Question Drama reflects real life on stage Essays - Fiction, Film

Question: Drama reflects real life on stage Text: The Twelve Angry Men Drama has been used to reflect real life experiences and issues on stage. This is exemplified in Reginald Rose's play "Twelve Angry Men" which depicts the different types of prejudice within the American subconscious symbolized through 12 jurors who must make a judgment on a boy accused of murder. The anonymity of characters in the play generalises the American population, based on the Juror's personality, dramatically reflecting the common mentalities of Americans during the 1950's. Rose cleverly uses Juror 8 to persuade the rest of the Jury that the boy is not guilty beyond reasonable doubt, whilst simultaneously convincing the audience as well. Rose's diligently concocted characterizations of jurors allows us to understand the significance of the drama, which accurately reflects real life on stage. The dramatization of prejudice in the play "Twelve Angry Men", is demonstrated as interference in the course of justice. This is highlighted in the introduction where all jurors enter the jury room with preconceived notions, ready to convict the defendant due to his social status rather than evaluating the evidence presented itself. The 4th Juror's stereotypical statement, "slums are breeding grounds for criminals," may be statistically justified, however, this is not actual proof that the suspect is guilty, demonstrating the capability for prejudice to cloud judgement. Rose also portrays personal prejudice as impacting on an individual's judgements, which is exemplified through Juror 3's personal bias towards his own son who left him. This transforms into a generalised prejudice against the younger population, thus creating tension. The 8th Juror's statement, "prejudice obscures the truth," suggests that that he is aware of the impact of prejudice on logic, and hence a fair verdict to bring justice. This problem is used to dramatically reflect the issue prejudice, distrust and depression within the American population during the Cold War. The unusual anonymity of the characters dramatically allows the audience to judge characters for who they really are and reflect their personality to real life people. Rose removes any detailed plot descriptions, names or specifics in the play. Jurors are simply referred to as a number, the defendant as the accused' and even the witness as the old man', illustrating that the function of the jury is more important than the details of their identity. This anonymity of characters allows Rose to break them up into less specific individuals that symbolises a cross section of the American population, as each Juror has a different perspective and looks at the evidence from different angles. As the play develops, we are immediately able to make some conclusions on characters based on the information provided. The anonymity of the play hence dramatically reflects American society, and due to no specifics of characters we are forced to make similar substitutions based on personal experien ce. During the play we are given many different perspectives of the case, which are given to seed doubt within the audience's mind. However, these perspectives can also be obscured by personal matters that are irrelevant to the case, as the jury are not trained in legal judgement. This is exemplified in the statement by Juror 7, "This better be fast, I got tickets to a ball game tonight," which highlights his open lack of interest in the verdict of the jury. In contrast to this, Juror 8 fully focuses on the case and throughout the course of the play, aptly examines, questions and manipulates evidence and other opinions. The discomfort of the situation at the beginning of the play is illustrated through the pathetic fallacy of the hot and sticky atmosphere, but this also portrays the depressing atmosphere surround the time in the 1950's. However, this weather soon changes into a storm, reflecting the tension and conflicting moods within the jury room. Juror 8 finally succeeds in pe rsuading the rest of the jury, thus successfully changing the audience's mind as well. The play concludes with the defeat of prejudice and irrationality through justice, however the accuracy of the final verdict is not demonstrated by Rose. This doubt at the conclusion of the play plagues the psychologies of the audience due to the ambivalence of whether they were right' in

How Television Affects The Family essays

How Television Affects The Family essays Opinion Essay: How Television Affects The Family The year was 1923, and Philo Farnsworth had an invention, and he called it The Television.(Farnsworth Cronicles) He had no idea how it would change the world. Since its arrival it has had a lasting impact on family life, throughout the world. When it first arrived, you couldnt find a family without one. Everyone was glued to their T.V. sets. Little has changed since its invention 81 years ago. Televisions became more modern and people couldnt pry themselves away from the tube. Soon enough this was affecting just how a family acted with each other. Parents were seeing less and less of their children and children were becoming couch-potatoes. The television has changed the way families were and are. When television was invented, it was not intended to be a replacement. Family is the most important influence in a child's life, but television is not far behind. When parents began to use the television as a baby-sitter or a teacher for their children is when they began to lose touch with their children. As the children grew up watching television and not interacting with their parents, they grew less and less apart. Children in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV every day. Watching movies on tape and playing video games only adds to time spent in front of the TV screen. It may be tempting to use television, movies, and video games to keep your child busy, but your child needs to spend as much time growing and learning as possible. Playing, reading, and spending time with friends and family are much healthier than sitting in front of a TV screen. (AAP) This is the truth. How can your child develop or how will you help them develop if you let them live their young life in front of a television? In the film, the Cable Guy, the mother of Jim Carreys character in the mo ...

The Horse Problem Math Challenge

The Horse Problem Math Challenge The highly prized skills that employers look for today are problem-solving, reasoning and decision making, and logical approaches to challenges. Fortunately, mathematics challenges are the perfect way to hone your skills in these areas, especially when you challenge yourself to a new Problem of the Week each week like this classic listed below, The Horse Problem. Though they may seem simple at first, problems of the week from such sites as MathCounts and Math Forum  challenge mathematicians to deductively reason the best approach to solving these word problems correctly, but oftentimes, phrasing is meant to trip up the challenge-taker, but careful reasoning and a good process for solving the equation will help ensure you answer questions like these correctly. Teachers should guide students toward a solution to problems like The Horse Problem by encouraging them to devise methods for solving the puzzle, which might include drawing graphs or charts or using a variety of formulas to determine missing number values. The Horse Problem: A Sequential Math Challenge The following math challenge is a classic example of one of these problems of the week. In this case, the question poses a sequential math challenge in which the mathematician is expected to calculate the final net result of a series of transactions. The situation: A man buys a horse for 50 dollars. Decides he wants to sell his horse later and gets 60 dollars. He then decides to buy it back again and paid 70 dollars. However, he could no longer keep it and he sold it for 80 dollars.The questions: Did he make money, lose money, or break-even? Why?The answer:  The man ultimately saw a net profit of 20 dollars; whether you use a number line or a debit and credit approach, the answer should always amount to the same. Guiding Students to the Solution When presenting problems like this one to students or individuals, let them devise a plan for solving it, because some students will need to act out the problem while others will need to draw charts or graphs; additionally, thinking skills are needed for a lifetime, and by letting students devise their own plans and strategies in problem-solving, teachers are allowing them to improve these critical skills. Good problems like The Horse Problem are tasks that allow students to devise their own methods to solve them. They should not be presented with the strategy to solve them nor should they be told that there is a specific strategy to solve the problem, however, students should be required to explain their reasoning and logic once they believe they have solved the problem. Teachers should want their students to stretch their thinking and move toward understanding as math should be problematic as its nature suggests. After all, the single most important principle for improving the teaching of math is to allow math to be pragmatic for students.

NKT cells Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NKT cells - Research Paper Example Immunologists have been striving to unearth the connection between NKT cells and the inflammatory characteristics of asthma, in a bid to design new intervention strategies. This paper will review the biology of Natural Killer T cells and the prevention strategies of asthma and allergic diseases. Biology of NKT Cells Natural Killer T cells form a subset of lymphocytes as scientists have described. Depending on the T-cell receptor repertoires, NKT cells fall into three categories. The first type of NKT cells is the classical NKT cells that exhibit conserved T-cell receptors (Akbariet al 2006). Immunologists have been described type 1 NKT cells in mice and humans, with those in humans named invariant NKT cells. Type 2 is also available in both mice and humans but have a diverse range of T-cell receptors. However, type 2 faces a restriction from CD1d. The third type forms the independent category of NKT cells characterized as expressing either Ly49 or NK1.1 (CD161 in humans). Moreover, i t proved quite difficult to isolate this type of NKT cells. Immunologists have succeeded in isolating type 1 and associating it with the development of asthma. NKT cells present numerous similarities to Th2 Cells, which trigger the processes that cause the development of asthma. ... However, the two types of cells exhibit different activation processes (Wohlleben&Erb, 2006). Processes Leading to the Development of Asthma and related Atopic Diseases Experts seeking to understand the immunologic processes that lead to the development of asthma, have described the process in detail. Asthma results from the Th2 responses taking place in the lungs. The production of Th2 responses result from the action of allergen specific CD4+. The basis of asthma development is that there must be activation of transcription factors from the downstream factors resulting to the production of Th2 effector cells. The effect of these processes is the production of cytokines such as interleukins IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13. Moreover, these processes trigger the recruitment of eosinophils and allergen specific immunoglobulin E by beta cells (Mallevaey et al, 2006). Granulation of eosinophils and mast cells occurs with as they indulge in a cross-linking with immunoglobulin E (igE). This ca uses the production of mucous and airway hyper-reactivity and a chronic inflammation of the airway. These are the central attributes of asthma.Processes that trigger Th2 responses often lead to airway hyper-reactivity and inflammation. Immunologists have highlighted that Th1 responses do not trigger this hyper-reactivity and inflammation defining asthma and other atopic diseases. There is evidence suggesting that children contacting bacterial infections that trigger Th1 responses in their earlier years have a less likelihood of developing asthma. NKT Cells and Asthma There is evidence that NKT cells have the potential to trigger Th2 responses that often lead to development of asthma and other atopic diseases. This is because of their ability to recognize glycolipid

Investment decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Investment decision - Essay Example Due to high dependency on equity in the capital structure, total cost of capital went quite high (19.63 percent). The required return on asset is 18 percent which is less then cost of capital, so the company’s new project does not seems profitable until and unless the prevailing capital structure is modified. As per the market scenario in Kuwait, deferent debt instruments where determined to find out which one will be more suitable for the company. It is recommended that company should introduce more debt to reduce the cost of capital. As the market conditions are improving, the operating risk will go down and by enhancing financial leverage management will be able to boost profitability of the company. The company, Kuwait Cement was established in the year 1968 by Amiri Decree. In 1978 the first phase of cement plant was inaugurated by Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah which had the production capacity of 1,350,000 tons per annum. The company started production of white cement in the year 1979 and the capacity was to produce 75,000 tons of white cement per year. With passage of time the company’s capacity to produce cement went on increasing and it reached 2,070,000 tons per annum by end 1984. Kuwait cement entered in contract with M/s. PEG – Switzerland for providing consulting services to the project of clinker kiln whose production capacity was 1.8 million. The other services which the company was to provide were management of equipment at Shuaiba port, storage of fuel and conveyor belt management. At different point of time the company formed contracts with many international firms to enhancing the production capacity and to introducing better and advanced technolog y. With the growing demand of white cement in the market, Kuwait Cement went on increasing the white cement production and by the year 1999 the production capacity reached to 170,000 tons as compared to 75,000 tons

Catholic Church Essay Example for Free

Catholic Church Essay Dorothy Day was a journalist, social activist, and a devout Catholic and preacher of the Catholic way of life. In her later years, she also became a preacher of the nonviolent way of living. She started a newspaper, the Catholic Worker to teach the Catholic way of life to people. She led a movement of noncooperation and civil disobedience to teach pacifism to the people. In this essay, I am going to discuss the life and work of Dorothy Day. Dorothy Day was an American journalist and social activist, who was also a staunch Catholic and a devotee of Catholic way of life. She was born on November 8, 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. Day started her career as a reporter in a newspaper. In November 1917, Day went to prison for protesting for women’s suffrage. She had a common-law marriage in 1924 from which she had a daughter in 1997. Her marriage ended by this time. By this time, Day had a strong unshakeable belief in God and the Catholic Church. On December 28, 1927 she joined the Catholic Church. She tried to bring together her religious beliefs and her radical thinking. In December 1932, she met Peter Maurin who was a devout Catholic with whom she had a common-law marriage. He envisioned a future in which society would be based on the social values of the Gospel. They decided to start a newspaper that would promote Catholic ideals and transform the society to adopt these ideals. They started the paper, the Catholic Worker, on May 1, 1933. The paper met with instant success. The paper’s circulation increased to 100,000 copies by December. In the paper, Maurin called for a renewal in the Christian practices of hospitality to strangers. Day and Maurin began providing shelter to homeless people in several houses. By 1936, the Catholic Worker had assumed the proportions of a national movement. They set up several farming communes (Forest). Day was also a staunch advocate of pacifism. Throughout the Second World War, Day preached pacifism and nonviolence. She maintained her stand during the Civil War in Spain, World War II, and the Vietnam war. Her supporters refused to cooperate in the war against Vietnam or to be conscripted. When the hydrogen bomb was being tested and there were civil defense drills, she refused to cooperate with the drills and was jailed several times. Day was honored for her achievements by the Church. She died in 1980. The Vatican has approved a process, which may canonize Dorothy Day as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church (Forest). References Forest, Jim. A Biography of Dorothy Day. Catholic Worker Home Page. Retrieved October 20, 2008 from http://www. catholicworker. com/ddaybio. htm

The Free Will in Meditations on First Philosophy by Descartes Essay

The Free Will in Meditations on First Philosophy by Descartes I In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes takes the reader through a methodological exercise in philosophical enquiry. After stripping the intellect of all doubtful and false beliefs, he re-examines the nature and structure of being in an attempt to secure a universally valid epistemology free from skepticism. Hoping for the successful reconciliation of science and theology, Descartes works to reconstruct a new foundation of absolute and certain truth to act as a catalyst for future scientific research by â€Å"showing that a mathematical [rational-objective] physics of the world is attainable by creatures with our intellectual capacities and faculties† (Shand 1994, p. 84). Descartes’ conception of absolute and limitless â€Å"freedom,† which he ascribed to humanity, is every bit as unique and radical as the existential notion of freedom present to the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre. However, the claim of boundless freedom within the writings of Descartes seems even more remarkable in light of the fact that he proposed the philosophical method within the theological strictures of Catholicism. With Cartesian study primarily focused on the significance of human consciousness and the sum res cogitans, rarely does one find exclusive attention devoted to the paramount importance of the free will in Descartes’ overall project. This essay investigates the theory of the free will as expressed in the Fourth Meditation and analyzes Descartes’ contention that we are â€Å"infinitely† free and ultimately responsible for the choices we make. In arguing that the use of the free will is essential in determining the veracity of all ideas one comes upon, clear and distinct or othe... ...ilosophy is somewhat problematic and often referred to as the Cartesian Circle. â€Å"We cannot, without certainty,† declares John Shand, â€Å"prove God’s existence by means of propositions and arguments whose truth and validity depend upon assuming God’s existence† (Shand :1994, p 87). 4 Although Descartes states explicitly in the Synopsis of the Six Meditations that he is not concerned with judging things which pertain to faith or the conduct of life, and is instead focused exclusively on errors that occur when judging the true and the false; he is nonetheless doing theodicy. Descartes is asking in essence: â€Å"How could God, who is in possession of all perfection, including omni-benevolence, allow humans to fall into error (do evil) so readily?† Descartes’ reply: â€Å"Error (evil) has nothing to do with God and everything to do with us.†

Education Essay

Step 1. Create a short answer (150-250 words) to each of the following questions. 1. How do social interactions among people in locales help define community?  2. How do schools help to shape the local boundaries of communities and the identity of community members?  3. Although schools and the communities they serve are closely entwined and community development is in the best interests of schools, why may school leaders be hesitant about involving schools and students in important community development roles? 4. Of all social institutions, why might schools be best placed to catalyze community development?  5. What are some likely results of school consolidation in a rural community or urban neighborhood?  6. Beyond the socially integrative functions, what distinct local economic roles might a school have in a rural community or urban neighborhood?  7. What characteristics of a well-planned school-community partnership project would indicate it is mutually beneficial?  8. How might a community or neighborhood development activity reinforce what is ta ught in the public school classroom?  9. What barriers might a community development organization expect to experience when seeking to partner with a public school or school district?  10. How can service learning and place-based education serve to facilitate a  viable schoolcommunity partnership and accomplishment of local community or neighborhood development needs? Step 2. Discuss your responses with a group of 4 or 5 classmates. SOAR ACTIVITY 15.1 SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Step 1. Contact your local elementary, middle and high schools. Step 2. Interview the principals about their partnerships with community organizations. Step 3. Have them describe each activity and assess the benefits to the school and community. Step 4. Compile a list of all the organizations and institutions involved with school programs. Step 5. As part of this project, prepare a list of recommendations for improving schoolcommunity partnerships in your area. LIFE Activity 15.1 Here are some examples of school-based service learning projects: 1. Drop-out prevention: A service-learning project focused on drop-out prevention might coordinate schools with local businesses to partner at-risk students with job shadowing and mentoring opportunities with local business leaders/members. These connections will help build bridges between schoolwork and work â€Å"in the real world,† and develop stronger ties between schools and local business, better meeting the needs of each while providing important opportunities to at-risk youth. 2. Subject-specific service-learning: Science and reading provide two examples of subjectspecific service-learning. Connecting college students majoring in science with schools to tutor K-12 students can create opportunities for hands-on learning during or after school hours. This might involve engaging in environmental projects, such as local water quality testing, cleaning of local stream or river beds, or wildlife conservation efforts. Similarly, college students majoring in language arts or reading might provide tutoring services during or after school for at-risk students, assist in running family literacy programs after school to engage parents in literacy efforts, and/or read to students at the elementary level. 2. Building school-community connections: Students plan a school-community day, in which school staff, community members, and students organize, run, and attend a school-community fair. The school can set up exhibits of student learning and projects students are engaged in that connect to the community. Community leaders can set up exhibits featuring ways they have been or would like to be involved with the school and with students. Local businesses might provide food and donate prizes or items for auction. Students at the school can perform music or showcase artwork. This would also be a good venue for team-building exercises between  community organizations and businesses and school staff and leaders, culminating in competitions with awards. These are only a few examples. We want to emphasize though that effective service learning projects are not â€Å"paint by the numbers† efforts, but are directly shaped by and responsive to the individual needs of local communities. That said, examples are useful, but ultimately your best guide is the community that lies before you. REFERENCE MATERIAL ON EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICELEARNING Syllabi: Literacy Tutoring: Principles and Practice (Syracuse University) http://www.compact.org/syllabi/syllabus.php?viewsyllabus=407 Service Learning in Higher Education (Vanderbilt University) http://www.compact.org/syllabi/syllabus.php?viewsyllabus=663 APPENDIX: Additional Resources to Learn about School-Community Partnerships for Community Development:  NOTE that the following descriptions have been taken directly from organization websites and have been only slightly modified, if at all. Associations, Organizations and Centers Center for Place-Based Education http://www.anei.org/pages/89_cpbe.cfm The Center for Place-based Education promotes community-based education programs. Its projects and programs encourage partnerships between students, teachers, and community members that strengthen and support student achievement, community vitality and a healthy environment. Coalition for Community Schools http://www.communityschools.org The Coalition for Community Schools represents an alliance of national, state and local organizations concerned with K-16 education, youth development, community planning, family support, health and human services, government and philanthropy, as well as national, state and local community school networks. The Coalition advocates for community schools as a means to strengthen schools, families and communities and improve student learning. Rural School and Community Trust http://www.ruraledu.org The Rural School and Community Trust is a national nonprofit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving communities. It also serves as an information clearinghouse on issues concerning the relationship between schools and communities, especially in rural contexts. School of the 21st Century. Linking Communities, Families and Schools http://www.yale.edu/21c/index2.html Based at Yale University, the 21C program develops, researches, networks, and supervises an educational model that links communities, families, and schools by transforming the school into a year-round, multi-service center that is open from 6 in the morning until 7 at night. The core components are affordable, high-quality child care for preschool children, before- and afterschool programs for school-age children; and health services, referral services, support, and guidance for parents of young children. Schools and Communities http://www.enterprisecommunity.org/programs/schools_and_communities/ This webpage of Enterprise Community Partners documents and disseminates the nation’s current efforts to combine school reform and community development. Web-based Documents and Material Local Governments and Schools: A Community-Oriented Approach http://icma.org/documents/SGNReport.pdf (International City/County Management Association, Washington, DC , 2008) Provides local government managers with an understanding of the connections between school facility planning and local government management issues, with particular attention to avoiding the creation of large schools remotely sited from the community they serve. It offers multiple strategies for local governments and schools to bring their respective planning efforts together to take a more community-oriented approach to schools and reach multiple community goals-educational, environmental, economic, social, and fiscal. Eight case studies illustrate how communities across the U.S. have already succeeded in collaborating to create more communityoriented schools. Includes 95 references and an extensive list of additional online resources. 40p. Report NO: E-43527 Reconnecting Schools and Neighborhoods: An Introduction to School-Centered Community Revitalization http://www.practitionerresources.org/cache/documents/647/64701.pdf (Enterprise, Columbia, MD , 2007) Provides an introduction to school-centered community revitalization. Part 1 presents the case for integrating school improvement into community development, drawing on the academic research linking school and neighborhood quality as well as early results from school- centered community revitalization projects across the country. Part 2 presents the core components of school-centered community revitalization, including both school-based activities and neighborhood-based activities. The final part of the paper illustrates the diverse approaches currently being taken to improve schools and neighborhoods, drawing on the experiences of eight  school-centered community revitalization initiatives in five cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, and St. Paul. 30p. New Relationships With Schools. Organizations That Build Community by Connecting With Schools. Volumes One and Two  http://www.publicengagement.com/practices/publications/newrelationshipssmry.htm (Collaborative Communications Group for the Kettering Foundation, Nov 2004) Case studies of organizations that establish strong connections between communities and schools using many different entry points. Includes a profile of New School Better Neighborhoods, a nonprofit intermediary organization in Los Angeles that works to design schools that serve as centers of communities. The organization brings together community stakeholders to plan multiuse development that combines residential, recreational, and educational use of scarce land in densely populated urban areas. Schools, Community, and Development. Erasing the Boundaries http://www.practitionerresources.org/cache/documents/56274.pdf Proscio, Tony (The Enterprise Foundation, Columbia, MD, 2004) This describes the results of efforts in four neighborhoods in Baltimore, St. Louis, and Atlanta to connect community-based revitalization initiatives with school reform programs in the same neighborhoods. Chapters include: 1) Building and Learning Go Seperate Ways; 2) The SchoolCommunity Alliance in Practice; 3) The Developer as Educator; 4) Housing and Economic Development. 39p. Using Public Schools as Community-Development Tools: Strategies for Community-Based Developers http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/publications/communitydevelopment/W02-9_Chung.pdf Chung, Connie (Harvard University, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Cambridge, MA; Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. , 2002) This paper explores the use of public schools as tools for community and  economic development. As major place-based infrastructure and an integral part of the community fabric, public schools can have a profound impact on the social, economic, and physical character of a neighborhood. Addressing public schools, therefore, is a good point of entry for community-based developers to place their work in a comprehensive community-development context. The paper examines ways in which community-based developers can learn from, as well as contribute to, current community-based efforts, particularly in disinvested urban areas, to reinforce the link between public schools and neighborhoods. Furthermore, the paper considers the policy implications of including public schools in comprehensive development strategies, and asserts that reinforcing the link between public schools and neighborhoods is not only good education policy, but also good community-development policy and practice. An appendix presents contact information for organizations participating in school and community linkages. 55p.

Cross-Cultural Determinants of Employee Motivation in Starbucks Company

Introduction Starbucks has served as a milestone in the coffee industry and is a massive organization in terms of people employed and stores owned. At the current time it has revenue of $10.7 billion and owns 16,850 shops in 40 countries. Starbucks is clearly the world’s top coffee retailer, it employs 137,000 employees or â€Å"partners† as it likes to call them. Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, considers that ‘the tip of success in Starbucks is not coffee but employees’. He constantly builds upon the working experience of employees, providing chances of promotion, and treating workers as working partners is their way to operate sustainability. He firmly believes that the spirit of Starbucks is employees and feels honored about the value of Starbucks employees. Many theorists believe that â€Å"it is necessary to have a perfect education and training policy for better performance in a company† (Michelli, 2006). Despite serving in many countries, Starbucks h as a similar organizational structure; as a result, it does not take into account the cross cultural determinants. It has been criticized for its approach; also because, employees of some countries like UK are not as satisfied as employees from Poland and Germany, thus Starbucks must make use of cross-cultural determinants in order to improve its management methords. One of the most proficient theory, the Hofstede theory states that the motivational factors of every country are different and thus must be looked into before a company, such as Starbucks sets its motivational methods. Along with Hoftsede it talks about Management and Motivation in reference to the Grid/Group Theory by Douglas, which strives to classify different cultures in relation to being hierarchist, individualist, egalitarian and fatalist. It also talks about the ‘Cultural Theory’ and ‘Organizational Theory’ in relation to Starbucks. This research attempts to access these theories in ref erence to Starbucks, and its motivational methods across nations. It looks at a comparison between the way Starbucks company treats or must treat its employees across UK, Poland and Germany. Brief Overview The Starbucks Company is a vast and well constructed multi-national, which serves in 40 countries. It has to keep in mind various cross-cultural determinant while bringing in its motivational schemes. However, it has been criticized for not taking into account, cross-cultural determinants when building its management cultural across countries. It is often assessed, that the employees of countries like UK, seem to be less motivated than employees from Poland and Germany. This paper talks about all possible schemes in relation to motivational theories, that can be adopted by Starbucks,chiefly the Hofstede theory. The factors of this theory are highly relevant and can be implemented in various ways to improve performance. The first factor, Power distance can be defined as â€Å"the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally† (Hofstede 1991, p. 28). UK and Germany, are ranked as a low power distance society, where the relationship between bosses and subordinated is of interdependence, treating each worker equally and calling them ‘partners’. There, the managers of Starbucks are likely to place a greater importance on labors’ rights as compared to managers in Poland, which ranks as a high power distance country. However, in Poland there is a hierarchical social system, thus, it is said that their ‘ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat’. Another factor of the Hofstede theory is Masculinity, the dominant values in society being material success versus femininity, caring for others and the quality of life. UK, Poland and Germany, are Masculine societies, driven by competition, achievement and financial success. In these countries, people’s performance is highly valued and people ‘live in order to work’. Starbucks too, beliefs in monetary based appraisals, it spends $300 million, on their employees’ welfare, much more than ‘they do on coffee beans’. Starbucks even gave its UK staff shares worth around ?4 million in their employee share scheme ‘Bean Stock’, followed by a Christmas cash bonus to staff worth ?1.5 million. Uncertainty Avoidance, is another of Hofstede’s theories, it classifies countries into being high in Uncertainty Avoidance; having strict rules and resistance to changes like Germany and Poland and low in Uncertainty Avoidance; having fewer rules and being welcome to changes like UK. This is an important factor to look into a country when bringing in new innovations, and the planning of how the change has to be implemented. Managers of UK can bring in new ideas easily and with more enthusiasm while managers in Germany and Poland have to bring in changes subtely because people resist from breaking orthodox norms uneasy. Starbucks went through many changes when it merged with Giornale, it was welcoming to his employees’ involvement and included them in every change, by 1987, and employees at Starbucks had begun buying into the changes. The theory includes a comparison between countries which have more, individualism everyone is expected to look after themselves and their immediate family against collectivism, and cultures in which people are bound into strong and cohesive groups. UK, Germany and Poland, are individualistic societies, where the route to happiness is through individual accomplishment. Here the company, in order to motivate its employees has to come up with schemes to provide them and their families’ advantages. The culture in Starbucks is of mutual advantage, thus workers usually do a fruitful job but all these factors must be kept in mind. Understanding all the cross-cultural determinants including these is crucial for a company which serves such a wide range of cultures; their observation along with development on these lines, must all be looked into, in order to bring out the best results. Another theory is the Cultural Theory’ which talks about the importance of culture, stating that is is too ‘important to be left undefined and unrefined, and analysts need a deeper awareness of the anthropological and sociological frameworks’ when refining their management attitudes. It outlines the effect on culture in relation to common objectives, employee motivation and loyalty. Setting of roles, leadership, innovation, setting incentives, tolerance and accountability. The setting of the corporate cultural is extremely subjective of the countries cultural as a whole. The Grid/Group theory is another theory based on cultural determinants, created by Mary Douglas, in 1996. It strives to study cultural relativism, which can be increased through a classification system taking into account ‘moral system, worldviews and ideologies’. This classification is built into two axes, based on individualism versus collectivism, including isolate/fatalist, hierarchist, individualist and sectarian groups. Each type is based on different classifications, power paradigms, moral values and individuality. In this paper, it is used to analyze, the classification of different cultures, such as UK, Germany and Poland into these categories, observing where their general workers fall, taking into account their employee, culture, market and forms of hierarchy. The paper also talks about Organizational Culture Theory which is based on performance, ‘organization effectiveness, employee commitment, employee satisfaction, culture type, culture strength and culture congruence’. This theory is talked about in relation to Poland, Germany and UK; assessing them based on all these assesses their management and motivational factors. Even though Starbucks operates in different countries, its organization culture is often the same. This can be a harmful strategy, as due to differing cultural determinants, the company must change its strategies relatively. If this is not done, the motivation of employees can be lowered and the management can fail to do its job. Thus, this paper talks about all these theories and the possibilities that they provide to Starbucks, in modifying its strategies based on varying cross-cultural determinants. Objective This paper is set to analyze and evaluate the cross cultural determinants of Poland, UK and Germany, in order to find out the best ways to motivate the employees of those countries. It attempts to Find out the cross cultural determinants of these societies and the way the employees of these countries are treated. Methodology The Prime methodology used will be questionnaires that will be filled out by Starbucks employees across these countries. The questionnaire will be based on the Organizational Energy Questionnaire from ‘fully charged’ written by Heike Bruch, which is an instrument to measure a company’s energy state. The questions will include if the employees like what they do, do not have much drive feel relaxed in their job, feel angry in their job, feel enthusiastic in their jobs, have no desire to make something happen, speculate about the real intentions of management, have real care about company’s fate, are efficient in conducting work, behave in destructive manner, go out of their way to make company succeed and if they feel discouraged in their jobs. All these questions will convey about the general state of employees and their will be a separate questionnaire to observe the importance of cross-cultural determinants. References Heike Bruch and Bernd Vogel (2011). Fully Charged. United States of America: Harvard Business School Publishing. HOFSTEDE THEORY- Poland, (2011) [online]. [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . Penny Bassett (2004). CHINESE AND AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS’ CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY, Victoria University. Jim Boyer (2009). Understanding Hofstede’s Theory to Motivate Cross Cultural Employees. Business Insider [online]. (2011) [Accessed 6 May 2012]. Available from: Nicholson, N (1998) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behavior Blackwell, pp 215 Hoovers [online]. [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . Starbucks Coffee [online]. [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . V S RAMA RAO (2009). The Hofstede Studies [online]. [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . Cultural Dimensions Theory [online]. (2010) [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . Zoe Wood (2010). Starbucks’ staff set to get free shares in incentive scheme. 19 December 2010. Starbucks [online]. [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . Employee Benefits [online]. (2011) [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . Projects [online]. (2011) [Accessed 2012]. Available from: . York Universit y [online]. (2011) [Accessed 2012]. Available from: .

Post-Wwii Discontent Essays

Post-Wwii Discontent Essays Post-Wwii Discontent Essay Post-Wwii Discontent Essay In this essay I will be analyzing how and why postwar prosperity led to discontent in western European societies during the 1960s. The decade following WWII was surprisingly prosperous, with many nations in a state of political and economic recovery. Material wealth seemed to be growing for the middle classes of both continents. During the 1960s a new generation of baby boomers were approaching the forefront of revolution. These college students were inspired by a combination of Marxist radicalism and anti-Authoritarianism, which led them to resist the old social structure created by their parents. There was a sudden surge of student-led protests starting in 1968, composed of young people who were morally opposed to the rigid social hierarchy of postwar Europe. They sought immediate political liberalization, and were in total defiance of the bourgeois values that had sacrificed social equality in exchange for postwar prosperity. Student disaffection and radical idealism were major catalysts for the revolutions in 1968, most evident in the restless German, French, and Italian youth. Supporters of this activism argued that the working class was corrupted by materialism and prosperity. Therefore they couldn’t rely on the middle class to engage in a class struggle, which is why younger people took it upon themselves to begin a movement. The generation of 1968 â€Å"was fired up by a potent blend of Marxist radicalism, anti-Americanism, antiestablishment rhetoric, alienation from the values of their parents, and a yearning to challenge what they viewed as a static, consumer-centered postwar society† (Hitchcock 247). In France, the need for educational reform was what caused the first demonstrations. Students in the University of Nanterre (Paris) saw their university as simply a product of bourgeois authoritarian society. There was a general sense that people were emerging without any real culture, being trained to fit into the economic system of a highly industrialized society. Although many countries experienced a â€Å"miracle† of postwar economic recovery under their parents, the younger generation was still morally opposed to the values that allowed it to happen. Postwar prosperity led to a clash between the â€Å"New† and the â€Å"Old†, making generational conflict a major cause for discontent in every western European society. Students all blamed professors, parents, government officials, and party leaders for â€Å"the creation and perpetuation of a social system based on crass worship of wealth, on the rigid segregation of society along class and gender lines, and on a refusal to debate the profound philosophical questions about how society should be organized to bring about fairness and justice for [everyone]† (Hitchcock 248). This proves that the atmosphere of youthful rebellion emerged from a need to break down the foundations of a postwar state built through social inequality. The German and Italian movements were significantly violent, and student protests had convinced many workers to start putting pressure on industrial elites. However, some hardcore extremists from the left began using terrorism to carry out a violent crusade against the state. The governments had to balance their postwar commitment to civil liberties and democracy with the use of extreme measures to contain the terrorism. Hitchcock accurately claims that, â€Å"These years of rebellion and terror in Italy, and in Western Europe as a whole, serve as a reminder that the postwar European miracle was never universally accepted by some segments of society† (Hitchcock 261). This supports my idea that European postwar prosperity actually caused many people to re-evaluate the inner workings of their own government. With a direct focus on government, student protests emerged to shed a spotlight on the inequalities of their own social structure. Generational differences between values of parents and their children was a major cause of discontent and revolution throughout Western Europe. The next decade was an ugly period of time, but in the end â€Å"European democracy had survived, bloodied but intact, and perhaps the better for the struggle† (Hitchcock 262).

Arming Pilots Essay Example for Free

Arming Pilots Essay After the September 11th attacks on America’s homeland, citizens became aware that action must be taken to protect passengers and pilots from terrorists. Although strict security measures have been put in place at all American airports, the only way to be certain that another terrorist attack does not occur using commercial aircraft lies in arming pilots with handguns. Not only will arming pilots help act as a preventative measure, it will ensure safer air travel and restore faith in America’s main form of long distance travel. Even though the number of hijackings is minuscule compared to the number of flights, arming pilots would be a first line of deterrence and a last line of defense. Some people may argue that other means should be used to stop hijackers, but as is the case with any illegal activity, if a person wants to commit a crime they will find the means. Therefore, the only way to prevent aircraft hijackings is with the use of guns. One alternative way that has been suggested is arming pilots with tasers, electric shock probes. These are considered problematic by many experts and do not guarantee bringing down a hijacker. As Criminal Justice expert Michael Swedemen said, â€Å"Had the pilots on the ill-fated planes on September 11th had stun guns, they might have dropped one of the hijackers, but the remaining three or four still would have overpowered the plane† (Dougherty, 2002, January 22). Arming pilots would also aid airlines in recovering from the economic downfall that has plagued the industry since the attacks. With armed pilots, passengers would know they are safe from any possibility of a hijacking and the only thing that might cause catastrophic damage would be an unforeseen mechanical problem. Should hijackers be among the passengers they could easily be brought down with guns similar to that of a defiant criminal. Opponents have argued that a stray bullet might penetrate the fuselage or inadvertently hit an innocent passenger. The Air Line Pilot’s Association has called for arming pilots using special ammunition that can kill an attacker but not pierce the fuselage (Dougherty, 2002, January 22). Hitting an innocent passenger is a risk that must be taken. One innocent life lost is far better than the possible countless losses on the hijacked aircraft and immanent destruction resulting on the ground. If passengers know that hijackers cannot take control of the plane, millions of Americans would once again begin flying which would improve economic conditions in a hurting industry. Other questions lie in the ability and mental state of a pilot to carry weapons. Senator Bob Smith (R-N. H. said, â€Å"Commercial pilots are trusted with the lives of thousands of Americans every day, and with proper training they could †¦ protect our skies from future acts of terrorism† (Dougherty, 2002, March 19). Pilots are some of the most mentally, physically, and psychologically tested people with hand/eye coordination that is among the best in any profession. Issuing firearms to pilots would, in effect, be like issuing a gun to a police officer. A pilot should be able to defend his aircraft instead of being left defenseless. The second amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. As this is true for a homeowner to protect his family and himself, this should be true for pilots and their aircraft should they come under attack. Although the idea of using air marshals still exists, they are seen as being less effective. Along with ineffectiveness, the cost of placing an air marshal on every flight is unrealistic. A pilot who has undergone the proper training can perform the same task while being paid by the airlines, rather than spending taxpayer’s dollars (Shaw, 2001, September 19). As support for handguns in the cockpit grows, we must ask ourselves if four guns had been in the cockpit on September 11th would 3,000 people be dead, two 110 story buildings have been brought down, the Pentagon attacked, and a nation left in shock? Americans must realize that committed terrorists will be able to get past security, leaving pilots as the last line of defense. Along with pilots, many Americans feel these measures have to be taken in order to make the friendly skies, friendly again. Arming Pilots. (2016, Sep 18).

Development of modern educational system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Development of modern educational system - Essay Example But I decided to help him out. He knows he is smart enough to even beat others. He worked so hard at reading, but it just never gets easier. Astutely observing his tribulations, his problem came out as 'Dyslexia'. Dyslexia is a brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a person's ability to read. [cite this] Dyslexic children seem to have trouble learning early reading skills, problems hearing individual sounds in words or phrases, examining whole words or sentences in parts, and amalgamating sounds into words. Sometimes they may not differentiate between the letters "b" and "d". The words and sentences seem to them as if they are mingling together or overlapping each other or even moving on the page. It can also be innate in some families; even a number of genes may develop dyslexia. These students are easily being teased, even neglected in social or educational institutions. Though some may have remarkable talents in art, athletics, architecture, graphics, d rama, music, or engineering but they do not realize because of their shyness [cite this]. The vital thing is to help these children in muddling through and providing 'inclusive' education to all schools and colleges. Baroness Warnock (2005) advocated the idea of 'inclusive' education and schools by transferring the students, with special needs, to mainstream schools from special educational institutions. The questionnaires design... The questionnaires designed to scrutinize analysis are very accommodating and helpful to get awareness of their approaches to learn, for the students as well as teachers. Sufficient rigorous ways for setting the more quantitative outcome are obligatory and reliable ascriptions made to the intrusions. Changes found could provoke the factors, such as incentive-ness, self-esteem, sense of worth, and concentration by teachers and it is important to control for as many (Martimore, 2005). So many arguments and actions in the area of 'inclusion' have been focused on altering mainstream schools to comprise pupils who have restrained learning difficulties or any disabilities. The focal point is clearly on learning obscurities as being at the interface between the pupil, teacher and curriculum. Individual program plans should never be taught in isolation [needs citation]. It is a fact that these children will be there and that they are entitled to our attention and the same standard of education as any other child in a class. Challenging behavior can be viewed as an annoyance and source of irritation in the classroom, or as an opportunity to develop new skills and understandings about teaching and learning. 'If a child does not learn the way you teach then teach him the way he learns.' (Chasty, 1999) Some of the main hindrances in achieving inclusive education system were the stringency present in the current education system. The SENCo-Forum, Special Educational Needs Action Programme, mentioned some of the rigidities in achieving inclusive system in educational environments (NASEN, 2004). Inclusive education needs the expert staff levels to meet the