Reduction in Force

More Beer Reduction in Workforce Exercise More Beer, Inc. is a 25 million dollar a year micro brewing company heavily involved in the direct marketing of its various micro brew products. In order to cash in on the internet selling boom, More Beer, Inc. opened two new marketing and direct distributions channels (www. morebeer. com & www. iamthirstyformorebeernow. com). Soon after these websites went live, technology problems, together with sluggish sales killed the company’s profits. As a result, the company has decided to abandon its new direct marketing plan and to reduce its workforce.You are the Vice President (VP) of HR for More Beer, Inc. The President of the company has asked you to terminate the employment for a number of employees. He has given you a list of people to consider and has charged you with writing a memo describing which employees to terminate, the reasons for each termination, what, if any severance is to be offered and what risks might be inherent with ea ch particular employee in terms of post termination litigation. Your job as VP of HR: Â   You must fire 3 of these employees.Two may be folded into existing openings in the rest of the company. The company could make room for all 5 employees but doesn’t have a true need for them. Assume that the company could justify keeping all or none with current needs. Your job as VP of HR: Â   You must fire 3 of these employees. Two may be folded into existing openings in the rest of the company. The company could make room for all 5 employees but doesn’t have a true need for them. Assume that the company could justify keeping all or none with current needs.

Employment Law Compliance Plan Memorandum Essay

The following memo is an Employment Law Compliance Plan for Landslides Limousines. The plan summarizes key federal and Texas State employment laws. This report also includes recommendations and consequences of these laws. Please note that Landslide Limousines is subject to additional laws if the business exceeds employing more than 50 individuals. If Landslide Limousines fails to comply with the laws highlighted in this memo, the company is subject to serious penalties, including hefty fines, lawsuits, and possible prosecution. The federal law requires that all businesses in the United States comply with standard laws. Some of the laws include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, and the Social Security Act (1935). Additional laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Federal Unemployment Act. It is imperative that Landslide Limousines complies and understands what these laws detail. The EEOC law prohibits any business from discriminating against its employees. Both the EECO and the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division (TWCCRD), mandate that businesses cannot discriminate against any employee based on race, sex, religion, disability, or age (Employee Rights & Laws, 2013). According to the law, â€Å"Employers with 15 or more employees engaged in an industry affecting commerce, employment agencies, and labor unions are prohibited from denying equal employment  opportunities† (Business Employer Requirements, 2013, para. 3). Failure to comply with either of these laws will result in potential lawsuits by employees and potential financial loss for the company. Employees have the right to file a claim against their employer if they believe that they experiencing discrimination. According to the Department of Labor (2013), if the complaint is valid the â€Å"Employee may be entitled to a remedy that will place you in the position you would have been in if the discrimination had never happened. You may be entitled to hiring, promotion, reinstatement, back pay, a pay raise, or reasonable accommodation, including reassignment† (para. 12). The I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification is required for any employee. The Immigration Reform and Control Act, states that the United States employers must verify the identity of all workers (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Employers must check documentation like identification, social security card, work visa, passport, etc., to ensure that employees are legally able to work in the United States (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). The EEOC and the TWCCRD, work to enforce the law. If a business violates these employment laws, penalties like fines, and possible prosecution will ensue. The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, or office of Immigration can investigate any business, when they so chose. If errors are found in the I-9 documentation, forms are missing, or if it is discovered that an employer knowingly employs an unauthorized worker, Landslide Limousines is subject to serious penalties (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Penalties for I-9 paperwork errors can include fines up to $1,100 per employee (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Studies show that the number of employers, who violate I-9 employment eligibility verification, continues to rise (Employee Verification Compliance, 2013). Therefore, it is imperative that Landslides Limousines pays close attention to this. Texas Payday Law is a law that Landslides Limousines needs to be knowledgeable of. The law states that employers are not required to pay employees additional wages for working holidays or weekends (Texas Payday Law, 2013). This is at the digression of the employer. Rest breaks over 20 minutes and lunch breaks exceeding 30 minutes must be paid. Texas law requires that wages â€Å"must be delivered to the employees at their regular  place of work during working hours, mailed by registered mail, or by direct deposit to be received by the employee no later than payday† (Texas Law, 2013, para. 2). Under Texas law, employees can file a claim for unpaid wages. They may do this up to 180 days from when pay is due (Texas Law, 2013). If an employee is laid off, quits or is fired, the employer must pay the employee owed wages by the next pay period (Texas Law, 2013). Employers are not required to pay employees vacation pay, unless this benefit is offered in writing before or during employment (Texas Law, 2013). The Texas Department of Safety Health Consultations (OSHCON) is a program that is available to businesses by the Texas Department of Insurance. Companies with fewer that 150 employees are entitled to a free inspection (Business Employer Requirements, 2013). If companies â€Å"meet the federal requirements, they are exempt from a scheduled inspection for 12 months† (Business Employer Requirements, 2013, para. 1). This is a program that Landslides Limousines needs to take advantage of. All businesses must meet federal requirements to operate legally. Landslide Limousines is eligible for a free inspection because it employs fewer than 150 employees. A free inspection also saves the company money. To comply with Texas child labor laws the company should refrain from hiring individuals under the age of 21. Due to the limited hours that a minor is able to work in the state of Texas, Landslides Limousines should hire individuals over the age of 21, have excellent driving records, and at least five or more years of driving experience. A background check and a copy of employees driving records are needed from the insurance company. The limousine industry requires that employees have flexible hours such as graveyard shifts. This is illegal for anyone under the age 18. Minors are unable to work before 5 a.m., or after 10 p.m. (Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code, 2013). Federal law also states that minors cannot exceed more than three hours of work on a school day. In addition, minors cannot exceed or 18 hours during a school week (Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code, 2013). Employers who violate the child labor law can be charged with a misdemeanor (Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code, 2013). Under Texas State law, â€Å" If an employer violates child labor law, in addition to criminal penalties TWC may assess an administrative penalty against the employer up to $10,000 per violation† (Texas Child Labor Law, 2013, para. 3). To save the Landslides Limousine money, we recommend that Landslide  Limousines refrain from offering employees benefits, until the company exceeds 200 employees. This approach saves the Landslides Limousines money, which allows the company to expand its clientele. Federal law states that employers are not required to offer health insurance benefit plans (Cascio, 2013, p. 477). However, beginning in 2014, â€Å"employers with more than 50 employees, including full time-equivalent employees, who do not offer healthcare coverage and have at least one employee receiving a tax credit for health-coverage premiums will have to pay a penalty of $2.000† (Cascio, 2013, p. 477). Landslide Limousines will need to be aware of this law should employment exceed 50. As Landslide Limousines begins to grow, the company will need to be aware of the laws required for medium and large businesses. The company needs to continue to follow and stay current with all Texas State and federal laws. This will help avoid penalties like prosecution and fines. We recommend that an additional evaluation be conducted at the end of the year. Please let us know if there are any further questions regarding the information provided. The company is more than happy to discuss the above listed laws further in detail. References Business Employer Requirements. Texasopenwideforbusiness.com. Retrieved from: http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/small-business/requirements.php Cascio, W.F. (2013). Managing Human Resources (9th ed.). New York: The McGraw Hill Companies. Chapter 15 Texas Labor Code. 2013. Texasworkforcecomission.com Retrieved from: http://www.hrp.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/childlaborlaws_faq.pdf Employee Rights and Laws. 2013. Texas Workforce Commission. Retrieved from: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/customers/jsemp/employee-rights-laws.html Employee Verification Compliance. 2013. Cmrkmurrah.com. Retrieved from: http://cmarkmurrah.com/lawyer//I- 9_Compliance_Assistance_pa11620.htm Department of Labor. 2013. DOL.com Retrieved from: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/factsheets/wprights.htm#Q12 Texas Child Labor Law. 2013. Texasworkforcecomission.com Retrieved from: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/lablaw/texas-child-labor-law.html#penalties

Depreciated Replacement Cost Valuation Approach Essay

Depreciated Replacement Cost Valuation Approach - Essay Example The comparison therefore has to be made with a hypothetical substitute" (Valuation Standards Board, 2007). This approach is one which basically estimates the overall replacement value of a company or business, and it works by analyzing the cost of its components (for instance, this would include such things as surrounding land and building itself), and the value is then calculated by adding the free value of the market itself to of the land as if vacant, to that of the reconstruction cost of the building, and then you have to subtract the depreciation that has been suffered by the company or business over the years, in comparison to that of a newer building. A depreciated replacement cost valuation approach could absolutely be used by a client in order for them to be able to freehold interest of a specialized production plant, for instance, as this approach is one which is to be used basically only where there is no active market for the asset that is being valued (such as a speciali zed production plant). ... Although in this case we are in fact talking about a specialized production plant, there is a difference, as 'specialized property' is defined as "Real property that is rarely, if ever, sold in the market, except by way of a sale of the business or entity of which it is part, due to the uniqueness arising from its specialized nature and design, its configuration, size, location, or otherwise". (Valuation Standards Board, 2007). Although this definition is rather broad, it is still basic in that it can generally be applied to all situations in this regards, and in our particular case, we can see that the depreciated replacement cost valuation approach would be very positive here. The actual results will depend greatly on the success of the specialized production plant, as the actual value of a specialized property will vary, depending on its use, and for example, "If there is no demand in the market for the use for which the property is designed than the specialized features will either be of no value of have a detrimental effect on value as they represent an encumbrance". (Valuation Standards Board, 2007). Therefore one of the most important issues here is that of the definition of use, and only after you have defined the value in use of the particular specialized production plant would you be able to properly assess the value that would be gained from going with a depreciated replacement cost valuation approach. It is important to remember here that when you are appraising a business, it is not uncommon to use real estate appraisers to value the actual and real property segment of both the business and the machinery appraisers to value the personal

Statistical control in reverse logistics Research Paper

Statistical control in reverse logistics - Research Paper Example It is a common phenomenon especially in the motor industry. For instance in 2009, General Motors recalled approximately one million vehicles from showrooms and consumers due to defects in their braking system. Statistical control plays a role in reverse logistics by ensuring process of recalling goods back to a manufacturer is conducted quantitatively to avoid financial losses to a manufacturer. Several parameters are considered before reverse logistics can be actualized, statistical control serve to moderate the said parameters to ensure that the process is conducted in a controlled manner that will be to the advantage of the organization financially. Some group view reverse logistics as an important aspect of the supply chain while other do not. Statistical control applies its measure in the situation by depicting the advantages that will be gained by successfully implementing reverse control for instance if a company is responsible for all its inventory returns chances are it will retain consumer loyalty and at the same time protect the brand of the product in question. Conversely, whenever decisions are being made on whether to return a product or not various considerations should be explored before a final decision can be done. Statistical control is applied to provide the analysis of the trade-off thus making informed decision concerning reverse logistics (Keller, 201 1). Before an organization can make, a decision on reverse logistics various considerations have to be explored to ensure the decision is viable financially to the firm at the same time it is also beneficial to the customers (Dyckhoff, Fandel and Reese, 2004). Whenever a product is being recalled it is, of course, not in its original condition, it may be worn out or damaged. Reverse logistics will be viable to a product of high quality, since the cost of transporting the product back to the manufacturer can be met

CEO Project---Pepsico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

CEO Project---Pepsico - Research Paper Example Additionally, the implementation process must consider the structure of the company in order to curb the prevalence of conflicts in the company’s management. The company carries out extensive environmental conservation projects. Such are effective social responsive management techniques that position the company favorably in the market. Social responsive investment is a marketing strategy in which the company appreciates that it exists and is part of the society. This way, the company must institute changes that influence the preference of the society thus positioning its projects and products strategically in the market. The policies of the company portray an extensive culture as the company strives to develop the culture of ownership. Culture refers to the manner in which a company operates and meets its objectives. The policy asserts that the company strives to develop a culture of ownership. Ownership is an effective introductory strategy and an approach that the company uses successfully to implement its numerous conservation projects. The conservation of the environment is a responsibility of every individual who draws respective b enefits from the environment. By installing the culture of ownership, the company ensures both its stakeholders and members of the society appreciate its numerous conservation policies a feature that expedites the implementation process. The culture of ownership encourages responsive and interactions with the environment. The management and other employees of the company will begin maintaining dignified interaction with the environment as they strive to conserve the environment. This way, the society readily adopts the company’s environmental conservation initiatives thus expediting the roll out of the company’s projects. However, the development of a culture especially in such a large multinational corporation requires effective planning in order to

To what extent should there be employee voice within the workplace and Essay - 1

To what extent should there be employee voice within the workplace and organisations - Essay Example Employee voice also helps the organizations to increase the overall performance level giving importance to the employees and creating an atmosphere where the employees can feel at home. It also helps to increase productivity and the quality of the products for a particular organization, as the higher authority appraises their employees and engage them to evaluate their performance (Marsden, 2009). Hereby, the prime objective of this study is to highlight the employee voice and its importance in today’s world. This paper would also include the present scenario of employee voice and how it is beneficial to the workplace of various organizations from an in depth view with illustrations. Employee voice is the practice where the employees or the workers have their right to put their opinions and to take part in certain decision-making activities. Employee voice includes employee’s behavior, attitudes, interests and openness among others. It helps an organization to be more stable and constructive which, in turn, leads to the overall development in the organizational productivity. It is worth mentioning in this context that employee voice is the process which enhances the performance of the employees to a specific extent. The employee voice not only includes all the employees, but also involves the various stakeholders related to the organization to effectively improve and manage the arrangements which already exist in the internal business environment. In other words, employee voice is the practice which satisfies the employee needs and assists an organization to implement various strategies with the help of opinions and viewpoints of the employees and manager s. In the present scenario, employee voice has become an integral role or part of the strategic improvement process implemented in organizations to enhance the quality of work and also to improve the relationship among the workers (Holley et al.,

Marginal Revenues in Business and Management On E-commerce Purchase Essay - 14

Marginal Revenues in Business and Management On E-commerce Purchase Behavior - Essay Example Most online shoppers will submit various products to cart not that they want to buy but as what they wish to buy. Additionally, online shoppers are sometimes distracted by multiple links on the site, making them opt for others rather than E-commerce. Overall, the stuffing of this module together with the professor’s effectual teaching style has been instrumental in assisting me to comprehend the success factors of an online business and web visitors degree of regard to data on e-commerce sites. Consequently, I have come to realize some of the features that keep the continual visitation to the site. Throughout the module, my primary approach to research is using quantitative and observation strategies, and I intend to include the methods in my doctoral research together with other research designs. In my doctoral research training, I intend to continue employing quantitative and observational approaches together with descriptive design. As with the quantitative approach, the style has been useful in the MRes preparation course for the doctoral research especially on web analytics on subjects such as how many unique visitors on an e-commerce site, page views, and hits and so forth. This statistical information is significant in the analysis of customers and their expectations and is thus vital data for decision making. Together with the quantitative strategies, I will invoke observations as a tool to see the client behaviors. These two approaches are crucial in line with my study in the doctoral programme. The objective of the doctoral study is to produce researchers who are reflective and conscious of the hypotheses, strengths, and confines of their research; who are top-notch skilled with a whole host of organizational study techniques; and who are excitedly able to pertain th is knowledge in fresh and diverse spheres.

Selected poems by William Carlos Williams pp. 2009-2017.&.Selected Essay

Selected poems by William Carlos Williams pp. 2009-2017.&.Selected poems by e.e. cummings pp 2173-2179 - Essay Example It is the time when the tired frost of winter begins to give way to the solar prowess of the summer months. Many a poet and writer have used it as a metaphorical device for their works. As a symbol of rebirth, spring can affect a joyous sense of elation. Conversely, no birth or rebirth can occur without first something, person, or epoch dying, disappearing, or withering into desuetude. Modern psychology, in the context of patient and cultural interpretation, has assigned to spring this dichotomous quality of bringing in the new and hastening away the old. The work of Carl Jung is particularly applicable in this instance. His analysis of the mother-maiden archetype comprehended spring as one of the many symbols of this primeval human mental construction. To this category belongs the goddess, especially the Mother of God, the Virgin, and Sophia [wisdom]†¦[This] archetype is often associated with things and places standing for fertility and fruitfulness: the cornucopia, a ploughed field, a garden†¦.[Its] evil symbols are the witch, the dragon, the grave, the sarcophagus, deep water, death, nightmares, and bogies. (81-82) For Williams, the image of the widow, or the aged wife and mother, stresses the cyclical and temporal aspect of the Jungian conception of spring. The â€Å"new grass† and the â€Å"masses of flowers† remind the narrator of when she lived happily with her now deceased husband. They resurrect memories of having a family and loving one another (Williams 1998). They had once lived happily together. Rather than symbolizing birth and things anew, the widow is troubled by her spouse’s absence. Instead she bemoans the â€Å"[red] cherry branches† for â€Å"the grief in my heart is stronger than they / for though they were my joy / formerly, today I notice them / and turn away forgetting.† The pain endures. Yet Williams, after underscoring the widow’s sorrows, draws attention to her son who

Introduction the Critique of Pure Reason Research Paper

Introduction the Critique of Pure Reason - Research Paper Example In Kant’s arguments, he spoke of the concepts that structure human experience. Kant termed the perceptions that structure human experience as fundamental concepts. On the topic of morality, Kant argued that there cannot be any morality without reason. Kant paced reason as the driver towards a morality motivated life. Immanuel Kant stated that reasoning was the basis of human existence, and moral being should embrace logic for a peaceful and well-developed life. Kant is an individual who had a foremost influence in the present day thinking and practice. Kant had an imperative knowledge in the field of metaphysics, ethics, esthetics and political philosophy. The knowledge that Kant had in the above fields was a particular strength and motivator towards coming up with his findings on human experience. Kant’s experience in different areas of philosophy enabled him conduct his research from different perspectives. Kant, therefore, came up with enough prove to support his arg ument. Kant’s argument is considered one of the building stones in the modern society because morality and human experience are some of the infinite features of human existence. Immanuel Kant, therefore, remains an important figure up to today, due to his advancements on the requirements for human life in the modern contemporary society. On the concept of priori judgment, Kant had several observations to make. Kant stipulated that there were two types of propositions; analytic and synthetic propositions. Priori judgment is also known as analytic experience. Analytic judgments are perceptions or concepts that can be said to be true by virtues of their meaning. Kant explained that some ideas of thought needed minimal explanations. The ideas purely express themselves without the need for the further course of reasoning (Kant, pg. 44). Such prepositions are referred to as analytic because their analysis does not necessarily mean it has to be related

Bacterial Cell Surface Tension Attachment and Implications for Article - 1

Bacterial Cell Surface Tension Attachment and Implications for Bioremediation - Article Example There was no significant relationship between the culturing of the bacteria with their attachment to the different material that was being tested. The environments under which the bacterial species were cultured had the significant influence on the level of attachment of different bacterial species to various surfaces. These results present essentially in seeking to establish the variance of species adherence to hexadecane. The attachment of microbial cells to solids and hydrophobic liquids is an important prerequisite in the degradation of chemicals that are recalcitrant because of extremely low solubility. Bacterial adsorption at interfaces is a physical and chemical process that, for the majority of micro-organisms, does not involve the expenditure of metabolic energy. The attachment process involves non-specific interactions between the cell surface, the solid or hydrophobic liquid and the bulk liquid phase(Abbasnezhad et al. 2011). Many factors influence bacterial attachment at solid/liquid and liquid/liquid interfaces. Environmental factors such as pH, temperature and the presence of cations, anions and organic molecules in the bulk liquid phase all directly affect the attachment process, as does the nature of the solid or the hydrophobic liquid(Mceldowney & Fletcher 1986). Microbial factors are equally important in determining the extent of bacterial attachment to surfaces, and the characterist ics of the cell surface have a considerable impact on attachment. Microbial cell surfaces are complex and consist of a variety of macromolecules, which vary with the microbial type. The macromolecular composition of bacterial cell surfaces, also, differs with growth substrate, growth phase, and growth rate. Such variations alter the charge and hydrophobic characteristics of bacterial surfaces (Rosenberg et al. 1980).  Ã‚  

Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé Essay Example for Free

Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somà © Essay With Of Water and Spirit Malidoma Patrice Some has written a very interesting, engaging autobiography in which he details his life as a man living between two different lifestyles: the traditional life of his people, the Dagara, who live in rural Burkina Faso, the former French Colony known as the Upper Volta, and the life of a highly educated African man with two PhDs who travels throughout the western nations writing, lecturing, and teaching about his people and their relationship between the normal world and the spirit world. According to Some his first name Malidoma means be friends with the stranger/enemy. The Dagara believe a persons name has an affect on the his life so they name their children something that will always remind them of their mission in life. Some, then, is here in the West to tell the world about my people any way I can, and to take back to my people the knowledge I gain about this world (Some 1994, 1). Some was named Patrice when he was baptized by Jesuit priests at the insistence of his father who had converted to Catholicism. The attitude of Some and the Dagara people is very interesting. Instead of feeling hatred against the white men who had colonized the country and basically enslaved the people while stealing their land and resources, the Dagara are concerned about all people, including the white people and are convinced that the West is as endangered as the indigenous cultures it has decimated in the name of colonialism (Some 1994, 1). They believe that western cultures abandonment of functional spiritual values has made the West sick with a sickness of the soul (Some 1994, 1). Some was basically kidnapped from his tribe at the age of four when he was taken away to study at the Jesuit school. At the time the Jesuits were trying create a native missionary force to help in converting the people of Upper Volta. Prior to being kidnapped Some had spent much of his childhood with his grandfather, a great leader of the Dagara. His grandfather taught him many of the stories of the Dagara people, their spiritual beliefs, and their history. Somes grandfather emphasized the close spiritual relationship of the Dagara with the world, the land, and the spirits of their deceased ancestors. The Dagara believe there is an important connection between an individual, his people, his land, and his god. Somes grandfather could not understand the Catholic Churchs attempts at missionary work throughout the world, . . . let me tell you that a God who would send his people away from their land must be drinking a very strong wine all the time (Some 1994, 29). At the time of his death, Somes grandfather told Some that the ancestors had designated Some to follow the white man so that you may serve as the eye of the compound, the ear of your many brothers, and the mouth of your tribe (Some 1994, 40). Somes grandfather also told him that he came back to the tribe he would appear strange to the Dagara, he would only be part Dagara and would have to undergo the month long initiation in the wilderness to become a member of the tribe. Somes time at the Jesuit school was unpleasant. The priests often beat him while they were teaching him as if the beatings would reinforce the lessons and make him confirm to the Jesuit teachings. When he graduated to the seminary school at Nansi he had similar experiences and often found that he lived outside of himself. He would make his thoughts go away from my body so that when the first blow fell, I [he] was not even aware of it (Some 1994, 114). Some resented the way he was treated and found himself rebelling against the method of instruction. This rebellion reached its climax when Some was twenty and became involved in a physical altercation with one of the priests. During the struggle the priest fell through the window and landed in the dirt outside. Consequently, Some ran away from the school to return to his home. His journey home took him eleven days since he was forced to walk the entire way. Ironically, on his journey, Some learned that the country had gained its independence from France in 1960 and such forced schooling had come to an end. Since Some was about four-years-old both when independence occurred and when he was taken away from his people to attend school, he could have returned to his people long before (Some 1994, 153; 99-156). By the time he returned to his village, the Jesuit missionary priests on the hill were gone, although a day school still existed. Once Some was in his home compound, he found he no longer fit it with his people. He had forgotten how to speak the language; the village had changed with independence. His people were not comfortable with him there, nor was he comfortable with them. Consequently the elders decided he should undergo the Baor, the month long initiation, to quiet the white man in your soul . . . so that his soul [would] come back home and . . . stop being a stranger to yourself and to us (Some 1994, 178). Some describes his spiritual initiation in detail and tells how he was able to return to the Dagara. Once he had returned fully to the Dagara, Some found that he was again not comfortable living with his people because he had not yet completed his mission that his grandfather had told him about and that his ancestors had assigned him. Once again it became necessary to leave his people so the he might be friends with the stranger/enemy. This is what Some continues to do today through his writings and lecturing. However, he is careful to return to his home every year to make certain he reconnects with his home and people. Bibliography Some, Malidoma Patrice. Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, A Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam Book, 1994.

Social Consequences of Inequality

Social Consequences of Inequality Inequality is a feature of my country, (the UK), however, it is of little social consequence. Discuss. Introduction Inequality in society means that some people are at a disadvantage compared to others. In the UK inequalities are featured in a number of different contexts. Women for example are socially disadvantaged in comparison to men and ethnic minorities are often disadvantaged in comparison to the dominant white community because they may not have the same opportunities. There are also class inequalities in Britain where those from a working class background are often disadvantaged compared to people from a middle-class background (Giddens, 2001). This assignment will discuss the statement that inequality is a feature of the UK and assess the view that it is of little social consequence, this will be done with reference to class and gender inequalities in health. Class Inequalities Those who belong to the higher capitalist classes and to the middle classes tend to be better educated than people from a working class background. This often means that the higher classes have greater material resources than those from a lower class. Having more money means that people also have greater access to other resources. They tend to fare better when it comes to education and to health because they live in better areas which tend to have less crowded and better performing schools (Giddens, 2001). The working classes tend to have more stressful, or more physically demanding jobs that pay less money than, for example, teaching or being the manager of a successful business. This means that they often cannot afford the same kind of diet as those who earn more money and live in a better area. This puts them at a disadvantage in terms of how healthy they are and how long they might expect to live (Walsh et al, 2000). Such inequalities do not simply occur as a result of class ineq ualities but in areas where people do not have the same equality of opportunity. Since the late nineteen sixties feminists such as Walby (1990) have pointed to the fact that in a capitalist society women do not have the same access to material or other social resources and that this is due to the gender inequalities which exist in a patriarchal society. Gender Inequalities Britain is a patriarchal society. In patriarchal societies women are seen as the subordinate sex. Patriarchy is bound up with traditional notions of the family where the father was seen as the head of the family unit. This, feminists say, can be seen in all the structures of patriarchal societies where laws and social structures operate in such a way as to benefit men at the expense of women (Walby, 1990). Since the nineteenth century the traditional family has been one where the man goes to work and the woman stays at home and looks after the house and any children in the family. Walby (1990) argues that this arrangement made women invisible and their labour in the home, which allowed men to have a public life, has not been taken into account. With the rise of feminism and the struggle for equal opportunities for women the situation has changed somewhat and many women now work outside the home. Work does not readjust the gender imbalances that exist in British society because in mos t jobs women still earn less than men. Walby (1990) has argued that gender is a primary category when it comes to inequaltity and the oppression of women. State policies may no longer aim to keep women in the home but have done little to alleviate the inequalities between women and men in the public sphere. Certain occupations such as teaching, nursing, shop or clerical work are still regarded as women’s work. Although women may now be involved in the public sphere and can be found in the labour market in increasing numbers, Walby states that they still remain segregated from wealth, power and status. Doyal (1995) has said that research shows that while paid work brings benefits to a family it can also bring extra stresses and responsibilities. These may then affect women’s health. The increasing number of roles that women are called upon to play in contemporary society affects their emotional, mental and physical well being. Class, Gender, and Health For some time there has been concern over the fact that there appear to be inequalities in health provision and the ways in which this impacts on people’s lives. As a result of this sociologists look the body, or aspects of the body and the ways in which factors such as class, race and gender affect a person’s experience of health (Giddens, 2001).The Acheson Report (1998) pointed out that health inequalities are complex, certainly more than people had previously believed. Material deprivation alone is not the cause of inequalities in health, rather there are wider cultural and economic factors which interact with personal choices based on psychological and biological influences. Acheson recommended that a wider range of intervention and policy initiatives would be needed to address health inequalities. Many commentators believe that class inequalities in health have worsened over the last twenty five years with the introduction of market forces into healthcare i.e. oper ating the health system as though it were a business (Giddens, 2001). This particularly affects those people at the lower end of the class scale because facilities in poorer areas are often over stretched and therefore people may have to wait longer for the care they need. Women in Britain tend to use the health services a lot more than their male counterparts. This is explained in terms of women generally living longer than men, having more chronic illnesses and generally being the main care giver and child rearer in the family (Provincial Health Officer’s Report, 1995). Feminists such as Abbott and Wallace (1997) point out that what is often missed is that women will also visit the doctor on behalf of another family member. Feminists also point out that because there is no specific health care policy for women the processes of menstruation, childbirth and the menopause are over medicalised. Are These Inequalities of Social Consequence? Clearly there are class and gender inequalities which are endemic to society in the United Kingdom and this results in inequalities in other areas of social life such as health. It might be argued that these inequalities do have social consequences. Class inequalities in health for example can result in working class members of society suffering from greater ill health and dying prematurely. The results of this could mean a shortage of workers in jobs that are not usually held by people from other classes it could also mean that the working class are more of a burden on the health system than their middle class counterparts. These things could have much wider social consequences, a shortage of services, in the construction industry for example, and a shortage of hospital beds in some areas. Similarly gender inequalities could also have wider social consequences. If women do not have sufficient access to health services then they may not be healthy enough to take care of other members of the family. Conclusion Clearly there are inequalities in this country and it would certainly appear that these inequalities may not seem to be of great social consequence but if they are left to carry on unaddressed could have wider ramifications. The introduction of the Community Care Act in 1990 for example relies on family members to take care of those people who may not be able to look after themselves as a result of mental health problems, or simply due to age. Members of the upper and middle classes may well have the resources to pay for care but working class people do not. If health inequalities are not addressed then there may be no-one who is fit enough to look after those people who are unable to look after themselves. This could have serious consequences for the health system, the benefits system, and Government policy making in general. 1250 words Bibliography Abbott and Wallace, 1997 An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge Acheson, D. 1998. Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report London, HMSO Doyal, L. 1995 What Makes Women Sick London, Macmillan Giddens, A. 2001 4th ed. Sociology, Cambridge, Polity Press www.polity.co.uk/giddens Pollert, A. 1996. â€Å"Gender and class revisited or the poverty of patriarchy† Sociology vol. 30 no. 4 Provincial Health Of. cer’s Annual Report (1995). Report on the Health of British Columbia. BC Ministry of Health and Ministry Responsible for Seniors. Townsend, P. Davidson, N. and Whitehead, M. (eds) 1988. Inequalities in Health, the Black Report and the Health Divide Harmondsworth, Penguin Turner, B. 1987.Medical Power and Social Knowledge. London, Sage. Walby,S. 1990. Theorising Patriarchy. Blackwell, Oxford. Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham,

Benefits of Using Literature in the Classroom

Benefits of Using Literature in the Classroom This chapter attempts to emphasize on relevant literature review that illustrate the following details; definition of literature, the importance of pedagogy, benefits of teaching literature in ESL Classroom, trainee teachers, and past studies. 2.1 DISCUSSION OF MAJOR TOPICS OF STUDY Literature is defined as pieces of writing that are valued as works of art, especially novels, plays, and poems (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2005). For literature in English, William Shakespeare is one of the famous writers who had produced massive masterpieces. He had been widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the worlds pre-eminent dramatist (Greenblatt, 2005). Literature is also known as the window of the world as it offers the learners or readers the gist of ones culture, history, and traditions (Carter Long, 1991) Literature in English has been implemented in the Malaysian education system to enhance students proficiency in the English Language through the study of a set prescribed literary text, as well as contributing to personal development and character building (Ministry of Education, 2000The claim the study of literature is fundamentally a study of language in operation (Widdowson: 1971) is based on the realization that literature is an example of language in use, and is a context for language use. Thus, studying the language of literary texts as language in operation is seen as enhancing the learners appreciation of aspects of the different systems of language organisation (OSullivan, 1991). By the end of the secondary school English Language program, students should be able to achieve the objectives set for them. Unfortunately, after ten years being in the English syllabus, literature is still not seen as an important role to learn English language in Malaysian curriculum. There are several definition of teaching, and one of the definition is by Bruner (1996), he defined teaching as an effort to assist or shape the growth of students; it is mean that teacher should have an effort such as to prepare lessons, should know extra information on what they are going to teach in order to make their students understand more. The teaching process should be a two way communication between the teacher and the students so that it will be a meaningful learning. Therefore, to be able to have a better understanding on an outstanding teaching process that results in meaningful learning, a teacher should have pedagogical knowledge on teaching which contained methods, approaches, and strategies of teaching. 2.1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF PEDAGOGY According to Collins English Dictionary 6th Edition, 2006, pedagogy is defined as the principles, practice, or profession of teaching. Pedagogy came to be identified as practice, techniques, methods, or implementation, either separated from theory or inadequate to revise it (Salvatori, 1996). In becoming a teacher, trainees should be equipped with the knowledge of pedagogy and should be able to implement and use it in the real classroom. Pedagogy determines the effectiveness of a lesson by implementing the techniques and methods, as stated before. Effective teachers display a wide range of skills and abilities that lead to creating a learning environment where all students feel comfortable and are sure that they can succeed both academically and personally. (Early Childhood/Generalist Standards, 1998). pedagogy considers how education can provide individuals with the tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society, and thus to deploy education in a process of progressive social change (Giroux, 1994) As explained by Giroux, pedagogy promotes one individual to identify her flaws and discover the potential to be a better person. A teacher, for instance, could discover her/ his weaknesses in teaching by the approaches or strategies used in class. According to Entz (2006), it is possible to identify the crucial elements of teaching that contributes to successful learning for all children by implementing on pedagogical practices with the weakest and most challenging students. Entz adds that the most important areas of inquiry are how the teacher chooses to interact with learners, structures the classroom and delivers the content which conforms to the idea that the knowledge on pedagogy of teaching is crucial in order to be a teacher. In addition, Agree (1998) has stated that Good grasp of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and understanding students interests and needs are some of the requirements needed to teach literature competently. Therefore, it is proven that pedagogy is o ne of the important elements in determining whether the lessons are successful or not. 2.1.2 THE BENEFITS OF TEACHING LITERATURE IN ESL CLASSROOM Apart from that, teachers should have discovered the benefit of teaching literature in ESL classroom. According to Dr. Ganakumaran Subramaniam, a president of Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA), literature is introduced into syllabus for plentiful purposes. Literature is hoped to be able to (1) provide rich and diverse exposure to language, (2) improve vocabulary, syntax, and structure, (3) develop perception and interpretation skills,(4) develop comprehension and motivation. As stated in the Curriculum Specification (also known as Huraian Sukatan Pelajaran Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah), the study of literary texts is meant to inculcate values and broaden learners outlook. All the objectives mentioned can be related to literature component that existing English Syllabus. There are three core areas that literature can help a language learner. The first aspect is literature assist learners language development. According to Fook and Sidhu, (2010), a literature-enriched curriculum not only helps learners improve their reading and writing skills but more importantly helps them internalize grammar and vocabulary. Sidhu(2003) and Savvidou (2004) add that the study of literature unconsciously enhances students overall linguistic competence including their knowledge of syntax, morphology, semantics and phonetics. HiÃ…Å ¸manoÄÅ ¸lu (2005) stated that, literature provides learners with a wide range of individual lexical or syntactic items. Students become familiar with many features of the written language, reading a substantial and contextualized body of text. As stated by Davis et al (1992), literary style and structure pose a problem for students in trying to comprehend literary texts, therefore, it somehow contributes to students attitude towards literature learning. For instance, poems are identically disliked as it contains numbers of figurative language and images which students fail to interpret (Wan Kamariah, 2009). In order to make literature as the prominent role in enhancing English language, teachers should be able to change this hindrance into attraction. Literature also enhances ESL students knowledge about society. In the literary texts prepared, students are exposed with various cultures from different countries. As stated by Kow (2002) noted that childrens books are multifunctional. They help students to expand their imagination, apart from literacy. Literature helps students to cope with problems be they social, cultural, racial or problems that crop up in dealing with life in the real world. It also helps to inculcate specific social attitudes that are thought to be acceptable in their community. In fact, one of the advantages of using literature is that it can serve as a medium to transmit the culture of the people who speak the language in which it is written. (Valdes 137). Valdes also warns us however, not to use literature only as a means of imparting cultural information (Valdes 137). The study of literature allows students to learn new ideas and knowledge. It adds to their understanding of concepts and cultural traditions and values and issues in life. Developing respect for self and others and encouraging one to become aware of ones audience are learning gains to be derived from the study of literature. The third area that literature will benefit English language learner is in fostering students critical thinking. As it is highly suggestive and associative, literature speaks subtly different meanings to different people. It is rare for two readers to react identically to any given text. In teaching, this has two advantages. The first advantage is that each learners interpretation has validity within limits. The second advantage is that an almost infinite fund of interactive discussion is guaranteed since each persons perception is different. That no two readers will have a completely convergent interpretation establishes the tension that is necessary for a genuine exchange of ideas. (Hismanoglu, 2005) In other words, Hismanoglu agreed that literature promotes students to think critically as they have different perception and prior knowledge towards one literary text. According to Norliana Ghani (2009), students prefer books or texts that discuss the issues of youth, relationship, and social changes. These texts or stories are usually have clear language, good organization of the plot, and thought provoking. This is the reason why in literature class, students are encouraged to have discussions or presentations of their opinions which indirectly promote critical thinking. Critical thinking is very useful when it comes to problem solving as one has to weigh before making any decisions. 2.1.3 TRAINEE TEACHERS In this study that involves trainee teachers; several aspects will be looking at. The first one is trainee teachers readiness. In assuring the objectives of the KBSM to be achieved, trainee teachers should be prepared, knowledgeable, and confident to teach the subject that they are majoring in. Teacher preparation accounts for 40% to 60% of the total variance in students achievement (Hammond, 2000). Darling Hammond also added that teacher preparation has a stronger connection with students achievement. Therefore the teachers should be aware of all topics and sub topics used in teaching process and able to discuss as well as enlighten students to understand the topic. As for literature, one of the best ways to have effective literature teaching in school is to be ready and prepared before hand. According to Safiah Osman, (1992), the success of learning and teaching will depend a great deal on the teachers. The problem raises here is whether trainee teachers are well-equipped with relevant knowledge about literature or not. As future English teachers who are going to teach Literature for the subject, they will encounter some problems in teaching literature as they have least knowledge about literature elements. For those who are taking literature as their minor, they will learn various forms of literature from the various Literature subjects for instance Asian Literature, Contemporary Literature, Women and Literature, Literature in the English Classroom, Creative Writing, and Literature and Media. Throughout these subjects, the future English teachers will be learning and analyzing the elements of literature from various pieces of work. This show they gain their knowledge of literary elements and devices needed in teaching literature. Teaching literature during micro/macro teaching is totally different with teaching literature in the real classroom. Teaching audience who have been embedded with the knowledge of the literary texts is very much easier than teaching students who have zero prior knowledge about the text. As stated in a research done by Nor Liyana Ghazali (2009), ninety seven percents of her respondents agree that prior knowledge of the literary texts is vital in comprehending the texts. Through my experience, as a student and also a trainee teacher, most students enter the literature class without reading the texts, even after the teacher had told them to do so. Teachers obviously cant delay the lessons that they have planned before hand, hence, their strategies and techniques in making these students understand and participate in their instruction is crucial. If to compare with students who have analyzed the literary texts, trainee teachers will found a huge difference and realize that their ambitiou s aims and objectives of the lessons cant be implemented in the real classroom. As Grieve stated in his Teaching Strategies and Tips for Adjunct Faculty, teacher should be able to be a facilitator of learning which means they have to know how to develop learning skills and teach students to learn and to organize their materials. He added that teachers are actors or actresses on stage. They are responsible to their audience by assuring that their appearance, conducts, communication techniques, and physical traits are constantly under scrutiny. Teachers are also advised to vary their teaching activities to keep students interested. The usage of teaching aids like films, videos, demonstrations, or mini sketch/drama should be helpful in feeding their attention span. Apart from that, teachers have to be sensitive and alert to early signs of difficulties and ready to provide assistance and referrals to the students. This is parallel to Browns suggestion in teaching English which teachers as the source of information. In literature teaching, teachers should be able to assist students with limitations in areas of reading and writing. 2.2 CONCLUSIONS As the conclusion, it can be seen from the statements above that teachers play crucial roles in determining students interest and attitude towards literature teaching. Teachers possession on pedagogical knowledge, creativity to conduct literature lessons, exposure and readiness to teach literature are the aspects to determine the successfulness of a literature lesson.

Tortilla Curtain :: Tortilla Curtain Immigration Literature Essays

Tortilla Curtain The chapter starts with Delaney hitting an unidentified man on the highway while going through Topanga Canyon. Delaney hits Candido, one of the other main characters in the play. After Delaney hits him with his car, he then immediately asks himself if his car is all right. He gets over that, and realizes that he just hit a human being. The next paragraph is Delaney searching for the body and yelling "hello." He finally can hear some grimacing that comes from some nearby bushes. He finds Candido there, with blood coming from the Mexican's mouth and his face covered by raw flesh. His upper arm had dirt and pieces of leaves sticking to the blood. He was carrying a bag of tortillas, a grocery bag that was torn with small slivers of plastic through the glass. Delaney tried to speak to him in French and Candido couldn't understand. Finally the conversation ends and Delaney gives him $20 and leaves. He drives to the Acura dealership and tells the dealer that he ran over a dog or a coyote. D elaney then calls his wife from the dealership and his wife tells him to call Jack, a friend, lawyer, and adviser, to ask him what could happen to him if the Mexican filed suit. The chapter ends with Delaney saying he gave Candido $20 and then Kyra his wife asks why only $20. Delaney replies he was only Mexican. Chapter 2: The chapter begins with the introduction of Candido a new immigrant to the U.S. waking up at his "bed" near the river of a canyon. He is hurt from a "gabacho" or a white man that hit him the day before. He threw up instantly and tried to walk down to the creek to where he fell twice. Then America is introduce, she is Candido's wife. She is on the way back from a job interview that never materialized. Then she sees a man lying on the middle of the path to which leads to her camp. The man turns out to be Candido he is sleeping in the middle of the path. She walks him back to camp and she realizes all the scrapes, bumps, bruises, and cuts on his body. The narration skips to Candido where he is in bed back at camp. His pain is progressively getting worse. America offers him a drink he declines then America says he needs a doctor.

Saving Private Ryan :: essays research papers

The book I read and am doing a presentation on is called Saving Private Ryan by Max Allen Collins. Saving Private Ryan is about the heroism of soldiers of soldiers and their duty during wartime, World War Two. This story is to remind you, the reader, that war is nothing but hell, orders on the front line can be brutal, and absurd. The story is set in Europe of 1944, as the Nazis are still advancing and taking over cities and countries. On June 6th, 1944, Captain Miller, and hundreds of other men leave Europe to accomplish one mission, Operation Overlord, also known as D-Day. When they get there, there will be a new task awaiting them. In saving Private Ryan, the same character is Capt. Miller. He is the leader of a squad of 7 men on a mission to save Pvt. James Ryan. Capt. Miller is a â€Å"to himself person†. He does not talk much when not in battle, and when he does talk, he is giving out orders. Capt. Miller played a major roll in this book. He was in charge of Company C of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, when landing on Omaha Beach. He then had to lead the 7 men on a long mission to save Private James Ryan. Private James Ryan is a very sociable person. He lost 3 brothers in the war, which is why he is getting sent home. I said he is sociable because when he was rescued towards the end, he enjoyed talking to Capt. Miller very much. He would tell stories about his childhood before he left for basic, with his 3 brothers. There were 7 men under Miller’s Command. They were Sgt. Horvath, Pvt. Reiben, Pvt. Jackson, Pvt. Mellish, Pvt. Caparzo, Medic Wade, and Cpl. Upham. They all fought against the German resistance to save Pvt. Ryan. One metaphor that was said in the novel was â€Å"Sounds like the Midnight Limited†. This was said by Pvt. Caparzo on the boat before they landed on the beaches. He was describing the boat movement as is sailed through the water. After reading Saving Private Ryan by Max Allen Collins, I would say the overall theme of the novel is heroic. I believe the overall mood of the novel is heroic because eight men took on a mission to save one soldiers life. I would say the overall mood/tone of this novel is courage.

Comparing Prometheus Bound and Hesiods Prometheus Essay -- Comparison

Prometheus Bound and Hesiod's Prometheus    Prometheus Bound is quite different from other tragedies in that it is peopled entirely by gods. The play focuses on the story of Prometheus, and we have versions of this myth in Hesiod's famous works. There is reason to think that the author of Prometheus Bound was not only acquainted with Hesiod's version but actually drew on Hesiod directly in this play. This essay therefore aims to establish in what ways the author of Prometheus Bound seems to have drawn from Hesiod's version of myth, in what ways he has diverged from it, and what reasons he might have had for making these changes and innovations. This might therefore highlight any particular emphasis or purpose of Prometheus Bound and what its author might have been trying to get across. Though there is not space in this essay to discuss the problems of attributing this play, it must be recognised that this ambiguity of authorship and dating makes it even more difficult than usual to look at views and purposes behind the play.    We don't have any exact dates for Hesiod, but it seems that his poetic activity dates from around the last third of the 8th century BC. We find his versions of the Prometheus myth in two of his works: the Theogony at lines 521-616, and the Works and Days, at lines 42-89. The Theogony in general discusses the origin and genealogies of the gods and the events that led to the establishment of Zeus as their king. The Works and Days is quite varied in content but overall could be described as giving advice for living a life of honest industry. In the Theogony the story of Prometheus comes as a narrative interlude and aims at explaining the origins of certain institutions ... ...aces', CQ 8 (1989) 42-60 * Frazer, R. M. The Poems of Hesiod (University of Oklahoma Press, U. S. A., 1983) * Griffith, M. Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound (Cambridge, 1983) * Most, G.W., 'Hesiod's Myth of the Five (or Three or Four) Races', PCPS 43 (1997) 104-127 * Scully, J & Herington, C.J., Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound (Oxford University Press, New York 1975) * Solmsen, F. Hesiod and Aeschylus (Ithaca, New York, 1949) * Wender, D. Hesiod and Theognis (Harmondsworth, 1973) * West, M. L. Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days (Oxford, 1988) * West, M.L., 'The Prometheus Trilogy', JHS 99 (1979) 130-48 * Vellacott, P. Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound, Supplicants, Seven against Thebes, The Persians (Harmondsworth, 1961)    Endnotes 1. Herington (1986) p158-9 2. Solmsen (1949) p136 3. Solmsen (1949) p130 4. Solmsen (1949) p129

Describe the Role of Hr Professionals in Designing

Introduction This question asks to address how bullying policies and procedures are a task of HR to implement in the workplace therefore this answer will define exactly what bullying is, what policies should be in place and any recommendations for the occurrence of bullying in the workplace. Relevant case examples will be used to support the argument along with relevant referenced authors, on this topic. On concluding, how bullying can be prevented will be reflected on after stating what the future may hold for bullying in the workplace.What is bullying? Since the shift from Uni-cultural societies to multi-cultural societies in recent times, there has been a significant decrease in perceived inequalities in the workplace. However, the issue of bullying is still prominent in many organisations, (especially throughout Ireland today). Baillien et al. (2009) defines bullying as persistent negative behaviour at work in which the victim is subject to psychological, physical or sexual acts by the perpetrator and often find themselves in a position where they are unable to defend themselves.The analysis carried out found that bullying, or some form of harassment, was likely to occur out of one of three pathways: interpersonal frustrations, interpersonal conflict and intragroup level. The problem with the latter is that the culture of gossip within organisations has become a norm and hence the certain behaviours by perpetrators may often be overlooked. Although bullying is often associated with actions that people carry out, it also includes actions that individuals fail to do such as providing necessary training to a particular employee. For example, if new technology is introduced into the firm, extra training will be required. Hence, if bullying of a certain employee was occurring, this may lead to their deprivation of sufficient training which in turn will have a negative consequence for the entire firm. ) Within Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs framework, safety ne eds are crucial to all employees and the victimisation due to bullying will prevent the fulfilment of this need in the workplace. As a result, low productivity and low morale may be present within the workforce.Policies/Procedures As the question states, it is the task of the HR department to ensure the design & implementation of policies and procedures to prevent or deal with the occurrence of workplace bullying. The event hierarchy of the bullying (reference) intervention process has three levels: the prevention zone which involves policy enquiries by the target, the intervention zone which begins with an informal complaint and may lead to a formal complaint, and the failure zone where legal action is taken.In order to prevent an employee reaching the highest level and engaging in legal action, it is the responsibility of HR to assist in dealing with the problem immediate to the first complaint. Bullying/Harassment must be occurring in the workplace as opposed to personal life con flicts between workers in order for HR to manage the situation but studies carried out in this area have shown that senior level management are often weak in dealing with issues of bullying or harassment. (Baillien et al. 009) Consequently, when HR is implementing practices, they need to ensure the co-operation and comprehension of senior level managers in this area. There are three main actions HR can take in order to reduce bullying situations. Firstly the implementation of clear, concise policies needs to be carried out which state unacceptable behaviours classed as bullying or harassment and the procedures an individual may take if found subjected to this behaviour. In addition to this, a Code of Conduct should be established in order to set out training procedures for employees and management as a means of preventing 7workplace bullying.Within management training, conflict resolution and mediation skills need to be provided in order to act effectively. During the recruitment of management in an organisation, it is vital to ensure they have people management skills along with task related competence. Finally, often the most important thing HR and senior managers can do is lead by example. If policies and procedures are implemented but managers are not behaving in a way that complies entirely with these, then this could lead to adverse effects by subordinates. ExampleOne primary example of where HR failed to act on behaviour of a new employee that initially was unacceptable by the firm but resulted in unacceptable behaviour to moral society was in relation to Rob Parsons within Morgan Stanley. (Burton, 1998) Parsons was hired to achieve a growth implementation strategy as Nasr believed he was the man to do it. However, a culture of strict policies and procedures within the organisation meant that Parsons Non-compliance immediately stood out. Initially, he was not involved with bullying but was seen as a ‘lone wolf’ within the firm, significantl y seen through his inability to perform within a team.As time lapsed, HR and Parsons Management failed to confront him on his behaviour and essentially allowed the collapse of their organisational policies for him due to the fear he may leave the firm. Eventually, he was fired as a result of a bullying case that occurred at a client meeting. He had been making unacceptable critical remarks to a fellow female employee of the firm, humiliating her in front of the client. Hence, the occurrence of Parson’s psychological bullying was finally evident and may have been prevented if HR followed through with their policies with all employees including Rob Parsons.Future of Workplace Bullying Due to the increase of technology, the working environment now often extends into the realm of personal life. In effect, this may cause the enabling of workplace bullying to stretch further than the perimeter of the four walls of the organisation and in particular, social networking sites are a pr imary target for the extension of this bullying. However, since present policies and procedures focus on ‘workplace bullying’, victims may be limited to the actions they can take.With the growth in the integration of personal and work life, HR may be unable to re-address their policies to include outer work boundaries due to legal constraints. Although, conversely it may be easier to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of bullying or harassment if the behaviour extends to personal life, such as through social networking sites. Conclusion Bullying and harassment is often a topic ignored within the workplace as victims sometimes feel ashamed and managers choose not to deal with the problem. However it is the responsibility of HR to ensure these practices are implemented and abided by all, including management.Failure to do this will undoubtedly lead to extensive consequences such as reputational damage to the firm, direct costs including replacement costs and indirect costs such as low productivity. Although not a continuing case of bullying, the Morgan Stanley case briefly highlights how the failures of HR and senior management to address his unacceptable behaviour from the outset led to undesired effects, including his removal from the firm and legal action by a fellow employee. All in all, the prevention of workplace bullying can be assisted by appropriate practices carried out by HR.

Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator? Essay

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America, was the man who rose to the presidency and took the steps needed to end the situation of separation by making sure the South didn’t secede from the Union and continue to be a slave-owning population. An emancipator frees people from bondage or oppression, Lincoln’s main priority in his term in office was to re-unite the North and South, not to free the slaves. He believed that white people were superior to African-Americans and he was ‘playing politics,’ in the sense that he wanted to please the majority of the population, not the slaves he was freeing. President Lincoln did sign the Emancipation Proclamation, but that didn’t make him â€Å"the Great Emancipator.† In the end, the South was defeated, slavery was dissolved, and the United States of America lived, but President Abraham Lincoln was inaccurately labelled as the hero. While in office, Abraham Lincoln’s main objective was to re-unite the North and the South, which had seceded. Although many believed the Civil war was started to free slaves, it was mainly started so the South would become part of the Union again. If Lincoln did nothing, the Union would be permanently severed, the war was to save the Union (1). He would do anything to save the Union. In a letter in 1862, he proclaimed that everything he did with slavery and the Blacks, he did because he believed it would help save the Union (2). He lead the population to believe that the Civil war was all about the freedom of slaves. Lincoln just figured that the South would back down if there was the threat of freeing slaves (3). Abraham Lincoln could have cared less about the freedom of slaves, his goal was to get the confederacy to re-unite with the Union. Abraham Lincoln felt that African-Americans were inferior to white people. Lincoln stated the there was a distinguishing difference between white people and African-Americans in general. In the Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Lincoln presented his views on how Blacks are not equal in colour and moral or intellectual endowment (4). He often stated the African-Americans were not equal in social or political aspects. He stated his opposition to Blacks becoming voters, jurors, office holders, or intermarrying with white people (5). Lincoln felt that the Republicans were wrong in thinking the  Declaration of Independence included all men. He felt it didn’t include Blacks, therefore stating that Blacks aren’t people (6). Abraham Lincoln believed that whites were superior to African-Americans, thus they were not treated equally. Lincoln wanted to please the majority of the population, not the African-Americans he was freeing. One of Lincoln’s concerns was to keep slavery out of the territories. He wanted to preserve that land for poor white people in North and in Europe, who wanted cheap land (7). He proceeded to make a personal strategy to benefit some states. The gradual, compensated emancipation provided financial aid to any state which took that approved that idea (8). Lincoln also had ideas that he thought the bulk of the population would approve of. He persuaded a large group of Blacks to set up colonies in Panama, Haiti and Liberia (9). President Lincoln didn’t care about the slaves and their reactions and feelings towards his actions, he was playing politics and pleasing his people. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, ensuring the freedom of slaves. He issued it so that all slaves in the confederate, controlled by South, would be free (10). Blacks should have the right of life, liberty, and the pursuits of happiness (11). The Emancipation Proclamation was the first law about freeing slaves that was written down on paper. Lincoln had always verbally stated his ideas on how to free slaves, this was the first idea in ink (12). The slaves had something to finally look forward to in their lives. The Civil War filled them with high hopes for freedom and prosperity (13). Abraham Lincoln took the steps needed to encourage the possibility of freedom of slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation. However, even thought the Emancipation Proclamation was endorsed, it didn’t make him â€Å"the Great Emancipator.† Blacks within the confederacy were still slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation would not come into action for three months after it was signed (14). He only signed it as a bribe towards the South to save the Union. He confirmed that the would do anything to saved the Union, â€Å"What I do about slavery, and the coloured race, I do because I  believe it helps save the Union.† (15). He didn’t have the authoritative power to just go ahead and free the slaves. The Congress was the only group that had the power to pass and make the Emancipation Proclamation into a legitimate law (16). Lincoln’s actions may have gave hope to slaves, but it was false hope, therefore just by signing the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t make him â€Å"the Great Emancipator.† Abraham Lincoln was not â€Å"the Great Emancipator.† Throughout his time in office, he worked harder trying to re-unite the Union, rather than free the slaves. He felt that white people were superior to African-Americans and ‘played politics’ in the sense that he wanted to please the majority of the people rather than the blacks he was supposedly freeing. Lincoln did however sign the Emancipation Proclamation, ensuring the slaves in the South would become free, but it gave slaves false hope and didn’t make him â€Å"the Great Emancipator.† Lincoln may have been named the hero for the work he did in uniting the Union, but not with freeing slaves. Although I believe that President Lincoln was not â€Å"the Great Emancipator,† he was the man who rose to presidency to take on the roll of bringing the Union back together. Also, even though he didn’t actually free the slaves, eventually they were free through the steps he started to make. I think the moral of this story is just that â€Å"its better late than never† and that you should take a stand in what you believe because it could possibility turn out for the best in the future.

African American Stereotypes in the Media

Jakaya McCambry 10/02/12 African American Stereotypes in the Media When I first heard someone say, â€Å"All African American people are Ghetto,† I was very offended that someone would make this type of assumption about my culture, and I thought how ignorant this person must be; but then I stopped and wondered why other people would think this about us. I asked her why she would say something like this, and she instantly listed shows like Tosh. O and Chelsea Lately, which highlight my culture in a negative view.It was clear to me that she had made up her mind about black people through watching the media and seeing African Americans fulfill that stereotype in person. This led me to question: Where exactly do these stereotypes come from? Are African American stereotypes still apparent in the media? What shows, movies, etc have made others portray our race as â€Å"Ghetto† or other lists of stereotypes? Are there any solutions to stop African American stereotypes? When we subscribe to the belief that groups of member are expected to possess certain characteristics, we are engaging stereotypes.When these groups are evaluated based on what the perceiver believes the target ought to be, judgments are made. These judgments concerning these individuals, based on their membership in a group or judgments made about people are not particularly based on facts. Stereotypes about our race dates all the way back to slavery. The beliefs that we were dishonest, promiscuous, and violent were evident during slavery of our black race. More recently the media sets the tone for morals, values, info about our culture; leading people to believe everything they see on TV including black stereotypes.It is a fact that one out of three people are said to have more than one TV in their house, which shows that media is a source for how people form perceptions about people (Tosi 13). Perception thus becomes a reality to people, and once people perceive it, stereotyping is born . Stereotyping of African Americans in the media has stemmed from how the media has presented African Americans to the world. There is a theory by George Gerbner that states, â€Å"Individuals who frequently watch high contents of television will begin to believe that they are living in a world similar to what is portrayed on the screen (Gerbner&Gross, 1976). It is the idea that whether something is being portrayed as negative or positive on television, most people will believe it. There is a fact which says that about six percent of African Americans are seen in comedies and dramas (Tosi 14). Within that category, they are mostly illustrated as being lazy, loud, uneducated and poor. For example, in movies like The Color Purple and shows like Good Times demonstrates negative perceptions of our race. On the other hand, shows like The Cosby show and Fresh prince of Bel Aire try and broaden the viewer’s idea of a typical â€Å"black† family.These shows highlight black pe ople living a very high class, educated, wealthy lifestyle. And so, as we see, the media ultimately controls how our race as they perceived, whether it is negative or positive. Since the media has a strong influence on the people’s perceptions of each other, they are the real deciding factor on how to solve the problem of stereotyping. We could possibly find solutions by matching every negative stereotype with a positive one, so that the good and bad cancel each other out.This is just a start; we want it so that when other cultures look at us, degrading stereotypes pertaining to our race will not come to mind. I believe we as inviduals also have the power to choose not to conform to our own stereotypes. Bordewich once said, â€Å" Only by abandoning many long-held, lovingly-held, myths and fantasies; we will become able to shape a healthy rational policy for people’s whose real life s far more complex and interesting, than our persistent fantasies. † So although the entertainment in the media may be interesting, we as a culture need to lead and be as catalyst in ending these demeaning stereotypes.Stereotypes can be good or bad, but given the evidence from my research on this topic, I can conclude that most African American stereotypes are negative. The way entertainment in the media portrays us has greatly affected how others identify us. Movies and shows like; Madea’s family Reunion, Bringing down the House, Love and Hip Hop, and Basketball Wives all portray us in a degrading way. People sometimes find it comical of course, but the fact that it is comical does not justify it being debasing. This image of us has evolved from things in the media, and its’ power to shape people’s idea of us.We as a race must stop living up to our stereotypes. As soon as we take action in not succumbing to our own stereotype, people will not think we are â€Å"Ghetto† or any other undignified term they think of us; therefore in the media we won’t be perceived in that way. As Colin Powell once said, â€Å"Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission. † Although African American stereotyping is prevalent in the media now because of its’ entertaining quality; it perpetuates a cycle of harmful stereotypes.As long as this cycle continues, our culture will always be illustrated negatively. Works Cited Dixon, Travis L. â€Å"Network News And Racial Beliefs: Exploring The Connection Between National Television News Exposure And Stereotypical Perceptions Of African Americans. †Ã‚  Journal Of Communication  58. 2 (2008): 321-337. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Oct. 2012 Horton, Yurii, Eric Brown, and Raagen Price. â€Å"PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN THE FILM, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES. †Ã‚  PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN THE FILM, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES.Ethics of Development in a Global Environment (EDGE), 1 June 1999. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . Retirethechief. â€Å"Stereotypes and Symbolism: Images Can Hurt. †Ã‚  Stereotypes and Symbolism: Images Can Hurt. RetireTheChief. org, May 2003. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . Sanders, Meghan S. , and Srividya Ramasubramanian. â€Å"An Examination Of African Americans' Stereotyped Perceptions Of Fictional Media Characters. †Ã‚  Howard Journal Of Communications  23. (2012): 17-39. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Tosi, Paula. â€Å"Thinking About What We See: Using Media Literacy To Examine Images Of African Americans On Television. †Ã‚  Black History Bulletin  74. 1 (2011): 13-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Ramasubramanian, Srividya, and Mary Beth Oliver. â€Å"Activating And Suppressing Hostile And Benevolent Racism: Evidence For Comparative Media Stereotyping. †Ã‚  Media Psychology  9. 3 (2007): 623-646. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Moon J. Lee, Shannon L . Bichard, Meagan S. Irey, Heather M. Walt & Alana J.Carlson, (2009)Television Viewing and Ethnic Stereotypes: Do College Students Form Stereotypical Perceptions of Ethnic Groups as a Result of Heavy Television Consumption?. Howard Journal of Communications 20:1, pages 95-110. Bradley W. Gorham, (2006) News Media's Relationship With Stereotyping: The Linguistic Intergroup Bias in Response to Crime News. Journal of Communication 56:2, pages 289-308. C. Mo Bahk & Fred E. Jandt, (2004)  Being White in America: Development of a Scale. Howard Journal of Communications 15:1, pages 57-68. â€Å"Stereotypes In Media. †Ã‚  Stereotypes In Media. N. p. , n. d.Web. 19 Nov. 2012. . Monique Kloosterman, et al. â€Å"‘Shake It Baby, Shake It': Media Preferences, Sexual Attitudes And Gender Stereotypes Among Adolescents. †Ã‚  Sex Roles  63. 11/12 (2010): 844-859. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Hutchison, Phillip J. â€Å"Reexamining Jack Johnson, Stereotypes, A nd America's White Press, 1908–1915. †Ã‚  Howard Journal Of Communications23. 3 (2012): 215-234. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2012 Pickering, Michael. â€Å"Sex In The Sun: Racial Stereotypes And Tabloid News.   Social Semiotics  18. 3 (2008): 363-375. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Li Chen, et al. â€Å"Male Mammies: A Social-Comparison Perspective On How Exaggeratedly Overweight Media Portrayals Of Madea, Rasputia, And Big Momma Affect How Black Women Feel About Themselves. †Ã‚  Mass Communication & Society  15. 1 (2012): 115-135. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Hermes, Joke. â€Å"On Stereotypes, Media And Redressing Gendered Social Inequality. †Ã‚  Contemporary Readings In Law & Social Justice  2. 2 (2011): 181-187. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

Insider Trading: Should It Be Abolished? Essay

Insider trading is defined as â€Å" trading whilst in possession of non-public information and if known to the public, may lead to a substantial movement in a security’s price† . In Australia it is prohibited by insider trading regulation (IT regulations) in the Corporations Law (CL) 1991 , though it was initially established from recommendations made by the Rae committee in 1974 on the mining company scandals . The latest law changed one single section to 20 wide and complex sections, causing critique of Australia IT regulations . Henry G Manne argued that IT regulations should be abolished supported by three basic economic arguments. This essay will examine the pro and contra of each argument and shows that IT regulations have spoiled the notion of fairness at the expense of efficiency, despite the objective of any securities markets regulation to promote both aspects . 1. Insider trading could compensate corporate entrepreneurs . Pro and Contra This argument is supported by Carlton and Fischel who argued that the IT regulations are the same with setting government regulation of terms and conditions of employment; similar to restrict salary bonuses, stock options, vacation leave, and the others which can motivate management for their entrepreneurial skills . However their assumptions ignore the difference between the volatile share price and a certain amount of normal compensation. As argued by Easterbrook, where there is a volatile share price, the management compensation argument reverts into a â€Å"lottery-ticket argument† . Because in the volatile share price, even informed traders will hardly predict the increase or decrease of share price in the future. The high fluctuation equalizes the possibility of losing their investment and getting profit, which as called ‘compensation’. From the two extremes, It can be concluded that compensation argument can be valid if the share price is relatively stable otherwise not all insiders can get their compensation through insider trading. Director’s fiduciary duty to Shareholder However, if IT regulation were only applied for a liquid market, what is the role of fiduciary duty? In Exicom’s case fiduciary argument was established where persons who are subject to a legal relationship of trust and confidence, arising from either a prior relationship with the securities issuer (typically directors, employees and corporate agents) or the other party to trade should not make a profit from that position or allow a conflict of interest to arise. Moore supports IT regulation on the basis of fiduciary duty. He reasons that directors have some fiduciary duty to their shareholder to fully disclose all information they could benefit from. His idea is supported by the fact that although there is no general principal that directors owe fiduciary duty to shareholders (in addition to the company), with the purpose to prevent directors when in the position of holding confidential information to spread the it to outsiders , such duty in recognized in Hooker’s case . Sub Conclusion Insider trading as a compensation for corporate executive is argued only happened in a stable market where they can use the information to predict the trend otherwise the profit compensation turn to be a lottery compensation. Here fiduciary duty of the insiders is questioned where in Hooker’s case it is possible that directors owe fiduciary duty to shareholder although there is no general principal on it. 2. Insider Trading Contributes to Market Efficiency Pro from Leland and Estrada Manne argued that ‘allowing an unfettered market in information will have salutary effects unheard of in connection with regulatory â€Å"disclosure†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ . Recently, Leland and Estrada also stated similar idea that insider trading contributes to market efficiency through signaling where signal-trading by insiders pushed share price more quickly towards its equilibrium price. Pro from Empirical Measures Theory Moreover, empirical measure presents a theory; the more information gets into market, the lower transaction cost, the more liquid the market and the smaller volatility produced. Since investors get more helpful information to predict market trend, the transaction cost here is lower. Transaction cost is the cost to take the risk if the companies, which they invest in, somehow default. Thus lower transaction cost is equivalent to lower risk, which can encourage more investor to trade. As trading in the market occurs significantly in one flow (either buy or sell) based on the information they got, the volatility, which represented by the bid-ask (difference between the buy and sell quotes at any one time), decreases. Consequently liquidity increases. Evidence from Real Study In practice, Dodd and Officer found evidence that no significant abnormal returns (return of a security over its average or expected return) occurred on the day take over rumour was published, although some abnormal returns typically occurred prior to the publicity of rumour. This prior abnormal return must be because of insider trading, as the unpublished information they possess allow them to predict the trend up to takeover bid, thus, at the date of take over published, market already reached equilibrium price. Contra from Cox and Georgakopoulos and Response from Wyatt However, there are some disagreements on Manne argument. First, Cox claims that insider trading cannot make the price movement towards equilibrium price purely by their own actions . Also microstructure theory by Georgakopoulos, which states that whether support or against insider trading is depending on the market liquidity . A liquid market as discussed in the compensation arguments will give more benefit to insiders because the votality is lower and they can easily predict trend in stable price, hence, IT regulations in this case can be useful. On the other hand, illiquid market leads both insider and outsider traders away regardless the information they received since the votality is high and even unpublished information may just let them gamble on the security’s price, hence, in such market the presence of IT regulations has no effect to the market. The idea is that the uninformed traders is discourage to involve in market because of unfairness arise from the profit making activity by informed traders, hence, reducing the market effectiveness. For all that, both claims can be doubtful considering Wyatt suggestion that outsiders follow insiders action and further can encourage market liquidity . His suggestion is also supported by the fact that trader’s identity is kept confidential, thus, uninformed traders cannot be certain of the percentage of informed traders which make them discourage from trading. IT Regulation Distorts Market Efficiency Further issue is whether IT regulation increase market efficiency or it just increase the cost of compliance for companies and financial services firms? If IT regulation inhibits market efficiency then it should be revised. IT regulations in Australia reinforces continous disclosure (CD) regulations such in Crown Casino’s case where the chairman, who has no power on the company’s behalf, disclosed information to outsiders before the board disclosed it to the Exchange. The court emphasized on the breach of continous disclosure specifically on the abuse of the term ‘immediately’ . If IT regulation is just a flip-case of CD regulations, then it is obsolescent, as CD regulation already governs tardy disclosure . Sub Conclusion nsider trading contributes to market efficiency by moving the share price more quickly towards equilibrium price is supported by empirical measure which shows that insider trading increase market liquidity, and by Dodd and Officer finding on significance abnormal returns prior to take over rumour instead of on the date of publicity. Although Cox and Georgakopoulos go against the concept, Wyatt response that their arguments can be the contrary, that informed traders can be an opportunity for uninformed traders to get profit by following them instead of discourage them by unfairness. 3. Insider Trading and Long-term Investors Pro and Contra Finally, insider trading does no significant harm for long-term investors , â€Å"whose market decisions will be a function of time† . In detail, Manne asserts that the less frequent someone trades, the less significant effect of the unfair use of valuable information from insider trading they receive. Such investors just make investment on the basis that they are timely and not affected by the share price, which is affected by insider trading. However, this view is questioned by Schotland . He argued that even long-term investor needs cash and when they need it they will consider to ait for a right price to sell it. Further, Manne suggest that long term investor can ignore price to avoid being harmed by the effect of insider trading, expect for one, which is the lost of not having inside information in the range of the buying and selling price so that it is insignificant. Here Manne only refers to one investment. Yet, how about when the investors have more than one (in which the common condition to diversify)? They may need to watch a series of share price otherwise they will end up will sell it with no profit after putting so much faith waiting for it. Sub Conclusion Insider trading does no significant harm for long-term investors as they just invest on the basis of time instead of share price and only need to watch insignificant loss from the valuable information exploited by insider trading. The idea is fully objected by Schotland by arguing even long-term investors need cash and should consider the right price to sell the share. Also the insignificant loss only refers to one share, but in practice long-term investor such as retirees diversify shares by holding more than one. Conclusion In summary, the essay demonstrates a number of both pros and contras of whether insider trading should be abolished. Looking the above discussion, insider trading should be outlawed as it can cause significant harm to investors. It is also contradict with fiduciary argument. However, Insider trading is also evidenced contribute to market efficiency. Moreover, as in Crown Casino’s case, IT regulation is criticized to be a mere flip-case of CD regulation and the presence just increase the cost of compliance. Therefore, It would be better if IT regulations is revised in a way that promote both fairness and efficiency equally.

Advertising Media Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advertising Media Identification - Essay Example These include future employment of the children, and the importance and nature of social interaction, which varies significantly between the two advertisements based on gender. Gender has long been something that has been of greatest concern to advertisers and to the advertising consuming public. It is of concern to advertisers because it is an incredibly important part of identity, and advertisers need to tap into identity needs to understand how to best sell to the public. It is of great concern for the public, however, because the public wants to be able to resist advertisers having undue influence on the development of those identities. These concerns are especially prevalent in the case of advertising for children. For some time the main concern of gender advertising has been associated with the main concern for advertising for adults: body image. Children’s advertisers tended to fall into the same techniques as advertisers for adults do: portraying â€Å"limited diversi ty in physical attributes† – usually meaning body type and skin color . But an emerging trend, demonstrated by two advertisements for Lego products, traditional Lego marketed towards boys and a new line, â€Å"Lego Friends,† marketed towards girls,... Both pairs then go on to enjoy their products in varied ways. When delving beyond the superficial, however, it becomes immediately clear that these two ads are not in fact portraying similar things at all, but are rather portraying very different things in regards to the appropriate work roles of people of different gender. The voiceover in the Lego advertisement describes a heavily masculine world view, where â€Å"a man’s home is his fortress,† and the father and son pair then go on to build a house together (Lego 2011). The emphasis here is on construction, and the images support this emphasis: not only is the house always growing and getting new additions, from towers and turrets to walls, windows and propellers, but the colors and patterns involved with those additions is constantly changing and rotating, indicating a flurry of activity on the part of the builders, who are constantly innovating and changing their structure. This thus not-so-subtly implies that a pr oper occupation for male-gendered people is to build things, to be involved with construction and with that kind of physical/mental labor, and that mans nature involves constantly tinkering and innovating to construct new things. It is thus not a stretch to argue that this advertisement perpetuates jobs that require those traits as being male roles: engineers who cannot stop tinkering, construction workers, architects and so on. This advertisement clearly sets out a number of characteristics that male-identified people should possess, and then makes those correspond with jobs and hobbies that men should thus supposedly be engaging in – things that involve using their hands and their heads. While the â€Å"Lego† advertisement is somewhat subtle in its

Right to life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness Essay

Right to life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness - Essay Example 1. Introduction. This paper highlights the various groups whose rights to life, pursuit of happiness, and liberty are breached. It describes these groups and provides a solution on how to ensure their rights are not breached. Theses Statement: In United States of America who still do not enjoy the right to liberty, life and pursuit to happiness, and they are gays and lesbians, death row convicts, and immigrants (Hispanics/ Latinos/ and African Americans). 11. Gay and Lesbians. Gays and Lesbians are discriminated upon in terms of their right to liberty and pursuit of happiness. This section looks at the defense marriage act of 1996, and how it affected the rights of the gay people. This section also looks at the efforts of the civil rights groups in protecting the interests of this vulnerable group. 111. Death Row Convicts. Death Row conflicts are denied the right to live. This section looks at the case laws that established the penalty, and the constitutional requirements. It depicts the ways of ensuring that this sentence is abolished in the member states of the Federation. IV. Hispanics/ Latinos/ African Americans These groups of people are discriminated upon in terms of employment and access to social facilities such as decent housing and education. This denies them the right to pursue happiness. It identifies the various ways of solving their problems, and ensuring that they are accepted within the society. V. Opposing View Points. It identifies the viewpoints of other researchers in relation to the groups of people whose rights to life, pursuit of happiness and liberty are breached. It identifies and explains the roles of the civil rights act of 1968, and the fair housing act in protecting the rights of these vulnerable people. VI. Counter Arguments. This section highlights my opinion concerning the observations of this group of people. VII. Conclusion. This part contains a summary of the main points addressed in the essay. Introduction The declaration of independence gives out the reasons as to why the people of North America sought independence from the British. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson, and it denotes that there are certain human rights which are not negotiable, and they include the right to liberty, pursuit of happiness, and the right to life (Jefferson and Sam, 31). The document further states that it is the duty of government to protect these rights, and failure to do so, people must overthrow the same government. In defending this assertion, the thirteen states of North America formed a constitution in 1787 that guaranteed these rights to its citizens. Despite advances in this area, there are other people in United States of America who still do not enjoy the right to liberty, life and pursuit to happiness, and they are gays and lesbians, death row convicts, and immigrants (Hispanics/ Latinos/ and African Americans). Gay and Lesbians Same sex marriages has experienced a lot of debate in United States of Ame rica, with some States enacting laws in recognition to the marriage, while others do not recognize such kind of a marriage. The American constitution under article IV, section 1, denotes that the Federal government has to respect the judicial proceedings and laws of the member states of the federation. Because of this clause, the United States Federal government recognizes various marriage practices conducted by the State governments, however in 1996, the United States Congress passed the defense of marriage act (Jefferson and Sam, 35). It gave the Federal government authority not to recognize same sex marriages, even if the marriage occurred in a State whose laws permit it. On this basis therefore, this law prevents people from enjoying their rights to liberty and pursuit to