American Lit Unit 8

S. Q. 8 Nathanil Hawthorne 433, â€Å"The Minister's Black Veil† 457, â€Å"The Birthmark† 465, Herman Melville 504, â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener† 507 1. What is the attractive legend about Hawthorne? He was believed to be a shy recluse, always brooding in solitude. 2. How do the authors describe Hawthorne? He is described as a public figure, capable of a certain urbanity. He is absorbed by the evils of enigma and of moral responsibility. 3. Briefly describe Hawthorne's background.He was born in Salem and moved to Maine with his mother to live with an uncle as a child. He returned to Salem to attend college. He secretly go married, he enjoyed reading and the first novel he wrote was recalled and almost completely destroyed. He continued writing and his first big break was The Scarlet Letter. 4. What is the principle appeal of Hawthorne's work? It is in the quality of its allegory, always richly ambivalent, providing enigmas which each reader solves in his or her own terms. ? 5.How does the preaching of Mr.. Hooper change as he puts on the black veil? He still had the same characteristics of style and manner, but it was tinged rather more dark than usual, with the gentle gloom of his temperament. 6. How does Elizabeth respond to the veil? At first she defends him saying questioning why everyone thought it to be such a big deal. Then she asks him why he is wearing it and seems to take offense of his reasoning and that he will not remove it. ? 7. What did Aylmer think of his wife’s birthmark?He despised it, he wanted her to have it removed. He felt it was the one thing that kept her from being perfect. 8. What word best describes Aylmer’s treatment of Aminadab? He treats him like he is insignificant and doesn't matter. He doesn't understand the science behind Aylmer's work and doesn't agree with him trying to remove the birthmark. Aylmer doesn't care what he thinks nor his own wife. He treats Aminadab as a servant. ? 9. How does the narrator of â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener† characterize himself as a lawyer?He says he is an eminently safe man, he doesn't address juries, rather he works with rich men's bonds, mortgages and title-deeds. 10. What concerns the narrator most about Bartleby’s behavior? He is concerned about him ruining his reputation and his business. He tried to get him to work or leave and he refused to do either. 11. Where does Bartleby die? He dies in the prison yard. ? 12. How does the narrator fail Bartleby? He is unable to save him. He moved his office and when he did the next tenant causes him to be sent to prison because he still refuses to leave. 3. â€Å"At the end of the story, Bartleby's significance expands, and he becomes not only a double for the narrator but also a kind of double for all of humanity. † Explain this statement. We learn that Bartleby lost his job at the Dead Letter Office because of an administration change. The Dead Letter Office would be a pla ce of gloom, where one would deal with human mortality on a daily basis. Also, the narrator had lost his previous job due to bureaucratic changes. The narrator was able to adapt to life but Bartleby, he was unable to save.

Hrm: Selection Process

UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN GRADUATE SCHOOL MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SELECTION PROCESS: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS ON THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SUBMITTED BY: MAY O. TOLENTINO SUBMITTED TO: DR. CARMEN N. HERNANDEZ Selection Process: Survival of the Fittest Introduction Charles Darwin first pondered this concept in his work On the Origin of Species during the 19th century in the context of the survival and extinction of biological species.Later did Herbert Spencer coin the phrase to draw comparable idea on his economic theories. Survival of the fittest according to Darwin’s theory means that only the ones most suited to a particular environment will survive. Those who can’t adapt will surely perish, while those who can adapt will stick around, and maybe even become suited to new environments. We might ask did they discover anything that might be applicable to business in the 21st Century? Or its relevance could be also a pplied in human resource management more specifically in selection process?Let us think of nature and ecological systems as a vast â€Å"free market† of perfect competition, where all living organisms are competing with each other for limited resources (sunlight, water, minerals, etc. )? Synonymous as to the many job applicants competing with each other in a struggle for survival or in plain employment term- to be hired. To be chosen as the best fitted candidate among the crowd of applicants for the one coveted position is indeed collectively tend to operate in ways analogous to natural eco-systems.Is it possible that success and survival in the wild might be analogous to success and survival in the employment race? Selection can be conceptualized in terms of either choosing the fit candidates or rejecting the unfit candidates, or a combination of both. Selection process assumes that there are more candidates than the number of candidates actually selected, made possible thro ugh the recruitment process. According to Gupta (2006), selection is the process of choosing the suitable persons out of all the participants.In this process, relevant information is collected through a series of steps so as to evaluate their suitability on the job to be filled. Furthermore, selection is the process of assessing the candidates in various means and making a choice followed with an offer of employment (Graham, 1998, p. 206). Selection is an important function as no organization can achieve its goal without selecting the right people, where wrong choice would lead to wastage of time, money and spoils the environment of the organization.In this regard, scientific selection and placement of personnel will go a long way in building up a stable workforce, where it helps to reduce absenteeism and labor turnover as well as very helpful in increasing the efficiency and productivity of the organization (Dessler, 2005). Selection vs. Recruitment Selection is different from recr uitment, where recruitment technically happens before selection. Recruitment involves identifying the sources of manpower and encourages them to apply for the job opening. On the other hand, selection is choosing the best out of those recruited.Recruitment aims at increasing the number of applications for more choices. According to Prasad (2005), recruitment and selection differs in terms of objective, process, technique, and outcome which are discussed as follows: Firstly, the ultimate purpose of both is to acquire suitable candidates but their immediate objectives differ, where the basic objective of recruitment is to attract maximum number of candidates so that more choices are available; the basic objective of selection is to choose best out of the available candidates.Secondly, recruitment differs from selection in terms of process, where it adopts the process of creating application as large as possible; while selection adopts the process of screening as fewer candidates or so metimes one candidate is selected. Thirdly, as to the techniques involve; recruitment techniques are not really intensive, requiring skills as against in selection process where highly specialized techniques are required.Lastly, since both are interlinked steps in the process of manpower acquisition, they differ in terms of outcome; where the outcome for recruitment is application pool which become input for selection process which on the other hand the outcome is finalizing the candidates who will be offered jobs. Factors (Conditions) for Selection Process The basic idea in selection process is to solicit maximum possible information about the candidates to ascertain their suitability for the employment; and given the fact that there are factors which affect in collecting such information (Prasad, 2005, p. 06), he proposed the following factors which determine the steps in the selection process: 1. Various steps involve in the selection process depend on the type of personnel to be selected. For example, more information is required in the selection of a manager than a subordinate worker. 2. Selection process depends on the sources of recruitment and the method that is adapted for making contact with prospective candidates.For example if we used tv ads, selection process is more time consuming and comprehensive whereas campus recruitment is shortened and maybe completed in a day. 3. Selection process depends on the number of candidates that are available for selection. If a large number of applicants, we also need to create various filtering points to reduce the number of applicants at a successive point while a small applicant turnout would mean lesser filtering points required. 4. Organization’s selection policy also determines the ways to be involved in the selection process.For example in JBLFMU context, where selection of industry experts as Board Members are stipulated in the policy should be an alumnus of the university and hold the highest or p resident position of any international sponsored shipping companies in the Philippines. Gupta suggests that the selection process can be successful if the following conditions are met: 1. Someone should have the authority to select; where this authority comes from the employment requisition as developed through analysis of the workload and workforce. 2. There must be one standard of human resource with which applicant can be compared.In other words, a comprehensive job description and job specification should be available beforehand. 3. There must be a sufficient number of applicants from whom the required number of employees maybe selected. In this regard, recruitment and selection process invariably influence the whole matter of employment function in the organization. Steps in Selection Process Selection process consist of the series of steps; at each stage, facts may reveal something about a candidate that may either be a win or blow on his/her chances on the job. It is a series of barriers or challenges in which the applicant must cross.These hurdles or screens are designed to eliminate unqualified candidate at any point in the selection process. There is no exact formula or standards to be used in all organizations or for all jobs. The complexity of selection procedures increases with the level of responsibility of the position to be filled. Therefore, the strategy and method used for selecting employees varies from firm to firm or from one job to another. For instance in JBLFMU, the recruitment and selection process differs to a faculty candidate and a personnel applicant.Scholars of Human Resource Management such as Gupta, Prasad, Armstrong, and Ivancevich, suggested the following steps to be involved in employee selection process, though not necessarily to be implemented chronologically: 1. Preliminary Interview 2. Application Form 3. Selection Test (Physical, Cognitive and Personality Test) 4. Work Samples 5. Employment Interview 6. Medical Examinati on 7. Reference or Background Check 8. Final Approval 9. Employment 10. Induction 11. Follow-up or Evaluation Applicability of Selection Process in JBLFMUIn the context of JBLFMU environment; most of the above steps in selection process are applied both on academic and non-academic personnel, however the exercise does vary from the steps. For instance, in non-academic personnel once applications are received, short listing of applicants is done by the HR officer in respect to the applied jobs, preliminary interview is organized with the respective department head, methods of assessment is done by administering various forms like taking of aptitude or job related and personality tests.Then those who passed will go to another round of final interview then final selection is done together with the department officer. Selected applicant is called to fill various forms including medical examination to effect his/her employment; if found fit is awarded offer of employment stipulating term s and conditions of employment. Duties are assigned and orientation is undertaken. But if all applicants happen to fail the standards of the selection process, the post will be advertised again for recruitment. As for academic personnel, the difference lies on the additional steps of a twice presentation of simulated teaching.Then the person to approve the teaching plantilla will include the HR Officer, Subject Area Head, Dean of the College and the university administrator. To wit based from the theories discussed above, JBLFMU abides to the following steps in selection process: 1. Screening of applications, where available applications should be short listed in respect to their qualifications and experience in correspond to the job requirement. Only applicants who fit the bill should be interviewed. For large number of applicants, aptitude test could be used to screen them. 2.Prepare for the interview, where at this step the type of interview is established, it can be I groups or individually; written or oral interview. Guideline and questions are prepared beforehand. 3. Develop factors and methods of assessment, where various score sheets and assessment forms are prepared in order to maintain consistency. 4. Conduct the interview or as for academic personnel a demo teaching, where at this stage applicants are given equal chance to demonstrate their strength and capabilities in respect to the requirement of the job. 5. To undertake cross referencing for interviewees.Check resumes for related experiences and background check. 6. Communicating the decision to the candidates. At this stage the applicant is informed of the result via letter or phone call. The chosen candidate will be asked to come and fill required forms to effect the employment. 7. Requiring a medical examination on the selected applicant to avoid future problems that might affect job performance. 8. Offering letter of employment and filling required forms to effect employment functions, where in that contract stipulates terms and conditions of employment. 9. Placement and orientation.It is at this step the JBLFMU selection process ends, where the employed applicant is endorsed under his/her supervisor followed by a company orientation. Conclusion Therefore, the basic objective of selection is to hire those candidates that are suitable or fitted for the position with a high probability of job success. A multiple hurdle plan is the best selection strategy. Selection hurdles or tests include pre-employment inquiries, application forms, initial screening interviews, background investigations, teaching demo for academic applicants and interviews.Also, recruiting and selecting the right people for the company is a challenge, and every situation is unique. JBLFMU should be innovative, persistent and realistic, and can communicate the strength of the institution and the benefits of the position offered to attract high quality employees to build careers in the organization. Survi val of the fittest in selection process perspective redounds to matching the best qualified candidate to fit the requisites or requirements of the job in achieving organizational goals. This in turn will mutually benefit the individual and the organization, as they adapt to the changing environment.Bibliography Armstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. (10th edition ed. ). London: Kogan Page Limited. Dessler, G. (2005). Human Resource Management. (10th edition ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Gupta, C. (2006). Human Resource Management (Rev. Edition ed. ). New Delhi: Sultan Chad and Sons. Ivancevich, J. (2003). Human Resource Management (9th Edition ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. Prasad, L. (2005). Human Resource Management (2nd Edition ed. ). New Delhi: Sultan Chad and Sons. Rush, D. (1995). Biology: Natural Science (3rd Edition ed. ) New York: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Image-Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Image-Making - Essay Example Although once identified as simply the swoosh on the side of a Nike athletic shoe or the golden arches soaring over every McDonalds entrance, the term ‘branding’ has grown to encompass many aspects of a company or individual. â€Å"Brands are not simply products or services. Brands are the sum totals of all the images that people have in their heads about a particular company and a particular mark. Brands absorb everything around them† (Scott Bedbury, CEO of Brandstream, a Seattle-based marketing consultancy, quoted in Kalin, 2001). Indeed the term has come to refer to not only the images a company produces in order to call their product or services to mind, but also the products sold, the services rendered, the building in which the company is headquartered or even the country in which it originated as well as the methods used to project these ideas and images to the broader public. To remain competitive in the world today, just about anything can be identified w ith a brand if it is so chosen – companies, museums, hospitals, even individual people. In making his bid for the 2008 Presidential Election, candidate Barak Obama skillfully applied the elements of branding or image-making to himself, successfully presenting himself as the most viable candidate through his general appearance, the ways in which he is identified and the context of his message. Barak Obama seems keenly aware of the importance of appearance in making a good impression on the American public. From our earliest history, it has been through our outward appearances that we project who and what we are to other people. Studies conducted by Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Dacher Keltner have revealed that people most often make snap judgments about the people they meet without even thinking about it that can often prove to be quite accurate (Walker, 2006). Therefore, the physical appeal of an individual often plays a significant role in his (or her) acceptance by the

Why do oil prices keep falling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why do oil prices keep falling - Essay Example The reason is to avoid a reduction in production by OPEC countries is putting pressure on the increasing US shale oil and gas industry and avoid a negative impact on the economies of these countries (Bowler, 1). Other reasons that can explain the fall in oil prices include increased efficiency in oil use and increased use of other fuels other than oil decreasing total demand for oil. Oil prices have impacts on US with the fall in oil prices resulting in the curbing of the US franchise shale oil production that has high production costs and its success was anchored on the high oil prices. The falling oil prices have direct boosts on consumption resulting in the stimulation of the economy to effect high growth. However, the effect on oil producers is delayed resulting in the negative effect on the economy after some time. The negative effects of the lower oil prices on the producers are a fall in profits, investments, tax payments, and hiring and the dividend payments will be lower. The overall influence of the fall in oil prices is increased economic growth in the short run owing to the direct benefits to the consumers but the eventual effect will reduce the growth of the economy from the effect on the producers, government, shareholders, among other

The relationship between poor European Americans, poor free Essay

The relationship between poor European Americans, poor free whites,African Americans and the Native Americans during the early colonial period - Essay Example The poor European Americans also interacted with Native Americans during that period. With regard to the early colonial period, this paper will discuss the relationship between poor European Americans and both African Americans and Native Americans. Although the first African Americans in Virginia are considered by some historians to have been equal servants with their White indentured counterparts, they were treated and perceived differently. Some African Americans had earlier on been treated in the same manner as European American indentured servants, albeit with limited terms of indentures, but racial differences soon changed the situation. The indentured servant system created disorder, making racial slavery more attractive to slaveholders (Morgan 32). Essentially, these made African Americans a permanent and dependent source of labor, often seen as people set racially apart while European American indentured servants earned freedom after several years. It follows, therefore, that under such circumstances the European American slaves also viewed themselves as superior to African Americans. The slave owners developed crude systems to maintain their hold on the African American slaves because they were thought to have agricul tural skills. In a human society, it was inevitable for the European Americans to develop awareness of racism, which negatively impacted their relationship with the African Americans. The two populations were both slaves, but their relationship was further strained by the fact that African Americans had been isolated from their culture and plunged into a new and strange heritage of family relations, language and customs. Here, personal responsibility can be said to have shaped the relationship between the two populations, as African Americans were weighed down by their new and mostly involuntary statuses. Compared to African Americans, Native Americans were considered stronger. The

Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exercise - Essay Example Marketing department-headed by a marketing manager, this department will handle the process of moving the produced goods from the firm to the customers. The department will have six employees, divided into two groups, each headed by a supervisor. Finance department -handling all the financial operations in the organization, this department will have three employees, headed by the head of finance. He will handle the duties of a supervisor. Human resource department- handling all the duties of hiring, placement, and promotional recommendations as well as addressing all employees’ needs, this department will have two employees, headed by a personnel officer. The recruitment process Skills are an important element for the success and growth of our subsidiary. In the highly competitive business environment, offering our clients with the best quality products is paramount for Intel. Despite the Chinese market providing cheap labor, we will settle for the most qualified individuals i n the market. While identifying the most qualified individuals to hire, the plant will go through a recruitment process. However, internal recruitment sources will provide the required expertise on the Intel operations in the new subsidiary. Starting a new subsidiary requires logistical information. Every organization, despite operating in the same industry, has unique operational culture and processes from other firms. This necessitates shipping of part of our most qualified personnel from our main branch to the Chinese subsidiary. Among the most competitive departmental managers, production managers and supervisors, five will receive promotion to head the Chinese plant. Through performance evaluation and the records of accomplishment of the identified candidates, the highest scoring individual will take over as the branch manager of the Chinese firm. Specifically, they will ensure that quality and accountability culture in serving our customers remain a priority. External sourcing will however involve consultancy firms and recruitment bureaus. By extensively using referrals, we hope to have the most qualified individuals in the Chinese market. Purposively, part of the recruited staff will come from Chinese firms in the same industry like Intel. Training After external sourcing of labor, the team will undertake training of the staff to provide them with the best skills and knowledge to work for Intel. Subsequently, they will place them in their most qualified departments by matching their skills and expertise with the organizational departments. Training involves instilling the required skills and knowledge to a taskforce in order to achieve organizational goals and objectives (Welsch 2005, p. 35). Achieving our mission will involve the use of intensive and extensive training of the recruited staff. Extensively, training will cover on the various elements of production, as well as Intel culture. Intensively however, we will focus on training newly hired emplo yees on the aspects of their jobs according to departments. This will ensure high levels of productivity from our staff. Providing them with intensive training ensures minimal errors in our work, saving the organization reproduction costs and time. Additionally, we will ensure to provide them with induction training in order to orient them with our organizational mission, objectives and culture.

Grace and Love in 'The Courtier' by Baldassare Castiglione Essay

Grace and Love in 'The Courtier' by Baldassare Castiglione - Essay Example In a sense, Castiglione wants to present them as ideal types, as the "onorati esempi di virt" ( IV, 2, 448: "honored models of worthiness"[287]) as can be read from his prologues. "When lord Guidobaldo di Montefeltro, duke of Urbino, passed from this life, I together with several other knights who had served him remained in the service of duke Francesco Maria della Rovere, heir and successor to Guidobaldo's state; and as in my mind there remained fresh the odor of duke Guido's virtues and the satisfaction which I in those years had felt from the loving company of such excellent persons, as then frequented the court of Urbino". Castiglione's goal in his work was to set his statements of praise for Urbino and its inhabitants in general and conventional terms. He did not cite the military exploits or civic triumphs of a character he praises, instead, he celebrates all of them for their virt, (virtue) their ingegno, (ingenuity) their ottime qualit (high dignity). Castiliogne pursues the elevation of Urbino's image to an exemplary moral excellence and its value for posterity. In his first two prologues, Castiglione highlights the superiority of Urbino's inhabitants. In the prologue to Book III, Castiglione states that if Urbino's pastimes convince him of its excellence, he should be able to imagine easily how much greater the courtiers' virtuous actions were (III, 1, 336). In the last prologue, Castiglione praises the courtiers directly as "omini per virt singulari" ( IV, 2, 446: "men singular in worth"[286]). He viewed the court as a paragon of moral exempla ( IV, 2, 448: "chiari ed onorati esempi di virt"). The court is presented as an ethical model not only to other existing courts at that time but also to the succeeding generations to come. Moreover, Castiglione confesses in the third prologue that he wrote his text carefully to "faria vivere negli animi dei posteri" (III, 1, 336: "make it live in the mind of posterity"[202]). Finally, as his culture upholds classical antiquity, he projects that the young and upcoming generation will envy his time because of the exemplary Urbino court. (III, 1, 336: "forse per l'avvenire non mancher chi per questo ancor porti invidia al secol nostro").Similarly, the virtues of grace and love which are present in Castiliogne's work are also present in Christian morals and manners. Christian morals are a function of moral discernment and moral reasoning. For instance, James Gustafson stated that moral discernment refer to basic dispositions that are shaped in part by the faith and trust Christians have as they offer themselves up to God. Moreover, James Gustafson stated that the concept of moral discernment was related to moral reasoning. Gustafson explained that moral reasoning pertains to a character, or personal moral ability, which covers dispositions, traits, and actions of the moral agent. (Selnick, 1992). Castiliogne stated that the courtier is expected to serve and increase in favour with her Lady. He should instruct her in virtue

Sociology and Me Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology and Me - Article Example I was born on the 11th of November,1968 in the house of my uncle, Andrew Golson, a medical doctor in North End, Boston. I am the eldest of three children. My mother is an American while my father is a second generation Italian immigrant. We spoke English and Italian at home. My younger siblings are Andrew and Joan. We all grew up in this area.The North End Boston is a middle-class neighborhood which is dominated by Italian immigrant families who comprise the working class of America. My first dim recollection is that of my mom's pasta dish which she would serve at dinner. This dish reminds me of love, comfort and a feeling of belonging - a feeling of really being home. I attended elementary school at the Michelangelo school in Boston. The school resembles our closely-knit neighborhood. We knew everybody who studied in that school. Most of my relatives also sent their children there. The school presented a very safe and stable environment for growing up.The North End is my personal point of reference. It is where I grew up and where I started enduring friendships. I grew up in a very close family. My parents would always give us a hug, a kiss, a word of kindness or encouragement. Then everyday, we would take a great home-cooked meal which made all the difference in the world.As a young child, I was exposed to Italian classical music performed by Pavarotti and recently Andrea Bocelli. My father would mimic arias by these world famous performers and we would end up in a hilarious situation at home.During week-ends, my parents would take us to partake of great meals in family-run neighborhood restaurants like the Blue Front, Giro's, or Felicia's, or at Grandma's house. I always savor the best ingredients in these 'home-cooked' dishes." Like my younger siblings, I also learned how to cook well.Noise became music to my ears. I grew up with a lot of noise - smoke, beeping horns, a lot of traffic and more noise. We would play near Cross and Hanover streets. We would spend the whole day playing until we can play no more since we were very tired already. My family lived beside two houses which hosted two agreeable and well-to-do Italian immigrant families.My childhood and youth were spent in my parent's house which is a sturdy and well-built house. It has three bedrooms, a huge kitchen and two study rooms, one each for my father and mother. We would study in my father's study room. The house has a small garden filled with flowers in the summer time, which we children helped to tend.I grew up like other healthy and normal kids, my only illness being an attack of chicken pox and German measles. My immunity to disease was evidently greate r than that of either of my siblings. I remained perfectly healthy in spite of the uncertain preventive measures which were prevalent then. My mother would always care for us patiently whenever we got sick. Hence, my siblings felt comforted whenever they got sick. My first training in reading and writing came from my mother, who was a very well-educated woman. My mother is a graduate of Boston University where she took up education. She works in a high school near our home. My father studied engineering at Boston University. However, he decided to take over my grandfather's business after graduation. Thus, he never got the chance to work somewhere else.I am indebted to my parents for my intellectual life. They instilled in me the love for reading and study. They also helped me to think about things in a critical manner. They presented an open environment at home where we can exchange ideas and opinions about anything. They also shared with me the Catholic religion. I became close to our parish priest as I was growing up.My mother had great pedagogical ability which seemed to run in our family. We excelled in grade school and high school. During week-ends, my mother would work as a tutor to some important and distinguished families in Boston a nd her academic abilities were widely

Half Caste Essay Example for Free

Half Caste Essay The two poems I am going to compare are I am not that Woman by Kishwar Naheed and Half Caste by John Agard. Although these poems are essentially about different things, with I am not that woman being about a feminist and Half Caste about skin colour, underneath this they are both about being prejudiced against somebody for no real reason. The poem Half Caste begins with the words Excuse me standing on one leg Im half caste. This is an almost apologetic beginning to the poem, it immediately shows that being mixed race is seen as negative, and that the person is unsure of himself, because of this view. In contrast, I am not that Woman starts very strongly with the title words I am not that woman. This, although also creating a feel that women are being treated unfairly, shows that the person in this poem is far stronger in her views that it is unjust, and will not stand for it, whereas the beginning of the other poem leads us to believe that the person will put up with the unfair treatment. Half Caste then goes on to question why when picasso mix red and green is not a half caste canvas. This, as well as the example of the half caste symphony, by Tchaikovsky, is used because these also use half caste things but these are accepted, and even highly regarded. Therefore, the poet is reasoning that he shouldnt be discriminated against when there are lots of things that are mixed that the whites view in high esteem. He is asking why they arent treated in the same unfair way as he is. This could also have an ironic side, as he is pointing out that the whites are so prejudiced against mixed race people and yet some of the things that they hold in the very highest esteem are mixed colours. He carries on questioning in the above way, as though trying to find the answer as to why he is treated as different, when, as he points out, English weather is in their definition, half caste, i. e. mixed. It is a moment where the author shows his utter and complete bewilderment that the English can discriminate against him, when something that is so much a part of them, the weather, is half caste, and therefore, in their opinion, inferior. He cant understand why he is discriminated against by people who are actually linked to half caste things, just like himself. He is asking why he is treated unjustly when so many other things are mixed. Here there is also a play on words, with the weather being described as overcast and the poem being about a half caste person. This play again links the weather more strongly to being mixed as the word is very similar to half caste. I am not that Woman also goes on to talk about being treated unfairly because she was a woman, who would be thought of as inferior. It is also likely that she was black as she talks about custom and tradition which is generally more associated with black societies. However, we are shown in this poem that she has not just accepted it but has fought strongly for her right to be treated the same as everyone else. She says my voice cannot be smothered by stones. By describing how she has fought against prejudice, is it obvious that this woman, like the man in Half Caste, has been discriminated against. It also literally says that I was the one you hid in your walls of stone, which can be taken to mean that she wasnt allowed to do what she wanted but was controlled, which is a form of discrimination and prejudice. However, the difference between the two poems is that, in I am not that Woman, the person stayed strong and is succeeding despite it; where as the other person is struggling along complaining that it is not fair, and as explained in the previous paragraph, questioning why they are being treated like this. It seems that the person in Half Caste possibly only deals with the discrimination by being ironical, taking the idea of half caste to extreme examples to make it clear how foolish a thing it is to discriminate against someone for it. The person in I am not that Woman has not bothered with this, and has merely fought her way through the unpleasantness until she succeeded in breaking free. The two poems therefore show two very different ways of dealing with a similar situation. The next stanza in Half Caste says Ah looking at yu wid de keen half of mih eye. This coupled with other similar references in the stanza, again shows how he is worried and squashed down by the treatment he is receiving. It also makes the reader feel that he is trapped in a certain way and unable to use his whole self, simply because he is not accepted by the community. The word keen could also refer to the fact that he sees the white people completely clearly and can see them for what they are, in his view narrow minded and vicious people as they are unfairly prejudiced against him, and is not fooled by any exterior. He is quite clever enough to know the type of people they are and know what they are doing. I am not that Woman also makes several mentions to the idea of being confined by the way she is thought of. She tells us how she was crushed, bought and sold, and a commodity you traded in. However, the contrast between the two is again that the woman in this poem also mentions that light cannot be hidden in darkness and my voice cannot be smothered by stones. This creates a feeling in the reader that the woman is fighting and still believes that she will become somebody free and equal. Although she also was restricted she has fought to be released from her unfair treatment. The idea in the two poems is of the person who is treated badly being hampered while all the others are free, also has a difference in the way it is dealt with. In Half Caste we are told I offer yu half a hand which establishes the impression that the person is limited, because he is not the same, and cannot use all of himself. This leads us to the feeling that the people who are accepted in community are free to do what they want, especially as some of the references to famous people who also mix tell us that they are accepted as normal, where as the people who have not done something great, have to fit in as a white person and cannot be mixed as they are then hindered. In I am not that Woman we are given images of her hid in your walls of stone, which is again the image of being trapped because of who you are. It also mentions you roamed free as the breeze. This shows us very definitely that one person is restricted, while the ones that fit in, in this case men, in the other poem white people, are unbound. The difference is that in this poem she says chains cannot smother my fragrance. This shows that she still feels she could, and should, be free, and as a consequence, we are made to feel that she is becoming more and more so.

Cyber Bullying Essay Example for Free

Cyber Bullying Essay When one think’s of bullying, they think of a big kid picking on a little kid on the playground, or the type of bullying that has been portrayed by movies and books, however, bullying has grown beyond that and had changes to adapt to the technology we have today, cyberspace. Cyber bullying can vary from social media sites, texting, â€Å"sexting†, and emails. For those who are victims of cyber bullying, there is very little they feel they can do to end the cyber bullying. Cyber bullying has terrible effects on those who are victims of this type of bullying and often lead to serious actions. Bullying can be considered many different things depending on who is describing it, however, according to Google, bullying is someone who â€Å"uses superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.† More specifically, cyber bullying is â€Å"the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature† (Google). Those who bully may be seeking power, or a winning feeling and often times enjoy the attention they get from buying someone. It is also said that who bully others are usually individuals that have had a poor upbringing, were not shown any love growing up and are jealous, or were bullied themselves. Cyber bullying has many effects that are destructive to the individual or group being bullied. Victims who are affected from cyber bullying often show signs of depression, loss of sleep, unhappiness, anxiety, and complex to ones self. In often times, they even get pushed to the point of thought of suicide or harm to others, such as violent attacks on other individuals. Most of these cyber bullying victims will not tell a parent or trusted adult about the bullying because they are ashamed about it or don’t want a parent to get involved and embarrass them to the bully. This may be a reason that cyber bullying may leads to such serious effects, because most individuals will not speak up about what they are enduring. Cyber bullying leads to thousands of suicide attempts every year. â€Å"Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about  4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it. Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University† (Bullying Statistics). In addition to that statement, a study has shown that at least half of these attempted suicides are due to bullying. Often times the less popular individuals become victims and are more likely to commit suicide, or have self-harming behaviors. Overall, cyber bullying affects its victims in many different, but horrible ways that often lead to serious actions. Those who bully others, may be been victims of bullying in the past, and are looking to take control and have power over another individual. These bullies may have also lacked love and compassion in their household and are seeking attention. This, however, does not excuse the effects that the victims of this bullying has, specifically cyber bullying. The victims of cyber bullying experience threatening or intimidating messages electronically and often develop serious heath signs such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide thoughts. It is important that people are aware of the serious side affects from bullying and cyber bullying and take action if they know someone that is being cyber bullied. Work Cited What Is Bullying. StopBullying.gov. U.S. Department of Health Human Services, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

The public policy

The public policy The success of public administrators is intertwined with both their skills and their applied approaches to varying issues. While the capability of addressing problems and concerns are among the determinants of an effective public administrator, the success of his/her endeavors rely on several factors some of which includes the philosophy in elitism, the tactical and strategic use of the bureaucratic processes, the influence of interest groups and a combination of any of the said approaches. Among the approaches that can be applied in public policy is the elitist viewpoint. Elitism is defined as a selective group of individuals which possess unique and distinct personal abilities, intelligence, affluence and influence. Individuals characterized as elitist are perceived to possess particular ideas on issues that hold the most significance ideal. In a public administrators work, the elitist perspective may provide limitations to his/her circle of interests primarily because the elite are among the minorities in a democratic society. Since the introduction of the concept, elitism has been iinterrelated with the concept of democratic concepts. Aristotles view of the democratic concept as a thought that divided political systems into three forms the rule by one, rule by a few and rule by the many, were dismissed by primary elitist theorists Gaetano Mosca and Robert Michels. The theorists also criticized Karl Marx emphasis on the class struggle and the eventual success of the working class will lead to a classless society, arguing that no such society will exist and the struggle will never end. The classical elitist theory possesses several weaknesses. The said theory did not merely argued that the socially recognizable people in a country made its important decisions, it also asserts that the common man regardless of their number does not provide such decisions. While the societys elite is generally perceived as a stable and constant entity, the individuals in office changes thus reflecting the necessity to view the elites as an encompassing term that includes the individuals with the influence over the government and individuals which are in the position to govern. Another approach in public policy is based on the institutional theory. The said theory focuses on the government structure, in particular its formal and legal aspects particularly its structural arrangements, policies on decision making and its legal powers and authority. The institutional theory emphasizes the significance and role of structures and rules in the policy process including the level of influence of policy makers within the process. Public policy can be influenced by a number of institutions. Among these institutions are the national, state and local government, corporations and interest groups. The markets are also an influential entity in public policy as well as foreign political regimes. Institutional approach in public policy provides more complex circumstances because of the formal government structure and the procedural rules and process are used as a means to hinder or empower political interests. Among the cases in which the institutional theory can be applied is the legislation of the Farm Bill of 2002 which indicates the power play within the Senate. The constitution mandates that each state shall have two senators therefore granting a larger voting power for less populous states than the more populous states of New York and California. The third approach in public policy is the Group theory. The theory views the public policy as a result of a continuing struggle among interest groups. Supporters of this theory are often referred to as pluralists. Such individuals believe that interest groups possess a share of power within the country, emphasizing that the power particularly in policy making is pluralistic rather than being controlled by the elites. A practical example of the Group theory is the case of labor unions against the interests of the private sector. Labor unions organizes lobbying campaigns to executive and legislative officials and calls on the general public through formulating and applying advocacy campaign plans. Such efforts is undertaken as a means to ensure the balance of the policy making process. However, there are several existing arguments against the Group theory. The theory has been criticized for undermining the leadership capacity of the public officials and exaggerating the role of interest groups in policy making. Interest groups have often been used by public officials to promote and publicize their own interests while attracting support for policy initiatives. Another approach is the Plurality or Rational Choice Theory which is often referred to as the Public Chose and Formal Theory. The said theory has been applied to questions regarding public policy. A working assumption of the Rational theory is that individuals are rational actors which possess tendencies to maximize their self-interests. Using this theory, analysts study the values of individual, perceptions on a specific issue, information related to the case, as well as expectations on other individuals. Applied in the public policy process, the individuals include the voters, the lobbyists, legislators and government officials. Using the theory, individuals can critically assess and identify motivations of public officials, their interests i.e. re-elections and other personal interests which often translates to their attitude towards public policy. Similar to the previous theories, the Rational Choice Theory contains its set of weaknesses. Critics have argued that in reality, individuals are not single minded creatures which pursue only their self-interests. The theory is also said to provide minimal emphasis on the individuals willingness to engage in collective pursuits i.e. participating in public interest groups or community organizations.

E-Commerce: Its Development and Future Perspectives Essay -- markets, c

E-commerce has become very vital for many businesses to reach out to larger markets at cheaper costs unlike before. It relies on the cyberspace as its main backbone. A lot of people can now make instant payments for items bought online from the comfort of their living rooms or offices. It is also now possible for millions of people from across the world to work online and receive their payments courtesy of e-commerce. E-commerce was not so much known about in the last few years. However, growth in technology has revolutionized it in modern times. The advent of World Wide Web (WWW) from the early 1990s has been one of the major forces behind the advancements in e-commerce. Governments and private sector are investing in e-commerce as one of the ways of surviving competition and increasing economic growth. E-commerce is currently facilitating transactions between businesses and consumers (B2C). On the other hand, it has also become vital in business to business trading (B2B). The advent modern forms of e-commerce occurred in 1949 when Diners Club launched credit cards for its frequent customers as way of consolidating debts. Meanwhile, the most immediate technological innovations that precipitate advent of today’s e-commerce infrastructure include use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), availability of affordable computer hardware and software as well as increasing profitability of Internet Service Providers (ISPs). EID refers to transmission of business data within organizational networks in standard formats that favor transactions between businesses and clients. EDI has been an important milestone in the development of e-commerce in the sense that it paved way for the recent developments in e-commerce. Some of the contempo... ...ctives in improving online trading. Regulatory authorities thus need to build clearer regulations to streamline e-commerce. There is also a need to create more effective B2C bandwidth to reduce technical barriers in e-commerce that might discourage people from online shopping. Future developments in e-commerce also need to address issues of effective protection of consumers’ privacy in the cyberspace. In conclusion, it is worthy to note that e-commerce has become a major driving force in globalization of trade. It has also given online vendors opportunities of reaching many clients across the globe. However, issue of many risks like fraud, stealing of customers’ confidential information continues to affect e-commerce. Developers of the infrastructures that facilitate online business thus need to address risks issues as many people continue to adopt online trading.

Americas Occupation of Puerto Rico :: American History

America's Occupation of Puerto Rico On July 25, 1898, American troops led by General Nelson Miles landed at Guanica and began the military invasion of Puerto Rico. Within three days, Miles and his troops secured the city of Ponce and rendered a Spanish surrender a matter of time. Although the Island was taken by force and placed under martial law, the general reaction to the United States invasion was very much positive. In fact, the Puerto Rican people admired U.S. political and economic ideals so much that one local newspaper told it's readers, â€Å"from a people who are descendants of Washington, no one should expect a sad surprise ... we trust, with full confidence in the great Republic and the men who govern her.† [1] Unfortunately that confidence was short lived, as the realities of American political and economic agendas set in and led Puerto Rico to be â€Å"stranded in a sea of ambiguity, racism, audacity and indifference.† [2] U.S. occupation of Puerto Rico was marked by severe contradictions o f so-called `American' ideals pertaining to new and established policies that were extended to Puerto Rico and these contradictions have had profound and long-lasting effects on the development of the island politically, economically and socially. In 1897, Spain established self-government in Puerto Rico and the people drafted a constitution. One year later, the Spanish would cede Puerto Rico to the United States and that constitution would go basically unrecognized. On the island, the local politicians realized that â€Å"`through fate of war' and the force of arms, their constitution was ... irrelevant.† [3] Although the islanders lost their constitution, their confidence in the U.S. coupled with a pledge from General Miles, in which he describes the U.S. goal as, â€Å"...to promote your prosperity, and to bestow upon you the immunities and the blessings of the liberal institutions of our government,† [4] had them expecting to eventually write a new and improved constitution as soon as the military government was abolished. Unfortunately, while the Puerto Rican people patiently waited for the Great Republic to deliver liberty, the Americans argued for almost two years about what to do with their new possession . On April 12, 1900, President McKinley signed the Foraker Act (also known as the first organic act) into law and sealed the political fate of the Puerto Rican people. The act called for a Governor, an Executive Council, and a House of Delegates to govern the island.

Issues Surrounding the Trial Scene Within to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

This essay will identify issues outside of the primary theme of race that come to light during the court case in which Tom Robinson, a black man, is trialled and convicted for raping Mayella Ewell. Throughout the trial, significant action occurs both inside and outside the court room that draws attention to side-lined topics including the definition of courage, the loss of innocence, class relations, and expectation within society. To Kill A Mockingbird was set in the 1930’s, a turbulent decade characterised by struggles between world powers, racial prejudice and economic depression. The aftermath of the Wall Street Crash in 1929 affected America particularly badly, and by the winter of 1932 they were in the depths of the greatest economic depression in their history. These historical events are reflected in the novel by the division within Maycomb’s society according to wealth and class, with families such as the Ewell’s epitomising the term ‘white trash’ and positioning at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Furthermore, despite the American government’s abolition of slavery in 1848, racism was as strong as ever in the Southern States. The black people were forced into racial segregation in schools, public transport and churches. Stemming from this racial prejudice comes a level of expectation that different people in society believe they must adhere too as a result of the segregation and racial prejudice engrained into society. This is shadowed in the book by the minor character of Dolphus Raymond, a drunken white man deemed an outsider by societies norms. All of the action that takes place within To Kill A Mockingbird is concentrated in the fictional county of Maycomb, which can be seen as a microcosm dissecting important issues present in the wider Southern America. The trial in many ways is the most important and dramatic sequence in the novel, as although the trial targets Tom Robinson, in a metaphoric sense it is in fact the entire county of Maycomb that are on trial. Despite Tom’s conviction, the trial does show a small progression within Maycomb, with the jury taking such a long time to make their decision constituting a sign of positive advancement in racial relations, with Miss Maudie stating â€Å"it’s just a baby-step, but it’s a step. † This â€Å"step† is achieved through the books definition of courage, embodied through the character of Mrs Dubose, a ying old woman who embarks on the brave task of facing her addiction to morphine before reaching her end. According to Atticus, Mrs Dubose’s decision shows the possession of â€Å"real courage†¦ when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. † It is this attitude that foreshadows and fittingly describes Atticus’s own approach to the Tom Robinson case. It is clear in the novel that even before taking on Tom Robinson’s case, the lawyer knew that he would fail to acquit the accused of his charges because of the rigid prejudicial outlook innate within Maycomb’s inhabitants. Thomas Shaffer, argues that Atticus shows us precisely that what matters in professional ethics is character rather than moral principle which is highlighted by Atticus’s fights to prove Tom’s innocence to the community, even though he knows it will not be acted upon. While Atticus eventually loses the court case, it his courage and steely determination to see it through until the end that successfully reveals the injustice of a stratified society that confines the blacks to a â€Å"coloured balcony†. Furthermore, the involvement of the Ewell family in the trial also highlights issues of class relations within Maycomb County. The term â€Å"white trash† is a pejorative term particularly used in rural Southern America, to describe a collection of lower class people who live by degraded standards. The term suggests outcasts from a respectable society living on the fringes of the social order who are seen as dangerous because they may be of a criminal nature without respect for authority whether it be political, legal, or moral. The audience are aware from the beginning of the novel that the Ewell family epitomise â€Å"white trash† from Burrell Ewell’s refusal to go to school, and his ability to escape the legal system. Moreover, their home behind the town garbage dump in a tin-roofed cabin adheres to the characteristic of ‘living on the outside of town’ and highlights their social and physical segregation from the more respectable members of the community. Their position at the bottom of the social hierarchy is substantiated by Mayella Ewell’s section of the trial – the young girl believes that Atticus is trying to make a fool of her by labelling her as â€Å"Miss† conveying her lack of social skills as a result of her family’s failure to integrate into society. Moreover, the implication that Bob Ewell abuses his daughter creates a perception of him as being violent and criminal, two characteristics that are of course brought to light in the latter parts of the novel. Overall, this highlights that Maycomb County (and the wider South) are not just segregated by race, but also by class. The sad reality however, is that in the racist world of Maycomb, even the Ewell’s have the power to destroy an innocent man. This leads onto a further issue that is at stake throughout the trial: the threat posed to innocence by evil. This theme is revealed primarily through the characters of Tom Robinson and Jem Finch. The audience are made aware that Tom is an innocent man who has been wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit. This depicts the evil attack of social prejudice on an unoffending man, guilty only of the colour of his skin. Tom Robinson is not prepared for the evil that he encounters, and this consequently leads to his downfall. This concept links to the title of the book â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, which highlights that to destroy someone innocent purely for existing, is a sin. Furthermore, the trial also focuses around the loss of innocence of Jem and his movement into adulthood, linking to the Bildungsroman theme within the novel. The Bildungsroman genre is an example of â€Å"the coming of age† novel, and is evident in the novel from the children’s journey from ignorance to enlightenment. Hereby, Jem witnessing the harsh reality of life revealed by the trial is seen as a necessary growth point that his character must go through in order to reach maturity, summarising the transition from a perspective of childhood innocence, to a more adult perspective in which Jem has confronted evil and must incorporate it into his understanding of the world. This shift is apparent in the trial scene after Atticus reveals to the jury that Bob Ewell is a left-handed man, and that a left-handed man would be more likely to leave bruises on the right side of a girls face. Jem, still clinging to his youthful illusions about life working according to concepts of fairness, doesn’t understand that his father’s efforts will be in vain, commenting â€Å"We’ve got him. † After Tom is found to be guilty, Jem’s hopes are shattered as he cries over the injustice of the verdict. His emergence into a more adulthood perspective is highlighted by his conversation with Miss Maudie, where he reveals that he sed to think that the people of Maycomb were the best in the world, but having witnessed the trial, he doesn’t think so anymore. Ultimately, a final issue brought to light amidst the action of the trial, is the levels of expectation that people are pressured by as a result of the class and racial issues present in Maycomb. Dolphus Raymond’s attendance at the trial is accompanied by Jem’s description of his background – that he is a drunk who had several children by a black woman even though he was from a rich and respectable family. As the prosecution begins to question Tom Robinson, the action is diverted from the courtroom as Dill begins to cry resulting in Scout leading him outside where they encounter the mysterious character of Mr Raymond. It is revealed that he is in actual fact pretending to drink alcohol from the paper bag to provide the white people with an explanation for his lifestyle: â€Å"When I come to town†¦ if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does†. This highlights that Dolphus Raymond does care very much about what people think of him, and believes that by stereotyping himself as a drunk, the other members of Maycomb county will find his behaviour excusable. The significance of his character is to forefront the pressures that society’s norms exhume on those who wish to be different – Dolphus Raymond simply prefers black people to whites, just as the white community simply dislike blacks with no valid explanation. In conclusion, it is clear that many other relevant issues to the time period occupy the trial at the heart of To Kill A Mockingbird as well as simply racial prejudice.

Marxism in the Grapes of Wrath bye John Steinbeck Essay

Capitalism was chosen as the best economic system when the founding fathers were trying to determine the future of America. A capitalist is someone who owns a production system and who gains money through misusing the effort of workers. Through capitalist economic relations, socialistic ideas are broken down to bias earnings of an individual. Through creating such divisions as the upper, middle, and lower class, the theory of Marxism analyzes what ways capitalism can be used against the people. In the Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck confronts this ideal and reveals what he believes regarding this subject. The Marxist theory of criticism examines the economic and governmental system that Steinbeck uses throughout the novel and reveals that Steinbeck does indeed believe that capitalism is naturally flawed. Steinbeck starts his grand confrontation with capitalism, by creating the feeling that there are two classes with a third stuck somewhere between. In the start of the novel, Tom Joad wants to hitch a ride with a driver who has a â€Å"No Riders† sticker on the truck. Tom make the driver become tied and twisted in his emotions and moral feelings when saying, â€Å"sometimes a guy’ll be a good guy even if some rich bastard makes him carry a sticker†¦the driver considered the parts of this answer. If he refused now, not only was he not a good guy, but he was forced to carry a sticker, was not allowed to have company† (7). The driver is forced to believe that in order to be a â€Å"good guy,† he must put aside pride and help out a fellow man. Tom tries to make the driver realize that a man does not need to work for â€Å"some rich bastard† to be a decent person. It is also interesting to note that Steinbeck sees that â€Å"power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely†. He shows that those who have higher authority tend to take advantage of others for their own selfish desires. One character of the intercalary chapters notes that the greed of the upper class dominates society and says, â€Å"You go steal a tire and you’re a thief, but he tried to steal your four dollars for a busted tire. They call it business† (81). Using â€Å"he† can come to represent the strong business owners because its shows the marketing techniques used then. Businessmen would try to take everything away from those who were just trying to make ends meet. By saying that â€Å"he tried to steal your four dollars for a busted tire,† means that they only take for their pleasure and their corrupted desires. This motif of the separation of the current society  into many classes based on greed shows how deeply ingrained it is and then shows how deeply it affects everyone. Steinbeck delegates blame of the complete and utter misfortunate of the lower class onto the upper class. While looking for a job, Uncle John and Pa start speaking to a group of men about work, and the men respond by saying, â€Å"You can’t feed your fam’ly on just twenty cents and hour, but you’ll take anything. They jes’ auction off a job†¦pretty soon they’re gonna make us pay to work† (352). The upper class promises the other fortune, food, and other physiological needs for their families and through this completely and utterly dictates every single move of the lower class by dominating their basic needs that must, absolutely must be met. He then projects a specific quality and image to represent the upper class. â€Å"The Bank-or the Company-needs–wants–insists–must have–as thought the Bank or the Company were a monster†¦they were men and slaves, while the banks and machines were masters all the same time. Some of the owner men were a little proud to be slaves to suck cold and powerful masters† (32). The reason the banks and companies are symbolized as monsters is because they consume profits and interest on money. If no provisions are given to this monster, this master, then its â€Å"slaves† would not be taken care of either, so it feeds from the weak. This is just another way in which those with the power can dominate the lower class through the basic needs that everyone has. It is through many other instances that follow the same pattern as the others that Steinbeck shows how the upper class completely dominates all aspects of society and the living of everyone else. From every corner of the novel drops the contempt that Steinbeck has for those who completely disregard the needs of others in order to profit. To this end, Steinbeck uses the camps to show how he believes that society should currently be operating. In Weedpatch, the Joads gathered at camp with everyone else and noticed something different about the atmosphere. â€Å"There grew up a government in the worlds a Man who was wise found that his wisdom was needed in every camp; a man who was a fool could not change his folly with this world† (197). This scene showed how the families united as one under their own governing. It showed that each person was equal to the next,  falling away from this class defined society. Steinbeck headed towards socialism with this quote, opposing capitalism and its errors labeling a person and their family. By uniting, it seemed as though more work was able to get done and more people enjoyed a feeling of freedom. Families were able to get away from a higher authority and be able to work and think for themselves. Finally, an answer is presented to the question and problems, which Steinbeck had been building up, through the simple connection of the many ideas that flowed through this novel. Through the suffering and misery that is faced by the farmers, Steinbeck sets the concept of separation of class based on luck and circumstance; the greed of those in command then does not allow for any change of any type to occur at all. The power that lies in the hand of the upper class has been abused and used to abuse those that it was meant to help. The greed that prevails throughout all instances of merchant dealings throughout this novel indicate that this is the basis and the only true representative of the upper class; through the struggles of the other people, Steinbeck believes that there is much more to life than simple materialism. In Weedpatch, he shows that once people can shed pettiness and greed that capitalism fosters, they are able to connect and create something much better. From the first event of the novel to the last, Steinbeck focuses on showing the flaws of capitalism and providing a better solution to the problem that plagues the majority of the nation. Socialism will work where capitalism will not, one is based off of the unanimity whereas the other focuses on the few individuals that are able to exploit their greed and disregard for civilization to the extreme.

A cultural analysis of Greece Essay

This paper presents a cultural analysis of Greece and how this translates into the country’s business practices. The importance in such profiling can be seen in the emergence of many cross-cultural studies that aim to come up with an effective theoretical framework that guides international companies to relate to other companies from different countries with different cultures. One of these frameworks was formulated by a series of national studies conducted by Hofstede in which the author identified cultures according to five indices. Basically, Hofstede’s approach presents that culture can be described as a set of characteristics ingrained or â€Å"wired-in† to the brains and the psyche of the members of a particular society thereby affecting behavior. With such understanding according to national cultures, cross-cultural managers can therefore make use of this information that can serve as a basis for cross-cultural and international initiatives of the organization. In application, this paper examines Greece according to Hofstede’s five dimensions and how this translates into the country’s business culture; this paper then compares this with the business culture in the United States. The conclusion then leads to the identification of the different points of compatibility and conflict, and the areas which the Greek and the American business cultures can reconcile for a more successful business communications and relations. Global Business Cultural Analysis: Greece I. Section One Introduction Communication plays an important role in any cross-cultural relations, and in the aspect of business, communication in the international context spans beyond language and includes protocols, perceptions and other elements pertaining to business practices. According to Hendon, Hendon and Herbig (1996), the challenge is that although two or more parties are trying to reach an agreement aiming to serve each other’s interests, cultural factors — whether in terms practice and perception — significantly contribute to the processing of information that would lead to either the success or the failure of the negotiations or the management strategy should international companies decide to operate together. As Hendon, et al. (1996) pointed out, cultural aspects influence managers, thereby affecting their behavior; this also reflects at the organizational level thereby the degree of the embodiment of the national culture of these companies is constantly present. Cross-cultural issues have become crucial given that more and more businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities brought by globalization. One of the issues that emerged from this is that there was an identified potential point of conflict based on the precept that the differences in the values of the different groups may lead to problems, thereby jeopardizing the advantages offered by the global and international markets (Fontaine, 2007). As a result, international organizations have invested in cross-cultural management initiatives in order to create the most effective approach should the company reaches the point of venturing into foreign operations or cross-cultural negotiations. In addition to the organizational dimension in cross-cultural issues are the elements that can further influence the operations of any business. Kanungo (2006) identified that globalization ha also created a significant impact to the consumers’ behavior now that they are aware of the strong global forces; technological innovation; and the environment. These elements do not only represent modifications in terms of the markets and the societies global businesses cater to but also the potential overall shift and cultural perceptions that resonate at various levels, from the individual to the organizational behaviors. Which is why given that globalization has become a phenomenon that represents present-day reality (Steger, 2003), even companies who are not â€Å"internationalized† are still subject to many global forces such as buying or selling their supplies from sources overseas. It is also possible that the company may have to work with a foreign employee or a worker from a different cultural background. In any case, the instances of a â€Å"cultural add-on† has become more and more regular (Berger, 1998, 124). However, it is important to look at the many theoretical foundations on cross-cultural studies, especially as to how national cultures are perceived as an important influence in organizational and management behavior. There is one distinctive studies that can be considered to have created a substantial buzz in the entire context of cross-cultural studies: Geert Hofstede’s four dimensions, which would later add another component. Hofstede’s studies gave way to conclusions that would help in the different approaches towards understanding different cultures, and how these can also create effects at individual, organizational and national levels. Hofstede’s Four Dimensions One of the most commonly used model in cross-cultural studies is Hofstede’s four dimensions; these dimensions emerged from Hofstede’s studies on 40 different countries in which he identified four major prevailing factors in terms of the cultural aspect (Bjerke, 1998): ? Power distance ? Uncertainty avoidance ? Individualism/collectivism ? Masculinity/femininity In order to understand these four dimensions, it is important to look at how Hofstede views culture and how this plays a role in global business applications. Hofstede is renowned for his research on differences among countries in terms of their culture and how these differences are essential. Hofstede operated based on the concept that comparisons among cultures can play a significant role in the making the right decisions based on the acquired information about other cultures; this is deemed helpful when it comes to making negotiations and even designing business strategies should companies decide to enter a foreign market. Hence, Hofstede’s works have been founded on how the differences of these cultures are influential to behavior across may social levels. Hofstede’s dimensions tend to generalize groups, hence, for instance, multicultural nations are taken as a singular culture (Fontaine, 2007). The four dimensions Hofstede formulated are the main indicators that can identify the points of similarities and differences across these many national cultures (Vinken, Soeters & Ester, 2004). His studies on many national cultures have therefore served as a reference point among many cross-cultural managers. Hofstede’s approach is known to adapt a more scientific approach as he argued that cultures can be â€Å"measured† and analyzed (Hofstede, Neuijen, Ohavy & Sanders, 1990); such can be seen not only in his database which analyzed countries according to their measures in power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity but also in terms of how these factors can impact many organizational tasks such as business negotiations. Culture is therefore an important indicator of behavior and at the same time, it acts as a binding force that defines a group, a society or a region. The four dimensions Hofstede identified are based on how a culture can be also defined according to relations, attitudes and values; in specific contexts, it can be observed that these four dimensions that pertain to Hofstede’s definition of culture — â€Å"the programming of the mind that differentiates one group of another† (as cited in Fontaine, 2007, 125) — presents a predictable framework of characteristics. A fifth dimension was also introduced by Hofstede by including Confucian framework to his dimension, and he identified this as the long term/short term orientation. The long term/short term orientation, a recent addition to Hofstede/s dimension, was founded on the perceptions of time, and how this can affect the behavior of people. This dimension was based on the Confucian orientation with respect to past, present and future, and for Hofstede, this fifth dimension can reflect a society’s perception of time, especially as to how this affects their perseverance and regard for values, and how societies also wish to command respect and gain stability (Jacob, 2005). This orientation is seen as an important component as this can reflect how some people can act as based on their expectations with respect to time, such as, for instance, whether their actions are motivated by long-term causes or their short-term goals. The power distance aspect refers to a culture’s orientation towards authority. This orientation includes how people understand power and how power works in their communities. With this component, power distance serves as an indicator of equality such as whether some cultures tend to be more democratic or practices a great amount of inequality (Hofstede, 2001). Another index identified by Hofstede (2001) is the uncertainty avoidance. Generally, this refers to how society can tolerate uncertainty. This therefore shows how a culture may be more comfortable in a more structured and rational framework because the tolerance of ambiguity is low whereas some societies may tend to live in the uncertainty, hence, their systems do not adhere to strict rules. Individualism/collectivism pertains to how a culture tend to be more individualist and autonomous or the spirit of the collective fills the members of its society (Hofstede, 2001). In the former, there is a greater sense of independence because the individual is encouraged to think for himself or herself. A collectivist culture, its opposite, tends to have a greater degree of influence according to the social or cultural psyche and norm. Although individuals can be said to initially come from defined groups such as families, the degree of cohesion across social levels differs from one culture to the next. Last but not the least, the masculinity/femininity index measures gender roles in a culture, especially as to how each of these genders are positioned in the society. The values among these two genders are among the fundamental elements in any society because one tends to dominate the other, if not, the attempt to equalize roles can be said to be also present in some cultures (Hofstede, 2001). In addition to the aspect of the relevance of power in these roles, this indicator also describes whether the country is â€Å"masculine† or â€Å"feminine†; the former associates the culture as more assertive and competitive, thereby embodying the male characteristics whereas feminine cultures are viewed as caring and more modest. The strength of Hofstede’s approach is that the study and the gathered data have come up with a set of information that generally describes the national cultures thereby demonstrating a general sense how people in a certain country can be expected to behave. The five dimensions have served as an important framework and Hofstede’s model has served many nation-level researches especially as to how the applicability of his collected data can be regarded to be valid at a certain point (Smith, 2006). However, the model is not without any criticisms as this brings the issue on how many dimensions must be used as a means to measure culture (Smith, 2006). Another study conducted by Blodgett, Bakir and Rose (2008) that the model has limitations especially as to its validity among individuals. From this, it can be gathered that applicability of Hofstede’s framework mainly gives a good reference for a cultural overview of nation, but in more specific terms, there is still some debate as to the design of a more effective cross-cultural analysis model. II. Section Two Greek Culture: an Overview Greece can be easily associated with its glory during the antiquity, with the country immersed in a rich culture of intelligence and might, in addition to the production of several works of art and architecture that can be considered to still have an influence in the modern world. Hence, Greece has always had the impression of classicism, especially with the mark left by Hellenism in the world and Greek history transcending fact and has become an interesting subject for literary works. From political thought to mythology, Greek as a culture remains to be an object of fascination, especially as it has founded an important definition where the Western world begins in this Mediterranean archipelago. Culture can be basically defined through customs and traditions, and in Greece, albeit its development into modernity, has maintained a strong grasp for tradition; this tradition is defined by the roles played by religion and paganism in the country. Greece is dominantly Orthodox Christian although some variations of the faith, as determined by paganistic influences, can be seen to be present and also vary from island to island. This is why Greek culture is generally regarded to have a higher degree of mixed beliefs and that Greeks also tend to be superstitious (Buxton, 1999). Early Greek civilization has demonstrated a significant amount of intellect yet at the same time, the society was also driven by its mythological past. Such combination can be seen to present an attempt to balance myth and reason, and in modern Greece, this can be seen to have developed as modern Greek society remains to take pride in its past through the continuous presence of its customs and traditions, yet at the same time, modern Greek culture has demonstrated significant social changes that have take place in the last century. This is discussed by Mouzelis (1978) who mentioned how societal values remain to be dictated by its core values, and these core values, evidently, play a significant role in the definition of a society’s culture. The economy, in the past centuries, has created a significant impact to the social development of any society, and Greece, as it moved on to the modern times, had adapted to these changes. In the social context, Greece had demonstrated the ability to adjust to these new economic demands, and its society, inevitably, has redefined social classes. Its economy also started to redefine itself especially as to how it would define its role in the modern world. All in all, the modernization of Greece has created a degree of impact to its modern culture, but interestingly, Greek culture has strongly maintained what it has always been. As previously mentioned Greek culture has been distinct in terms of the roles religion plays in the lives of the people; this religion fuses the more organized leanings of the Christian Orthodox Church and the more paganistic or mythical practices that many Greeks still practice today. In addition to customs and traditions, Greek culture has maintained its strong identity across many cultural facets, from its art, music, food and wine. The Greek people has demonstrated a strong sense of resilience considering the number of wars they had to endure in the modern times. These wars include its conflict with the Ottomans in which the country fell under rule for a long time, the Balkan Wars, the First World War, and the Greco-Turkish wars. The country also fell under military dictatorship from 1967-1974. With their wounded past, the Greek people had redeveloped a strong national character that had adapted to the realities they faced, especially as Greece’s glory would seem to be stuck more in the past and the modernity seems to have favored more the Western nations (Chilton, Dubin, Edwards, Garvey, Fisher, & Ellingham, 2008). Interestingly, as Greece would struggle to find its place in the modern world, the Greek society and the people had gone through periods of diaspora in order to escape the conflicts at home. Those who were left behind would be stuck in the chaos of the country in which the economy would find a hard time adjusting to the greater powers coming from the western world, more specifically Europe. The Greek people experienced lack of opportunities in addition to poverty, especially as the country would prove to lack in enough economic resourcefulness until recently. Greece, for a significantly portion of the 20th century, was under-developed, but it was not until in the 1980s that the country would start to catch up and become more integrated with the rest of Europe (Chilton, et al. , 2008) There are some interesting factors in Greek culture that can be regarded to have influenced attitudes of its people. One of these concepts is filotimo. Although hard to translate, filotimo generally refers to the Greeks’ love for deep honor that they should possess; this goes well with anther important Greek characteristic of integrity which is about behaving as an upright individual. Although a sense of deep honor, as a translation, does not provide enough interpretation of the concept, filotimo can be considered to refer to a character that is highly desirable, but basically, it can be associated with a sense of self who is intrinsically good (Makedon, 1995). In addition to the concept of filotimo, modern Greece had emerged with additional cultural concepts in terms of character, and these are leventia and palikaria. Leventia refers to a sense of â€Å"manly excellence† thereby emphasizing the importance of having certain male characteristics. Leventia is paired with palikaria which also refers to the same meaning. As pair, possessing or being leventia and/or palikaria is about the ability to survive through hard times, especially if the individual or the family has been subject to a critical amount of duress. Having leventia and palikaria can gain an individual substantial admiration from those around him because of the display of a strong sense of self as seen in courage or proactiveness that addresses the source of any problem (Makedon, 1995). Last but not the least, albeit its painful periods of oppression, the Greek people have a great amount of love towards freedom. The love for liberty has always been a Greek characteristic, as seen from the ancient Greek civilization to the modern Greek society. Many themes in the Greek arts have portrayed the importance of freedom, and evidently, as the cradle of democracy, Greek culture had long wanted to fight oppression and aimed for a more liberal and democratic society in which they get to possess a certain amount of freedom despite the restrictions posed upon them (Makedon, 1995). Generally, these characteristics show how modern Greece have managed an important element of its identity, and that is its Orthodox church; however, despite the practice of orthodoxy, this aspect of â€Å"freedom† is practiced in such a way that the Greek people remains to have an open mind towards its paganistic past. In a way, the Greek culture can be regarded to have managed to lessen the conflict between mythos and logos, and today, the Greek people has been finding ways to make room for the modern and how it fits to its long standing tradition. Greek Business Culture Studies on the Greek business culture has had references to Hofstede’s cultural framework. In terms of the scores of Greece according to Hofstede’s four dimensions, Greece has the following measures in these four indices (Hofstede, 2001): ? Power distance index: 63 ? Individualism: 35 ? Masculinity: 57 ? Uncertainty avoidance index: 112 In terms of Greece’s score in the power distance index, this score shows how its people, according to Hofstede’s framework, demonstrates the emergence of the social classes in Greek society. This is to say that people are aware of the powers that are present in the society and they know their place with respect to that power. The score of the country in this index can be considered to be average, hence, demonstrating that although people do recognize the presence of inequalities in its society, they see the presence of means to get over certain barriers. The median score for this index is 55, and with Greece at 63, the amount of inequality is above average yet not as drastic as compared to other countries. Basically, this shows how hierarchy plays in the society which can be considered as a paradox considering the Greeks’ love for liberty and democracy. In a sense, such score shows how the Greeks have embraced reality and that certain powers have created a strong influence in the country. The next score shows that the country has lower measures of individualism thereby showing that Greece is a highly collective society. This shows how Greeks have a strong regard for family and community, and how individuals are strongly influenced by their environment. Kessapidou and Varsakelis (2002) mentioned that when Greeks enter an organization, there is already the expectation that the Greek employee expects to work for this company for the rest of his or her life, and at the same time, in exchange for this loyalty, they expect that the firm will also look after their family. The next indicator is masculinity, and Greece scored slightly above the global average of 50 (Hofstede, 2001). This is an interesting score as generally, the Greek society has demonstrated the strong male influence in terms of their position in the family and the society. The roles between males and females have been regarded to be also more distinctive, in which case the women know their positions and the limits of their power and influence. The uncertainty avoidance index shows the highest score for Greece, and based on this, there are many rules that prevail in the Greek society. Again, this is an interesting score because this contradicts the Greeks’ love for freedom, but then again, such rules and restrictions may have brought the Greek people to be hungry for more liberty in its societies. The many bounds in Greek society can be seen in its history where the country went through oppression through foreign occupancy and dictatorship. Overall, as employees, Kessapidou and Varsakelis (2002) discussed the characteristics of Greek employees, as follows (273): â€Å"For Greek people, the working culture is based on sense of honour, dignity, loyalty, and sense of duty reflected in the Greek word ‘filotimo’†¦ which is similar to the concept of ‘face’ as reported for China†¦ in these societies, ‘filotimo’ or ‘face’ becomes an asset for organizations. In cases, however, where expectations are not met, the personnel can be alienated†. From the results of Hofstede’s study, Greece can be summarized as â€Å"high power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance, collectivistic and masculine† (Joiner, 2001, 232). This profile, as translated into Greece’s business culture, strongly demonstrates its association with societal values. According to Hofstede (2001), among the four indicators in his cultural model, the most relevant in the aspect of organizational design can be attributed to power distance and uncertainty avoidance which is why these factors are important in assessing the relationship of national cultures and the organization. In the organizational context, the Greek business culture shows a strong sense of hierarchy and the partenalistic relations that exist in Greek companies; this is evident in the high score in the power distance. In further putting this with respect to Hofstede’s description of this dimension, the Greek society as well in Greek organizations, there is the accepted presence of inequalities in terms of the distributio of power. The acceptance in human inequality, interestingly, may not fair well with the Greek fundamentals on democracy but apparently, such cultural characteristic is more of an indicator of a strong sense of respect towards authority (Joiner, 2001). Leadership is therefore emphasized in Greek organizations, and in business, there is much dependence on the company’s leaders when it comes to making decisions. Such cultural factor can then be attributed to the historical development in Greece which, accoding to Psychogios and Szamosi (2007), lived in a society with the centralized Greek political system that highlights the â€Å"powerful state and the large public sector† (8). In terms of the reflection of Greece’s high uncertainty avoidance index, many studies have actually revealed that groups with hih uncertainty avoidance index demonstrate a fear of making decisios, hence, the presence of many rules that can be easily referred to. In Greece, according to studies by Bartholomew (1995), Bourantas, et al. (199), among others (as cited in Joiner, 2001), fear of decision-making has been found among Greek managers and subordinates, hence, much of these activities are left to the upper management. There is indeed the influence of culture in terms of the business’ own practices. Although this may not be true in all cases, the general perception towards Greek businesses reflect how the business culture have its foundations according to its societal values, these values are which influenced by the country’s culture. III. Section Three In Comparison with the US Business Culture Based on Hofstede’s cultural model, Greece scored high in power distance index, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance index, whereas it scored low in individualism. These scores translate to the Greek business culture of centralization, concentrated power, more distinct gender roles, and high reliance on the organizations to take care of the employees’ family. Greek employees are also found to possess the characteristics of loyalty, integrity and dignity, as guided by the concept of filotimo. In comparing this to the American culture, the contrasts can be immediately seen the differences in the scores Hofstede gave the United States (Hofstede, 2001). The US scored high in individualism, low in power distance index, uncertainty avoidance index, and long term orientation, whereas in terms of masculinity, the US scored above average. The similarities can be therefore seen in the masculinity aspect in which both shows that gender roles remain to be differentiated in the American business culture. However, the similarities end there. Based on the scores, the American culture can be described as highly individualistic, with a greater sense of equality and fewer rules thereby showing greater tolerance in new ideas and beliefs. Basically, the American business culture does embody these characteristics. As the country embraced capitalism and industrialization earlier than Greece, the country’s business culture tends to have a more progressive and liberal approach. There is a strong presence of market economy forces in the United States, and employees are also driven by the economic opportunitis presented to them. One of the important aspects in the American business culture is the presence of competition, and competition is present not only among businesses but among individuals as well (McCraw, 2000). Hence, unlike in Greece where a bulk of the important responsibilities are left to upper management, American organizations and their employees grab these opportunities to hold more responsibilities because it means more opportunities for them to gain better positions. Competitive is therefore a characteristic of the American business culture, and this makes sense according to the results of the scores of the United States according to Hofstede’s model. Although these scores and comparisons between national and business cultures can be regarded to be applicable, it should be noted that the degree of relevance may not be true in all cases. In addition to the challenges as to the validity of Hofstede’s model (Blodgett, et al. , 2008), there is also the case of change that can possibly take place at social and business levels. As discussed in the first section, the applicability is limited as to the relevance of national cultures to business cultures although the fundamentals of a national culture tends to become apparent generally. For instance, the Greek concept of filotimo can be considered to be true even at business levels, and at the same time, the collective spirit can be seen in how many Greek corporations are family-owned. Such is true in the case of the United States in terms of the masculunity scores. Although in some instances gender roles remain defined in the US, in the business world, more and more women have started to hold significant positions across many organizations. Therefore, the relevance of national culture perceptions are only true up to a certain extent but information such as those gathered by Hofstede’s studies serve as useful references to the basics of the social and business dynamics in a country. IV. Section Four Opening an American Business in Greece Based on the scores in Hofstede’s cultural framework, the USA’s national culture distance from Greece is at 3. 47 according to 42 surveyed American firms in the country (Kessapidou & Varsakelis, 2002). With this number, it can be assumed that there will be greater difficulty in the successful establishment of the American company in Greece; however, this may not be the case, and the same is true even if the company has a Greek affiliate. According to Kessapidou and Varsakalis (2002), the strength lies in the Greek’s characteristic to be collective, hence, they tend to comply with the requirements of the company. In addition, the concept of filotimo can drive Greek employees to perform better, thereby filotimo, in a sense, serves as a source of competitiveness, which is compatible with the American busines culture. However, there may be some problems in terms of the management aspect between the American and the Greek managers, or the Greek managers needing to comply with the demands of American management practices. Although there are highly centralized American companies, the delegation of power and responsibility is one of an American’ company’s assets, hence, should decisions need to be made, even some subordinates may step in and show a sense of leadership. This may intimidate Greek managers and employees, especially if the firm would have American employees working in the Greek operations. In addition, the Greek employees may think that the Americans are too aggressive and ambitious in the workplace, thereby possibly creating a rift among the employees. Hence, the recommendation is that prior to the establishment of the American operation in Greece, both sides need to be educated about the cultures they are about to encounter. Since that Greece is going to host the company, the American company needs to comply more with the Greek culture, but since it is the American company that is going to establish the business, the Greek employees and managers also need to