Saturday, November 30, 2019
The Top 10 Cocktails for Students -
The Top 10 Cocktails for Students Cocktails are a popular choice of beverage for students, but if you buy them in a bar, they can be very expensive. Here are our top 10 cocktails for students, so you can enjoy a drink without spending your entire student loan for the term!  Vodka and cranberry juice            You can buy budget vodka and cranberry juice is not expensive. For variety, you can add            lime, pineapple juice or grapefruit juice. Alcoholic smoothies            Choose a mix of fruits, such as banana, strawberries and blueberries. Blend with ice, milk            and vodka. Lemon Martini            Mix lemon, sugar and vodka for a cheap drink that tastes delicious! Highball            Buy some cheap ginger ale and mix with the whisky of your choice. Mojito            Refreshing and tasty, all you need to do is mix rum with mint and soda water. Black Russian            Great for after your dinner, mix vodka with coffee liquor and blend with ice. Tequila Sunrise            A tempting combination of tequila, orange juice and grenadine. Bloody Mary            Bound to tantalise the taste buds, all you have to do is mix vodka, tomato juice, pepper,            lemon juice, and Worcester sauce. Moscow Mule            A tasty mixture of vodka, lime, ginger beer and Angostura Bitters. Sex on the Beach            Always a good talking point, especially if you're flirting with that man you've had your eye            on! Mix vodka with peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice and ice. If you are keen to try out the top 10 cocktails for students, you should share the cost with your friends. Assign each person a drink or two to purchase, then put everything together when it's time to party! Don't visit off licences, go to supermarkets, where you can buy cut price versions of all the main spirits and fruit juices. Don't be afraid to experiment, you can have as much fun making cocktails as you can drinking them! Arriba!
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown
Dreading the Dark of Humanity Nathaniel Hawthorne?s ?Young Goodman Brown,? widely regarded as one of his finest works, illustrates vividly how society and culture can influence one?s sense of reality (53 ). Goodman Brown is everyman of general intelligence striving to live and achieve a better life (60 ). Faith and righteousness were daily themes in Puritan society, however when Goodman Brown faces change in his perception, the once solid foundation is washed away. The journey into the wilderness enlightens Brown to societal truths amidst his struggle within himself and against fellow men. It is a dreaded walk on the dark side of the human heart (26 ). Consuming most of Hawthorne?s tale is a test of faith. For three months Brown has been married to a young woman symbolizing his faith (60 ). She even carries this name and lets her role in the story tie to that aspect of her husband?s life. Brown calls for his wife three times as he stands before the devil at the alter. Goodman then cries, ?My Faith is gone.?(9 ) As Brown is drawn into the deepest shadows of the forest and enters the devils sacred service, Hawthorne dramatizes his feeling that once commitment to evil has been made, its purpose must prevail by securing a shelf in Goodman?s soul. There is no struggle of power to oppose it and in this tale the power is so unequal that Faith, supposedly the Devil?s antagonist, is drawn into the camp of the enemy (11 ). She appears at the service as a baptismal candidate along with Goodman, a faint insinuation that Faith has her own covenant with the Devil. This also suggests that her complicity may be prior to and deeper t han Brown?s, as Faith could?ve played a role in the path of her husband (12 ). Her possible involvement then brings on a submerged irony in the manner in which Faith comes to meet Goodman when he returns to the village, as if she had not been present in the forest. She greets him in a m... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown In 1835, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,†using analogies and historical chronologies to make the story of a young man traveling in the woods who meets up with the devil and sees the fate of the townspeople he loves and lives with. Far from a simple story, Hawthorne utilizes his own ancestry and a brilliance all of his own to teach a moral lesson to the reader and instill a sense of virtue. The story told is one of peril and fright, but the message given is one that can leave you with a positive impression and an awareness of your own self. Hawthorne’s fascination with seventeenth-century Puritan society can be attributed to his own ancestry. His great-great-great-grandfather came from England in 1630 with John Winthrop’s great migration, the first of his family line in America, and helped with the settling of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He settled first in Dorchester then later moved to Salem where his influence among the Puritan’s only grew. A close friend of Winthrop and other prominent officials in the town, William Hathorne, rose to the office of speaker in the House of Delegates and became a major in the Salem militia (Stewart, 1). He boldly defied Charles II in declining to return to England, along with Governor Bellingham, to dispute the accusation of â€Å"the colony’s persistent insubordination to royal authority†(Turner, 60). However, despite his heroic American traits, William Hathorne’s infamy lies in the prosecution of the Quakers and his brutality in hi s sentencing. Hawthorne wrote about him in â€Å"The Custom House†: The figure of the first ancestor, invested by family tradition with a dim and dusky grandeur, was present to my boyish imagination as far back as I can remember. It still haunts me, and induces a sort of home feeling with the past†¦.He was a soldier, legislator, judge; he was a ruler in the Church; he had all the Puritanic traits, both good and evil. He was lik... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†tells a tale of a young man, Goodman Brown, who takes a journey through the wilderness to define his true belief in his religious faith. Not only does Goodman Brown discover the inner evil in the holiest people he knows, but he finds out that his own wife, Faith, has turned to the devil. Hawthorne uses Faith and others to prove to people that every one has a little bit of evil and sin in them. Before Goodman Brown leaves Faith tells him that he should stay and not leave her on during the night, but he answers her back telling her it will be all right â€Å"My love and Faith.†(614) This jumpstarts the story by symbolizing that Faith is just not his wife, but shows that she is his religious faith as well. Goodman Brown refers to Faith throughout the journey in many different ways. When Goodman Brown first encounters the devil, he is asked why he is late. He replies â€Å"Faith kept me back awhile.†(614) Showing that he is not sure he really wants to proceed with the journey. In the mysterious woods, side-by-side walking with the devil Goodman Brown is very confused on continuing into the woods, but he keeps seeing holly people on the same path that he is traveling following the devil. Goodman Brown sees the first of his acutance, which shows the evil within themselves named goody Cloyse. She is encountered by brown and the devil as they are walking through the woods, the devil â€Å"pointed his staff at a female figure on the path†(616). This figure is an important figure in brown’s life. She is the same dame â€Å"who had taught his catechism, in youth and was still his moral and spiritual adviser†(616) Surprisingly, she turns around and begins a conversation with the devil. â€Å" The devil!†screamed the moral old lady. â€Å"Then goody Cloyse knows her old friends?†observed the traveler, confronting her, and leaning on his writhing stick. (616). This discussion be... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Reaction to â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†is an intriguing story that has been analyzed and debated for years. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and learned a great deal from it. I believe that this story is one of the best stories ever written. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,†a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is about a man who tests his faith and takes a journey with the devil in a dark forest. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials. Goodman Brown had an internal conflict between good and evil. Even though his wife, Faith, tried to persuade him not to go, he felt that he needed to go on this trip that night. The devil kept persuading him to walk deeper and deeper into the forest. The deeper he walked the closer he was to evil. The devil showed Brown how many of the others he knew had already been on this trip including Faith, his father, his grandfather, the town deacon, and his old catechism teacher. Goodman Brown could not believe that these people he knew as good Christians would ever do such a bad thing. He did not realize that he was just as bad by doing the same thing when he met the devil. When he returned home he shut himself off from the world, because he saw i t as ! completely evil. I liked this story because it does a great job of portraying the theme of good and evil. Young Goodman Brown failed to realize that nobody is perfect because everyone sins. According to Angie Soler, â€Å"Hawthorne intended for the reader to become aware of the depravity accompanied by sin. He intended for the reader to view the reality of sin and the terror of the human hell that was revealed to Brown.†Brown judged and condemned others for sin without looking at his own sinfulness. I know that I sometimes look at other people and judge them. Hawthorne creatively showed me that this is not the right thing to do. By rejecting all of society and isolating him... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown – From Naivety to Maturity Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown is story illustrating the moral principle of good versus evil. Hawthorne uses symbolism and irony to relay his feelings towards man’s natural appetite for evil and the battle to avoid it in ones own heart. Following these literary elements takes the reader through a dream allegory filled with religious hypocrisy. Locating and examining the two most prominent symbols throughout the story allows the reader to experience how the attempted conversion of Young Goodman Brown results in a transformation from naivety to maturity. The first use of symbolism comes in the form of the names of Young Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. Young in the name literally means that the main character is a young man. Hawthorne textually declares this when he writes’ â€Å"†¦young Goodman Brown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg104). Goodman in the name symbolizes that he is a spiritual and good person. With Brown being such a common last name, it symbolizes that Goodman could be anyone or everyone. The name Faith has a dual symbolic meaning. It literally means religious faith and also represents Goodman Brown’s personal faith and religious convictions. This is apparent when Brown states, â€Å"My love and my Faith of all the nights in this year, this one night must I tarry from thee†(pg104). Here, Goodman Brown is referring to leaving his wife and his faith in God. Initially, Faith also represents youth as identified when Goodman Brown, â€Å"†¦put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to ex change a parting kiss with his young wife†(pg104). Though not understood until latter, it is this idea of a young good wife that reveals that Goodman’s initial state of naivety. Goodman is asked by his wife to stay home and not go on the journey. He thinks that she does not know about his journey to meet with the devil and thinks, â€Å"Methought as she spoke there... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Bewilderment In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,†the main character, goodman Brown, undergoes a form of initiation. This initiation is brought forth by an elder dark figure. This figure, who actually is the devil, meets goodman Brown in the forest late in the evening. The devil leads goodman Brown deep into the forest where he encounters the biggest shock of his life. However, this trauma is too much for young goodman Brown, and it changes his life dramatically. After his experience in the woods, young goodman Brown is a changed man, and his new knowledge causes him to separate himself from the rest of the society. When goodman Brown separates himself from his society, he lives a life without friends because he fears being corrupted by everyone. Goodman Brown goes into the forest a young man who has been married for only three months to his love, Faith. Being young and unable to understand the complexity of human nature, goodman Brown saw people as either sinners or saints, there was no in between for him. In Puritan times, to go into the forest at night was unholy and sacrilegious. In order for goodman Brown to go into the forest, he must leave behind his wife, his faith, his religion, and his community; and for what, his curiosity. Once in the forest, the devil leads goodman Brown along a winding path in which goodman Brown begins to encounter his initiation. He comes across first goody Cloyse, who was the one that taught him his catechism. Goodman Brown wants to avoid any confrontation with goody Cloyse, so he cuts through the woods while the devil sticks to the path. It is when the devil approaches goody Cloyse that goodman Brown realizes that she is a follower of the devil, and good acquaintance. After this shock, goodman Brown refuses to proceed any further; however, the devil tries to convince him by saying, â€Å"‘You will think better of this, by-and-by’†(1239). Not wanting to press... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown – From Naivety to Maturity Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown is story illustrating the moral principle of good versus evil. Hawthorne uses symbolism and irony to relay his feelings towards man’s natural appetite for evil and the battle to avoid it in ones own heart. Following these literary elements takes the reader through a dream allegory filled with religious hypocrisy. Locating and examining the two most prominent symbols throughout the story allows the reader to experience how the attempted conversion of Young Goodman Brown results in a transformation from naivety to maturity. The first use of symbolism comes in the form of the names of Young Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. Young in the name literally means that the main character is a young man. Hawthorne textually declares this when he writes’ â€Å"†¦young Goodman Brown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg104). Goodman in the name symbolizes that he is a spiritual and good person. With Brown being such a common last name, it symbolizes that Goodman could be anyone or everyone. The name Faith has a dual symbolic meaning. It literally means religious faith and also represents Goodman Brown’s personal faith and religious convictions. This is apparent when Brown states, â€Å"My love and my Faith of all the nights in this year, this one night must I tarry from thee†(pg104). Here, Goodman Brown is referring to leaving his wife and his faith in God. Initially, Faith also represents youth as identified when Goodman Brown, â€Å"†¦put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to ex change a parting kiss with his young wife†(pg104). Though not understood until latter, it is this idea of a young good wife that reveals that Goodman’s initial state of naivety. Goodman is asked by his wife to stay home and not go on the journey. He thinks that she does not know about his journey to meet with the devil and thinks, â€Å"Methought as she spoke there... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Use Your Illusion In this time and age, people have become accustomed to disappointment and disillusionment from the figures that instill purpose and values into their lives. Be it Clinton’s parade of sex, lies and who knows maybe videotape to priests who enjoy the inappropriate company of young boys. People are jaded. This is not true of Nathaniel Hawthorn’s time. The people of that era had absolute faith and trust in their public figures. This sentiment increased exponentially when speaking of the clergy or church-related officials. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, Hawthorne looks at one man’s decent into the murky woods of doubt and illusion of uprightness. In the story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, Hawthorne shows a man who questions the backbone, which his community is assumedly built upon. As the story begins, Goodman Brown, a Puritan, is leaving his house around sunset. His wife, Faith, is trying to persuade him to depart at sunrise instead. His journey is to take him away for the night and he is to return at sunrise. He has a feeling of guilt for leaving her alone after being married to her for a mere three months, but he justifies his journey by swearing that after this night, he will â€Å"cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven†(164). Brown’s wife Faith symbolizes his real faith in God and his journey into the darkness of the Salem woods is a symbol of evil and question of faith. Goodman Brown is about to begin his struggle between the evil temptations of the devil, and the church abiding life he knows as reality. He will challenge his faith in himself and the community in which he resides. He must venture into the local forest where puritans believe the devil resides, refuse the temptations of the devil, and return to the village before sunrise. After going into the woods and testing his faith, Goodman Brown sees his community as it truly is instead of the illusion he once knew as reality. Although... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown The Irony and Symbolism of Young Goodman Brown In Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many different symbols and ironic happenings throughout the story. The author’s use of names and his idea of no one being perfect are portrayed extremely well. The main character, Young Goodman Brown, goes from one extreme to the other. In the beginning of the story, he believes everyone is good-natured and by the end, his views have changed drastically. It is unknown as to whether or not Brown is dreaming throughout the story or if it is actually reality. The symbolism and irony of this short story is very prevalent Hawthorne created the main characters name, Young Goodman Brown, to be symbolic as well as ironic. Young refers to his naivety. He is naà ¯ve because he goes to meet the Devil, not really knowing what he was getting himself into. The use of the name Goodman was ironic in the sense that he is not actually a good man because obviously he is intrigued by the Devil, since he goes to meet with the wicked one. Another name is Goody Cloyse, a Christian woman, who Brown notices while in the woods with the Devil. Brown departs with the Devil so she does not see him associating with the evil one. To Brown’s surprise, Goody Cloyse speaks to the Devil and he realizes she is well acquainted with him, meaning Goody Cloyse is not so good after all. Faith, Brown’s wife, is part of the irony of the story. She did not want her husband to leave, because she did not want the Devil to get his grasps on to her beloved husband. Brown thinks she does not want him to leave because she thinks he might commit the act of adultery while he is away. She is trying to protect him since she knows what it is like to be a part of the evilness of the community. This shows she has no faith in her husband concerning his faith in God. This is one of the reasons it is ironic her name is Faith. In the beginning of the story, the author describes ... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Nathaniel Hawthorn was born into a Puritan family in 1804. Because of this many of his novels contained topics on ethical problems of sin, punishment, and atonement. His stories were all based in the seventeenth century when many things were happening to the puritan’s. Hawthorn’s story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, is a prime example of this, where the story’s setting is in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trails. The reader sees many decisions being made by Brown that will reflect the rest of his life. These decisions can be seen through the theme, symbolism, and irony that takes place throughout the story. The theme of Nathaniel Hawthorn‘s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,†is that everyone faces the conflicts of good and evil during their lives. The journey through this time of conflict becomes very difficult for Brown because of his inner desires pulling him in different directions. The first inner desire that he must face, is the desire to become a witch. The readers see this in the first of the story when Young Goodman Brown sets out on his own at night. The journey is one that can only be made at night for the Puritan’s did not go out at night because they labeled all who did as a witch. The story shows this main reason in the eight paragraph when it says, â€Å"With this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose.†(Page 317, line 25-26) Then the reader sees this decision change to good later in the story when he meets the devil in the woods and decides to turn back home before goi ng any further into the woods. As seen when Goodman Brown says, â€Å"Friend! Said the other, in exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, â€Å"having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples touching the matter thou wot’st of.††(Page 318, line 25-27) This battles of ones sou... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown The short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. The story was written and published in 1837 in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Twice Told Tales†shortly after Hawthorne’s graduation from Bowdoin College in Maine. Hawthorne’s main influences stem out of the New England Puritan culture. The Salem Witchcraft Trials and his puritan family background all shine through in his creation of this short story. One of his forefathers, Judge Hathorne actually presided over the Witchcraft Trials in 1692. (Note the change in spelling of the last name to help clear his name from the witchcraft incidences) According to my research, several of Hawthorne’s works deal directly with issues such as good vs. evil, alienation and isolation, and in Young Goodman Brown spiritual growth and pride. This story involves a young man’s journey into vast, unknown, uncharted back woods in Salem, Massachusetts. A place where it would be difficult to convince many people of that time to travel, but this is no vacation for Goodman Brown. It is a spiritual journey that he must embark upon to clear his spiritual conscience, and confirm his â€Å"Faith†. Hawthorne shows his belief that evil exists in everyone, and we all battle within to find that gracious faith in God. Goodman Brown even questions his companion on his journey through the woods by saying, â€Å"Can this be so! Howbeit, I have nothing to do with the governor and council; they have their own ways, and are no rule for a simple husband like me.†(p. 504) This quote begins to show Goodman Brown’s conversion from naivety to enlightenment into the evil ways of different men in his community. In the end, Hawthorne purely intends for his reader to take awareness into the evil ways of society, and to use that awareness to better deal with future situations. Isolation and complete rejection of all people who have... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Allegorical Symbolism in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†An allegory is a narrative in which tangible items or characters symbolize abstract concepts and hold a greater significance than what appears on the surface (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 2000). The short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,†written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a great example of an allegorical story as it is filled with many symbolic elements. This paper will examine some of the symbols found within this narrative and decipher their possible meanings. More specifically, it will look at the characters Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith, the pink ribbons, and the forest and argue that although they are to be taken in a literal sense, their most important meaning lies in what they are meant to represent. The character Young Goodman Brown is a central symbol in this tale. At first, as Erisman states, the name Young Goodman Brown may come across as a standard name for a man of the seventeenth century, but, upon closer investigation, it soon becomes evident that it stands for much more (124). For instance, the name â€Å"Goodman†indicates that Brown is, in fact, a good person with the moral characteristics of a devout Christian (124). In addition, the title â€Å"Young†is used as an allusion to his virtue as it signifies that he is faultless and pure (124). However, as soon as Brown ventures into the forest and converses with the elderly traveller (a representation of the devil), he loses the †Young†and is only referred to as Goodman Brown. It is as if, at this point, he loses everything in him that is decent and good. What's more, Miller asserts, â€Å"Brown†is a very common last name (240) and is used, according to Levy, to suggest that Brown is a representative of â€Å"everyman†(146). In this sense, he seems to characterize anybody who is being persuaded to commit sin or to step outside of the norm (146). Therefore, Young Goodm... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown The Young in "Young Goodman Brown" When reading Hawthorn’s "Young Goodman Brown", one can note why his main character was ironically nicknamed young good man Brown. " The story is all three: a dream vision, a conventional allegory, and finally an inquiry into the problem of faith that undermines the assumptions upon which the allegory is based."(Bloom, 115) Although Hawthorn tries to confuse the reader with his dreamy allegories, Brown still emerges with one main flaw. Brown’s words, actions, and thoughts are remarkably similar to a child’s. The short story was written in Hawthorn’s early years, which leads one to wonder about his intent. Was he trying to relay a point he had just learned? Struggling to be come a man, Brown learns that there is a darkness in everyone. Every man battles with change from childhood to manhood. "Faith Brown, the wife of three months, is simply "Faith," and Brown is Everyman." (Bloom 117) Many cultures consider marriage as the last step to become an adult. Unfortunately, Brown has many more things to learn. "Initially, he is a naà ¯ve and immature young man who fails to understand the gravity of the step he has taken. Somewhere along his life, Brown has agreed to sell his soul to the devil. Nativity blinds Brown from seeing the severity of his actions. He does not realize that everyone has sin in their lives and there is no reason to sell his soul. Like most children Brown sees his related elders as perfect people. "Brown’s grandfather, as Daniel Hoffman suspects, has had illicit relations with Goody Cloyse. This is the same grandfather who sadistically enjoyed, as the devil tells Brown, having lashed a half-naked "Quaker woman so smartly through the streets." Brown’s father vented his sexual rage in the violent destruction of an Indian Village during King Philip’s War." (Frank, 223) From this passage it is easy to see that his relatives were far from sin. Brown’s amazement of the ... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Dreading the Dark of Humanity Nathaniel Hawthorne?s ?Young Goodman Brown,? widely regarded as one of his finest works, illustrates vividly how society and culture can influence one?s sense of reality (53 ). Goodman Brown is everyman of general intelligence striving to live and achieve a better life (60 ). Faith and righteousness were daily themes in Puritan society, however when Goodman Brown faces change in his perception, the once solid foundation is washed away. The journey into the wilderness enlightens Brown to societal truths amidst his struggle within himself and against fellow men. It is a dreaded walk on the dark side of the human heart (26 ). Consuming most of Hawthorne?s tale is a test of faith. For three months Brown has been married to a young woman symbolizing his faith (60 ). She even carries this name and lets her role in the story tie to that aspect of her husband?s life. Brown calls for his wife three times as he stands before the devil at the alter. Goodman then cries, ?My Faith is gone.?(9 ) As Brown is drawn into the deepest shadows of the forest and enters the devils sacred service, Hawthorne dramatizes his feeling that once commitment to evil has been made, its purpose must prevail by securing a shelf in Goodman?s soul. There is no struggle of power to oppose it and in this tale the power is so unequal that Faith, supposedly the Devil?s antagonist, is drawn into the camp of the enemy (11 ). She appears at the service as a baptismal candidate along with Goodman, a faint insinuation that Faith has her own covenant with the Devil. This also suggests that her complicity may be prior to and deeper t han Brown?s, as Faith could?ve played a role in the path of her husband (12 ). Her possible involvement then brings on a submerged irony in the manner in which Faith comes to meet Goodman when he returns to the village, as if she had not been present in the forest. She greets him in a m... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown In the story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brownâ€Å", there is a distinct presence of good and evil and how a man who represents the world handles them. The paths he takes, and the consequences for his actions are shown in detail as to how they relate to the world today. Also, people can use Goodman Brown=s story as a guide to keeping your faith in God, and if tested to have a strong enough shield to withstand evil and all other outside influences that will occur in life. Another strong emphasis that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†are symbols such as his wife, Faith, the ribbons, and the man he walks with. Also, all the people at the alter are used as symbols in this story by Hawthorne. Goodman Brown starts the story as a good Christian man with strong faith, but something is calling him to take a journey not knowing the reason why. This something is what will eventually test and may even conquer his faith in the end. I felt as if Goodman Brown is le aving his wife, his faith, and his home. His faith is being tested, which has never been tested before, because in the story his home and wife is the perfect place in which his faith was never tested nor questioned. I also feel that all the experiences he goes through on his journey symbolize every human being. I say this because his experiences match the fears of every human being that does not want their faith to be tested or has never had it tested. When Goodman Brown meets up with the man on which he took the journey with, the man symbolizes the devil. This can also be interpreted that evil comes in all different forms and you can be unaware of it just as Goodman Brown was. Also, in the story, Goodman Brown feels that the path he is taking is the wrong one and he mentions that numerous times to himself and to the man, but kept walking along the path of the wicked, as the man guided him, he kept throwing away his faith and his love of Christ with every step he took... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown Many fiction stories are based on truthful experiences or on the views of the author on a certain topic. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts during the early eighteen hundreds. Hawthorne also grew up with all the influences of the Puritan religion and the culture and education that comes along with it. All of these pieces of information are common in the settings and topics of most of Hawthorne’s works. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†is a story about a man who was just married to his wife, Faith. Through his actions, you can see that it must have been very hard to live during this time because of the rigidity New England puritan society. It was hard for Goodman to be able to tell the difference between reality and dreams. Hawthorne shows us the great importance of our faith in God, our family and friends, and at length, ourselves. The plight of Goodman Brown indicates that without our à ¢â‚¬Å"faith†we are unable to live life to the fullest possible extent. Faith is our key to happiness. The moment he leaves for his encounter with the devil he leaves as a man of faith. When it’s all said and done, he journeys back from that walk through the woods as a changed man. â€Å"Much like the ‘journey’ in which Brown placed so much significance, the fact that further doubt was now placed upon new members of the church would cause later problems in Puritan society and Salem itself†(Trimmer 1). When Goodman comes back he can no longer look at his wife, or anyone else for that matter, with the same faith he had before. The devil’s influence eventually leads Goodman Brown to the Devil’s ceremony, which destroys his faith in his fellow man, disrupting the happiness he once had. In the beginning of his trip into the woods he reassures himself of his love for his wife and his faith in his religion but, throughout the journey, Goodman demon...
Friday, November 22, 2019
Analysis of a Women’s Quota in India
Analysis of a Womens Quota in India INTRODUCTION OF WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL The question of a women’s quota in India is distinct from any other nation because the Constitution of India has already provided for quotas for the ‘Scheduled Castes’ (SCs) formerly untouchable castes in the Hindu community and the ‘Scheduled Tribes’ (STs). It has provisions for similar measures for the socially and educationally backward classes now termed as the ‘Other Backward Classes’ (OBCs). These quotas are for admissions to educational institutions, public sector employment and political representation. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments provided for 33% quotas for women’s representation in the local self-government institutions. These Amendments were implemented in 1993. They were enacted without any pressure or persistent demand from women or any other section. Prior to these Amendments the State of Karnataka had introduced 25% women’s quota in Panchayati Ra j Institutions.1 First elections after the implementation of quotas were held in 1987 (Jain 1996). Later, State of Maharashtra passed a law providing for 30% reservation of seats for women in rural as well as urban local self-government institutions. It is curious that, in spite of over 1,000,000 elected women representatives flooding the local governments; the women’s movement in India was totally silent over this issue till 1996. The smooth passage of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments encouraged all major national political parties to commit themselves to extending 33% women’s quota to state legislatures and Parliament. The 81st Constitutional Amendment Bill, popularly known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, was introduced in the Parliament in 1996 to that effect. The women’s movement had no role in bringing about this Bill. It did offer some inputs in the Committee hearings but it became vocal and visible on this issue only after its first deb acle in eleventh Lok Sabha. Even then, this visibility was in the form of demonstrations and sit-ins in front of the Parliament and not by way of proactive intervention in the electoral process by supporting women candidates or recruiting movement’s spokespersons in elective roles on various levels. OBJECTIVES OF WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL The proposer of the policy of reservation state that although equality of the sexes is enshrined in the Constitution, it is not the reality. Therefore, forceful affirmative action is required to improve the condition of women. Also, there is evidence that political reservation has increased redistribution of resources in favour of the groups which benefit from reservation. A study about the effect of reservation for women in panchayats shows that women elected under the reservation policy invest more in the public goods closely linked to women’s concerns. In 2008, commissioned by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, reveals that a si zeable proportion of women representatives perceive an enhancement in their self-esteem, confidence and decision-making ability. Some opponents argue that separate constituencies for women would not only narrow their outlook but lead to perpetuation of unequal status because they would be seen as not competing on merit. For instance, in the Constituent Assembly, Mrs Renuka Ray argued against reserving seats for women: â€Å"When there is reservation of seats for women, the question of their consideration for general seats, however competent they may be, does not usually arise. We feel that women will get more chances if the consideration is of ability alone.†12 Opponents also contend that reservation would not lead to political empowerment of women because:
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Code of Ethics as a Leader Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Code of Ethics as a Leader - Coursework Example It is therefore upon my shoulders as the leader of the organization, to ensure that they stray as little as possible or prevent their straying from their sworn ethics code. The Code of Ethics that I developed directly addresses the issues of the senior resident's right to privacy and protection of their private information because I specifically stated in the manual that the caregivers shall be held liable for any and all proven violations of the resident-caregiver privacy agreement as set forth in the Code of Ethics that they signed. The use of the CCTV camera on the premises is a solution that I felt would solve the problem of senior abuse and privacy violation because the caregivers on my payroll know that they are constantly being watched and therefore, must adhere to the code at all times. They know that they will have to justify any violations that they shall be questioned about once it is caught on tape. As far as I am concerned, the CCTV solution ensures that there shall be n o violations of the Code of Ethics and the caregivers will never try to abuse their authority nor steal vital personal information because they know they cannot get away with it and they will be held liable for any and all their actions pertaining to the violations concerned. I firmly believe that in order to me to become an effective leader, I must lead by example. This means that I should become the living embodiment of our company Code of Ethics. I should always strive to be faultless as a leader and treat all the residents and their family members with the utmost of respect while also showing the employees that they are a tremendously valuable asset to the company by treating them with respect and equality with my position whenever possible. As the leader of the company, it is my job to make sure that they do their job right every time. The video footage will help me spot the errors in the employee actions and allow me to have an opportunity to call them in for a discussion of t he problem so that I can also show them an example of how I would do the job, allowing them to voice their opinion in the process and defend their actions without taking it out on their resident wards. I realize that I am creating a tall order for me to adhere to but the fact is that the employees who think about straying from the Code of Ethics normally thinks twice about doing so or regrets having done so once they see their leader adhering to the code regardless of the difficulty certain situations pose for him. It is going to be very important for me to create a happy work team at the residence because happy employees will treat their patients in the proper manner. Therefore, I must do my best to keep up their morale while on the job. This won't be so hard to do. It could be as simple as just giving them a free lunch once in a while or offering incentives to model employees at the end of every fiscal year. More importantly, I must ingrain the company Code of Ethics until it beco mes a mantra to them that they eventually work into their everyday lives out of the office simply because, it is the right thing to do. I plan to do this by holding seminars pertaining to various topics concerning patient rights and resident treatment. By keeping the employees abreast of the latest trends in senior citizen care so that they will constantly grow as a caregiver and understand the continuously changing demands of their
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
How can a company pursue sustainable development in order to Dissertation
How can a company pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to excellence competitive edge and financial position - Dissertation Example How can a company pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to excellence competitive edge and financial position? This research explores how companies can support sustainable development to improve their competitiveness in the light of the lessons from Toyota. This study mainly relies on secondary data to gather qualitative as well as quantitative data in order for meeting the research objectives. The findings indicate that Toyota strongly supports the concept of sustainable development to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. The sustainable business operations have greatly benefited the TMC to improve its competitive edge and strengthen its financial position. Toyota has been successful in making their customers aware of the company’s environmental sustainability efforts. The organisation increasingly relies on sustainability reports and social networking sites to communicate its sustainability initiatives to the company stakeholders. The emergence of globalisation eliminated international trade barriers and thus intensified cross border flow of capital, labour, ideas, and cultures. Evidently, globalisation and the resulted fast industrial expansion contributed to various issues like global warming, climate change, water pollution, and increased energy consumption, which in turn pose potential threats to the long term sustainability of the environment today. There has also been a notable increase in the population growth over the last two decades, and that worsened the condition. Researches indicate that world’s current non-conventional energy sources will be consumed out if people and organisations continue to consume the energy at the current rate. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the use of conventional energy sources, maintain water quality, and take other environmental actions to meet the needs of future generations. However companies like Toyota have adopted the concept of sustainable development t o drive environment-conscious growth and thereby enjoy wider market acceptance. TMC encourages and establishes innovative technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of its business operations and inspires local communities to support the company’s environmental efforts. In this context, it is relevant to explore how a company can pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to the competitive edge and financial position. 3. Literature review 3.1 A brief overview of Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the world’s leading automobile manufacturer headquartered in Japan. The organisation was founded on 28th August 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda. As of 2010 Toyota employed 300,734 people worldwide to run its business and the company was rated as the largest automobile manufacturer in the world by means of production (Toyota: CSR & Sustainability News). TMC is a part of the Toyota Group and currently the organisation has presence in almost all countries across t he globe. Since its foundation, the organisation has been particularly focusing on quality because the management believes that quality is the key to brand loyalty. In order to ensure improved product quality, the organisations has developed extensive production line strategies which can make sure that production and assembly processes are in line with accepted industry standards. According to reports, one of
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay Example for Free
Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay Register for this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/0262-1711. htm Managing diversity using a strategic planned change approach Earnest Friday Management in the College of Business Administration, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA, and Managing diversity 863 Received October 2002 Revised February 2003 Accepted February 2003 Shawnta S. Friday School of Business and Industry at Florida AM University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA Keywords Diversity management, Strategic management, Change management Abstract Many organizations have implemented various types of initiatives within the last few decades in an effort to deal with diversity. A possible missing vinculum (link) between how an organization deals with diversity and its impact on the bottomline is a corporate diversity strategy that is executed using a planned change approach to systemically manage diversity. While many organizations have implemented a corporate diversity strategy, most have not used a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy†. The lack of a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy†is quite likely to inhibit managing diversity from becoming systemic to an organization’s culture and its way of doing business, thus tending to disallow the potential bene? ts of diversity to be maximized. Hence, this paper offers a framework for using a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy†to: progress along the â€Å"diversity continuum†starting with acknowledging to valuing, and ultimately to managing diversity; and systemically managing diversity using a eight-step â€Å"managing diversity process†. Introduction Over the past few decades, academicians, practitioners and organizational researchers have recognized that diversity is a phenomenon that has a wide array of affects within the workplace, and society in general (Koonce, 2001; Stark, 2001; Williams and O’Reilly, 1997). In this paper, diversity refers to any attribute that happens to be salient to an individual that makes him/her perceive that he/she is different from another individual (Williams and O’Reilly, 1997). Some widely accepted differentiating attributes include racioethnicity (which encompasses race and ethnicity), gender, nationality, religion, functional expertise, and age. Even though racioethnic and gender diversity tend to receive the majority of the attention in the organizational diversity literature (Stark, 2001; Williams and O’Reilly, 1997), this de? ition allows for the frameworks offered to be applied to any type of organizational diversity salient to members. Diversity programs have been implemented in many multinational organizations, primarily, in an effort to improve working relationships Journal of Management Development Vol. 22 No. 10, 2003 pp. 863-880 q MCB UP Limited 0262-1711 DOI 10. 1108/02621710310505467 JMD 22,10 864 between white males, whose relative numbers continue to decrease, and demographically different individuals, whose numbers continue to increase in the workplace (Friedman and DiTomaso, 1996). While many multinational organizations have a corporate diversity strategy, most have not implemented it using the suggested planned changed approach posited in this paper. Given the intensifying â€Å"war for talent†in today’s competitive, global business environment, it is imperative that the execution and evaluation of a corporate diversity strategy use a planned changed approach to not only acknowledge and value diversity, but to also systemically manage and inculcate diversity into an organization’s corporate culture. This type of approach can contribute immensely to an organization’s ability to use all of its human capital as a strategic means to gain and maintain a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic, global marketplace (Richard, 2000). It has been purported that if diversity can be effectively managed in an organization, some potential bene? ts to the organization include greater creativity and innovation, and improved decision-making (Cox, 1991). Conversely, if diversity is not managed effectively, some potential major costs to the organization include, at a minimum, breakdowns in communication, interpersonal con? ict, and higher turnover (Cox, 1991). While there may not be much empirical evidence to substantiate claims that effectively managed diversity directly leads to bottomline increases (Chatman et al. , 1998; Richard, 2000; Stark, 2001), there is real-world evidence (e. g. Coca-Cola, Denny’s, Publix, and Texaco settlements) to suggest that not effectively managing gender and racioethnic diversity has been, and can be, detrimental to organizations and their bottomlines. Thus, it is a logical extrapolation that an organization’s ability or inability to create a culture in which diversity is systemically acknowledged, valued, and effectively managed is more likely to determine the affects diversity will have on it’s bottomline. Many organizations have implemented various diversity initiatives as a part of their corporate diversity strategy (Koonce, 2001), but most have not used a planned change approach to strategically align their initiatives with their long-term objectives and strategic positioning. It is highly probable that this lack of planned strategic alignment contributes immensely to the purported ineffectiveness of many diversity initiatives (Stark, 2001). Consequently, an organization that seeks to maximize the potential bene? s of diversity should devise a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy†prior to implementing diversity initiatives. The purpose of the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is to align the organization’s diversity initiatives (designed to manage diversity) with the organization’s strategic goals, and ultimately make managing diversity an integral part of the organization’s culture. An aligned planned change-corporate diversity st rategy will contribute immensely to the long-term effectiveness of diversity initiatives aimed at better managing all of he organization’s human resources. This is especially signi? cant for organizations with a highly diversi? ed workforce. With a planned change-corporate diversity strategy, diversity initiatives are aligned with organizational policies, procedures, and systems. Such alignment is desired to systemically reinforce an organizational culture that encourages the effective management of all employees in order to garner diversity’s purported bene? ts, including the end goal of increasing the bottomline. Thus, frameworks are presented for using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy to: advance from the initial passive states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the ? nal active state of managing diversity on the â€Å"diversity continuum†; and systemically manage diversity using the speci? c eight-step â€Å"managing diversity process†. The diversity continuum and the planned change approach Valuing diversity and managing diversity as distinct phenomena Over the last few decades, a myriad of articles have been written on the subjects of valuing diversity and managing diversity (Wanguri, 1996). In some cases, valuing diversity and managing diversity have been considered, and sometimes used, interchangeable when, in fact, they are two different phenomena (Jenner, 1994). By the very nature of their de? nitions, valuing and managing diversity are distinctly different. Valuing refers to the relative worth, importance, or signi? cance of something, whereas managing refers to taking charge or coordinating and supervising situations. Given these de? nitions, valuing diversity should be considered a more passive phenomenon, where importance or signi? ance is given to individuals’ differences, which does not automatically lead to visible actions or reactions on the part of the individuals valuing the diversity or differences. Managing diversity, on the other hand, should be considered an active phenomenon, which involves supervising or coordinating and directing the diversity or differences individuals bring to the organization to ensure the organization’s strategic go als are being fully and effectively met. In other words, it refers to successfully organizing the organizational inputs of individuals with diverse backgrounds. This de? nition is consistent with the managing diversity de? nition given by Thomas’ (1991): â€Å"a ‘way of thinking’ toward the objective of creating an environment that will enable all employees to reach their full potential in pursuit of organizational objectives†. The diversity continuum As a result of the confusion in the literature between the two phenomena, valuing diversity and managing diversity, it is not dif? cult to understand why consensus does not exist on the claims of bottomline bene? s as a result of the attempts organizations have made to value and/or manage diversity. In addition to the confusion, lack of consensus could also be a function of the Managing diversity 865 JMD 22,10 866 complexity of the diversity concept in the organizational context. Given the complexity of diversity within an organizational setting, it is possible that perceiving it in terms of a set of three elements that delineates what to do with diversity may serve t o simplify or clarify the confusion in the diversity literature. Therefore, a diversity continuum is offered to guide researchers and practitioners in moving from the more passive states of acknowledging diversity and valuing diversity, on through to the more active state of managing diversity. As individuals ? nd themselves in situations with diverse individuals, they are likely to take one of two courses of action: avoid dealing with the diversity, or recognize that the diversity exists. In the case where individuals avoid diversity, they do not face the fact that diversity is an issue. It is likely that these individuals do not accept the idea that they are likely to be biased in their interactions with others that they perceive to be different from themselves. Although avoiding diversity is viewed as a possible response to diversity, it is not included in the diversity continuum. The diversity continuum is based on the assumption that individuals take the second course of action and recognize diversity. Once diversity is recognized, as previously stated, the diversity continuum serves as a framework to delineate the three potential states of dealing with diversity: acknowledging, valuing, and managing diversity. The three sequential components of the diversity continuum are: acknowledging diversity; valuing diversity; and managing diversity (see Figure 1). Acknowledging diversity, the ? rst component, refers to recognizing the existence of diversity or the individual differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. In order for individuals to truly acknowledge diversity, they must be exposed to it, experience it, acquire knowledge about it, and they must develop an understanding of diversity. The second component of the diversity continuum is valuing diversity. Valuing diversity, as de? ed above, refers to the signi? cance or importance being given to the diversity or differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. Having an appreciation for, as well as respect for, the differences that diverse individuals bring with them to the work setting can lead to the last component. The last component of the diversity continuum is managing diversity. As stated above, m anaging diversity refers to the planning, organizing, leading of individuals with differences or diversity in a particular setting, such that their inputs are used to accomplish the organization’s strategic goals. Even in racioethnically homogeneous organizational settings, organizations make large investments to ensure an appropriate organizational culture is fostered. An appropriate organizational culture is desirous, such that individuals are systemically managed to perform and accomplish its goals, not just hoping that their performance will somehow lead to the accomplishment of the organizations’ desired goals. Thus, similar systemic efforts are necessary in order to manage Managing diversity 867 Figure 1. The strategic management process emographically diverse individuals such that the organization can gain the maximum synergistic bene? ts from their contributions as well. The planned change approach Rather than being reactive and waiting for a â€Å"diversity crisis†to take place before a change is made (i. e. Coca-Cola, Denny’s, Publix, and Texaco settlements), an organization should be proactive in systemically Managing Diversity. Hence, an organization and its m embers should make the necessary changes to proactively move from just settling for the ? rst stage of acknowledging diversity to the ? al stage of managing diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model is offered as the theoretical framework to proactively and systemically facilitate the management of diversity in organizations. This planned change model is based on the premise that the organizational forces propelling change must subdue the forces resisting change for highly effective change to occur. Therefore, it is posited in this paper that the Lewin-Schein change model is a framework that can assist organizations and individuals in moving through the sequential elements of the diversity continuum. It is also posited that this model can be applicable at JMD 22,10 868 both the organizational and individual level for managing diversity. While Allen and Montgomery (2001) offered the Lewin-Schein change model as a framework for creating diversity, the model is offered in this paper as a framework for Managing Diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model involves three stages: unfreezing, change (moving), and refreezing (Lewin, 1951; Schein, 1992). For the organization or individual to experience successful change, the three stages need to be addressed in succession. Unfreezing using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy In the unfreezing stage, the organization’s or individual’s present culture (which includes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors) toward diversity, needs to be unfrozen. This means there needs to be enough motivation within the organization or individual to want to change from its present state to the new desired state. Thus, in moving from one end of the diversity continuum to the other end, with managing diversity being the desired outcome, management must desire that its members move from just acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. As presented previously, managing diversity refers to systemically organizing and directing the inputs of all organizational members (including diverse individuals) to ensure the organization’s strategic goals are met. Likewise, the individual must want to move from just acknowledging and/or valuing diversity to the ? nal phase of managing diversity. At the individual level, this movement involves governing one’s actions toward diverse individuals in a way that allows for healthy, productive interaction with those diverse others. Therefore, to unfreeze the organization’s culture and its members’ current state of mind toward diversity, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised and aligned with the organization’s strategic positioning to reduce the forces that are striving to maintain the status quo (Dobbs, 1998). A ? rm’s strategic positioning The strategic management process is employed by many organizations in order to distinguish themselves from their competitors in the marketplace (David, 2001; Porter, 1985; Steiner, 1997). Although there are several schools of thought in the strategic management ? ld, the generally accepted components of the strategic management process are: strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation as explained in Figure 2 (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Strategy formulation is comprised of developing or reviewing the organization’s mission, vision, and long-term goals; conducting internal and exte rnal assessments to identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); setting selection criteria and selecting the strategies that will afford the organization the best strategic positioning relative to its competitors (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy implementation entails allocating the appropriate resources to ensure the Managing diversity 869 Figure 2. The three levels of organizational strategy selected strategies are properly executed (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy evaluation involves setting control processes to continuously review, evaluate, and provide feedback concerning the implemented strategies to determine if the desired results are being accomplished, such that corrective measures may be taken if warranted (Hill and Jones, 1998; Steiner, 1997). As illustrated in Figure 3, there are usually three levels of strategy associated with large-scale organizations. The corporate level strategy de? nes the organization’s purpose and the lines of businesses in which it plans to operate, thereby providing the overarching direction for the organization. If an organization only operates in one line of business, its corporate level strategy and business level strategy are effectively one in the same (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). A business level strategy is the blueprint that should enable an organization to leverage its resources in order to differentiate itself from the competition within a particular line of business (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). The functional-level strategies serve to support the organization’s business-level strategy by providing direction for the appropriate short-term activities required by each functional area to meet the goals established in the business-level strategy (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Consequently, having properly aligned corporate, business, and functional level strategies aid an organization in its efforts to accomplish its goals, thereby strategically positioning itself to successfully compete within the marketplace (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998; Porter, 1985). Combining highly differentiated and ef? cient human capital with clearly delineated corporate, business, and functional level strategies can prove to be a competitive advantage for an organization (Barney, 1991, 1997; Wright et al. , 1995). An organization must view strategies for developing and managing its employees JMD 22,10 870 Figure 3. Alignment between corporate strategy and planned change-corporate diversity strategy as a part of its overarching corporate level strategy if it desires to have highly differentiated and ef? ient human capital in today’s competitive, global environment. Therefore, one argument of this paper is that any organization seeking to realize the maximum bene? t from having a diversi? ed workforce should have a planned change-corporate diversity strategy that is aligned with the organization’s overall strategic positioning. Developing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy The organization â€Å"wishing to create an environment that enables all employees to reach their full potential will have to . . . change organizational practices as necessary†(Thomas, 1991). However, prior to changing any organizational practice, a comprehensive strategy for how to accomplish that change should be devised based on an in-depth understanding of relevant organizational dynamics (i. e. culture, structure, ? nancial position, strategic initiatives, etc). Theoretically, a strategy should precede the structure of an organization. Consequently, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised to align with the organization’s corporate strategy before structuring diversity initiatives (as illustrated in Figure 4), and reinforced using a planned change approach. Organizations that have elevated their diversity strategist to executive-level management are likely to have an overarching corporate diversity strategy in place. But, it is not as likely that the diversity strategist is using a corporate-wide planned change approach to systemically reinforce the proposed changes in the corporate diversity strategy throughout all of the Managing diversity 871 Figure 4. The diversity continuum organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. Regardless of whether an organization has a corporate diversity strategy or not, it may be necessary to superimpose a planned change-corporate diversity strategy over existing disjointed diversity strategies and initiatives. At the onset of such an endeavor or superimposition, corporate diversity mission statement, vision, and goals must be formulated to articulate the purpose diversity initiatives will serve within the organization and the desired outcomes to be achieved from such initiatives. The delineated desired outcome should be designed to systemically manage diversity. Conducting internal and external assessments are essential steps in devising a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. An internal assessment will allow the diversity strategist to decide how to position diversity strategies and initiatives within the organization’s structure, and to align them with all of the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. To assess the external environment, the diversity strategist should use environmental scanning tools to extract best practices based on benchmarked diversity strategies and initiatives at other leading organizations. Through the internal assessment, the diversity strategist should become intimately familiar with the organization’s values, vision, mission, strategies, goals, and initiatives, all of which constitute a sound basis for understanding the organization’s culture, policies, procedures, systems, and overall strategic positioning. The diversity strategist must become equally familiar with the bene? ts and shortfalls of various diversity initiatives. The strategist must conduct an analysis to determine the most appropriate linkages between the organization’s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, and its diversity initiatives. Before proceeding, the diversity strategist must recognize and effectively articulate a clear strategic ? t and alignment amongst the organization’s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, JMD 22,10 872 and diversity. Both strategic ? t and strategic alignment are necessary to strengthen the business case for allocating resources to support the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. In order to realize the maximum bene? ts from diversity, the planned change-corporate diversity strategy needs to be properly executed, evaluated and refrozen to ensure that the stated goals are being met, and that the organization’s culture and members are moving toward and sustaining the desired state of systemically managing diversity. Moving to systemically managing diversity Once the present state is unfrozen, the move that will allow the organization’s culture and members to advance to the desired state should be put in place. In this case, the move is to culturally reengineer the organization and its members to the true state of managing diversity by implementing the managing diversity process. The social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) is offered as the theoretical framework for the managing diversity process. It has also been offered as the theoretical framework for developing training programs in the cross-cultural and expatriate literature (Black and Mendenhall, 1989; Harrison, 1994). There are four major tenets of social learning theory: motivation, attention, retention, and reproduction (Bandura, 1977). These tenets are re? ected in the eight steps of the managing diversity process. In an effort to truly manage diversity, a change in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals, and in organizations’ systemic and institutional ways of doing business is required. Therefore, it is posited that utilizing the tenets of social learning theory can aid in the acquisition of the learning that is necessary for organizations to maximize the inputs of all of its diverse members. The planned change-corporate diversity strategy serves as the motivation for the learning of new behaviors and attitudes. Hence, once the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is articulated, the move through the eight steps of the managing diversity process should be instituted to assist individuals and organizations in culturally reengineering and moving to the desired state of managing diversity. The eight sequential steps of the managing diversity process include: (1) exposure; (2) experience; (3) knowledge; (4) understanding; (5) appreciate; (6) respect; (7) modify attitudes and behavior; and (8) healthy interaction. All of these are undergirded by tolerance (see Figure 5). The acknowledging diversity component of the diversity continuum is composed of steps (1)-(4), and they re? ect the â€Å"attention tenet†of social learning theory. The valuing diversity component of the diversity continuum is comprised of steps (5) and (6), and is re? ective of the â€Å"retention tenet†of social learning theory. Steps (7) and (8) constitute the managing diversity component of the diversity continuum and the â€Å"reproduction tenet†of social learning theory. The movement through each of the eight steps requires individuals to progressively develop appropriate skills to enable them to manage how they deal with individuals whom they consider different from themselves. Therefore, executing the eight steps in the managing diversity process serve as the necessary movement required to progress from acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. The true movement through the eight steps from acknowledging diversity to managing diversity is a paradigm shift, in that it entails a change in the treatment of diverse individuals (Fitzpatrick, 1997). Managing diversity 873 Diversity training In order for an organization to realize the potential bene? ts that can be afforded by employing diverse individuals, there needs to be a paradigm shift in which the inputs of diverse individuals are systemically managed within an organization to enable the successful accomplishment of its strategic goals. Training of individuals is viewed as a necessary tool to facilitate the organization in achieving its goals. Diversity training should be viewed no differently than any other type of training in which an organization invests. Therefore, it should also be viewed as a necessary tool to manage members’ behaviors and their ability to work productively with diverse individuals. After canvassing the literature, it has been noted that most diversity training programs merely raise individuals’ awareness of or sensitivity to diversity (Grubb, 1995; Jenner, 1994). Some few diversity training programs go as far as attempting to change individuals’ perceptions of diversity and how they communicate with people different from themselves (Grubb, 1995). However, these programs tend to be offered to only select employees, and they tend to be short in duration, ranging from a one-hour session to a series of one-day sessions several times a year (Koonce, 2001). The major drawbacks to most existing diversity training programs are that: . they do not build skills to facilitate individuals’ ability to actually manage their interactions with individuals different from themselves; . they are not rigorous nor time-intensive enough to create a paradigm shift in individuals’ treatment toward individuals different from themselves; and JMD 22,10 874 Figure 5. The continuous managing diversity process . there are no enduring reinforcement mechanisms embedded in the organization’s culture to ensure all individuals’ inputs are successfully managed to met the organization’s strategic goals. Managing diversity As a result, most (if not all) existing diversity programs have not been successful in creating enduring change in the way individuals interact with individuals different from themselves, nor have they been successful in changing their organization’s culture to one that systemically manages diversity. In order to create enduring change in individuals and the organization’s culture, members of the organization at all levels need to participate in diversity training that encapsulates the comprehensive managing diversity process. The outcomes that should be expected from participation include, but are not limited to, skill building in the following areas: the ability to clearly articulate their ideas and feelings; con? ict management skills; effective giving and receiving of feedback; effective listening; group observation skills; and group decision-making skills, all of which will facilitate modi? d attitudes and behaviors, and healthy interaction with diverse individuals. Individuals have to come to grips with their feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors toward diversity and others with whom they are different. In the ? rst step of Exposure, individuals provide public notice of where they are at that point. They do this by: laying open who they are; divulging where the y are; unmasking themselves; and receiving others’ culture. Step (2), experience, involves gathering information through personal involvement, encountering, seeing ? rst-hand, and living through events. In the third step of Knowledge, individuals become well informed, thus able to be conversant because they become familiar or acquainted with the culture of others. Knowledge serves as the basis for step (4), understanding. Because of their grasp of cultural realities, individuals are able to comprehend (understanding) relevant cultural dynamics, which leads them to be sensitive, and enables them to share unique insights and perceptions. In step (5), appreciate, individuals’ acceptance of the worth of a person’s culture and values makes it easier for them to welcome and â€Å"justly†estimate diverse individuals. Resultantly, individuals are able to respect (step (6)) diverse individuals; thus, they are able to pay attention, pay deference, and pay tribute to the values, worth, and culture of diverse others, as well as give personal consideration to the diverse individuals. Successful movement through the ? rst six steps, along with tolerance underpinning each step, should lead to modi? cations in individuals’ attitudes and behaviors toward diverse individuals, which is step (7), modify attitudes and behaviors. This change in attitudes and behaviors, again, along with tolerance should lead to healthy interaction (step (8)) with and amongst diverse individuals. Step (8) is a function of continuous acceptance and execution of steps (1)-(7). Therefore, this is a ? uid (not static) process that must be recognized for its ever-changing and 875 JMD 22,10 876 evolving nature. The requirements for successful execution of the managing diversity process are strenuous and time intensive because it requires individuals to modify their attitudes and behaviors. Thus, they must modify the way they interact with individuals different from themselves, and not just expect that they either avoid, acknowledge, or value those individuals that are different. Given that all individuals in today’s global business environment are likely to encounter others that are different from themselves on a frequent basis, the managing diversity process should be viewed as analogous to the open systems approach – it is a continuous process that maintains a constant reciprocal relationship with the environment. Refreezing the systemic management of diversity Successful movement through the managing diversity process requires individuals to change. Resistance to change is inherent in any change process, and it will be no different in this process (Harrison, 1994). Therefore, the managing diversity process is a ? uid, continuous process that needs to be systematically reinforced and embedded in the organization’s culture and individuals’ interactions, such that the organization’s culture and its members do not revert back to just acknowledging or valuing diversity. Hence, refreezing the desired state of managing diversity requires reinforcing the new perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors with emphasis on the modi? ed behaviors and healthy interactions individuals have adopted as a result of going through the managing diversity process. In order for individuals and organizations not to revert back to their previous states, the new desired state must go through the refreezing stage to be institutionalized. This should be accomplished through systemic, on-going training and daily interactions at the individual level, and through revised policies, procedures, and systems at the organizational level. At the individual level, the systemic, on-going training should not be just periodic training that merely exposes individuals to diversity. A great deal of time is necessary to cement these newly adopted attitudes, behaviors, and skills for healthy interaction. This kind of cementation is required for these newly acquired attitudes, behaviors, and skills to become totally embedded in the individuals’ natural way of interacting with diverse individuals. The systemic, on-going training needs to be skill-based and experiential in nature to promote long-term changes in the way individuals work with individuals different from themselves. This type of reinforcement at the individual level will contribute to the cultural reengineering that also must take place at the organizational level. To reinforce the desired state of managing diversity at the organizational level, revised recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems, as well as an enforceable diversity policy need to be implemented (Allen and Montgomery, 2001; Hemphill and Haines, 1998; Miller, 1998). The revised policies, procedures, and recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems need to re? ct the organization’s position on how the inputs of diverse individuals will be managed, such that their contributions fully aid the organization in meeting its strategic goals. A written, enforceable diversity policy, stating the systemic action steps and behaviors expected by all employees is a must as it relates to effectively managing the organizational inputs of all individuals. Everyone’s inputs should be effectively managed to contri bute to the achievement of the organization’s strategic goals. The revised policies, procedures, and systems should also align with the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Given the resources and time required to revise and initiate implementation of the revised organizational policies, procedures, and systems, individuals are likely to resist these changes initially. Therefore, it is quite likely to be a dif? cult and time-consuming process to make the appropriate and necessary revisions to the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. This is an essential and critical step necessary to ensure the organization and its members do not revert back to their previous attitudinal and behavioral states. It is paramount that revised policies, procedures, systems, and planned change-corporate diversity strategy are clearly communicated to all members of the organization to ensure that it can be appropriately recognized, executed, evaluated, and reinforced. To reinforce this cultural reengineering effort, management needs to initiate and actively participate in the refreezing stage, the same as they must genuinely participate at the unfreezing and moving stages. Potential limitations As with any theoretical model, there are limitations. One potential limitation of this notional model is that no matter how well it is implemented, there are likely to be some individuals whose attitudes may never change or they may continue to consciously or unconsciously show favoritism toward those whom they consider to be similar to themselves (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000; Miller, 1998). Another potential limitation is that subtle forms of biases against diverse individuals may still exist informally within the organization and/or outside of the work environment; thus, highly impacting individuals within the organization. Backlash is also a potential limitation; members of the majority are likely to perceived that they are being excluded at the expense of including diverse individuals (Hemphill and Haines, 1998). Additionally, if the training initiated to implement the managing diversity process is perceived as a bad experience, the organization’s leadership may abandon the initial implementation, hence dooming all future diversity efforts. However, by using the suggested planned change approach along with well enforced diversity policies and disciplinary procedures for violations of the diversity policy, it is more likely that individuals’ behaviors can be altered to be more tolerant of others whom they consider to be Managing diversity 877 JMD 22,10 different (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000). This will allow the talents, skills, and abilities of all individuals in the work setting to be used to meet organizational objectives. Conclusion Given that individuals are less willing to leave their differences outside the doors of the workplace (Thomas, 1991), an organization’s ability to systemically manage diversity will become more important, in years yet to come, if it wants to ensure its ability to compete successfully in the global marketplace. This paper suggests that, ? rst, a planned change approach should be used to systemically manage diversity, by developing and implementing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Second, organizations should execute their cultural reengineering efforts to move individuals and the organizational culture along the diversity continuum from the states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the desired state of managing diversity. Movement to the desired state of managing diversity can be achieved by using the managing diversity process. It is also suggested that the organization needs to provide on-going training, and needs to institute new policies and procedures. Additionally, it must engage in appropriately different recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems that systemically reinforce the cultural reengineering of moving to the state of managing diversity. These new undertakings will ensure that the newly reengineered culture of managing diversity is inculcated into the organization’s culture, and its way of conducting business domestically and abroad. By adopting and executing the frameworks offered in this paper for ystemically managing diversity through a strategic planned change approach, managers will have created an organizational environment where they will be able to enjoy healthy, innovative, and productive interactions amongst diverse members of the organization. The following is a list of other potential bene? ts that may be derived from using the offered frameworks: . in general, individuals will develop an increased knowledge of and appreciation for other cultures; . individuals will learn to value and respect the cultural norms, behaviors, and attitudes of others; . here is likely to be a greater receptivity to necessary organizational changes; . there is likely to be a lessening of workplace anxieties; . a reduction in organizational con? ict; . a more pleasant work environment; and . increased performance and productivity. 878 In conclusion, the proactive management of diverse human resources will aid organizations in gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic global marketplace.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Sir Gawain: A Man of Virtue Essay -- Knights Character Analysis Essays
Sir Gawain: A Man of Virtue Nobility, honesty, valiance and chivalry are the values instilled in Sir Gawain. He is a respected knight due to these characteristics. Both Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and in "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" present these qualities of Sir Gawain. In both tales, he proves these traits through many events. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight proves Sir Gawain’s nobility and honesty while "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" provides proof of his chivalry and virtue. The author of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight describes Sir Gawain as "the good knight" (Norton 204) within the first few verses of the story. He is said to be the "most courteous knight" (Norton 215) of Arthur’s court as well. When Sir Gawain stays in the castle with the host and his wife, he is faced with many tests. Although Sir Gawain does not know it at this point, the host is actually the Green Knight. The host, Bercilak de Hautdesert, tells his wife to seduce Sir Gawain as a test of his nobility. The wife, Lady Bercilak, listens to her husband and begins her attempts of seduction of the noble knight. Sir Gawain does not give in even though the host’s wife is boldly flirting with him. Gawain says, "Lady, by Saint John, Lover have I none, Nor will have, yet awhile" (Norton 239). This proves that Sir Gawain is filled with chivalry and virtue because although he could have taken full advantage of the situation, he does not. Sir Gawain has many chances to tak... Sir Gawain: A Man of Virtue Essay -- Knights Character Analysis Essays Sir Gawain: A Man of Virtue Nobility, honesty, valiance and chivalry are the values instilled in Sir Gawain. He is a respected knight due to these characteristics. Both Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and in "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" present these qualities of Sir Gawain. In both tales, he proves these traits through many events. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight proves Sir Gawain’s nobility and honesty while "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" provides proof of his chivalry and virtue. The author of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight describes Sir Gawain as "the good knight" (Norton 204) within the first few verses of the story. He is said to be the "most courteous knight" (Norton 215) of Arthur’s court as well. When Sir Gawain stays in the castle with the host and his wife, he is faced with many tests. Although Sir Gawain does not know it at this point, the host is actually the Green Knight. The host, Bercilak de Hautdesert, tells his wife to seduce Sir Gawain as a test of his nobility. The wife, Lady Bercilak, listens to her husband and begins her attempts of seduction of the noble knight. Sir Gawain does not give in even though the host’s wife is boldly flirting with him. Gawain says, "Lady, by Saint John, Lover have I none, Nor will have, yet awhile" (Norton 239). This proves that Sir Gawain is filled with chivalry and virtue because although he could have taken full advantage of the situation, he does not. Sir Gawain has many chances to tak...
Monday, November 11, 2019
Killology Essay
Do violence in the media and interactive entertainment, such as video games and movies, influence children to have the will to kill? According to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, an expert on the psychology of killing, both play a big role in child murders. There are several methods to this madness by which people can actually motivate themselves to take another human life, such as, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, brutalization, and role models. These practices are used in the military to train soldiers to kill, just as the media is doing to our children. Monday, December 1st, 1997 began like any other day for the students of Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. Student Michael Carneal rode to school with his sister, carrying with him, what he claimed to be, an art project. As his fellow classmates gathered that morning in the lobby of the school, holding a prayer group, he fired eight rounds from a . 22 caliber pistol. Out of those eight rounds he landed five head shots and three upper torso shots, killing three teenagers. Not only did he land all eight shots, but the shots were so precise that elite military and law enforcement agencies were stunned by his expertise. The fact that he had never fired a real gun in his life was something that disturbed authorities even more. Nowhere in the records of military or law enforcement history could the â€Å"equivalent†achievement be found. So what was it that made this young man so violent and deadly at such a young age? (â€Å"The shooting,†2010, para. 1) It’s one of the methods used by the military to train their soldiers called operant conditioning, a powerful procedure of stimulus-response training techniques that attempt to influence behavior by manipulating reinforcers. They learn to fire at realistic figures that pop up in the field. The stimulus is the target, and the response is, shooting to kill. This procedure is repeated over and over, hundreds of times, until their natural response when someone pops up on the battlefield is to kill. Research has suggested that violent video games played a big role in the choice Michael made that day. He was trained through operant conditioning just as the soldiers are, except his was through violent video games. Following the shooting there was a $130-million law suit filed against the video game manufacturers in that case. This case is said to be working its way through the appeals system of the courts. (Metcalf, Stubblefield, & Ettinger, 2011, p. 152) Violent video games train our children to kill, glorify violence, desensitize them to suffering, and trivialize violence. Every time a child plays an interactive video game, he or she is learning the exact same conditioned reflex skills as a soldier or police officer in training. Kids are playing more and more violent video games that are rated for a mature audience. So, ask yourself this question; how do fourteen year old teenagers obtain video games that are rated â€Å"Mature? †Better yet, why are they allowed by their parents to play the evil, sadistic games? Parents should replace the violent video games with non-violent, stimulating, and educational games; those which enhance knowledge, creativity and imagination. The violent crime rate is at a phenomenally high level, not just in America, but worldwide. According to Interpol, the per capita assault rate increased nearly fivefold in Norway and Greece between the years of 1977 and 1993. In Mexico and Brazil, the numbers are skyrocketing, and in Japan juvenile crime went up by thirty percent in 1997 alone. (Metcalf, Stubblefield, & Ettinger, 2011, p. 150). The virus of violent crime is occurring worldwide, and the explanation for it has to be some new factor that is occurring in all of these countries. There are many factors involved in the action of violent crime, and we must never downplay any of them. There is only one new variable present in each of these nations, and it is that media violence is now being presented as a viable entertainment option for children. Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 150) Another method used by the Japanese, in World War II, which we also see done with the media, is classical conditioning. This technique is best remembered as Pavlovian conditioning, associating a stimulus with a response according to a specific reinforcement schedule, such as violence linked to pleasure. As Pavlov did with the dog, by associating the bell with food and eventually the dog could not hear the bell without salivating, the media does with the children. How often do we watch the news and learn of something good that has happened in the world? They are always focusing on all of the violence that is going on in the world. Our children see this as well, and they learn to associate death with pleasure. To better understand the role that violence and the media inherit, in the entertainment complex, plays in the increase of murders among the young and impressionable. We must first look at the methods by which killers can be made. Though such a difficult subject cannot be completely explained by these factors alone, it is important to note the contribution each one makes. Throughout the course of human history, it is thought that healthy members of most species have a natural resistance to killing their own kind. However, when human beings are overwhelmed with anger and fear, thought processes become primitive. We slam head-on into that hardwired resistance against killing. One of the methods that shift this natural resistance is what is commonly known as brutalization. Quite similar to a military boot camp, brutalization is a forced shift in values. The subject is made to conform to a new set of rules, abandoning all sense of individuality. They are trained relentlessly in a total immersion environment and the end result is a person who not only embraces the violence and the discipline, but accepts them as normal and an essential survival skill in a new and increasingly brutal world. (Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 151) A very similar thing is happening to our children through violence in the media. At eighteen months old, a child can begin to understand and mimic what they see on television, and up until the ages of six or seven they are physically, developmentally, and psychologically unable to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality. When they see an instance of rape, murder or degradation on the television or in the media, to them it is real. Some of them welcome the violence and accept it as a normal and vital survival skill in a cruel, new world. In nations, regions and cities where television is a constant source of entertainment, there is an immediate eruption of playground violence, and within fifteen years, there is a doubling of the murder rate, but why fifteen years? That’s how long it takes for a desensitized toddler to reach their â€Å"prime crime†years. Metcalf et al. , 2011, p. 151) By the time the brutalized toddlers have reached their teenage years, they have developed role models. Today, violence in the media is providing our children with role models. When the images of young killers are broadcast on television, they become role models. The media has every right and responsibility to tell the story, but they have no right to glorify the killers by presenting their images on television. (Grossman, 2000, p. ) The ultimate achievement for our children is to get their picture on television, and with such vulnerable, young minds they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that. I say it is time for the world to stop televising such violence and let law enforcement deal with it. If they know who the killer is then why does it have to be broadcast for our children to see? I truly believe that the media is highly responsible for a lot of killings in this world, along with the violent video games, and I pray that one day there will be something done to stop it.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Ece Curriculum
Early Childhood Education: The Curriculum That Matters Most Stacie Emery ECE 311 Prof. Carly Davenport November 21, 2011 * * * * Early Childhood Education: * The Curriculum That Matters Most Introduction As times change, it seems that education must change as well, to fit the ever-changing needs of our youth. For children of any age, education is a complex thing, but so very important for each of them to succeed in anything they do. California State Standards imitate the National standards for educational values. Each child has a right to quality, formal and age appropriate education. Even before Pre-K, children will begin absorbing mass quantities of information. This will continue for the rest of their lives, but the quality of the information given early on, will determine how each child will use it. Curriculum in Math, Fine Arts, Sciences and Literature has been developed in many astounding ways. The evaluation of educational standards has also opened new ways to teach these subjects, and more, in ways that an entertaining yet educational context. Along with educational standards, many theorists have studied the many stages of a child’s development. Psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) introduced four stages that a child goes through from birth to a child’s development past eleven years old. The four stages presented by Piaget can help educators make the most out of every child’s educational experience. Jean Piaget Although Piaget’s developmental theories focus mainly on the development of only children and do not address learning behaviors, understanding the stages could be crucial for some educators. Piaget emphasized that each stage can be reached at different times, meaning they are not concrete and develop only in the age range specified. The development could fluctuate due to learning disabilities or poor educational opportunities, however most children will go through each stage. Sensorimotor This is the stage of development from birth to about age two. The child begins to learn object permanence. Much of the infant’s learning is through each of the senses. Children at this stage can be characterized by extreme egocentrism, meaning the child has no understanding of the world other than his or her own point of view. Preoperational The preoperational stage focuses on children aged two to around seven years of age. Children in this stage can mentally represent events and objects, and generally engage in symbolic play. They can be quite egocentric; everything is about â€Å"me†. This is also around the time a good amount of children begin some form of formal schooling. Concrete Operational At about age seven until around eleven years old, children go through the concrete operational stage. Piaget considered this stage to be a major turning point in the child's cognitive development, as it marks the beginning of logical or operational thought. Formal Operational At about eleven years of age, the child enters the formal operational stage. â€Å"As adolescents enter this stage, they gain the ability to think in an abstract manner, the ability to combine and classify items in a more sophisticated way, and the capacity for higher-order reasoning. (McLeod, Simply Psychology) Educational Standards National Standards According to the NAEYC, the following is strived for: * â€Å"take informed positions on significant, controversial issues affecting young children’s education and development; * promote broad-based dialogue on these issues, within and beyond the early childhood field; * create a shared language and evidence-based frame of reference so that practitioners, decision makers, and families may talk together about key issues in early childhood education; * influence public policies; stimulate investments needed to create accessible, affordable, high-quality learning environments and professional development; and * build more satisfying experiences and better educational and developmental outcomes for all young children. †(NAEYC, Standards) California Standards California Standards are very similar to the National Standards, however very much more detailed. The CAEYC website states, â€Å"OUR MISSION The California Association for the Education of Young Children is dedicated to advancing excellence throughout the early care and education profession. OUR VISION CAEYC envisions a respected professional workforce providing developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive, high-quality, early care and education for all young children achieved through research, education, professional development and advocacy. OUR EXTERNAL VALUES †¢We believe that quality, early care and education in the lives of young children enables them to reach their full potential. †¢We believe that appropriate systems of early care and education are an indispensable part of a community's infrastructure. We believe that a well-informed community will advocate for the resources necessary to improve the quality of life for their children. †¢We believe that quality, early care and education is provided by well-trained professionals who understand a child's developmental needs and possess the competencies necessary to reach their potential. †¢We believe that providing quality, early care and education is the result of lifelong learning where theory, standards, and practice are shared routinely and openly among professionals, government and public officials, as well as parents. We believe in valuing the diversity that exists within our profession. †¢We believe in building positive partnerships with organizations that share our principles and seek to ensure that appropriate systems are in place to serve young children and their families. †¢We believe that quality, early care and education is provided by professionals that respect and understand the emotional, physical, social and cognitive needs of young children and their families. †¢We believe that our ability to affect positive change in the profession occurs when we join together creating a unified voice. (CAEYC, Overview) Fine Arts Definition * Fine Arts are defined as creative and visual art; an activity requiring great skill or accomplishment: â€Å"the fine art of persuasion†. Standard Reasoning * Fine Arts in the classroom can be beneficial to both the teacher and the student. The arts include music, painting, photographs, etc. Allowing the child to express themselves will open up their minds to think beyond what is physically in front of them. As an educator, teaching a class of children to draw a picture will only show the child to draw. If thought is put into the project, such as having the child draw a picture of what they will be when they grow up, will get the child to think outside the box. This expansive thinking creates a more satisfying educational experience for the child. Mathematics Definition Mathematics is defined as: the abstract science of number, quantity, and space; the mathematical aspects of something: â€Å"the mathematics of general relativity†. Standard Reasoning Mathematics can be a complex topic at any age. Teaching a child numbers can be challenging yet rewarding. The complexity and challenge of the subject generally comes when a child has difficulty grasping the concept. Creating songs about multiplication tables or silly rhymes for addition problems can create a more relaxed environment. Children generally need to feel confident that they can complete a math problem without feeling inferior. Giving any child the ability to work through a complex math problem will not only gain that experience, but it will help them when they get older. Science Definition Science is defined as a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws. It can also be categorized as a systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation or any of the branches of natural or physical science. Also as knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study. Standard Reasoning Science covers a wide range of topics. Mathematics can be a range of problems with probability answers. Science makes those possibilities concrete. Science helps prove theories, which are just opinions, with evidence to show that there is no probability if the answer being correct, because the proof shows that it is. Science in an early education classroom exposes children to biological changes in the environment and basic changes that the child goes through. At the younger ages, science should be kept entertaining because if it is not â€Å"fun†children tend to turn away from the concept. Reading Definition Reading is the action or practice of a person who reads. To read is to look at carefully so as to understand the meaning of something written, printed, etc. , to read a book; to read music. Standard Reasoning To teach a child to read is to give them a gift of imagination and development of creativity. Reading to a child, starting at a young age has proven to assist in the development of language skills as well as social skills. In the classroom, reading is required for most tasks. Children need to be able to read the problem they are trying to solve, or read a section of a book to discuss, even reading instructions on the board from the teacher. Educators alike all strive to promote reading as one of the number one activities a child participates in. Many communities will partner with education institutes to promote reading outside of the classroom as well. Language Development Definition Language development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood. Standard Reasoning Language development starts at birth. As the child ages, the understanding of certain words becomes clear. Many children learn â€Å"no†early on. Language development is very important for social interactions as well as being able to understand the teacher and the learning process. Recognizing when the language development is delayed is crucial for a developing child. Getting that child the assistance he or she needs early on will determine that child’s willingness to participate and learn all together. Educators strive for appropriate pronunciation of new words as well as practice and use of familiar ones. This will encourage grammar and eventually sentence structure. Conclusion * Although times have drastically changed, the importance of education has not. The entire Nation as well as each state has created standards for educating our youngest counterparts. Their letters and numbers will still be taught, be there are new ways to teach them and make it so our children want to go to school. Making education exciting will create the passion desired by educators to ensure that our children succeed. * References California Association for the Education of Young Children Standards. 2007-2010) Overview California. Retrieved from: http://caeyc. org/main/page/navabout Eliason, C. F. , Jenkins, L. (2008). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (8th ed. ). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards. (2009) Standards and Guidelines. Retrieved from: http://www. naeyc. org/positionstatements/standards Simply Psychology. (2009) McLeod, Saul. Jean Piaget. Retrieved from: http://www. simplypsych ology. org/piaget. html
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