Monday, September 30, 2019

Age Requirements in the Music Industry

Music brings excitement to everyone’s lives. It goes without saying, music industry is a youth dominated business.   Music creates huge portions of popular cultures, promoting fashions, make-up, automobiles, popular hangouts and latest technology. People behind scenes in music business targeting youthful audiences bring in most revenue. Performer’s ability to portray sex symbolic image determines, to a large extent, record company’s success. Age Requirements; When professionals force very young children into stretching their vocal chords to match pitches in high notes above treble staff, when a child is given drugs to work longer hours while keeping up with school work, it is too young. When an older person no longer wants to make efforts to appeal to audiences, that is when they are too old. Madonna, Tina Turner and Janet Jackson did not acquire their sex symbol images by accident, regardless of how beautiful they were when they were born. When a â€Å"stroke of bad luck† involving serious health problems, is another time when a person is too old for the music industry. This can occur at 20 years old, or it may never occur. Music industry professionals are not concerned with actual ages, as they are with possessing appearances and talent appealing to youth and ability to hold audiences. â€Å"Although Bocelli was exposed to different styles when he was young, its been my experience age doesn’t matter. What matters is a willingness to do what it takes. I have used methods to assist many singers into developing new styles, regardless of age† (Goodrich, 2007).   Carrying off a sexy singing voice is equally important as carrying off sexy physical image. Many auditions forms ask a persons age range. Age range refers to the age performers can portray. Very often, a 40 year old person has an age range of 20-25; likewise very often, a twenty five year old has an age range of 40-50. Sex Symbols; â€Å"Audiences today have a very short attention span. An ability to intrigue an audience is mandatory† (paraphrased, Ravelo, November 1, 2007).   Sex symbols definitely intrigues audiences, initially. Anyone can look like a sex symbol. Sex symbol status, like it or not, is determined by weight management. Rules of statistics do not apply to people keeping youthful appearances years longer than expected. Singers such as Beyonce, Madonna, PussyCat Dolls are superior role models for women. Their hairstyles, fashions, physique contribute to their identity of being a sex symbol. Nightclubs; Even with stricter laws on underage drinking, and the nightclub staff, many underage people successfully enter into clubs. All night club personnel must attend classes and pass a mandatory exam regarding laws. Fake identification cards, or theft of someone else’s valid ID’s are one way it is done. Legal parents or guardians accompanying their children can legally enter into night clubs and drink, as long as the beverage is served to the parent, and they parent gives them the drink. Sometimes managers bend rules allowing underage people into the club. And sometimes unmentioned arrangements are bargained with between the club and the state and city law enforcement agencies. Clubs who ID every person walking through the door, are probably the ones pulling something under the table. Nightclubs appeal to youthful crowds. Usually, nightclubs target age groups by music selection. Sometimes a persons choice of music reveals their age. People educated in music will listen to all types of music. Conclusion; Music industry has no age requirements. Music industry requires targeting youthful audiences at any age. Popular culture, which is youth oriented, is often associated with music. Music videos are full of sex symbols, including Justin Timberlake, Elvis, Ricky Martin, Usher, Gwen Steffani, Christina Augillera. Sex symbols in music industry serve as wonderful role models for all people of all ages. People who are in the spotlight also have a responsibility to ensure their behavior is worth copying. The media and Christian groups love to â€Å"throw dirt† on anything or anyone presented as a glamorous sexy superstar. Music video industry has talented sex symbols of all ages. Notes: Goodrich, M. Can Style Be Learned? Backstage.com Voice Movement; Published November 2, 2007; Date retrieved November 3, 2007 http://www.backstage.com/bso/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003667139 Ravelo, H., Kuhn, S., Bickelmann, L., What Top Three Things Make a Successful Actor Backstage.com; Ask A Pro. Published November 1, 2007; Date retrieved November 3, 2007 http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-columns/ask-a-professional/ask-a-pro/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003666231

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Emotional Intel Essay

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present information regarding effects of globalization on the economy and the culture of the Norway, during the past few years. Five sets of research questions were used to form the bases of the paper. The intent is to illiterate the cultural dynamics and business culture of the Country. Knowledge of the influence of culture and business practices will assist one with understanding globalization as it pertains to Norway. Using the information in this paper, individuals like consultants and managers who interact with Norweigians can use this as a framework or perspective Summary of the case study â€Å"A Naà ¯ve Sahab In India† The case study â€Å"A Naà ¯ve Sahab in India† tells the story of Brian Moseley, an Aspen Automotive employee from the US who has just been relocated to India to become the new managing director for Bindi Brake Company that had been acquired by Aspen. Brian’s main goal at Bindi is to improve operations and to â€Å"make the Indians efficient†. During Brian’s visits to the plants he observed many employees socializing instead of working, and found out that performance review and pay for performance were unheard at Bindi and employees were rarely dismissed no matter how poorly they performed their jobs. Brian asked his managers, who were born and educated in India to come up with a strategy plan to improve operations. After many months of frustrating meetings, and episodes when Brian lost his temper with his managers, he announced to the managerial team his own strategic plan to take place immediately that included performance appraisal, personnel cuts, pay -for-performance increases and others. Bindi’s manager did not reinforce the changes and Brian became even more forceful of his ideas, increasing the tension between him and his managers. Briand was referred by his managers as the â€Å"sahab†, a term used to describe Brian’s â€Å"culturally imperialistic† style. Even with all the turmoil, Brain persisted and kept pushing his managers to apply the changes to their subordinates but instead of improving operations, Brian’s decisions pushed most of his managers to resign. All these obstacles made Brian wonder if changes and efficient operations would ever be a reality for the Bindi Brake Company. â€Å"A Naà ¯ve Sahab in India† clearly describes Deb Brian’s authoritarian managerial style and lack of  cultural knowledge of India hurt his goals to transform Bindi into an efficient operations plant for Aspen Automotive. Brian’s personal frame of reference made him judge his Indian’s managers based on his own American values and made his Indians co-workers to see him as an dictatorial man telling them what to do in a disrespectful away. By failing to understand the Indian’s culture in the workplace Brian created a hostile environment and conflicts between him and his managers. Many characters in the â€Å"A Naà ¯ve Sahab in India† can share the responsibility for the lack of change at the Bindi Brake Company. The first to be blamed is Aspen Automotive. Aspen should have better prepared Brian for his new position at Bindi. Aspen should also have directed Brian to attend multicultural training sessions where he could learn and better understand the Indian culture. Secondly, Brian should have taken the initiative to seek â€Å"cultural† assistance from Aspen human resources, from other expatriates or from Rajan in an attempt to find a more cultural sensitive way to approach his managers. Rajan, who had a better understanding of the Western culture due the fact that he was educated in a London University, felt attacked by Brian’s aggressive style but did little to help him. Rajan should have advised Brian that his aggressive managerial style would only bring conflicts to team instead of change in the company. The last one to be blamed is the Indian manager, who had Brian’s trust, and should have been the bridge between Brian and his managers, trying to advise both sides to be more receptive to changes and culturally sensitive. Before Brian can advance and apply his strategy at Bindi, he needs to learn how to be more culturally sensitive. He would benefit from cultural training sessions, which has been proved to be very effective to prepare professionals for intercultural work. By going through such training, Brian would learn how to better approach his managers without being too offensive. Brian will have to re-think his strategies before putting together a new manager team made up with old and newly hired managers, and only then carefully and slowly introduce the expected changes for the company. Male/Female Differences Disparities between males and females in society can be seen everywhere and the work place is no different. Women are expected to be vulnerable and sympathetic to others’ needs, while men are expected to be competitive, strong and rational. In business, these gender differences determine communication behaviors and interactions. A study published in the â€Å"Journal of Social and Development Sciences† confirms, â€Å"the gender of individuals engaged in negotiations will affect the communication style utilized by each individual† (Yu-Te Tu, 2012, p. 125). Women might rely more on non-verbal and indirect communication, which has been noted as a characteristic to those who have less power. Women are still pictured as the fragile gender by society, however many of the exclusive â€Å"female traits† are strengths that can make women more efficient managers than men. For example, women who are able to relate to others easily and possess the ability to empower will be successful mentors to those in their workplace. It has been noted that women also tend to avoid confrontations, as they prefer to seek solut ions to solve the problem. When it comes to emotional intelligence women, once more, they prove that they have an advantage over males. According to the study published by the â€Å"Journal of Business and Psychology†, it states that women scored higher than males on an emotional intelligence test which results imply â€Å"females might be better at managing their emotions and the emotions of others as compared to males† (Mandell & Pherwani, 2003, p.399). It is important to note that emotional intelligence is the key aptitude necessary for successful leadership, which should put women in a more advantageous position to assume managerial positions. Unfortunately the â€Å"glass ceiling† is not the only issue women have to worry about; sexual harassment in the workplace is another big concern for organizations and companies. The majority of victims of sexual harassment in the workplace are women. Studies have shown that more than half of women executives in the U.S. have been a victim of sexual harassment (Central Michigan University, 2008). Sexual harassment has many consequences, for instance, it can be financially costly to the company and cause severe emotional issues for the employee who suffered the harassment. To eliminate sexual harassment, companies are investing in training and have reinforced rules, policies and penalties regarding such inappropriate behavior. Women still have to go through many obstacles to prove themselves efficient as leaders, but big corporations are slowly realizing how much more women can do to improve their business. Differences in Self Disclosure Self-disclosure is the concept of divulging information about oneself with others, whether it is co-workers, family, or friends. According to S. A. Beebe, S. J. Beebe, Remond, Geerinck (2010), they define self-disclosure not only as a strategy of sharing basic information with others, but it is the sharing of information about oneself that may be out of the ordinary that would not necessarily be discoverable otherwise. There are different styles of self-disclosure that derive from the Johari Window, ranging from the turtle and interviewer to the bull-in-the-China shop and transparent. The differences between these styles are based on how much one discloses and depending on how much is disclosed, it will determine the kind and quality of relationship that is formed with another person. Those who are able to disclose much about his or herself are transparent, whereas those who keep to themselves are seen as â€Å"turtles,† which carry an imaginary bubble around them (Central Mic higan University, 2008). Interviewers are those who have no problem asking questions of others but are more likely to shut out to those who ask questions of them, whereas those who possess a â€Å"bull-in-the-China shop† style are those who have no problem giving feedback but shut out those who give them feedback (Central Michigan University, 2008). The information that Chapman (2003) presents on the Johari Window is very similar to the Central Michigan University’s (2008) information. They both discuss the breakdown of the Johari Window, including the discussion of the four panes, known area, hidden area, unknown area, and blind area, although Chapman (2003) does a better job as discussing what each pane means. In order to tie into emotional intelligence, Chapman (2003) give the relationship of the Johari Window to emotional intelligence, suggesting that the Johari Window has offered a new way to assess oneself and the relationships that are formed based on the openness level achieved. All readings offered the same conclusions about self-disclosure and the Johari Window, stating that being open with others offers risks and rewards, however in order to build strong relationships, one must be able to find a balance on the amount of disclosure one will allow. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is the notion of understanding oneself and how one is  self-aware, how one self-manages, how one is socially aware and how one is able to mange their relationships. The common trend among all definitions of emotional intelligence is that it is the ability to understand and recognize not only one’s own emotions, but also other’s emotions and how they influence one’s relationships and behaviors (Bradberry, Greaves, 2009). The level of emotional intelligence one possesses can greatly influence the interpersonal communication skills one develops. Many could argue that it is important to have a strong sense of emotional intelligence in order to bring cohesion to the workplace, as well as be more understanding of those who come from a different background. In â€Å"Emotional Intelligence and competitive advantage: Examining the relationship from resource-based view,† by Voola, Carlson, and West (2004), the reader learns about Mahatma Gandhi’s influence on the world and how he possessed the emotional intelligence that gave him a competitive advantage over other leaders. Gandhi had the philosophy to provide strategic change, by â€Å"being the change you want to see in the world,† which translates to a crucial part of having a strong emotional intelligence; one must to take the time to understand the other cultures, people, and environments by being socially aware. Gandhi has be viewed as one of the most emotionally intelligent leaders of all time, the vision he created had a positive impact on effective changes among the world. Two scholars, Bradberry and Greaves (2009) have broken down what emotional intelligence into four components, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management; whereas it has also been broken down into five components of self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy, and social skill. These components comprise what skills need to be developed in order to achieve that high level of emotional intelligence. Once each of these components is understood, then the process of attaining emotional intelligence will become self-evident. Self-awareness is the ability to know oneself, inside and out; it is the ability to truly understand oneself as you really are (Bradberry, Greaves, 2009). Many people have a difficult time with this component of emotional intelligence because it takes courage and honesty to dig down deep and get in touch with ones  emotions. The component of self-management/managing emotion builds on how well ones self-awareness is developed; a weak self-awareness will produce weak self-management and vise versa. Self-management is the ability to manage ones emotions and understand when and how one should react to a situation before exploding into anger. Motivating oneself is also important when it comes to self-management because this is how one keeps optimistic when things may get tough. Understanding how to recognize and manage ones emotions is the underlying trend when it comes to self-awareness and self-management. As far as social awareness, relationship management, empathy and social skills, these components are what provide the basis for interpersonal relationships. Social awareness is the ability to understand those around you, by being aware of others emotions. This component can be developed by taking the time to observe others and the kinds of emotions they are giving off, whether it is by facial expressions or spoken words; a lot can be learned about another if one takes the time to interpret social cues a person is sending you (Bradberry, Greaves, 2009). Relationship management requires one to be able to demonstrate empathy and social skills, these two subcomponents are very important in building interpersonal relationships. The component of relationship management is built on the foundation of self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness. Each component naturally builds among each other and the stronger each is; the stronger the emotional intelligence one has will be (Bradber ry, Greaves, 2009). All of these components of emotional intelligence are crucial in terms of building strong and meaningful interpersonal relationships. A thorough understanding of emotional intelligence is needed for any workplace to achieve a high level of success. Emotional intelligence is an individual characteristic, however it is also up to that individual on how one will use their emotions to interact with others (Guillen, Florent-Treacy, 2011). As the reader has seen, emotional intelligence is a foundation on which one builds and develops their relationships; it is used to provide a deeper understanding of oneself and those around in and out of the workplace. A study done by Guillen and Florent-Treacy (2011) provided the basis that  emotional intelligence in the workplace is not directly correlated with how a leader is perceived, but is necessary for leaders’ collaborative capabilities, more so how they influence teamwork. Harms and Crede (2010) have also found this to be true in their studies, that emotional intelligence does not determine the outcome of a leaders leadership, but does have a positive impact on school and work performance. One could argue that emotional intelligence is a viable source of a workplaces success. Pearman (2011) presents a table with different situations and how those with a good grasp on emotional intelligence have an advantage in sorting the situation. For instance if one is working for any company that deals with customers, one may be presented with a situation where customers become unhappy. Those with a high emotional intelligence are able to help engage the individual who is unhappy by having a welcoming attitude, listening with an empathetic ear, and offering problem solving skills in order to help the satisfy the customer (Pearman, 2011). There are multiple examples about emotional intelligence in the workplace, whether it is in how one handles workplace relationships, interactions with customers, ineffective leaders and the list goes on an on. Emotional intelligence is a subject that is seeing an increase in studies as to how and if it correlates with job performance, leadership abilities, work relationships, etc. There have many studies that have proven one aspect or another as to how emotional intelligence ties into the workplace. It is importance to receive training on the topic of emotional intelligence because it is a growing subject that needs to be recognized as having a part in the successes of an organization or relationship. Pearman makes a great representation of how important teaching emotional intelligence is to leaders and employees alike. He states, â€Å"Emotional intelligence facilitates not just communication effectiveness (or other competing training topics) but also an increase in individual performance that affects all levels of the organization† (Pearman, 2011, p. 71). Emotional Intelligence Research This study is intended to assess whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and interpersonal communication with respect to  developing managerial capabilities. The study was done by using the survey that provides data for each of the five areas of one’s emotional intelligence – self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy, and social skills. Students in graduate school completed the survey. This study was a qualitative design as well as a quantitative design. What this researcher is looking for is a person’s emotional intelligence at work. Who participated in the Survey? The instrument that used was the typical Liker scale survey. This particular Likert scale survey is called what’s your emotional intelligence at work? (See Table 1). According to the developers of the instrument, the Liker scale has a high reliability and validity. The following focuses on a research project, consisting of three employees who shared their experiences about emotional intelligence in the workplace. Each person volunteered to describe their interpersonal relationships in the workplace by responding to a set of questions. Below is a summary of each person’s responses. Person A is a career Military Soldier and currently serves as a senior Logistics manager for the U.S. Army as a part of an organization consisting of over 300 personnel. The organization is a very interpersonal cohesive atmosphere. Person B has served in the information technology field for over twenty years. Currently, works as an organizational IT applications manager ensuring IT compliance pertaining to Disaster Recovery Programs globally. Person C currently works for the Air Force, commanding communication satellites as a satellite vehicle operator and works closely with a crew to achieve the mission. It is imperative that the crew works well together and that cohesion is visible, since they are dealing with a multibillion-satellite constellation that provides secure communication not only to those overseas, but also to the president. Person C’s job is crucial to the Air Force and military in order to properly maintain the health of the satellite. Understanding the Survey The first part of emotional intelligence is self-awareness, which means being in tuned to your feelings, being cognizant of your internal feelings. The second part is managing emotions that are aimed at leaders calibrating their  attitudes and moods so as to not negatively impact the workplace climate. The third part is the ability to inspire and instill optimism in the workplace regardless of challenges. The fourth part is the capability to empathize with other and identify how others are feeling without them telling you how they feel. The fifth part means to have the ability to make a personal connection with others and influence others is in a way that is personally engaging. This survey demonstrates a sign of one’s emotional intelligence. If one receives a total score of 100 or more, one can expect to have high emotional intelligence. A scoring of 50 to 100 highlights one’s level of emotional intelligence as good. There are five different components of emotional intelligence that consist of the following; self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy, and social skills. If one reaches a score of 20 they are considered to have a high level and a score of 10 is low. Each student scored well for self awareness, 19 (Person A), 18 (Person B), and 19 (Person C). For this survey managing emotions scores were slightly different because Person B scored 22 while person C scored 18 and person A scored 19. Motivating oneself tends to instill ones confidence person A scored 20, while person B scored 19 and person C scored 18. In this survey when it comes, empathy organizations are looking for managers who possess caring attitudes -person A scored 22, while person B scored 21, and person C scored 20. As it pertains to social skills are always a critical attribute to have in the workplace and person B scored 24, person A scored 21 and person C scored 20. Overall person A scored 101, person B scored 104, and person C scored slightly lower than the other at 95. Table 1: Emotional Intelligence Survey Results Table 2: Emotional Intelligence Survey Results Conclusion Only recently, has attention been directed to understanding the role of emotional intelligence in the work place and how the process may play in the development of manager’s abilities to improve work environments. The case study in this paper discussed communication problems that might have been avoided had the expatriate experienced intercultural, professional development, before visiting India. Focusing on one’s emotional intelligence in the workplace has beneficial outcomes for increasing trust and improving  interpersonal relationships. Results of the emotional intelligence survey indicated three participants effectively used empathy and social skills and effectively managed their emotion while engaged in the work place. Reference Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., Remond, M. V., & Geerinck, T. M. (2010). Interpersonal communication relating to others: Self-disclosure. Retrieved from http://wps.prenhall.com/ca_ab_beebe_intercomm_4/48/12319/3153764.cw/-/3153798/index.html Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional Intelligence 2.0. San Diego, CA: TalentSmart. Central Michigan University. (2008). Administration, globalization and multiculturalism. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Chapman, A. (2003.). Johari Window: A Model for Self-Awareness, Personal Development, Group Development, and Understanding Relationship. Retrieved from http://www.usc.edu/hsc/ebnet/Cc/awareness/Johariwindowexplain.pdf Guillen, L. and Florent-Treacy, E. (2011). Emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness: The mediating influence of collaborative behaviors. Retrieved from http://www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/research/doc.cfm?did=47210 Harms, P. and Crede, M. (2010). Emotional intelligence and transformational and transactional l eadership: A meta-analysis. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=leadershipfacpub&seiredir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dthe%2520relationship%2520of%2520emotional%2520intelligence%2520and%2520transformational%2520%2520%2520leadership%2520behavior%2520in%2520nonprofit%2520executive%2520leaders%252C%2520meredith%252C%2520c.l%2520%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D2%26cad%3Drja%26ved%3D0CDAQFjAB%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalcommons.unl.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1013%2526context%253Dleadershipfacpub%26ei%3DCNlUejyNKjk0QGMnYGYBA%26usg%3DAFQjCNGSndQRyR1zaThfaYfkv1b9hYdeLA%26bvm%3Dbv.45645796%2Cd.dmQ#search=%22relationship%20emotional%20intelligence%20transformational%20leadership%20behavior%20nonprofit%20executive%20leaders%2C%20meredith%2C%20c.l%22 Mandell, B., & Pherwani, S. (2003). Relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style: A gender comparison. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17(3), 387. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.davenport.edu/docview/196904482?accountid=40195 Pearman, R. (2011). The leading edge: Using emotional intelligence to enhance performance. T+D, 65, 3 p. 68-71. Retrieved from http://eiinsider.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/the-leading-edge-using-emotional-intelligence-to-enhance-performance/ Sy, T and Cote, S. (2003). Emotional intelligence. A key ability to succeed in the matrix organization. Retrieved from http://hoosonline.virginia.edu/atf/cf/%7Bbda77a21-0229-499a-ae10-eadbe96789d6%7D/EI%20AND%20MANAGEMENT%20IN%20MATRIX%20ORGANIZATIONS.PDF Voola, R., Carlson, J.and West, A. (2004). Emotional intelligence and competitive advantage: Examining the relationship from a resource-base view. Strategic Change; 13, 2 Yu-Te Tu. (2012). Negotiation style comparisons by gender among greater China, Chungyu Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://www.ifrnd.org/JSDS/Vol%203/3(4)%20Apr%202012/3.pdf

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Literacy - Essay Example However, he does not apply it, instead he sells the bags to get money for food and clothes and during harvesting, he gets minimal returns. The farmer goes to the company complaining of poor pay while he â€Å"did all the work† on the farm and so needs pay increase. Such a farmer can read and write his name and receipts but he cannot figure out that the reason he is being given the fertilizer is to boost production. Such a person knows how to read and write but he is not literate as a literate person could be able to figure out this. Literacy and literary skills is an important course to undertake because it helps make people realize the act of being responsible and trying to think critically in some situations. This also helps students to uphold their spiritual norms, as they will be able to interpret their respective books of faith and norms of the society hence sanity restoration. Since the start of the course, students already knew how to read and write and was expected that as such they should be able to read the spiritual book and know how to behave and relate while on campus. However, as it happens sometime students do not understand the rules or how to apply them in real life. This means that they can read but they are not able to apply the knowledge in their daily life and therefore literacy goes beyond mere reading or writing. A writer like Freire for example was not educated because he could not learn while hungry. In addition, he now advocates for both adults and young people to be taught how to read and write. He says, â€Å"Because education and literacy empower people to overcome oppression by giving them the ability to understand the manipulations.† On the other hand, Mirabelli was for literacy n the catering department. Waiters should have literacy on how to read but also apply it in how to serve well the customers. Literacy is a very vital thing in the society. It helps to restore

Friday, September 27, 2019

Evolutionists and Creationists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evolutionists and Creationists - Essay Example As explained in www.pbs.org, evolution is founded on evidences which are attached to universal principles that elucidate visible and verified features of the human race. By learning fossil accounts we have a fine image of the evolution of human life and the series of definite features which have advanced through the years. The detection of fossils, on the other hand, has challenged several in their basic religious viewpoint. Evolution is a continuous process. On a biological stage, evolution takes place on every day basis. Being an evolutionist I am aware of the fact that micro organisms transform, reproduce and go by different types to stay alive in their atmosphere. They take in, adjust and create genetic amendment over generations so as to raise their survival time. This development of new organisms, on the other hand, causes a difficulty for the growth of new antibiotics that are not resistant to some specific micro organisms. This wires Darwin's hypothesis of natural collection. Creationists trust that all existing things were shaped and made by God. The Book of origins, a declaration of believes in the words of Moses is a consideration to have inspiration by God. The book explains the formation of the world and of the origin of human race (Adam & Eve). In accordance with Christians, this is the single material evidence to support their faith in verifying our reality. A creationist may quarrel that the knowledge of evolution cannot confirm nor contradict the reality of God or the Supreme power. Science does not make an allowance for the continuation of a spiritual element, as this can neither be measured nor examined by science with proofs to sustain trust or conviction. In addition, supernatural motions, findings, other spiritual experiences and mysterious events, which a lot of people declare to practice or examine, are possible. Science rejects these claims as 'quackery'. Creationists quarrel that the statistical possibility of our subsistence without an intellectual design is almost unfeasible. This point directs towards the existence of God or an intellectual Supreme Being. Therefore, a large amount of our humanity has the need to trust in religious conviction and the Bible as the basis of all reality. All arguments and theories are still unable to solve this riddle as to what made us. Creationists believe that there is a Powerful Being which has created us and they do not need any evidence for this statement. They have firm believe that faith is enough to get rid of questions and misconceptions. They may furthermore quarrel that if the evolutionist were right in their conviction that we are straight ancestors of the ape then why do apes still survive. Or, if we developed from a particle, where and how did that particle start off When did the time begin The creationist trust the world, time and the Supernatural Being had no commencement or ending and that God always existed, still exists and will exist eternally. However, evolutionists believe in evidences and scientific proofs. With the evolutionistic eagerness and zeal for the mission of scientific answers, this investigation will persist to be more studied until verification of our foundation is exposed. The earth has covered an extensive record of ecological, climatic, soil and water changes.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

A review of the current state of 3D & 4D ultrasound Essay

A review of the current state of 3D & 4D ultrasound - Essay Example In general, ultrasound is defined as an acoustic vibration with frequencies greater than 20,000 Hz – in short, beyond our ability to hear, and is usually created by ultrasound machines utilizing ferromagnetic lead-zirconate-fitanate (PZT) ceramics that convert electricity into sound (DeLisa, 2005). Its uses are either diagnostic (under which the well-known fetal ultrasound falls under) or therapeutic, which uses such acoustic energy to produce various thermal and non-thermal effects in tissue. Ultrasonic signals are usually generated by the reverse piezoelectric effect, and lose some energy as they travel through tissue – attenuation. This comes as the result of 3 mechanisms: absorption, in which the ultrasonic energy is absorbed by tissue and then converted into heat; beam divergence, the amount by which a beam spreads out from the transducer; and deflection, which in turn is broken down into reflection, refraction and scattering (Braddom, 2007). Despite the successive technological breakthroughs where ultrasound is concerned, 2D ultrasound is still the most common variant seen in most clinics and hospitals (GPSMedical, 2007), and, by necessity, is still conducted before 3D or 4D ultrasound (Benaceraff et al, 2005). Since the 3D and 4D variants are still relatively new, 2D will still be the default for a while longer. In fact, because of this, even newer ultrasound machines have a 2D setting. What differs it from its more advanced cousins is that 2D ultrasound allows one to visualize something in planes or layers, as opposed to 3D or 4D which only shows the exterior (Expectant Mother’s Guide Online Edition, accessed 10/30/09). For pregnant women, it is usually best to have this kind of ultrasound after at least 18-20 weeks of pregnancy, and with a full bladder (Stork Vision, 2009) – this is also the period when doctors check

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Fight club Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fight club - Essay Example As a response to the crisis, the narrator begins a nostalgic backlash that will help him to grapple with the outcome of the crisis. As the backlash materializes as aggressive affirmations of manhood, he comes disillusioned with the struggles in his life. He comes to terms with his crisis and decides to enter into a relationship with Marla Singer. The narrator’s life is characterized by undeviating job and life experiences. He considers his job boring and his life dreary. However, things turn when he met Tyler Durden during one of his flights. After the meeting, his life began to transform based on the ideas of manhood gained from Durden. The narrator realizes that emasculation in a society drives men to a rugged life, which leads to revolt. In the book, emasculation is a central theme. The male characters in the book have become slaves to a world of consumerism. The narrator notes that he â€Å"was not the only slave to my nesting instinct. The people I know used to sit in the bathroom with pornography, now they sit in the bathroom with their IKEA furniture catalogue† (Palahniuk 43). Nesting instincts are not associated with men because they do not become pregnant, and they do not give birth. This is the first instant in which the audience meets an emasculated character in the book. This statement shows that men have abandoned their duties and assumed new roles that give them nesting instincts. Emasculation is a central theme because it has been portrayed by the narrator in his association with support groups. The narrator states that emasculation has been caused by the consumer culture. He finds solace in a support group for people with testicular cancer (Collado 47). In my opinion, this is a metaphor that is meant to support the idea for emasculation. During his interactions with members of the support group, he met Bob, who was a former body builder. Jack learns that as a result of the testicular cancer, Bob has started to develop

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

What factors should determine the action to take if an incident arises Annotated Bibliography

What factors should determine the action to take if an incident arises in which an employee does not have the authority to make a decision, but delayed action could enhance the problem - Annotated Bibliography Example International Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(8), 1299-1310 West et al. (2002) explores the challenges faced in emergency procedures in a hospital setting due to the limits of authority levels. The writer puts the welfare of the patient, while making all the decisions that should be made regardless of the level of authority of the employee. He points out that, the organization policy should provide for such situation such that the employee available with the necessary expertise should make the necessary decisions for the safety of the patient regardless of their authority level. This brings the organization culture into focus. The employees should consider the organization culture concerning this matter. Bharosa, N., Lee, J., & Janssen, M. (2010). Challenges and obstacles in sharing and coordinating information during multi-agency disaster response: Propositions from field exercises. Information Systems Frontiers, 12(1), 49-65 The writers explore the place of ethics in emergency situations in a business organization. Bharosa et al. (2010) argues that ethical standards should be the pinnacle of every decision an employee needs to make during an emergency situation. For instance, in a case where there is a fire break out and an employee has to choose between the safety of a person and the safety of the company assets, the safety of the person comes first. Hence, the employee has to consider ethics before making any decision. According to Boin et al. (2010), the leadership style adopted by an organization affects the decision-making process in the organization. The writers argue that in an autocratic style of leadership, the management makes all the major decisions, and the employees are expected to consult the senior management in case of any emergency. For the case of democratic style of leadership, the management entrusts the decision-making process to the employee in their specific field of operation. Hence, the employee should

Monday, September 23, 2019

International Comparative Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Comparative Human Resource - Essay Example The following are major functions of the human resource department as identified many organizations with well developed department divisions; Human resource planning (keeping workers records, forecasting, career modelling and succession planning); employment (recruitment, training, selection, testing and orientation); training and development (primary and advanced skills training, devising working programs); labour relation (solving employee concerns, monitoring morale, labour management programs); compensation (incentives, analyses of job performance, salary surveys and performance reviews); workforce benefits (administration of policy, health insurance, designing vacation and sick benefits schemes) (Fisher & Ashkanasy 2000); safety (making sure that the workplace complies with safety regulations like Occupational Safety and Heath Act, supervising security, carrying out possible accident investigations, and evaluation of the physical environment); discipline (policy formulation and coordination, conduction of disciplinary measures); and personnel research (conducting opinion surveys, carrying out the Human resource audit s, and analyzing work related statistics as well as publishing it), Gibb (2001). The understanding of the specific dimensions of the human resource management is very essential for any business o... Man power planning is very essential for any organization of a business firm. This sis because the consequences of the failing to do so are very costly and as such, a firm that is understaffed losses out on the economies of scale of the business and customers, profits and orders. However overstaffing on the other hand is wasteful and very costly at the same time (Johnson 2000, p 69). Basing on the current legitimate handling of workforce issues, it would be difficult to eliminate such a phenomenon because of redundancy payments, time of notice, and consultations. Furthermore, overstaffing discourages the competitive effectiveness of the firm. During planning, it's very essential to take into consideration all the future requirements so the firm and make comparisons with the current resources from which postulations can be made in terms of resources. This step attempts to balance the supply and demand needs. The process of selection and recruiting of workers is the second most critica l function of the business organization (Browne 2000). The first step to be conducted before the recruitment id initiated is the analysis of the work to be carried out (that is the analytical study of the responsibilities to be taken care of and to establish their important aspects) this is then written out in job descriptions so that during the selection those in charge can have a clear indication of exactly what to look for (applicant's mental and physical characteristics) in terms of attitudes, qualities and what are disadvantages (Johnson 2000, p 69). Employee evaluation is a crucial function as an organization needs to continually know the performance of tits

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s Essay Example for Free

Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s Essay There was many reasons for the USA to get involved in Vietnam between the 1950s and 60s however they were all in stages, not just in one go. They called America and USAS clash the Cold War which began mainly due to America and the USSRS political differences. The USSR was a communist state and the USA and the other countries who were their partners were capalist states or countries. Many people believed that capalists and communists could not live alongside each other for long and that one system would take over another, however both sides were determined not to be taken over. This is how it all started as the governments were trying to take over large parts of East Europe and Asia. When the buffer zones were added there was a greater risk of war as the zones were dominated by the USSR who were causing a government domino effect through to the west so the USA and their partners were determined to stop it which caused the Truman Doctrine. The main reasons for the USA to get involved with Vietnam were because of their fear of communism and that communism could take over the Western world and Asia. Another reason why the USA didnt like communism was because in 1945 the USA built and tested the first nuclear bomb on Japan but kept it secret from the Russians even though they were supposed to be allies. This made the Russians very suspicious of America. America also didnt like communism because of their very different political beliefs as the communists were a totalitarian state whilst the USA believed in democracy and were afraid the Russians would try to spread their beliefs around the world. The first way of the USA to get involved was to supply France with money as during World War 2 they had lost control of North Vietnam however managed to keep control of South Vietnam. The USA paid the French armies to regain control of North Vietnam so to keep it capitalist and was thought to be a stand against world wide spread of communism. However in 1949 Americans were worried because China had turned communist and supplied money and weapons to North Vietnam making the war harder to win. The French assumed that they were invincible as they were surrounded by mountains and an airbase but the French miscalculation led to a humiliating defeat and ended French plans to regain control of Vietnam. This meant the USA had to get more involved as  well as take more action as communism continued to get stronger. The USAs next involvement plan was to send military advisors to South Vietnam. In 1954 Eisenhower gave 17 officers sealed orders sending them to Saigon and by January 1961 the number of advisors had grown to 685. However the advisors were not there to fight but to train the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) to combat an expected invasion from the North. These advisors didnt work as the communist Vietcongs seemed to be getting stronger and even though the numbers of advisors were secretly raised it didnt greatly help. The USA soon had to get even more involved as their strategic hamlet programme officials selected villages in South Vietnam which they thought could be easily defended by the Vietcong but didnt work as very few hamlets were secure and the policy was very unpopular with the Vietnamese. Religion was also a problem because Diem favoured Roman Catholics but this led to street protests like a Buddhist monk who set himself alight. Diem soon became increasingly unpopular and was assassinated by ARVN officers who ere worried that the USA would withdraw there support if Diem continued in power. However the assassination made things worse as Diems successors were no better at governing the country. This all led to the USA needing to involve themselves more by using the military. This first happened with the Gulf of Tongking incident which was an excuse for Johnson to get the Gulf of Tongking resolution which allowed him to take all the necessary measures to repel any armed attacks against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression. Then in February 1965 Johnson got the opportunity to justify bombing North Vietnam when the Vietcong attack the USAs base at Pleiku. Ten aircraft were destroyed eight US advisors were killed with over a hundred others wounded. Johnson could then call up troops and bomb the North. The operation was called rolling thunder. The planes bombed the key military and industrial targets of North Vietnam but were not allowed to bomb until he felt he could explain his actions to the American people. After that, 3,500 US marines were sent to the airbase of Danang and from then on the Americans took control of South Vietnamese war effort. This all generally happened due to the Americans obsession with communism and their belief of the domino theory, that once one country turned communist, so would the next and next which made the Americans more involved with Vietnam as time went by with the Americans trying to stop the spread of communism across South East Asia.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Seasonal Resort Employees Essay Example for Free

Seasonal Resort Employees Essay Many resorts like The Broadmoor, High Sierra Pools and Bubala’s by the Bay have difficulty finding summer employees for the tourist season. At the current time the use of H-2B visas have brought people in from other countries. Currently the demand for workers has created a shortage in the workforce. New methods for hiring summer workers need to be used. Review/Analysis of the Case There are many avenues of getting employees. Image advertising could be used in magazines like Teen or Boy’s Life. Employment agencies everywhere could list the seasonal jobs. Referrals are a great way to get more employees. A local company website as well as abroad. The use of temp agencies could be helpful. (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2009). I would hire lecturing recruiters and arm them with a good Power Point presentation. These recruiters would have applications for the resorts. They would travel around there given state to high schools. I would give them a quota and responsibility to arrange transportation to the resorts. I would have interviews conducted at local employment agencies. For the students that get hired I would give coupons to their parents so the parents could join them at a discount. (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2009). High Sierra Pools could offer higher than market pay and bonuses for employees returning for additional years. Meals could be provided. Housing could be provided. Bonuses could be given for getting additional people to work during the summer. (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2009). Summary and Conclusions Hiring lecturing recruiters to go to high schools armed with a great presentation is my winning idea. There really aren’t many easy solutions to solving labor shortages. All of the solutions can be a financial drain in some cases. Requiring long hours due to shortages can be taxing on your workforce. It is sad that companies like High Sierra Pools has to use H-2B visas to have a larger workforce.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Importance Of Strategic Marketing Plan For Nestle Marketing Essay

The Importance Of Strategic Marketing Plan For Nestle Marketing Essay The definition of FMCG is Fast Moving Consumer Goods which is alternative for CPG (consumer packaged goods) inclusive of production, marketing and distribution. FMCG are durables that are consumed regularly. The industry involves selling, supply chain management, production, financing, activities that generate an income on sales due to fast turnover. The purchase cycle of some of these items is small in comparison to other durables. 1.1 FMCG industry economy FMCG is wide industry with many competitors. The number of manufacturers is growing. The investment in this industry is also growing. 1.2 Common FMCG products Some of the examples of FMCG products are: * Coffee, * Tea, * Dry cells, * Greeting cards, * Gifts, * Detergents, * Tobacco and cigarettes, * Watches, * Soaps, * Plastic goods, * Paper products, * Batteries, * Bulbs, * Cosmetics Some common FMCG product categories include: * Food and dairy products, * Glassware, * Paper products, * Pharmaceuticals, * Consumer electronics, * packaged food products, * Printing and stationery, * Household products, * Photography, * Drinks One of the leading companies in Sri Lanka that is well known for FMCG is Nestles. 2.0 Introduction Nestle Lanka PLC deals in the manufacturing of food and beverages in Sri Lanka .The food items are mainly dairy products. The company produces noodles and coconut milk powder products too. The brand names used by Nestle Lanka PLC are, NESTOMALT, MAGGI, NESPRAY, MILO, and CERELAC. This company in globally situated with the Head office in Sri Lanka. 3.0 Areas looked into in the strategic plan Introduction SWOT Analysis STPD Analysis BGC Matrix Michael Porters Five Forces Model Brand Recall Value Future Trends Marketing Strategy Marketing Targets from the financial year 2010-2011 The 4 Ps-Products, Promotion, Price, Place Marketing Research Marketing Budget Implementation Controls 3.1 The Noodle Market Basically made of flour under modern production facilities. Each production requires a good for consumption certification. Other than bread noodles in Sri Lanka has a quite a large demand. Noodles differ according to the raw material used. It also differentiated according to the size of the noodle. Some of the popular noodles are Rice vermicelli in Sri Lanka, Beehoon in Malaysia, Mee fun in China, Bifun in Japan, and the list goes on. But the largest consumption is by China and Japan. 3.1.1 Maggi Noodles Maggi is very popular among Sri Lankan as the 2 minutes noodle. This is an instant product. Although this was popular among busy women in the urban areas, the semi urban women who made it a point to cook each day, was extremely concerned of the nutrition value of the food that their children had turned a blind eye to this product. Although there was a lot of money spent on advertising, Maggi sales were slow. Months of research showed Nestles that there target market was wrong. They needed to target the children for they were the ones who enjoyed the flavour. Maggi moved from being a convenient product to fun product. The slogan went on to say Fast to cook, good to eat. Maggi was aggressively promoted by sponsoring childrens events, giving free samples, media advertising showing a 2 minute preparation to feed hungry children after play. The sole purpose being communicated of the benefits and convenience of this 2 minutes meal.5.JPG It was in late 2000 that the instant soupy noodles were introduced. The ad will bring a smile in many as you hear the words Appi podi sellamak karamu, Ammi kiyana kota kanna, bonna In addition Nestles offered other Maggi products like sauces, ketchups, seasonings, etc., but the noodles was the most popular of them all. There was a decline in the market with Prima put out an instant noodle that was palatable to Sri Lankans called Prima Kottu Mee. But Nestles was quick to counter act with spice flavoured Maggi noodles, which helped win back the lost market share. There after Maggi had very little competition, till early 2008 when information spread on the unhealthiness of the substance in the sachet. 4.0 SWOT Analysis SWOT analyses Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the business. SWOT looks in-depth into internal and external factors that affect the objective of Nestles noodles. Strengths Market leader, Brand loyalty, Distribution channels, Advertising strategy Weaknesses Heavily dependent on One flavour ,Minor distribution problems, Health related issues Opportunities Unexploited rural markets, Increasing number of working youth, Innovative flavours for Sri Lankan taste buds Threats Strong presence of regional competitors, Competitive pricing (Prima), Affinity of Sri Lankan to Chinese food 5.0 STPD Analysis of Maggi Noodles Segmentation: Based on lifestyle and habits of urban families Targeting: Kids, Office goers Positioning: With statements such as 2 minute noodles and Easy to cook, good to eat Differentiation: Taste, Flavours, Packaging 6.0 BCG matrix The BCG matrix is known in many names. (Aka B.C.G. analysis, B.C.G.-matrix, Boston Box, Boston Consulting Group analysis) The creator is Bruce Henderson for the Boston Consulting Group in 1970. Helps businesses to use analytical tools to allocate resources in strategic management. bcg.bmp 6.1 Michael Porters Five Forces Model Porters five forces were developed by Michael E. Porter in 1980. This is an analysis of competitors and their strategies. This is an important tool when structuring a strategic process Porter identifies forces affect all markets and sectors and their profitability within the industry. With the information acquired from the Porters five the Nestles will be able to decide ways to manipulate the industry. Rivalry among Competing Firms Rivalry among competitors is very fierce. There are scarce customers because the industry is highly saturated and the competitors try to snatch their share of market. Market Players use all sorts of tactics and activities from intensive advertisement campaigns to promotional stuff and price wars etc. Hence the intensity of rivalry is very high Bargaining Power of Consumers Bargaining power of consumers is also very high. This is because switching costs of most of the goods is very low and there is no threat of buying one product over other. Customers are never reluctant to buy or try new things off the shelf. Potential Development of Substitute Products There are complex and never ending consumer needs and no firm can satisfy all sorts of needs alone. There are plenty of substitute goods available in the market that can be re-placed if consumers are not satisfied with one. The wide range of choices and needs give a sufficient room for new product development that can replace existing goods. This leads to higher consumers expectation. Potential Entry of New Competitors Does not have any measures which can control the entry of new firms. The resistance is very low and the structure of the industry is so complex that new firms can easily enter and also offer tough competition due to cost effectiveness. Hence potential entry of new firms is highly viable. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers of raw materials and intermediate goods is not very high. There is ample number of substitute suppliers available and the raw materials are also readily available and most of the raw materials are homogeneous. There is no monopoly situation in the supplier side because the suppliers are also competing among themselves. 7.0 Marketing Strategies 7.1 Financial objective To increase profit by 15% from the profit declared as at Dec 2010. The budget for the marketing promotion is Rs. 2,000,000/- Budgeted Profit Loss Account 2011-2012 Rupees in Millions11.gif Sales 25 Cost Of Goods sold 5 Gross Sales 6.jpg 20 Administrative Expenses 1 Marketing Expenses 2 R D 0.5 Promotion 1 Distribution 0.5 Marketing Research 1 Miscellaneous 0.5 7.2 The 4 Ps Product: Introduction of a healthier noodle. A red rice flour to be introduced. Increase the fibre contents. Add artificial nutrients. Make the product cheaper for the rural fork. 100 grams, 200grams, 400 grams packets to be introduced. Price: Healthier noodles to attract health conscious clientele. A family pack to be introduced at a discount of 5%. The packet that goes at Rs 40 to be sold at Rs.35.9.jpg Place: Large distribution network. Distribution to small shop lets. Have a mobile van distributing samples at a Sunday fair. Get a renowned chef famous among the rural fork e.g.: Mr.Pubilis Silva to demonstrate certain dishes with the use of Maggi noodles. Promotion: Communicate to the public the health aspects in consuming Maggi noodles. Advertise using rural children running through paddy fields to capture the hearts of semi urban. Use young public figures, icons; brand ambassadors may it be sports like Tehani Guruge for Squash, Charith Rajapaksha for Cricket under 17.or child actors and actresses. Promote in schools. 7.3 Time line 7.4 Future trends 7.4.1 Objectives 8.jpg Introduction of characters that attract the attention of kids. Organizing of programs and competitions for kids at Vihara Maha Devi Park or children schools. Cooking demonstrations with the use of Maggi- awards and hampers for innovative recipes. 8.0 Research methodology Target Area: Small towns Customers: Kids, House wives Shop sample: Minimum 25 Customer Sample Size: Minimum 75 8.1 Implementation Controls Monitoring, review and control will be done by the Director Marketing at Nestles. Monthly review with Director Finance and CEO of Nestles. 8.1.1 Areas of monitoring Implementation of marketing plan Actual to targeted goals. Gap of analysis Corrective action Redo marketing plan after review 9.0 Conclusion 9.1 Re-launch of Maggi Till 2008 Maggi was a core brand for Nestles. It was at the beginning 2011that Nestles decided to go healthy with new tastes and added nutrition.http://www.google.lk/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcToIkd3Q-v9CuxtPAD15wZFf4IAgSx-xGqb2D46M3x6eTCEjqFd4bzSFA 17.jpg 9.2 Maggi takes the Health Route In May 2011, Nestles introduced Maggi Rathu Kakulu.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Winning is the only thing :: essays research papers

Randy Roberts and James Olson in their book, Winning is the Only Thing: Sports in America since 1945, explored the world of sports since the end of World War II. Their book covers the many aspects of sports, from the athletes and management to the fans and the media. The authors first make clear differences in the way people viewed sports before the war and how they did after the war. The book talks a lot about the astounding transformation of sports in America during the post war era. The objective of sports before world warII matched up to the original idea of such games. Athletes, for the most part, â€Å"played â€Å"to do just that- every sports as their hobbies (Roberts, Olson xi) games were intended to be fun for the players; and just as a board game of â€Å"candy land,† sports were activities in which the game was on the court, field, diamond, or whatever the â€Å" game board† was. The minds of people were filled with war and the everyday challenges of life (xi). Thus, people found sports to be a way of escape from all that they faced fans as well as athletes. However, in a matter of a few years the entertainment of sports changed dramatically. After World War II, it could be said that Americans put their identity, worth, and security in sports. They felt the need to stand up to the world to show them who their country was and what it stood for. â€Å"Americans came to take sports very seriously, and they watched and played for the highest economic, politic, and personal stakes†(xii).other countries began to represent themselves through sports as well; and, in a sense, the war continued though the means of these â€Å"games.† Especially in the Olympics, whole countries fought to win and be seen as the superior. Sports was a way of, not only representing pride in the athletes, but also a way of showing the world who its government, communities, families, and all that America stood for. Roberts and Olson describe athletes during this era as national soldiers of sport (19) as in the defeat of war, when America lost in the name of sports, it was in no way gone unnoticed by the majority of the country. For America, losing many of the medals during the 1960 Olympic games was a reason to make excuses for such an unfortunate happening of the country(22.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Teacher-Student Relationship :: Democratic Education, teaching, teachers

Discussing the teacher-student relationship, Freire (1995) advocates that liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transfers of information (p. 57). Throughout the text, he classifies two kinds of educational ideologies—the banking concept of education and â€Å"problem-posing† education. In the book, he lists several characteristics of banking theory. He argues that one feature of this educational ideology is that the teachers work as narrators in the classroom, which leads students to memorize mechanically the narrated content (1995, p. 53), and eventually turn students into receptacles and depositories. Apart from inquiry, this ideology projects an absolute ignorance onto others (1995, p. 57). As a result, banking theory and practice minimize students’ creative power and to stimulate their credulity servers the interest of the oppressors who neither to have the world revealed nor to see it transformed (1995, p. 58). On the other hand, taking th e people’s historicity as the starting point, problem-posing education emphasizes the equal and positive relationship between teachers and students, in which teachers are no longer the ones who teach, but ones who are in dialogues with the students who in turn while being taught also teachers (1995, p. 65). In line with Freire’s belief, Greene, in 1988, writes from a more specific perspective, suggesting that teaching for â€Å"conscientization† is an awareness that might make injustice unendurable (p. 6). He maintains that teachers should overcome internalized oppression, in order to teach not only what they believe, but also teach for the sake of arousing the kinds of vivid, reflective and experiential responses that might motivate students to come together to understand what social justice actually means (1988, p. 3). Providing a more specific situation, he asserts that teaching for social justice demands openings to all sides: to that of persons desirous of telling their stories or picturing them in some fashion; to that of new comers striving to make sense of the very notion of consensus or mutuality; to that of children and young people, familiar with the languages used at home (not standard English) or with the language of the street (1988, p. 16). This article makes me recall my prior educational experiences in China where people value teaching and guiding base on textbook contents. It is also being used in Chinese family education. Students perceive knowledge by listening to what the parents have told them and by reading textbooks which parents ask them to read.