The eNotes Blog 8 Ridiculous College Classes (that wed totallytake!)

8 Ridiculous College Classes (that wed totallytake!) *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEEEEEEEP* Ah the charming chime of your 6am alarm clock, making sure you are on your way to first period, or your 7:30am chem class (what were you thinking in scheduling that!?). Perhaps your mornings would be a little less grouchy if you were on your way to study the science of Hogwarts or the mythical language of Middle-Earth. With the rising cost of education, you can’t help but think WTF to the following classes but we’re all secretly jealous we didn’t sign up for these literary electives: 1) A New Look at American Culture with The Hunger Games This class, offered at American University, explores the literary correlation between Panem, the fictional backdrop of The Hunger Games, and the complex American Society. It’s already super easy to see the comparison between some of our red carpet soirees or high fashion runways (Miss Universe, anyone?) and the glamorous life of Panem’s Capitol. I wonder if they offer class debate on Team Gale or Team Peeta (and what about #TeamKatniss†¦ she don’t need no man).    2) The Vampire in Literature and Cinema Interested in literary and mythological comparisons of Dracula vs. Nosferatu (and maybe the sparkly Edward Cullen)? Then sign up for this class at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Let’s hope the class is offered during the daytime and not after dusk†¦ in a basement†¦ or in a batty church belfry.    3) What if Harry Potter is Real? First of, let’s clear this upHarry Potter is real, and all our Hogwarts acceptance letter owls are just a bit delayed. But for the faint of heart or non-believer, head on over to Appalachian State University to discuss some actually very compelling questions: â€Å"Who decides what history is? Who decides how it is used or mis-used? How does this use or misuse affect us?† etc. But, like I said, I’ll see you all in Diagon Alley when the post office clears up this drawn out owl delivery kerfuffle.    4) The Science of Harry Potter To take it one step further, Frostburg State University offers an honors seminar of the science of J.K. Rowling’s magical world. You can even take your studies home with the required reading. 5) The Science of Superheroes University of California, Irvine offered a class exploring the â€Å"science† of gamma rays and spidey senses. They also explored what kind of superheroes might be imagined with today’s scientific knowledge. Maybe†¦ Counter Global Warming Man, or A Million YouTube Views in a Minute Woman? I’d also love to assume the professor was a strong-jawed, horn-rimmed glasses donner who mysteriously disappeared at the sign of trouble.    6) Mother Goose to Mash Ups If you ever wondered any of the followingâ€Å"Why did the London Bridge fall down? Is Rub-a-dub-dub really about bath time? Why didnt an old man live in a shoe? then this Occidental College class would be for you. Any class where a paper topic could be Together Again: An analytical analysis of society, race, and Humpty Dumpty is a winner in our book. 7) Far Side Entomology â€Å"If students can laugh about bugs, maybe they wont squash them,† Professor Michael Burgett says on his class combining the study of bugs with the beloved comics. Burgett’s students at Oregon State University learn science and appreciation of Entomology while laughing along the way a decisively effective learning tool. 8) Elvish, the language of Lord of the Rings Sevig thà » à ºan. If you had taken this class at University of Wisconsin you’d know I insulted you saying â€Å"you smell like a monster† and would have an appropriate response like â€Å"go kiss an orc!† (Ego, mibo orch of course). This class was taught by linguist David Salo, the actual person behind the languages for the films. How cool is that!?

Liberal mind set essays

Liberal mind set essays The Liberal mind, or lack there of is obsessed with gaining, controling and keeping power over the populace of the United States through clever, but all too obvious means in the name of " Gun Control" "Government health care" "free perscription drugs" and so forth. They love freedom (for them and their kind only) and hate most other people so vilely, that it seeps out of their voices at every turn, but they are " the champions of human rights"..Just a few things to think about. When was the last time you heard a Republican tout about " the people need protection from themselves" or " Government Regulations will save you". A larger, more controling Government is NOT the answer to ANYTHING, this country is made by the people, for the people and run by the people. Some people feel that the issue of Freedom of Choice is a Constitutionally given right, is it? the right to MURDER an innocent, unborn baby because the mother doesnt want to deal with it? think about this: Abortion means: No formal charges, no trial, no judge, no jury, no appeal: instant exectution. Liberals would scream to the high heavens , and rightly so if this was done to a criminal, but they scream even more when someone trys to prevent them from doing this to a baby, how screwed up is that? Dont fall for their liberal games, their lies and double talk, for you will quickly loose touch with yourself, your kind, decient soul. ...

Ethics and Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Integrity - Essay Example I have also learned the two forms of organizing a marketing department, the functional organization and the geographical organization. The functional organization is the most commonly used form wherein a functional specialist directly reports to the marketing vice-president. It is relatively easier to set up this form of marketing department as compared to the later said form. However, this form may lead to difficulties in developing effective marketing plans especially when there are several products and markets to be considered, oftentimes leading to internal competition among specialists (Kotler and Keller, 2009). On the other hand, the geographical organization is often used by companies that operates on larger market such as those that has product lines available nationwide as well as in the global market. The main idea is to create sub-divisions and hierarchal levels such as regional, zone, districts, and individual sales reps. This form allow a better marketing plan since ever y area has its distinct product requirements and needs that are highly dependent on the race, culture, and social class of individuals in the each community (Kotler and Keller, 2009). ... The most important concept that I learned is about socially responsible marketing. According to Kotler and Keller (2009), the ever changing demands of customers, the government, and the media has to be addressed by a proactive approach in marketing. The employees should develop a strong sense of ethics, values, and social responsibility in order to have an effective marketing atmosphere within the company. By adopting and implementing high standards of business and marketing conducts the company is able to position itself to be perceived by the community as a responsible and well managed organization, thus resulting to an increase in young professional that would want to work in the company due to the perception that the company will be a good venue for them to nurture their skills and fulfill their social responsibilities. Above all, the corporate social responsibility should be a top priority of the company. This includes proper legal, ethical and social responsibility behavior. Le gal behavior dictates that the organization should ensure that their employees are well aware of the laws and will abide by these rules while carrying out their duties (Kotler and Keller, 2009). As a sales representative myself, I will make it a point to strictly follow the rules that I am bound with. Since our company offers medical products specifically cardiovascular devices, I will not lie to my costumers and mislead them through false claims about our products for the sole purpose of closing a deal. Instead, I will present them the actual claims of our company and provide them with the most up-to-date product information available in our network. Ethical behavior is a paramount consideration in

Leadership Development at Goldman Sachs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Leadership Development at Goldman Sachs - Essay Example This scenario demands a learning organisation; in this case, a learning organisation is that which has the capacity and expertise to facilitate learning and transfer learning in continuous processes. This means that it is expected that organisations have sufficient expertise to facilitate learning for employees. The solution of the challenge war for talent is to create leadership development programme at Goldman Sachs, an investment bank at the United States. A leadership development program should cover all perspectives of the organisation, enabling it to effectively achieve its set goals. This is an analysis presents a case study of â€Å"Leadership Development at Goldman Sachs.† Among many other companies in the 1990s, Goldman Sachs was in the fire line fighting the war for talent – both to retain and attract its talent. With its initial step in managing talent, Goldman Sachs created several new managing director posts, dispersal by geography and function. The United States boasts of very many investment banks that have been very successful since the time they were developed, one of these banks is Goldman Sachs. This is an American multinational investment bank, offering various kinds of financial investment in the United States and some other countries that it has set base. Between 1980 and 2000 the investment bank went through major changes that were mainly due to many factors like growth of the IPO markets, merges, growth and expansion of their businesses as well as the globalisation element. In the 1990s, several fundamental issues were raised in the investment bank, which were crucial for its growth and development First, Globalisation increased the competition of talent, thus retention was one of the main issues for Goldman Sachs. It is important to realise that the only way to retain talent in any business is by managing it effectively. As many companies started expanding, there was a high rate of labour mobility, something that

How the Majority Adapts to Major Economic Transformations Essay Example for Free

How the Majority Adapts to Major Economic Transformations Essay ALN provided a simplified plus-minus tax cut or tax increase, increased government spending or reduced expenditures analyses of the U.S. political landscape covering the pre- and post-World War period (85; 94-5) up to Bill Clinton’s term as U.S. President (109). ALN’s ‘When Legislators Get Out of Step’ or Chapter 6 of the book ‘Title’ attempted to explain the fiscal policy changes in the United States with regards to constituent preferences on fiscal policy issues; the speed or slowness of legislator actions, inactions, or stances; and constituent-legislator equilibrium or interest-and-action matching from a state of non-equilibrium (92). Meanwhile, ALN’s ‘Key Episodes in the Twentieth Century’ or Chapter 7 of the same book attempted to discuss the drawn out process of fiscal policy change initiatives (110). Chapter 6 basically explained how U.S. political representatives identify, understand, and support the majority while Chapter 7 detailed the U.S. Economy’s shift from agricultural to industrial and the corresponding increase in government spending to support denser population growth in the cities during the pre-World War U.S. economy (94-6). Chapter 7 also suggested that â€Å"voters became more conservative† and legislators â€Å"made an ‘honest mistake’† (110) during the later part of the twentieth century as the reasons behind the slow, yet ultimately, quick trend in tax cuts, and hence, reduced government spending (100-5). The thesis of this paper is that when it came to fiscal policy preferences, U.S. constituent mood swings from conservative to liberal or vice-versa actually reflected a major transformation in the U.S. economy that ALN reasonably examined in Chapter 6 (90-1) and some parts of Chapter 7 (94-7), but failed to identify or support in Chapter 7’s conclusion with regards to the later part of the twentieth century (110). First, ALN observed that U.S. government spending was increased in the early twentieth century but was cut or reduced during the last three decades (83). ALN also observed that some U.S. states followed this trend while others did not (83). ALN called those states that followed the trend as ‘initiative states’ while those states that did not follow the trend as ‘non-initiative states’ (83). Majority of ALN’s observations and analyses are focused on fiscal policies that increase or reduce spending or taxes versus those policies that retain the status quo. ALN pointed out that legislators or politicians that followed the trend are clearly the representatives of the majority while those that did not: â€Å"voted according to their conscience† believing that they know better than the majority (87). In this light, ALN asserted that: â€Å"After all, representatives who want to stay in office will try to please their constituents, and those who flagrantly ignore the wishes of the electorate will eventually be voted out of office† (87). ALN also provided numerous examples on how government spending increased during the U.S. economy’s shift from the agricultural era into the industrial age as the rural economy became weak while the urban economy became strong (94-7). Moreover, ALN cited as an example voters’ preference for increased welfare spending during a recession instead of during an economic boom (90). ALN’s examples appeared to have economic explanations, and dovetailed with Roosevelt’s New Deal and spending economics to pump prime a sluggish U.S. economy during the Great Depression, except in ALN’s discussion of the California Tax Revolt (100; 102-5), Ronald Reagan (102-3; 106; 108-9), and Bill Clinton (109). Here, initiatives for tax cuts have been simply presented and explained as constituency preferences or setting about â€Å"to implement the will of the voters† (103). Second, Chapter 6 or ‘When Legislators Get Out of Step’ provided insights on how legislators deliberately or unwittingly interpret or misinterpret voters’ preferences on certain issues that affect the speed by which fiscal policies change and vice-versa. Meaning, voters too can misinterpret the stances on fiscal policy issues of their duly elected representatives. Both ways, misinterpretations are due to a variety of reasons such as: [a] the diverse portfolio of issues that a politician supports or information overload (88); [b] the great number of politicians that need to be elected in federal, state, and local government offices (88); [c] the distinct interests of politicians compared with ordinary citizens (87); [d] limited information (89); and [e] lack of measurement tools that gauge voter preferences on selected issues (89). According to ALN, these reasons determine the speed or slowness of a politician to adapt to a fiscal policy change that the majority of constituents prefer. Ultimately, the politician catches up with the preference of the voting majority. Otherwise, politicians get voted out of office. Meanwhile, Chapter 7 or ‘Key Episodes in the Twentieth Century’ provided an insight into how a visionary initiates the process of fiscal policy change (102), how the initiative slowly gains momentum (102), and how the initiative affects the majority of the voters eventually resulting in a fiscal policy change (103-5). However, ALN’s discussion of the slow fiscal policy change did not refer to any economic explanations even though the time period graphically shown in Figure 7.3 illustrating the growth of support for tax cuts from 1968 to 1979 in California (104) can be dovetailed with major economic events that occurred during this time such as the oil crisis of the 1970s; the emerging trend in Japanese car imports; or the beginnings of offshore manufacturing plants. Essentially, the slow gain in momentum of the California tax cut that was initiated by Philip Watson could also be attributed to lack of information, both from the point of view of politicians and the voting constituency of California State. This is for the simple reason that: Watson may have had been ahead of his time. For the purpose of this paper, it can be conjectured that Watson may have had seen, evaluated, or assessed economic events that were unfolding during his time that eventually resulted in the trend of tax cuts and reduced government spending. For instance, U.S. consumer preference for more fuel-efficient and cheaper Japanese cars could have had a positive externality that politicians would initially favor for the sake of the bigger majority of consumers. However, the same situation has a negative externality in the sense that U.S. car manufacturing jobs will be greatly affected when demand for Japanese cars rise while those for US-made cars plunge. Due to the multiplier effects of the US automotive industry on the US economy, tax cuts would essentially counter the side effects of cheaper, Japanese automotive goods such as: [a] lost jobs from direct and indirect automotive industry businesses; [b] lesser US worker and business income due to international competition; and [c] lesser demand for other US goods due to reduced purchasing power of US workers and businesses. On the contrary, since tax cuts would basically reduce government spending due to lesser government funds, major US businesses and US workers could be negatively affected by these tax cuts. Cause and effect-wise, politicians initially favoring the preference of the majority of consumers could eventually be doing a disfavor to the majority of constituents who have had lost jobs and reduced income. In this sense, ALN appeared to have had ignored the cause and effects brought about by the economic externalities on the US political landscape. Third, ALN tried to tie-up several theories on voter preferences and the will of the majority in Chapter 6 with the California Tax Revolt story (100; 102-5) in Chapter 7 to illustrate how ‘voters became more conservative’ (86) and how politicians make ‘honest mistakes’ (87). ALN basically explained in Chapter 6 how US politicians identify their supporters and voters to win an election; how they understand voter preferences; and how they support the majority of their constituents. In Chapter 7, ALN explained how the voting majority of the early twentieth century changed from rural into urban citing the change in economy as the main reason behind such change in fiscal policy. ALN noted the mass migration of the rural population into the cities albeit political structures initially favored the rural population that eventually became the minority (94). In time, city dwellers gained stronger political influence and hence had greater say in US government. One point that appears to have been left out in ALN’s discussion is the nature of initiative states and non-initiative states. It can be postulated that initiative states appear to be states with highly urbanized majorities while non-initiative states appear to have highly rural majorities. This is an area that has not been thoroughly explored to explain the fiscal policy gaps between initiative states and non-initiative states. This crucial point could explain why fiscal policy change in non-initiative states are slower or appear to favor the status quo. A conjecture is that the dominant economy of a particular non-initiative state may be less affected by major economic transformations compared with initiative or highly urbanized states, or those with highly developed economies. In another light, ALN seemed to have succeeded in recognizing the following: [a] â€Å"a change in the aggregate economic environment can alter the electorate’s views about the desirability of government programs;† and [b] â€Å"preferences also change as people learn about the consequences of policies;† (90). However, even though economic transformations and externalities have been recognized in the latter, ALN did not offer any economic explanations as to why ‘voters became more conservative’ in the later part of the twentieth century, specifically in favoring and voting for a tax cut. It would have been more reasonable if ALN explored the tie up of voter preferences with economic transformations and externalities rather than simply stating that voters became more conservative in the later part of the twentieth century. The said statement appears to imply that fiscal policy can change on the mere whim of the majority, or a visionary, when in fact policy changes start due to changes in the economy as ALN reasonably observed but insufficiently supported for the tax cut and reduced government spending. On the contrary, ALN successfully tied up the same premise for increased government spending in the early part of the twentieth century. The idea that changes in fiscal policy reflect the changing nature of voter preferences could be more in line with the argument that voter preferences change with a corresponding change in the general economic condition. Economic changes are basically brought about by improvements or innovations in technology that affect how people make or earn their living as ALN correctly observed. It is also noteworthy that policy changes trigger a corresponding effect that could either be positive or negative. Initially, the political intention or cause might be for favoring the majority but due to some unexpected effect, the welfare of the majority becomes compromised. This could explain why some politicians appear to be slow in immediately discerning the preferences of the majority. The arguments here have already shown that favoring the preferences of the majority could in fact have unintended side effects that could eventually disfavor the majority. When the capacity of constituents to make a living becomes threatened or is at risk, it becomes relatively easy to recognize that: when it came to fiscal policy preferences, U.S. constituent mood swings from conservative to liberal or vice-versa actually reflected a major transformation in the U.S. economy. Work Cited Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name, Author’s Middle Name Initial. â€Å"Key Episodes in the Twentieth Century.† Title of Book. Year of Publication. . â€Å"When Legislators Get Out of Step.† Title of Book. Year of Publication.

A Comparison of Realism in Uncle Vanya and A Dolls House Essay example

Realism in Uncle Vanya and A Doll's House      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A play serves as the author's tool for critiquing society. One rarely encounters the ability to transcend accepted social beliefs. These plays reflect controversial issues that the audience can relate to because they interact in the same situations every day. As late nineteenth century playwrights point out the flaws of mankind they also provide an answer to the controversy. Unknowingly the hero or heroine solves the problem at the end of the play and indirectly sends a message to the audience on how to solve their own problem.    Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekov both provide unique analysis on issues their culture never thought as wrong. In the play A Doll's House Ibsen tackles women's rights as a matter of importance being neglected. In his play he acknowledges the fact that in nineteenth century European life the role of the women was to stay home, raise the children, and attend to her husband. Chekov illustrates the role of a dysfunctional family and how its members are effected. Both of the aforementioned problems are solved through the playwrights' recommendations and the actions of the characters. In the plays A Doll's House and Uncle Vanya the authors use realism to present a problem and solution to controversial societal issues.    While both plays mainly concentrate on the negative aspects of culture, there are positive facets explored by the playwrights. In A Doll's House Henrik Ibsen focuses on the lack of power and authority given to women, but through Nora we also see the strength and willpower masked by her husband Torvald. To save her husband's life Nora secretly forges her father's signature and receives a loan to finance a trip to the sea. Nora's ... .... Chekhov short plays London:Oxford UP,1969    Durbach, Errol. A Doll's House: Ibsen's Myth of Transformation. Boston: Twayne, 1991.    Chamberlain, John S. Ibsen: The Open Vision. 1982.    Hahn, Beverly. Chekhov : a study of the major stories and plays. Cambridge : Cambridge University, 1977.       Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House (1879). Trans. Rolf Fjelde. Rpt. in Michael Meyer, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 5th edition. Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 1999. 1564-1612.    Jackson, Robert Louis. Chekhov : a collection of critical essays. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice, 1976    Peace, Richard Arthur. Chekhov : a study of the four major plays. New Haven : Yale University Press, 1983    Templeton, Joan. "The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen." PMLA (January 1989): 28-40.   

Theories of varied motivation in psychology

It is said that entire psychology is about the study of motivation itself. In fact the science of psychology evolved to explain, answer and reason the ‘why’ of human behavior. Motivation holds the answer to this ‘why’ because when we attempt to reason for a particular behavior or attitude then basically we are finding the motivations responsible for that particular behavior (Gorman, 2003, 1). People perform a variety of actions through multiple roles according to their dominant motivation that guides their behavior. In psychological studies the implicit motivations determining human behavior are not only considered from point of view of biological drives and neurological impetus but they are also explained by relational aspect of human behavior where motivation is a dynamic aspect of the behavior that helps people to interact with the world (Nuttin, 1984,1).   Many theorist attempt to offer generalized explanation for a majority of human actions purely in terms of natural instinct or sudden impulse. Even the people engaged in performing those actions may also agree to this viewpoint. However, the theory of instinct and impulse presents an incomplete rational because there are critical external factors and attractions that also contribute towards the particular motivation. Therefore human motivation is a dynamic product of combination of intrinsic human traits as well as their environmental setting. Another important factor that plays an important role in explaining motivational factors in behavior is human emotion (Gorman, 2003, 89). Human beings experience a number of emotional states that continue to fluctuate and they act as causative factors in a large number of actions undertaken by them. As a matter of fact, motivation is a product of a very complex process of internal and external interaction of human beings with themselves and their surrounding and it acts as stimulant and provide energy for their behaviors and consequent actions. Psychoanalytic Explanation of motives Motives interests psychologist because they provide insight into the character and approach of individuals, providing psychologists with test materials on which they can further form and expand their theories. The reasons of specific actions, such as why did a person steal, why did he commit a murder, why did he participate in a cause where he was not interested, or why did he contributed a majority of his wealth to charitable causes can perhaps be better understood if the motives behind them are sought. The implicit notion is that there are some actions which deviant to a person’s characteristics and those that are difficult be explained by any standard rule based system (Peters, 1958, 28). Psychologists, in their attempts to explore the motives, that is the set of specific reasons for deviant as well as normal actions have given considerable attention to the unconscious self of human beings of which they are themselves unaware. The unconscious self is composed of repressed feelings of deprivations, unfulfilled desires and infant sexuality and it subtly acts on every human being to set the framework of many of their actions (Peters, 1958, 55). This theory of unconscious mental process, as proposed by Freud, and the psychoanalytic explanations it offered, did not profess to explain the entire gamut of human behaviors, but it certainly provided a more panoramic view to cause and reasons of many human actions that were hitherto conventionally explained on mere visible evidences. According to the new wisdom, actions performed by people have a long and complicated background and though they may appear final or conclusive in their immediate bearing, they are part of a long chain of interconnected events. Therefore even the simple question that why did John walk across the road take vast proportion in psychology. As explained by Peters (4), the simple answer that John crosses the road to buy some tobacco is insufficient, even though John himself in unaware of any other motive. To a psychologist, in crossing the road to buy tobacco, John is conforming to many social and cultural stereotypes such as he is not running or crawling across the road to get the tobacco (ibid, 5). If John had run, then his goal of obtaining tobacco would had fallen incommensurate with his action that should had warranted more urgent justification. However as John walks across the road, it indicates that procuring tobacco is a kind of activity that should be accomplished in a normal behavioral conduct to make it appear as an appropriate social function. A psychologist might further argue that John has secret liking for tobacconist’s girl, and he goes to the particular shop to see that girl, though he may himself be not aware of this. Another explanation might be offered that John had an unconscious disliking of work from which he wanted to escape and the act of going to tobacconist was a way for him to stay away from the unpleasant work. Its important to see here that in neither of these explanations John himself is aware of any other reason other than buying tobacco, but each of the region, both of them or several others can be true to the case. The Biological Approach to Motives The biological or physiological aspects of motives are perhaps the earliest explanations that were offered to reason for motives behind human actions and behaviors. This approach views human as ‘drive-oriented’ animals who are more the product of biological factors of cellular and neurochemical reactions, acting through our genetic traits alone and spurred by release of hormones to various actions. This physiological analysis puts instinct as the primary reason behind every human action and its framework basic human instincts such as desire to eat, drink, sleep and have sex combine to form the further ramifications of human behavior (Gorman, 2003,14). In this model, drives for specific actions stimulate people and they respond accordingly in their behavior. It states that behavior of people is the result of homeostasis, that is, the tendency to maintain a stable internal environment of body. Body responds to any deprivation that threatens the stability of internal equilibrium and unleashes corresponding behavior to correct it (Weiner, 1980, 11). Thus homeostasis drive theory accounts for situations where a person may be compelled to steal food if he is hungry, or run if he is threatened, as maintaining the internal equilibrium is principle motive of any living organism. Behavioral approach to motives As Nuttin (1984, 16) states, understanding of motivational process is critically dependent on understanding of dynamic aspects of human behavior. In the field of psychology behavior refers to cognitive activities that an individual performs in the context of a behavioral world (ibid, 17). These activities can not be understood if they are treated separately, and therefore an integrated model of behavior interpretation is required that views that takes a complete and related view of all the processes in the living organism. According to the behavioral model, the various biochemical functions and basic drives are encompassed by behavior that gives these individual traits their full meaning and purpose (ibid, 18). As such hunger, thirst, sleep, sex drive, fear, ecstasy, loyalty etc are not isolated factors in determining motives. Instead they are integrated as part of the behavioral structure that creates a sense of organic continuity. Thus seeing changes to watching and hearing changes to listening in the behavioral model. Various theories and models in the field of social behavior have come with suggestion that human behavior reflects a person’s intent to act (Orbell, 2004, 145). According to each of these models it is possible to predict behavior from intentions and behavioral control displayed by a person. Behavioral characteristics can successfully account for specific types of motivations seen with various actions. For example, harvesting, hunting and fishing are quite different behaviors, yet they are done with the same objective of procuring food. Similarly, despite their different behavioral traits, people are essentially same every where, in the sense that they seek love, trust, social respect, and financial stability, thus acting through almost identical motivational drives. Within the behavioral system, a form of unity and cohesion is attempted out of multiple elements interacting together in a motivational setup (Nuttin, 1984, 84). Humanistic Approach to Motives The humanistic approach in describing different motives for human actions is a relatively new field. Its fundamental principles, as stated by Weiner(1980, 409) are 1. Humanistic psychology studies people in their real life circumstances, where humans are subjects of the study, rather than object. People are described in their own consciousness and perceptions and the reasons and motives of their actions are placed along with their individuality, in a holistic and complete framework. 2. Humanistic psychologists also believe that human choice, will, their desire to move ahead in life, to grow and realize their potentials contribute to their actions, behavior and approach to life. 3. The dominant characteristics of any individual is to achieve personal potential, and develop their capacities and talents to highest level. Thus the central motivation in an individual’s life is to grow, move ahead and develop his or her own self. Conclusion Human actions would continue to be defined, analyzed and interpreted from a number of points of view, according to various theories, models and approaches to understand its complexity and give complete meaning to its attributes, in order to evolve a wholesome picture of factors that motivates people towards a varied degree of actions. Motivations can be best understood from the dynamics of behavior and the integrated setup that provides basis for planning, thinking, action and achievements of goals to people. Further, people are motivated to different actions based on their own perception of needs and requirements as well acting through their subconscious self, which explains for the difference in their perceived reason of their certain steps from the actual reasons justifying it. Reference Gorman, P, 2003, Motivation and Emotion, Routledge, New York. Nuttin, J, 1984, Motivation, Planning, and Action: A Relational Theory of Behavior Dynamics, (trnsltr) Jean E. Dumas ,, Raymond P. Lorion , Leuven University Press; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Leuven, Belgium. Orbell, S, 2004, Contemporary Perspectives on the Psychology of Attitudes: The Cardiff Symposium. (edit ) Geoffrey Haddock,   Gregory R. Maio, Psychology Press. Hove, England. Peters RS, 1985,The Concept of Motivation. Routledge & Kegan Paul :London Weiner, H, 1980, Human Motivation, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ   

Ideology ; Discourse

Ideology, what is that? There are hundred answers and none of them is right or wrong. Most of ideology definitions are not compatible with each other, but I have found one that I like the most: An  ideology  is a set of  ideas  that constitute one's goals,  expectations, and  actions. An ideology is a comprehensive vision, a way of looking at things as in several  philosophical  tendencies, or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society. Ideologies are systems of abstract thought applied to public matters and thus make this concept central to politics.Implicitly every political or economic tendency entails an ideology whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of thought. 1 So ideology is a system of conceptualized views and ides, expressing the interests of different social classes, groups and societies, to evaluate relationships between people and reality, as well as authorized on a community form of dominatio n and power (conservative ideology) or settle their transformation (radical, revolutionary ideology). It`s not a science, but it includes scientific knowledge of social and politic life, as well as assessing it.Good example of bad ideology was Nazi in Germany, when Hitler wanted to â€Å"clean† the Aryan race from â€Å"sub-human† – Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and handicapped people who were at the bottom of racial hierarchy by Nazi studies. Now let`s move on discourse. What is that? Discourse is the term that describes written and spoken  communications; the â€Å"language in the language,† a certain vocabulary, semantics, pragmatics and syntax, manifesting itself in actual communicative acts, speeches and texts. â€Å"Discourse constitutes the social.Three dimensions of the social are distinguished – knowledge, social relations, and social identity – and these correspond respectively to three major functions of language †¦ Discourse is shaped by relations of power, and invested ideologies. † (Fairclough 1992:8). 2 Example: Discourses are seen to affect our views on all things; it is not possible to avoid discourse. For example, two notably distinct discourses can be used about various  guerrilla  movements describing them either as â€Å"freedom fighters† or â€Å"terrorists†.In other words, the chosen discourse provides the vocabulary, expressions and perhaps also the  style  needed to communicate. 3 So how ideology and discourse works together? Actually they both are inextricably connected to each other, because both are elements of human thoughts and communication. Some people say that ideology affect discourse, other say that discourse is used as a way to deliver an ideology. 4It`s very important to remember that when analyzing media texts, because the interpretation of the text will depend on person who wrote it and his opinion on the subject and the person who is reading it. F or example some political articles in newspapers in the UK have political alignments, some support Labours, some support Democrats. So when one of the parties wants to write a press release or something their ideological discourse will be organized by a general strategy of positive self-presentation (boasting) and negative other-presentation (derogation).This strategy may operate at all levels, generally in such a way that our good things are emphasized and our bad things de-emphasized, and the opposite for the Others—whose bad things will be enhanced, and whose good things will be mitigated, hidden or forgotten.

Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem

Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem There has been a raging debate about the definitions of a social condition and a social problem. Some researchers have also likened these two concepts despite the distinction between the two concepts. A social condition is a condition regarded by some people as bad while a social problem is a condition viewed by everyone as bad.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Leon-Guerrero defines a social problem as â€Å"a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences for individuals, our social world, or our physical world† (8). Race and ethnicity is among the major social conditions that exist in the contemporary society. It occurs as a result of increased international migrations across the continents and intermarriages between different communities in the world. Leon-Guerrero outlines two perspectives of defining of race namely the biological and the sociological perspectives. Race from a biological point of view is defined as a group or population that shares a set of genetic characteristics and physical features such as religion, skin color or species. However, sociologists such as Michael Omi an Howard Winant regard race as a concept signifying and symbolizing social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies (Leon-Guerrero 67). Racism is the belief by individuals that certain racial or ethnic groups are inferior and that discriminatory practices against them are justified (Leon-Guerrero 70). Discriminatory practices can be classified as individual or institutional. Individual discrimination includes actions against minority members by individuals whereas institutional discrimination is practiced by the government, social institutions and organizations and it includes segregation, exclusion or expulsion. Racial and ethnic inequalities affect an individual and the society in different ways including the socioeconomic position of an individual or of the society. Income and wealth of an individual is determined by the social class to which he or she belongs. In the United States, the measure of income and wealth is home ownership since it enables families to invest in their future. After the Second World War, the rate of White middle-class home ownership grew steadily as compared to the Blacks and other minority groups who were denied access to home ownership through discrimination and low income. A research by Hudson et al also suggests that â€Å"it is possible that experiences of racial discrimination could, in part, diminish the effects of increased socioeconomic position among African American men† (134). The racial and ethnic inequalities also determine the type of education that various individuals in the society would like the children to have. Gagnà © and Tewksbury, as quoted by Leon-Guerrero, argue that â€Å"schools hav e become economically segregated, with the children of middle or upper class families attending predominantly White suburban schools and the children of poorer parents attending racially mixed urban schools† (79). Thus it is evident that racial and ethnic inequalities have an indirect impact on the family income and wealth which in turn dictates the education system that their children would undergo.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Racial and ethnic inequalities have a profound impact on the health of an individual or the society at large. Leon-Guerrero quotes Gabard and Cooper who argue that â€Å"although race may be a social construct, it produces profound biological manifestations through stress, decreased services, decreased medications, and decreased hospital procedures† (80). The health institutions have put in place a system that discriminates agai nst the racial and ethnic minority group members. Some researchers have gone further to specify how discrimination is related to health. After an analysis and comparison of the relationship between racial discrimination and health-related outcomes, Benjamins argues that â€Å"discrimination was most strongly related to depression and was less consistently associated with physical health and health behaviors† (16). Racial and ethnic inequalities also have consequences on individuals who leave their country of origin to move to another. The security systems always target immigrants of ethnic and racial minority and they are associated with crime since they are believed to be illegal immigrants. The history of social problems is identified through a subjective process according to Malcom Spector and John Kituse who outline four stages of the subjective process (Leon-Guerrero 12). The first stage, which is defined as the transformation process, involves taking a private or person al problem and transforming it into a public issue. The transformation is done by an influential group, activists or advocates who call attention to and define an issue as a social problem. The second stage is known as the legitimization process which is concerned with formalizing the manner in which the social problems or complaints generated by the problem are handled. This process involves creation and implementation of policies to respond to the social problem. The third stage is the conflict stage that involves readjustment of the formal response system, renegotiation of procedures, reforming practices and engaging in administrative or organizational restructuring. The fourth and final stage begins when groups believe that they can no longer work within the established system. Advocates or activists of the social problem are faced with two options which are either to radically change the existing system or to work outside the system (Leon-Guerrero 12). Most social problems in a community, society, or a global social system are caused by the inequality in the distribution of resources. Some individuals or organizations in the community have more income, power and prestige than others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Racial and ethnic inequalities as a social problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This group of people develops vested interests in maintaining or even increasing their resources and therefore they come up with laws, ideologies, customs and informal norms which are viewed as legitimate by the whole society. As a result, they are able to maintain and control the available resources and block other low class individuals who may want to rise up the ranks. This yields frustration on the part of the majority low class individuals who must struggle to access the resources thus creating conflict. Leon-Guerrero explains that â€Å"conflict theorists focus on how the dynamics of raci al and ethnic relations divide groups while maintaining a dominant group defined by ethnic and racial categories or social class† (71). Marxist theorists argue that immigrants form a backup labor force that performs jobs that native workers no longer perform. This group of individuals provides a cheaper labor source that easily secures employment during economic growth and easily lay off during economic recessions. Conflict develops when higher paid native workers struggle to prevent importation of cheaper nonnative labor so as to maintain their advantage in the labor market. According to Edna Bonacich’s theory of antagonism, â€Å"the presence of a cheaper labor group threatens the jobs of higher paid workers and the standard for wages in all jobs. Under these conditions, the two groups of laborers remain in conflict with each other while the interests of capitalist business owners are maintained† (Leon-Guerrero 72). Benjamins, Maureen R. Comparing Measures of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination, Coping, and Associations with Health-related Outcomes in a Diverse Sample. Journal of Urban Health (2013): 1-17. Print. Hudson, Darrell L., et al. Are Benefits Conferred with Greater Socioeconomic Position Undermined by Racial Discrimination among African American Men? Journal of Mens Health 9.2 (2012): 127-136. Print. Leon-Guerrero, Anna. Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2011. Print.

Top 10 Low Stress Jobs that Pay Well

Top 10 Low Stress Jobs that Pay Well every job comes with a certain amount of stress. even some of the ones on this list. stress is unavoidable- and often seasonal. certain times of year, or certain crises, can catapult a low-key job into an uncharacteristically high stress bracket. but, in most jobs, that peak will fade and the rest of the year and your career can be spent in relative calm. low stress jobs that pay well do not come by easily. the following 10  jobs have been deemed - based on travel, potential for growth, intensity of deadlines, public scrutiny, competition, physical demands, environmental factors and hazardous conditions, risk- yours and others’- and public presence/speaking- to be the least stressful options on the market. some of these jobs will have a high stress time of year, or require some high stress interactions, but overall they strike a gentler balance than, say, wall street trader or neurosurgeon.if high-stress and high-stakes aren’t for you, consider trying for one of the f ollowing careers.information security analystthe growth rate here is about 18% and the median income is almost $89k per year.diagnostic medical sonographerthis position has a high growth rate (24%) and decent median income (~$62,5k).(tenured) university professorgranted, you’ll have to go through tons of stress to actually get to this position, but once there, the tension eases up considerably. good money (~$70k/year) as well.hair stylistthe money isn’t that high (around $23k/year median), but it’s flexible and relatively low stakes.medical records techthis position comes with good growth (15%) and good median income (~$36k). you get all the perks of being in the healthcare field, none of the life or death situations.medical laboratory techthis certainly comes with higher stress than working in records, but the money is better (almost $50k/year median) and there is still good potential for growth.jewelerthis isn’t a fast-growing field (-11%), but it comes with decent money ($36,870 median) and relatively low stress.audiologistthis field comes with  great growth (29%) and almost $75k per year. we hear that!dieticianhere’s another field with good growth and good pay ($56,950k/year median).librarianyou wouldn’t expect a librarian to have more stress than most of the previous positions, but believe it or not there are cycles of higher stress that makes this career rate a bit higher than even laboratory techs and professors. there’s low growth (2%), but the pay is around $56k per year.

Modern Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern Utilitarianism - Essay Example The answers she created enemies and friends for her and answers that saved the birds. Carson gave the cause of the decrease in the number of birds as the strong synthetic insecticides. These insecticides, like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), in the form of dusts, sprays, and aerosols were affecting the food chains. The insecticides achieved this by poisoning the food chain from insects to the top. The chemicals were not only harmful to the insects but to the humans as well. They caused cancer and liver tumors. This led to the banning of the DDT insecticides and consequently saving a huge number of birds. However, the companies that were producing the insecticides underwent loss hence viewing Carson as a foe (Minteer 169). Her encouragement and message that man needs to act in moderation for him to achieve an equilibrium with nature led to a number of legislations by the federal on utilitarian conservation of the environment. One of these acts legislations was the clean air act . This act, which has undergone a number of amendments, required the Environmental Protection agency to make and enforce laws that protect humans from airborne chemicals and contaminants that are dangerous to human health (Minteer 169). The Wilderness Act passed in 1964 created a legal description of the wilderness in the US. It protected around nine million acres of federal land. This act preserved the wilderness and hence the animals in it. The Clean Water Act was passed in the year 1972. This acts main aim was to protect the waters of the land from pollution by doing away with the release of large amounts of poisonous substances into the water. This act not only... As the report stresses  the only person who had the exact answer to the question that no one was sure about the answer was Rachel Carson. This biologist had taken time to complete the book that would provide answers to the question of the decreasing number of birds. The answers she created enemies and friends for her and answers that saved the birds. Carson gave the cause of the decrease in the number of birds as the strong synthetic insecticides. These insecticides, like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), in the form of dusts, sprays, and aerosols were affecting the food chains. The insecticides achieved this by poisoning the food chain from insects to the top. The chemicals were not only harmful to the insects but to the humans as well. They caused cancer and liver tumors. This led to the banning of the DDT insecticides and consequently saving a huge number of birds. However, the companies that were producing the insecticides underwent loss hence viewing Carson as a foe.From the discussion it is clear that  the Wilderness Act passed in 1964 created a legal description of the wilderness in the US. It protected around nine million acres of federal land. This act preserved the wilderness and hence the animals in it. The Clean Water Act was passed in the year 1972. This acts main aim was to protect the waters of the land from pollution by doing away with the release of large amounts of poisonous substances into the water. This act not only made safe the water that human beings consumed but also the fish they ate.

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HR - Essay Example Research on the execution of performance related pay by the OECD, has discovered that mere higher pay does not motivate the majority of staff. Employees are motivated by holism job designing with High Performance Work Practices (HPWP), work which is competent with skill, novel ways of coordinating work, satisfying performance and better employee involvement in the decisions of the organisation. HPWP has the prospective for producing the personality of the employee and output of the organisation. These practices are established on the comprehension that employees are the key of an organisation and so they expect to be treated equitably. Studies prove that the HR systems of high performing companies have several things in common. "High Performance Work Systems" (HPWS) create more job appliers, monitor candidates more efficiently, offer more and improved training, connect pay more openly to performance and provide a more dependable work environment. The vital challenge confronting human resources management is to make available a set of services that is logic in terms of the company's premeditated plan. A tactical plan is the company's sketch of how to match its inner strengths and weakness with outer opportunities and threats so as to uphold a competitive gain. An organisation which has greater involvement and responsibility on the part of employees is said to have implemented a set of management practices of High Performance Work System (HPWS). Bohlander et al (2004, p. 690) defines HPWS as "a specific combination of HR practices, work structures, and processes that maximizes employee knowledge, skill, commitment and flexibility". Barnes (2001, p. 2) states that the notion and thoughts for high performance work systems has conceived its roots from the late twentieth century. It was during this time that the manufacturing industry in America had recognised that global competition had got in and they wanted to reorganize the 'tried and true' manufacturing procedures. Elements of High Performance Working: Figure I showing Elements of a High Performance Work System (Ren Li Zi Yuan Guan Li Ji Chu, 2004) The first element of HPWS is the notion of "increased opportunity to participate in decisions" (Barnes, p. 9) for employees. The capability for an employee to take part in the decision making process is believed to be one of the most important components of an HPWS as it permits the employee to make decisions that affect their instant environment and this in turn affects the whole organization. This contribution results in employees feeling more authorised and in turn leads to a more dedicated workforce, at least in theory. The second element is training. Training helps employees to acquire the required skills to carry out their jobs in a more efficient manner and the chance to presume better responsibility inside an organisation. The third element is employee incentives. Organisations will have to find a way to connect pay with performance. According to Bohlander & Snell (2004, p. 698), if an employee has to focus "on outcomes that are beneficial to themselves and the organization as a whole" then incentive should play an important role. Technology is yet another element which in addition to the 3 elements of involvement, training and incentives, makes up yet another important constituent of modern day HPWS. According to Bohlander &, Snell, (2004, p. 699) "technology does not have to be leading edge technology solutions, but it does