points and finally he shows sorrow from a character’s point of view. He uses these techniques on the three main characters (Rhoda, Farmer Lodge and Gertrude) exceptionally well. We first see Farmer Lodge in his gig while bringing his new wife Gertrude to Holmstoke. He sees his son but completely ignores him: â€Å"One of the neighbourhood. I think he lives with his mother a mile or two off.† (Page 4) Gertrude asks Farmer Lodge who the boy is but he totally disregards his son and does not even acknowledge the child. He does not even tell his new wife that the child is his son. We give him no sympathy for this cruel act as he should have at least greeted the youngster. In comparison, Farmer Lodge’s son looks up to him: â€Å"Mr Lodge, he seemed pleased, and his waistcoat stuck out, and his great golden seals hung like a lord’s† (Page 70) It seems his son wants to get to know his father and holds him in high regard as his description of Farmer Lodge is rather flattering. Hardy has made Farmer Lodge seem unfeeling and not caring about his son. This is another reason not to feel sorry for Farmer Lodge. Farmer Lodge ignores Gertrude and her needs because of her withered arm: â€Å"Half a dozen years passed away, and Mr and Mrs Lodge’s married experience sank into prosiness, and worse.† (Page 19) She needed his help and support but still he ignored her. This is cruel as he marries her and then ignores her. It is wrong. Hardy portrays him to be bitter and heartless and therefore he receives no sympathy what so ever. At the end, Farmer Lodge’s character changes, he tries to make up for his previous behaviour and how he ignored his son by setting up a reformatory for boys: â€Å"he went away to Port-Bredy, at the other end of the county, living there in solitary lodgings till his death two years later of painless decline.† (Page 33) Hardy uses strong words such as â€Å"painless decline† which gives atmosphere about the solitude he lived in. It is clear that Farmer Lodge wants to make up for his previous behaviour by setting up the reformatory and giving a â€Å"small annuity† to Rhoda.

How to Escape from American Consumerism and Materialism Essay -- Expos

How to Escape from American Consumerism and Materialism We all know we live in a highly materialistic culture in which conspicuous consumption governs much of our lives. We strive to acquire goods which will define us to ourselves and to others and somehow satisfy our human need to justify existence. At the end of the day, we also all know that there’s a trap built into the system: the more you consume, the more you are pressed to consume more because whatever satisfaction possession of things brings us is always fleeting thus driving us further and further down the material path of life seeking nirvana around the next corner at the mall. Many modern philosophers have pondered this question, often giving rise to scathing critiques of consumerism as shallow; the product of a decadent and decaying culture. This is where most people turn away, not because they reject what the philosophers say, but precisely because they know it to be at least partially accurate and this is unbearable. It’s unbearable because while we know the meaning of life can’t be reduced to a new SUV, we don’t know what on earth we would replace consumerism with if we were to abandon it as the bedrock of our daily lives. What would we do with our time? Why would we work overtime? Why would we get up in the morning? I don’t propose here to rehash the arguments about why consumerism is evil, but I would like to propose some solutions to the conundrum of modern living: how to find satisfaction through consuming differently and thoughtfully. 1. Value what you have The first step is to look around your space and start to appreciate the sheer number of labour-hours that are invested in the things that you already own. Imagine having to make them you... ... you to pause at least for a moment†¦ Consuming for its own sake is indeed a great temptation, but like all others it can be overcome. This doesn’t require a twelve-step program to wean us permanently from the habit, afterall it’s only human. It does require that we acknowledge what makes having things satisfying: social relations with other people. If we recognize our links to others through the products they make and we consume, and if we assume the responsibility that comes with that recognition, we can consume less, consume differently and garner much more satisfaction from the act. We need to ignore the spin doctors and their promises of eternal happiness or salvation and realize that we are the authors of our own happiness and that happiness cannot be branded, packaged or sold by the pound. Step down from the gerbil wheel and take a moment to think about it.

Online Sales and Inventory Essay

1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Auto supply or auto parts dealers are stores which sells variety of car parts. Some auto supply companies also offers services like car repairs or maintenance and even a car wash. Auto supply has a lot of product line to sell with; it’s either for the performance side (brake fluid, coolant, radiator, engine belts, oil filters, clutch disc, hoses) or the physical side (paintjob, tires, mugs, lights). Some stores are more into car accessories (car alarm system, central lock, sound systems, vinyl, etc.) or tires and mugs selling. Big scale companies tend to have all of these. JTU Auto Supply is a medium scaled company that sells car parts for performance and maintenance of the car. It has been running around 5 years since it was established January 2008. JTU Auto Supply’s name was derived from the initials of â€Å"Jessie T. Uy† who is the owner of the company. From the experience of its owner, Jessie T. Uy of being a taxi driver before, He got interested and came up lots of ideas about different car parts that make him successfully established JTU Auto Supply. JTU Auto Supply’s main colors are red and yellow because the colors are striking, attractive, and visible. The owner also likes the color red because he has Chinese blood. JTU Auto Supply is different compare to other medium scaled auto supply companies because they are keen on having a certain image. They are clean, organized, and has a good structure. An impression to the buyers in proving their tag line â€Å"Tapat sa Presyo†. JTU Auto supply has five physical branches around Cavite located at Pag-asa subdivision which is its main branch, Buhay na tubig, along Molino road near SM Molino, Along Aguinaldo Highway and Salitran. Each branch is dependent on their main branch at Pag-asa. They provide varieties of products and selling five main product lines. These are replacement parts, performance, accessories, fluids and chemicals, and tools. The uses of these for the vehicle are for maintenances or performances. Under replacement parts includes air conditioning, battery and accessories, belts and hoses, body, trim and mirrors, brakes, charging and starting, engine parts, cooling, heating, exhaust fuel, emission, ignition, transmission, wiper and lot more. Under performance includes body styling components, oil, sealers, and additives, tuners, safety equipment and more. If you go for accessories it includes chrome, dress up, exterior and interior and also for trucks. If you need tools they have for body repair, diagnostic tools, electrical, lift equipment, gloves, work wear, safety equipment, tapes, books and manuals too. Under fluids they have windshield wash, A/C chemicals, antifreeze, de-icers, cleaners, brakes, battery chemicals, fuel system, gasket markers, remover, sealers, grease, lubes, adhesives, paint, body repair, maintenance chemicals, leak detectors and oils. Mr. Jessie T. Uy mentioned that they have approximately 15,000 products all-in-all and over a thousand each product line that they have. The main goal of the JTU business is to give its customers a trust and confidence to buy its products and services. To prove to its customers that JTU Auto Supply is dependable, clean, consistent and honest. For the future, they wanted to be like a convenience store and to franchise its business. This impressions and trusts JTU Auto Supply gives customers an attraction to come back. The tagline â€Å"Bringing services to your doorstep† m eans offering to the customers, a great services in terms of delivery of products. They have free delivery fee and can deliver products within 13-15 kilometer radius from its branches for 10-20 minutes. They still offer free delivery beyond the said distance but JTU Auto Supply cannot guarantee the time of delivery. It comes to proponents interest that they never seen a medium scale auto supply have grown this fast yet still having some operational problems and transaction flaws. The problems of the company that they often encountered are mostly in the sales and inventory. JTU Auto Supply manually encodes large amount of items in their inventory. Manually generates sales reports from the receipts or sales invoices they have. They also manually checks and track the inventories in every branches through phone calls, texting or even visiting. This may cause inconvenience in their part especially now that the company starts to grow more. They store their data into Microsoft Excel and open source software such as Quickbook that may cause some security problems in terms to the employees working inside the company. There is a possibility to alter the reports and confidential data. A problem observed is that when it comes to compatibility and specification of the product is hard to find, having lots of possible models in just a single part. Mainly in there free delivery, customers will not be able to see the product itself and causes a lot of misunderstanding or mistakes on the products they ordered. 1.2STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM JTU Auto Supply has five physical stores, all of the branches including the main branch are manually tracking, and checking the remaining items and sold items on each branches’ inventory is by calling, texting, and visiting each branches. Mr. Jessie T. Uy always visit and call each branches (except if he has emergency appointments) just to check updates of sales and inventory such as its needs of every branches. This is very inconvenient for his part since he has also other businesses and works to do. JTU Auto Supply also manually adds, edit, and delete the large amount of items on the Microsoft Excel which is inconvenient. As of now, they already have approximately 15,000 items but as the company grow, JTU Auto Supply is having difficulty in maintaining their inventory. The data on their company such as inventory files, sales invoice files, reports, and a like are also not secured because any person or employee can add, edit, view, and delete it on the Microsoft Excel without the permission and not knowing of the owner. They also manually compute and generate the sales report that may lead to data inconsistencies and errors. They generate it using their copy of sales invoice. JTU Auto Supply has some problems in handling orders via telephone. In their operation they take orders what they can see physically and do not deduct it on the main inventory they have, this causes the items to run out of stocks. Example of this is when a customer calls to order a 5 pieces of 1 litre of brake fluids, the employee will accept the order and deduct on their store’s inventory but someone came to the store and buys exactly 5 pieces of 1 litre of brake fluids. The problem is that physically, an employee sees that there are still remaining item on the storeâ⠂¬â„¢s inventory without knowing that someone has already purchased it. 1.3RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1.3.1 General Objectives The proposed JTU Auto Supply Online sales and inventory system aims to develop and provide JTU Auto Supply an Online Sales and Inventory system. 1.3.2 Specific Objectives 1.3.2.1 Conduct an interview to identify the problems and needs of the company. 1.3.2.2 Study existing system to define the company problems and needs. 1.3.2.3 Gather information that will be needed in developing proposed system. 1.3.2.4 Analyze gathered information to come up with solutions and in order to design a proposed system. 1.3.2.5 Create a system that will be functional and much help for the company. 1.3.2.6 Evaluate and test the system and help in maintaining the system. 1.4SIGNIFICANCE/JUSTIFICATION 1.4.1 To management. JTU Auto Supply will be able to use the online sales and inventory system because it will fix the problems encountered by the employees. These problems particularly are the manual checking and tracking of inventory from one branch to another and manual computation and encoding of sales in Microsoft Excel. The proposed JTU Auto Supply system also will advertise them further through the website to attract more customers. 1.4.2 To customers. The customers would benefit from the proposed system due to its ease in making transaction, creating orders and buying through online. It is convenient for the customers to buy online and deliver it to their doors hassle-free. Customers can check the availability and price of the item they wish to buy anytime without visiting JTU Auto Supply stores. 1.4.3 To proponents. The Proponents idea and knowledge in establishing a website will become broader. Techniques and programming skills will be developed and will understand more the programming language that will be used. The study will also help them to understand the process of transactions and real problems in real world business. 1.4.4 To future researchers. The study will be useful to the future researchers who will conduct a similar study to JTU Auto Supply Online Sales and Inventory System. The study can serve as the reference in creating the documentation of the future studies including its format and content. 1.5CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK InputProcessOutput 1.6SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of the JTU Auto Supply Online Sales and Inventory system are selling and tracking its products and services through online. It features different categories of the products and services, its prices, their descriptions and modes of payments. The mode of payment is cash-on-delivery basis only. The JTU Auto Supply Online Sales and Inventory system will also allow the customers to avail its products only if the user has an account to the website. The proposed will have a built-in shopping cart for the list of orders of the customers. Customers can confirm and cancel their orders through shopping cart. Once the order is confirmed, the item will be delivered. The coverage of its delivery is limited only 13-15 km radius of their branches. 15-20 minutes of delivery is guaranteed only if the location is covered in the 13-15km radius. Directions and contact information of JTU Auto Supply are also included for those customers who wish to visit and call directly the branches. Allowing and providing a customers’ corner will also be included for them to post their questions, inquiries, suggestions and other important concerns regarding the services and products of JTU Auto Supply. The JTU Auto Supply Online Sales and Inventory system will also include the tracking inventory and sold products on every JTU Auto Supply branches. The Pag-asa branch which is the main branch of JTU Auto Supply will be in-charge with the online ordering and delivery of the ordered items. The system will provide an account for administrators of the JTU Auto Supply to control and maintain the system process such as adding, editing, and deleting items on the inventory database. For the communication of each branch, the proposed system will also provide message box or e-mail for the administrator to administrator account from one branch to another.