History of Labor Relations Essays - AFLCIO, , Term Papers

History of Labor Relations Joshua Reynolds Everest University History of Labor Relations Who was one of the most effective union leaders during the 1930s and 1940s? Would this leader be effective now? Why or why not? John L. Lewis who was recognized as the voice of the labor movement decided to push for industrial organizing after he noticed the UMW membership was declining. After receiving persistent opposition from the American Federation of Labor, Lewis, Phillip Murray along with other union leaders created the successful Committee for Industrial Organizations. Lewis was voted to be a local delegate to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) convention in 1906, which marked the beginning of Lewis' quick rise as a leader of laborers. In 1909, he would serve, successively, as president of the Panama local of the United Mine Workers of America, and later as a lobbyist for the UMW. The following year he would be elected as an Illinois representative on UMW's state legislature. He took a national position in the American Federation of Labor (AFL), as an organizer, in 1911. In five years, Lewis was the UMWA convention's pro-tem president and appointed chief statistician for the union. In 1917, John P. White resigned as president of the UMW, and vice president Frank J. Hayes succeeded him. President Hayes appointed Lewis vice president, but due to President Hayes' alcoholism, Lewis assumed Hayes' duties in 1919, by becoming acting president. He was elected president of the UMWA in 1920. In today's world, these leaders would not have the same effect as before. The government now regulates and has protective laws that have since calmed what Lewis was opposing. Who is one of the most effective contemporary union leaders (from the 1970s to today)? Trade unions' relationship with the Labour Party also changed. After 1979 an electoral college gave unions a direct vote for the first time in the election of the Labour Party leader and deputy. The Labour leadership's quest for electability in a period of Conservative dominance saw it shift from a left-wing programmer at the beginning of the 1980s to gradually accept many of the Conservative changes. From Labor's link with unions having been seen as an electoral asset in the mid-1970s, the Conservatives had turned it into an electoral liability by skillfully exploiting and exaggerating the so-called 'Winter of Discontent' under the Labour government in 1978-79. How do the union leaders of today compare to those of the 1930s and 1940s? The changing conditions of the 1980s and 1990s undermined the position of organized labor, which now represented a shrinking share of the work force. While more than one-third of employed people belonged to unions in 1945, union membership fell to 24.1 percent of the U.S. work force in 1979 and to 13.9 percent in 1998. Dues increases, continuing union contributions to political campaigns, and union members' diligent voter-turnout efforts kept unions' political power from ebbing as much as their membership. But court decisions and National Labor Relations Board rulings allowing workers to withhold the portion of their union dues used to back, or oppose, political candidates, undercut unions' influence. Management, feeling the heat of foreign and domestic competition, is today less willing to accede to union demands for higher wages and benefits than in earlier decades. It also is much more aggressive about fighting unions' attempts to organize workers. Strikes were infrequent in the 1980s and 1990s, as employers became more willing to hire strikebreakers when unions walk out and to keep them on the job when the strike was over. References: Holley, W.H. Ross, W.H. (2017). The Labor Relations Process. (11th edition.) Mason,OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781337521727

Life of Toussaint LOuverture essays

Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture essays The country we know today as Haiti ('mountainous land?) was at one time the French colony of Saint-Domingue. Located on the island of Hispaniola, it was the place where Christopher Columbus established his first settlement in the New World. In 1967, it was formally recognized as Saint-Domingue. Many things have happened in Saint-Domingue. Slavery, fires, and rebellion have gone on in Saint-Domingue. Many people took control and lost control of Saint-Domingue. Saint-Domingue had many slaves and plantations. One group of slaves where called the mulattoes orpeople of color.? Men and women were beaten, branded, maimed, and killed, often in ways that only the most depraved mind could imagine. Many slaves ran away to the mountains where they lived as maroons in isolated spots beyond the reach of a special colonial slave patrol, staffed only by mulattoes. By 1791, there were at least 500,000 slaves, most of who worked on plantations where sugarcane, cotton, coffee, and indigo were grown. There was a slave named Toussaint L?Ouverture, who had lived all his life at Breda plantation, about fifteen miles from the capital. He was forty-seven years old and in comparison to the other slaves on the island, he had enjoyeda good and comfortable life?. The owner treated the slaves with a degree of compassion and kindness that was known throughout the colony. Ouverture was born on May 2, 1743, which was then the Feast of All Saints. He was named Francois Dominique Toussaint. As a boy, Toussaint Breda, as he was called then, was sickly and thin as a stick. People around him gave him a nickname that meantfragile stick.? His father was brought as a slave from Africa. Ouverture also rode and looked after the horses. When they became ill, he used his knowledge of medicinal herbs and his skill as ahorse doctor? to heal their aches and pains. He also enjoyed the story of Spartacus, a slave who led a large rebellion of sla ...

Various summaries from 5 Leadership articles which I submit to you Essay

Various summaries from 5 Leadership articles which I submit to you - Essay Example This is a problem because a cynical workforce can have a very damaging effect on the performance of the company as a whole. â€Å"Organizations that have been struggling with a cynical workforce increasingly note a decrease in the quality of service to internal and external stakeholders, customer satisfaction, productivity and market share† (125). What cynicism does is causes employees to be hyper-sensitive to shifting climates within the organizational structure and to view any attempts at improvement as a failure waiting to happen. This attitude almost guarantees the expected results as employees fail to ‘buy into’ the program initiatives. What Dreilinger offers in this article, though, are some very specific steps that companies can take to try to overcome some of these issues. He indicates the first step in addressing cynical employees or a cynical company atmosphere is to acknowledge that it exists. Organizations that have successfully turned around the corporate climate have done so through what Dreilinger characterizes as a five step process. â€Å"First, they make past history discussable – and learn from it. Second, they directly address the legacy of previous change efforts and do so without ‘business babble’. Third, they take steps to anticipate and address unintended and potentially adverse consequences of new changes. Fourth, they provide employees with real opportunities to participate in decisions about future changes that affect them personally, rather than those that simply benefit the company. Fifth, they communicate information by telling employees: what they know and are able to discuss; what they are unable to discuss; what they do not yet know; and by asking employees what else they want to know† (126). Within this process, it can be seen that these companies are directly addressing the two main contributors to the development of cynicism – fear and mistrust. These steps are effective in this

Winning customers for life with relationship marketing Essay

Winning customers for life with relationship marketing - Essay Example Marketing was quite interesting me due to the fact that relationship marketing is a technique that can increase the sales figures of a company. Many companies are able to generate first time sales, but retaining customers is the key to having a successful business model. It is said that 80% of your sales are generated by 20% of your customers. Finding and retaining good customers can help companies build a business that can succeed in the long run. The use of a relationship marketing plan can help companies identify customers that are valuable to the firm. When a firm can identify its best customers companies can create targeted marketing campaigns. An interesting finding from the article was the fact that marketing has become processized. Using technology can help marketers analyze information better which can help firms achieve greater results. Marketing automation can be used in order to analyze data faster and to obtain update data and information. This can help companies make be tter operating and strategic decisions. The ten steps require for executing relationship marketing automation are: build your database, segment your list, design your communication, build your microsite, include a survey, schedule and send your campaign, follow-up on leads, nurture prospects, analyze campaign results, and repeat the process (Vtrenz, 2007). The purpose of marketing is to is to satisfy the customers’ needs better than the competition. ... The ten steps require for executing relationship marketing automation are: build your database, segment your list, design your communication, build your microsite, include a survey, schedule and send your campaign, follow-up on leads, nurture prospects, analyze campaign results, and repeat the process (Vtrenz, 2007). Chapter Five Summary The purpose of marketing is to is to satisfy the customers’ needs better than the competition. Companies that are able to serve the needs of the customers are the ones that are achieve greater market penetration and a higher level of success. Customer behavior can be defined as the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations select, buy, sell, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desire. Customer behavior is influenced by a variety of factors. Both marketing and environmental stimuli enter into the buyer’s consciousness. Cultural factors are very influential in customer’s decisi ons. Culture is considered the fundamental determinant of a person’s wants and behavior. Cultures are composed of different subcultures that provide specific identification and socialization for their members. There are different social classes within the different societies across the world. They are relative homogenous and enduring divisions in society. There are seven ascending levels of social classes. The seven levels are: 1) lower lowers; 2) upper lowers; 3) working class; 4) middle class; 5) upper middles; 6) lower uppers; 7) upper uppers. People from the same social class tend to behave similarly then people from different social classes. Some of the things that differentiate social classes are dress, speech patterns, and recreational preferences.

What accounted for Japan's rapid economic growth in the post-war era Essay

What accounted for Japan's rapid economic growth in the post-war era - Essay Example policies towards the country, effect of the international market, pre-war industrial capacities, social mobilization and favorable government policies. After the end of WWII, the urge to catch up and level with the western nations coupled with nationalism persisted in japan. Unlike during the war period where the efforts and Japanese energies were focused on military development, post WWII efforts focused on economic development. For instance, the Japanese factories tasked with the production of machine guns were turned into producing sewing machines whereas those tasked with production of optical weapons reverted to the production of binoculars and cameras for the local and international market. This easy conversion of military industries into profitable industries boosted the rapid economic growth of japan (Allen 67). The United States allowed japan to export its products to the USA while simultaneously allowing it to protect its domestic market during the raging on of the cold war. This led to a beneficial trade relationship between japan and the United States of America. Additionally, japan greatly benefited from joining the international markets which offered it low tariffs, the needed raw materials and cheap or lowered prices of oil. Moreover, Japan enacted article 9 of its constitution that forbade it from re arming itself, hence it is protected by the United States. As a consequence, it spends less than one percent of its GDP on its military (Allinson 94). The huge savings propelled the nation to develop rapidly after WWII. Rather than the Japanese possessing a welfare state, a welfare society exists which is defined by the creation of total employment. Small to medium sized cartels of Japanese companies were present to prevent Japanese companies from becoming bankrupt hence maintaining total employment. As a result, the Japanese nation re directed the resources and funds it would have used on welfare to the development of it industries. This led to

Superoxide Anion Radical Scavenging Activity Biology Essay

Superoxide Anion Radical Scavenging Activity Biology Essay Where A518 control is the absorbance of DPPH radical+ methanol; A518 sample is the absorbance of DPPH radical + extract or compound / standard. Superoxide anion radical scavenging activity Superoxide radical (O2-) was generated from the photoreduction of riboflavin and was deducted by nitro blue tetrazolium dye (NBT) reduction method. Measurement of superoxide anion scavenging activity was performed based on the method described by Winterbourne et al 186. The assay mixture contained sample with 0.1ml of Nitro blue tetrazolium (1.5 mM NBT) solution, 0.2 ml of EDTA (0.1M EDTA), 0.05 ml riboflavin (0.12 mM) and 2.55 ml of phosphate buffer (0.067 M phosphate buffer). The control tubes were also set up where in DMSO was added instead of sample. The reaction mixture was illuminated for 30 min and the absorbance at 560 nm was measured against the control samples. Quercetin was used as the reference compound. All the tests were performed in triplicate and the results averaged. The percentage inhibition was calculated by comparing the results of control and test samples. Total antioxidant activity (Phosphomolybdic acid method)187 The antioxidant activity of the sample was evaluated by the transformation of Mo (VI) to Mo (V) to form phosphomolybdenum complex. An aliquot of 0.4 ml of sample solution was combined in a vial with 4 ml of reagent solution (0.6 M sulfuric acid, 28 mM sodium phosphate and 4 mM ammonium molybdate). The vials were capped and incubated in a water bath at 950C for 90 min. After the samples had cooled to room temperature, the absorbance of the mixture was measured at 695 nm against a blank. The antioxidant activity was expresses relative to that of ascorbic acid. Determination of Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity This was assayed as described by Elizabeth and Rao.188 The assay is based on quantification of degradation product of 2-deoxy ribose by condensation with TBA. Hydroxyl radical was generated by the Fe3+ -Ascorbate -EDTA -H2O2 system (Fenton reaction). The reaction mixture contained 0.1 ml deoxyribose (2.8mM),0.1 ml EDTA (0.1 mM), 0.1 ml H2O2 (1mM), 0.1 ml Ascorbate (0.1mM), 0.1 ml KH2PO4-KOH buffer, pH 7.4 (20mM) and various concentrations of plant extract in a final volume of 1 ml. The reaction mixture was incubated for 1 hour at 370 C. Deoxyribose degradation was measured as TBARS and the percentage inhibition was calculated. Determination of Nitric oxide radical scavenging activity Nitric oxide generated from sodium nitroprusside in aqueous solution at physiological pH interacts with oxygen to produce nitrite ions, which were measured by the method of Garrat.189 The reaction mixture (3ml) containing 2 ml of sodium nitroprusside (10mM), 0.5 ml of phosphate buffer saline (1M) were incubated at 250C for 150 mins. After incubation, 0.5 ml of the reaction mixture containing nitrite was pipetted and mixed with 1 ml of sulphanilic acid reagent (0.33%) and allowed to stand for 5 min for completing diazotization. Then 1 ml of naphthylethylene diamine dihydrochloride (1% NEDA) was added, mixed and allowed to stand for 30 mins. Sodium nitroprusside in aqueous solution at physiological pH spontaneously generates nitric oxide, which interacts with oxygen to produce nitrite ions which can be estimated by the use of Griess Illosvery reaction at 540 nm. FRAP assay A modified method of Benzie and Strain 190 was adopted for the FRAP assay. The stock solutions included 300 mM acetate buffer, pH 3.6, 10 mM TPTZ (2, 4, 6-tripyridyl-S-triazine) solution in 40 mMHCl and 20 mMFecl3. 6H2O. The fresh working solution was prepared by mixing 25 ml acetate buffer, 2.5 ml TPTZ and 2.5 ml Fecl3 .6H2O. The temperature of the solution was raised to 370 C before using. Plant extracts (0.15 ml) were allowed to react with 2.85 ml of FRAP solution for 30 min in the dark condition. Readings of the colored product (Ferrous tripyridyltriazine complex) were taken at 593 nm. The standard curve was linear between 200 and 1000  µM Feso4. Results are expressed in  µM (Fe (II) /g dry mass and compared with that of ascorbic acid. Iron chelating activity The method of Benzie and strain190 was adopted for the assay. The principle is based on the formation of O-Phenanthroline-Fe2+ complex and its disruption in the presence of chelating agents. The reaction mixture containing 1 ml of 0.05% O-Phenanthroline in methanol, 2 ml ferric chloride (200 µM) and 2 ml of various concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 µg was incubated at room temperature for 10 min and the absorbance of the same was measured at 510 nm. EDTA was used as a classical metal chelator. The experiment was performed in triplicates. Estimation of total phenol The measurement of total phenol is based on Mallick and Singh.191 To 0.25g of sample, added 2.5 ml of ethanol and centrifuged at 2oC for 10 mins. The supernatant was preserved. Then, the sample was re-extracted with 2.5 ml of 80% ethanol and centrifuged. The pooled supernatant was evaporated to dryness. Then, added 3 ml of water to the dried supernatant. To which added 0.5 ml of Folins phenol reagent and 2 ml of sodium carbonate (20%). The reaction mixture was kept in boiling water bath for 1 min. the absorbance was measured at 650 nm in a spectrophotometer. Estimation of total flavonoids 192 0.2g of the plant material was ground with ethanol-water in 2 different ratios namely 9:1 and 1:1 respectively. The homogenate was filtered and these 2 ratios were combined. This was evaporated to dryness until most of the ethanol has removed. The resultant aqueous extract was extracted in a separating funnel with hexane or chloroform. The solvent extracted aqueous layer was concentrated 0.5 ml of aliquot of extract was pipette-out in a test tube. 4 ml of the vanillin reagent (1% vanillin in 70% conc. H2SO4) was added and kept in a boiling water bath for 15 mins. The absorbance was read at 360 nm. A standard was run by using catechol (110  µg/ml).

Precautionary Measures for Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Genetically modified (GM) foods, a fairly recent development that came about from research in genetic engineering, pose a potential threat to human and environmental health. The basis of genetically modifying foods is the transferal of desirable genetic traits of plants to an agricultural crop. Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to herbicides or can repel insects. Genetic modification also makes growing crops easier and allows for higher production rates. Anytime genetically altered crops are consumed by humans, the GM crops should be subjected to rigorous testing to assure that it is safe for human consumption and safe for the environment. When it comes to the environment and human safety, one cannot be too cautious. Some say that further safety testing of GM foods is not necessary because there is no evidence of GM foods being unsafe (Cockburn 2002). The truth is that the public does not yet trust that genetically modified foods are completely safe (Harlander 2002). The only way to convince the public that GM foods are safe and to create a market for GM foods is to perform further safety tests, such as a human study or controlled experiments. I propose that you fund this necessary and fundamental testing to ensure that GM foods are safe for the environment and for human consumption in order to help create a market for this life-improving product. Genetically modified crops were first commercially introduced in the United States in 1996; and by 2001 24% of the corn, 63% of the soybeans, and 64% of the cotton being grown in the U. S. were genetically modified varieties (Harlander 2002). Through genetic engineering, scientists have created varieties of crops that are insect-resistant, virus resistant, and herbicide tolerant. These qualities allow for improved yield and reduced use of potentially dangerous pesticides, as well as improved weed control reduced crop injury, reduction in foreign matter, reduced fuel use, and significant reduction in soil erosion. All of these consequences seem to be beneficial for the human race and the environment. It is important to prove to the public that GM foods are safe so that such a beneficial technology will not be under-utilized. In the United States, three government agencies are involved in the approval of genetically modified crops. These three agencies are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Harlander 2002). These agencies are responsible for ensuring that the GM crops are safe for the environment and for human consumption. More specifically, the USDA ensures that the GM crops are safe to grow, the EPA makes sure that the GM crops are safe for the environment, and the FDA ensures that the products are safe to eat (Harlander 2002). The three agencies put the genetically modified crops through rigorous environmental and food safety assessments before they can be commercialized. However, Susan Harlander reminds the scientific community â€Å"an effective food safety evaluation system minimizes risk, but it is important to remember that food is not inherently safe† (2002). Tampering with the genetics of a crop increases the possibility of that crop being dangerous to the environment or to human health. Bettie Sue Masters, PhD, states, â€Å"All evidence to date indicates that any breeding technique that alters a plant or animal, whether by genetic engineering or other methods, has the potential to create unintended changes in the quality or amounts of food components that could harm health† (qtd. in Panasevich 2004). It is highly likely that this lack of inherent safety is a reason why the public is so cautious about the acceptance of GM foods. The key to diminishing the public’s fear of GM foods is to extend the safety evaluation process. Consumers have two main concerns about genetically modified foods: first, that GM foods are unsafe to eat; and second, that their cultivation will harm the environment (Gasson 2001). Currently the most widely used safety evaluation process is called substantial equivalence. Michael Gasson and Derek Burke discuss substantial equivalence: Substantial equivalence recognizes the fact that conventional foods have been eaten by many people over a long period of time and have an established and accepted level of safety. Genetic modification involves the introduction of a limited amount of change and substantial equivalence uses a comparative approach to reveal both intended and unintended differences between a genetically modified (GM) food and its conventional counterpart. (Gasson 2002) If the genetically modified food is substantially equivalent to, or similar to, it’s conventional counterpart, then it is generally regarded as safe. Thus far substantial equivalence has been effective, but as genetically modified foods become more and more complex there is no guarantee that this method will continue its success. More in-depth testing is required to ensure the safety of future GM foods. Genetically modified crops should be tested on living subjects in addition to applying the substantial equivalence method. Animals or human volunteers are essential in proving the safety of the genetically modified crops already approved by the FDA, EPA, and USDA, in addition to the GM crops to be introduced in the future. The risk of harm to a living being would be low as the GM food would have already passed the substantial equivalence test before being consumed. Long term testing would be able to prove that there are no mal-effects resulting from the consumption of GM foods. While long term testing may seem unappealing, it is a small price to pay for improving the quality of life for a nation. The public’s concern extends beyond the effects of GM crops after human consumption all the way to GM crops’ effects on the environment. Many environmentalists as well as non-affiliated persons think that genetically modified crops have a negative effect on the environment. Traits meant only for agricultural crops can be transferred to other plants through pollination; traits, like being herbicide tolerant or virus-resistant, which would diminish natural and artificial checks and balances on plants (Guebert 2004). The best way to ensure that the GM crops will not harm the environment is to perform experiments and further safety assessments. Convincing the public that genetically modified crops are safe for the environment is pivotal towards creating a market for GM foods and in turn improving quality of life. The testing and assessing of the safety of GM foods that I propose will be divided into two categories: the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment; and the safety of GM foods for human consumption. The testing of the safety of GM crops for the environment must be performed under controlled conditions. Our testing will take place in a greenhouse, where any negative effects will be contained and kept away from the environment. All genetically modified crops would be tested for two factors: whether or not the trait is likely to be passed on to other plants; and what nutrients in the soil the GM crop depletes and how fast it does so. These two factors are essential in proving the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment. If a GM crop passed traits, such as herbicide tolerance or virus-resistance, on to other plant species, it could potentially change the ability of that species to survive and thrive and wreak havoc on the delicate balance of the ecosystem. This risk of upsetting the ecosystem frightens would-be GM food consumers from supporting the industry. In order to test the ability of the genetically modified crop to pass on its genes to another species of plant, it would be planted for two growing seasons in the presence of varying plant species found around the agricultural United States. The soil will be tested for nutrients before and after each growing season in order to keep track of the nutrient depletion rate. Any genetically modified crop that depleted the soil of essential nutrients at an abnormally fast rate would be rejected. A genetically modified crop’s failure to pass any of the tests or assessments would not be approved, thereby leaving no reason for the public to fear for the safety of the environment on account of the GM foods on the market. To test the safety of GM foods for human consumption, a comparative study must be performed. In order for the study to be effective and result in usable data, several hundred human volunteers will need to participate. The volunteers will be divided into two groups. The first group will be asked to incorporate a specific genetically modified food into their everyday diet. The second group will be asked to incorporate the conventional counterpart of the same GM food into their diet. The study will last for 2 months with the participants receiving weekly physicals to check for any changes in health. A change in negative change in health in a number participant from group one, the group consuming a GM food, would indicate that the genetically modified food is playing a role in the deterioration. The GM food in question would then either be taken off of the market or subjected to further testing, depending on the extent of the data acquired from the study. With this study in place, consumers would feel much more comfortable purchasing, and creating a market for, genetically modified foods. By proving that genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption and for the environment, we are proving to the public that there is no cause for fear. In the absence of fear, consumers will no longer object to buying GM foods resulting in a market for genetically modified foods. The increase in demand for GM foods will result in more research and development and bring advances in GM technology. Genetically modified foods have the potential to improve the quality of life of people all over the world, and it would be a shame to let this technology go to waste. If you give us this grant, there will be numerous benefits that can come from our work. Please consider the well-being of the people that will be helped by our work while you are making your decision. Thank you. Works Cited Cockburn A. Assuring the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods: the importance of an holistic, integrative approach. J Biotechnol. 2002; 98 (1): 79-106. Harlander SK. Safety assessments and public concern for genetically modified food products: the American view. Toxicol Pathol. 2002; 30 (1): 132-134. Gasson M, Burke D. Scientific perspectives on regulating the safety of genetically modified foods. Nat Rev Genet. 2001; 2 (3): 217-222. Guebert A, Cousins D. Welcome to the world of unintended consequences. Farmers Weekly 2004; 141 (9): 64. Panasevich CL. Risk assessment urged for genetically modified foods. Nation’s Health. 2004; 34 (7): 25.

Plato’s “Myth of the cave” Essay

Plato’s â€Å"Myth of the cave† is an argument that we can’t be sure we know reality. This story illustrates Plato’s idealism. The objects we see, hear, touch are shadows of the real things. The reason is human beings don’t have a full sense of a real and complete life because of the world. In this story, Plato use a dialog between a teacher and student, it describes a group of prisoners chained inside a cave, sit behind a fire, they can’t see each other or the nature of reality, or the heavens, only able to look forward. The fire casts shadows on the cave wall, which they see and it is the only reality they know. They can’t truly comprehend what they see, as they are prevented from its true source and nature. One day one of the prisoners having managed to free himself from his chains escape from the cave and see the truth. He will at first be blinded by the brightness of the world. But after some time and effort, he will be able to see anything that resembled what he knew as reality before. He will be able to see the entire world around him, and appreciate the beauty of the world. Through this knowledge he will become aware of his place in the world. Finally he goes back again into the darkened cave to tell the people still chained up in the cave about the real word outside. Accustomed to the outside world full of nature light, the rescuer in the darkness of the cave and looks foolish to those inside. The cave dwellers laughing at him for his crazy ideas and insist that they are perfectly happy where they are. They would not believe and would ridicule him, and if they could lay hands on him, they would kill him. However, the prisoner would know what is right, even if all those around him disbelieve it. In Plato’s â€Å"Myth of the cave† points a person who is set free, and goes out to see the real world, and what lies behind the shadows of light that we see. Having been enlightened to the nature of reality, it is not easy to explain this to others. Humans in their unenlightened beginnings are symbolized as imprisoned at the back of a dark cave. The shadowy environment of the cave symbolizes for Plato the physical world of appearances. Escape into the outside the cave symbolizes the transition to the real world, the world of full and perfect being, the world of forms, which is the proper object of knowledge.

The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains

The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains Maxine Hong Kingston’s work has long fascinated critics for its investigation of speech, language and storytelling as a means of unlocking some of the deepest secrets of the Chinese culture, a culture that observes very clear behavioral distinctions between genders.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kingston belongs to a culture wherein women â€Å"use story as a means to understanding and survival,† whereas for the most part the men of the Chinese culture â€Å"tend toward silence† (Pinkser n.p.). In Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains, from her non-fiction work China Men, the author explores the theme of enforced silence and its consequences in numerous facets. The story details not only what happens from the standpoint of political oppression, but also how the theme of enforced silence plays itself out in families, often in an intergenerational manner. Critic Sanford Pinsker understands that the enforced silence, especially that which is staunchly observed among Chinese men, â€Å"forces Kingston to invent multiple versions of what may have happened in her fathers past† (Pinkser n.p.). The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains exists as an epic family history, and follows the world travels of a number of generations of Chinese men. Kingston recounts the journeys of her â€Å"family of male sojourners across America and away from womenfolk and children in China. This dispersed arrangement of family members was the predominant form the traditional Chinese extended patrilineal family system took during the peak years of emigration† (Pinkser n.p.). Although these generations of men traveled the world and witnessed many wonders, their culture of enforced silence bid them not to share most if not all of the details of their exper iences. In Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains therefore, we see the impact of this silence as family members attempt to make sense of their heritage with only anecdotal and speculative information available to them, often delivered from third and fourth hand sources, not from the grandfathers themselves.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the reader’s first experiences of the theme of enforced silence occurs when Kingston discusses the third wife of her maternal grandfather (Kingston 85). The woman in question is not given a name, nor does Kingston reveal the grandmother’s origin, explaining only that â€Å"my maternal grandfather had brought a third wife back from his third trip West, Bali or Hawaii or South America or Africa† (Kingston 85). The impact of the silence – in this case, the suppression of detail about this element of the family – reveals itself in the fate of the grandmother. Kingston claims that â€Å"I am glad to see the black grandmother ended up with a son and grandson who are articulate. When she came to China she â€Å"jabbered like a monkey,† but no one answered her. Who knows what she was saying anyway? She fell mute† (Kingston 85). In this passage from the text we glimpse the consequence of enforced silence on the grandmother – her family essentially ignores her, until she stops attempting to communicate with anyone at all (Kingston 85). In this example, though Kingston does not overtly state it, the enforced silence destroyed a member of her family (Kingston 85). The above example also brings up the idea of enforced silence in the area of interracial marriages. Despite the fact that interracial marriages clearly happened between the grandfathers who traveled the world and the women of other races and cultures that they met a nd fell in love and married there, all details of these unions are kept silent and buried in the culture, and even within the families where they occur, as evidenced by the lack of information that Kingston seems to know about this relative. Critic Linda Ching Sledge has spoken of the issue of interracial marriages and its treatment in Kingston’s work and in the Chinese culture at large. In Sledge’s words, Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains draws an accurate portrait of â€Å"the thorny issue of miscegenation† in the Chinese culture (Sledge 19). According to Sledge, â€Å"it is well known that intermarriage was strictly forbidden to Chinese by Confucian teachings, for it went against the classical notion established in the Li Chi that marriage was a religious duty between consenting families to secure the services in the ancestral temple for the predecessors and to secure the continuance of the family line for posterity.† (Sledge 19). The enforced silence in regards to the black grandmother in this case has deep cultural roots in the ancient teachings of Chinese philosophy, economic practices and social customs, although the appearance of the black grandmother herself speaks volumes about the â€Å"long ignored problems of sojourner history- loneliness, homesickness, sexual frustration- without cultural bias† (Sledge 19). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the fact that silence was culturally bred, clearly once the sojourners left China, their natural desires trumped their cultural taboos. In Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains, we see the impact of enforced silence in the way that the black grandmother is treated, but not in the action of the grandfather himself, who took her as his wife. In Sledge†™s opinion, the reader comes â€Å"to understand and accept the emotional needs motivating these men to enter relationships which violated so profoundly cherished family and religious attitudes because we view such relationships from a sojourners (Bak Sook Goong) own point of view† (Sledge 19). We also see the practice of enforced silence applied in the political arena in Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains. In this case the enforced silence relates to keeping quiet and not drawing attention to oneself and one’s family, for fear of rousing the interest and ire of the Communist party. Interestingly, this fear transcends physical borders in The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains, and the family remains cognizant of the long arm of the Communist Party – real or perceived – even though they live in the United States. We find an example of this in the text wherein Kingston discusses the enforced silence as an obsta cle to her trip to China. â€Å"I’d like to go to China if I can get a visa and – more difficult – permission from my family, who are afraid that applying for a visa would call attention to us: the relatives in China would get in trouble for having American capitalist connections, and we Americans would be put in relocation camps during the next witch hunt for Communists† (Kingston 87). In Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains, the author also illustrates a contrasting perspective on enforced silence, one that provides an important insight as to how the Chinese sojourners were able to move beyond the constrictive silence of their culture, travel the world and enjoy a fuller experience of life. Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains attributes this phenomenon to the influence of nature. In her mind, certain parts of China transcend the enforced silence of their culture through the example provide d by the natural world – nature itself is dynamic, ever changing, and certainly rarely silent. Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the following example, the reader witnesses the impact of enforced silence slowly eroded by the natural curiosity displayed by the ocean. â€Å"†Ocean people are different from land people. The ocean never stops saying and asking into ears, which don’t sleep like eyes. Those who live by the sea examine the driftwood and glass balls that float from foreign ships†¦Sometimes ocean people are given to understand the newness and oldness of the world; then all morning they try to keep that boundless joy like a little sun inside their chests. The ocean also makes its people know immensity. They wonder what continents contain the ocean on its other side, what people live there† (Kingston 90). Here Kingston’s The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains gives the reader a glimpse of how the enforced silence of the Chinese men can be broken – through curiosity, through an understanding that there exists a large world out there, one that offers different experiences, different people, and one that perhaps does not suppress verbal expression to the same extent that the Chinese culture does. In this passage Kingston offers the reader one of the main clues as to how the Chinese men who grew up in a system of enforced silence were able to move beyond it and expand their horizons to the wider world. Kingston, Maxine Hong. â€Å"The Great Grandfather of the Sandalwood Mountains.† China Men. New York: Random House, 1977. Print. Pinsker, Sanford. Maxine Hong Kingston: Overview. Contemporary Novelists. Susan Windisch Brown. 6th ed. New York: St. James Press, 1996. Web. Sledge, Linda Ching. Maxine Kingstons China Men: The Family Historian as Epic Poet. MELUS 7.4 (Winter 1980): 3-22. Web.

My assignment Essays

My assignment Essays My assignment Essay My assignment Essay My assignment is to reflect on what happens to you cognitively, linguistically, emotionally, and socially as you take part in online discussions(using Blackboard) , and to describe the kind of learning you experienced. It is always good to compare the experience of online discussion with what happens in the regular, face-to-face component of the class. You are to reflect globally on your experiences of the asynchronous discussions. I am interested in your comparison of the online written discussions to the oral discussions we are having in class, to any signs you notice that we are influenced by these written modes when we are in oral mode, whatever, I would expect to see some reference to the ideas we are reading about and discussing in class as you describe your own reaction to engaging in these kinds of discussions.I had three times asynchronous online discussions using blackboard (bulletin board) with my classmate in the semester. We were divided 4group by professor. We didn†™t meet in our classroom on those three days. Next class, we discussed about written discussion during 10minutes. We are to post three comments each day. One comment is to answer about professors’ question and two comments are to reflection about classmate’s comment. I read and post comments that represent a thought, or critical response, or question, or connection to other ideas you’ve formed in the past, in response to one of our reading.For the self-analysis paper, you just need to type up a description of your learning comparing how you learned on the online discussion versus the class discussion.Example: You reflect on how you read the articles in preparation for (or during) the asynchronous discussion.- Do you feel you understand those articles better, less well, or the same when compared to how you prepared for previous regular oral discussion? How would you describe your overall feelings about the asynchronous written discussion we just had (the second one) in terms of the following:a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the degree of involvement (as defined as psychological engrossment) you feltb.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the degree of enjoyment you experiencedc.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the degree to which you felt the discussion was useful to your learingMy background:I am an international Ph. D student (Korean).In class:I have been a thinker rather than a talker in most discussions. I don’t like speaking in front of many people. I learn the content I learn in class while listening to others verbalizes their ideas. Sometime, it’s not clear whether I understand certain content, but after listening to others’ personalized examples, it becomes clear.Online discussion:I can read all classmates’s thinking.ALSO, the professor often visited blackboard and she is too responsive to each comment.The attached file is Self-Analysis questionnaire.First, you must check each question of the attached file (questionnaire).Briefly exp lanationSecond, you have to write reflection paper based on the questionnaire and above explanation.First written discussionMy Comment: I never realized that there is so much affective traffic in the â€Å"classroom discussion boulevard.† This research also makes me understand how classroom discussion flows from contextual and personal factors to outputs of the discussion. Classroom discussion is not a simple sharing of thoughts! I have been a â€Å"thinker† rather than a talker in most discussions. I wanted to contribute to group discussions, but it was hard to do. The anxiety of talking in discussion was too high for me even though the student who usually being a talker may enjoy the challenge. So, I would like to raise a question about encouraging discussion. When I was a teacher, I wanted to assist a child to have an opportunity to tell her thought, but the appointed child burst into tears because of tension. I am wondering how I can make a thinker to express his/h er thought freely.Professor: As much as I try to be friendly and encourage MY students to feel comfortable in the discussion whether thinking as you call it or talking, I also have had it where a student started to cry rather than speak. Made me feel bad!I do think there are ways to get students to become more comfortable smaller groups, allow some reflection time, have everyone share what theyre quietly thought about and perhaps written down, giving the quiet student a leading role on a topic she is enthusiastic about, that sort of thing. But you do have to be sensitive and not get into a tug-of-war in the moment just for the sake of forcing the student to speak up!Second written discussionSubject: Constructivist views of learningMy Comment: I would like to talk about the two teachers’ story of â€Å"Expertise as Process.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"A typical day is full of anxiety and boredom,† says Csikszentmihalyi.â€Å"Flow experiences provide the flashes of intense living aga inst this dull background.†Flow occurs when a person skill level is perfectly balanced to the challenge level of a task. I think that the two teachers, Margot and Cynthia, have not so much challenge in their teaching lives because they are quite familiar and have enough skill in their job.How can they experience flow? Because they are in the Boredom area in the Flow chart of Csikszentmihalyi (please see the chart in the hand-out of Sep. 6th), there is two way that they can return to the flow channel. Firstly, they can enjoy if they can reduce their skill level. However, it seems impossible. Hence, the only clue to rescue them from the boredom is to increase the level of challenge. I think two types of challenge may be given to them. The first one is external reward. Promotion or bonus money through their students’ evaluation or academic achievement can be the motivation for the teachers.The second one is intrinsic motivation. I thought that the teachers would be more in volve in their teaching for its own sake if they could monitor the improvement of their students. The teachers can be rewarded internally if students and/or parents wrote thank you letter to them. Moreover, school district should develop some tool that helps teachers monitor their students’ improvement.;Me: Wilcox revealed that teachers have different expectation and treatment between upper middle class children and lower middle class children. Result of Rist and Collin are similar. Do teachers treat students differently by their parents ¿ social economy status or income? The relationship between student’s SES and academic achievement has been recognized as positive. Even though Collins insists that teachers ¿ responses differ by children’s class rather than by their skills, the lower class children of those studies can be classified as low achievement children in general. It means, teacher may treat students differently by their academic achievement, school behavior, and/or background. Looking back my elementary and secondary school years, teachers responded gently students from high SES families. However, some students from low SES families were loved by teachers because they got high achievement in academic tests.Hence, I guess we will have different picture if a research that investigate the different effects of student’s background, academic achievement, and school behavior.;Professor’s comment:   remember that the Rist article (I think thats the one) was reporting that the teachers were assigning the kids to different groups after one week of kindergarten. I know teachers can pick up a lot in one week with a child but that seems pretty fast to have decided who would be in the high, medium, and low reading group! So Panofsky is arguing that yes it may be achievement but the separation occurs too early to have it that the teacher would be going solely on achievement.Your comment raises another thought: So do teacher s, in your experience, ever love students who do average or below average work?Professor’s post: And, I want to add, teachers who are more aware of the fact that its partly a cultural and use of language difference rather than laziness or stupidity will slowly help ALL kids, even those from the majority social class, see that there are these beautiful differences in the world and that our job is to appreciate them all.Have any of you ever been in a position where you felt others were treating in a sense as a member of marked monority? It happened to me once when I went on a job interview and the weird thing is that I felt stupid and I couldnt figure out how to get out of that groove! It was so weird!Me: Dr. S,   I totally agree with you. The children from Low SES families should be given more opportunity than now. It is very important for them and for all. The children have the right to enjoy their school life. However, the children and their teachers have distinct achievem ent goals  Ã‚  under NCLB. Moreover, some kindergarteners should pass unlawfull elementary schools entrance screening. Im wondering how much the teachers can.My classmate: I see many of my excellent friends learned very well and quickly whoever the teachers are. As a non self-motivated student, the first thing I blame when I am not making good performance is the teacher. (What a shame on me!) Information nowadays is easy to access, and everyone has chance to become independent learners. But guiders are still needed to internalize information for learners.Me: Definitely discussion is more ZPD style than workwheets. Not only studnet, but also teacher should be familiar with each others culture. Both culture should be respected in their classroom. However, childrens some practices and customs from a culture should be reviewed and that is educators work. Teachers cultural bias, of course, should be revisited by herself and from any other route. Hence, I think it is not easy to positio n between respecting a culture and providing a new value. My Assignment Essays My Assignment Essay My Assignment Essay Hostel Management System We have two hostels in our Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), which consist hostel in faculty and hostel outside of the faculty. These two hostels at present are managed manually by the hostel office. The Registration form verification to the different data processing is done manually. Thus there are a lot of repetitions which can be easily avoided. And hence there is a lot of strain on the person who are running the hostel and software’s are not usually used in this context. This particular project deals with the problems on managing a hostel and avoids the problems which occur when carried manually. Identification of the drawbacks of the existing system leads to the designing of computerized system that will be compatible to the existing system with the system which is more user-friendly and better organized. We can improve the efficiency of the system, thus overcome the drawbacks of the existing system. Advantages of Hostel Management System Student Hostel Management System is useful to perform the complete Hostel Management functionalities of any of the faculty of the university. * Base file Hostel creation, Block creation and Room Facility are defined in master file. * Other Main process such as Room location, Room Change and Room facilities are available in this Hostel Management System. Functional Feature:- * Creation of Building and Block information. * Provision for creating various room types (Single amp; Shared ). Room allotment to the student. * Online vacancy position of the room. * Student leave registers. * Monitoring Visitors and Guest register. * Provision for monitoring the student hostel activities. * Transfer of rooms Review about the current hostel managing system LUCT are using manual way in all their working activities, those activities includes using pen and paper to kept their hostel tenant records, using pen and paper to kept result information’s. Inadequate way of interaction with their students and management:- The way that the student is booking and canceling the hostel for every semester seems to be totally outdated and from the LUCT point of view is time consuming and not economically because if student needs to view their status on hostel, no matter how the far is, he must walk in to the management and make a cash payment for booking, which will cost them a lot of transport money and waste their time, and the poor thing here is some times the students may come from far away for them to booking the hostel room. Project Goals and Objectives As our main objective is providing LUCT an online hostel management system, we define some sub-objectives which will give clearer, fastest responds and make hostel file maintenance perfect. Those sub-objectives as follow: 1. Allow students to reserve their rooms from anywhere in the world. 2. Make payments via online. 3. Checking their room status via online. 4. Withdraw a room request online. 5. Maintain their hostel accounts via online. Project Scope The system will be finish in December 2010, and will be in use from January 2011. We will link this system with current student portal of Limkokwing, where we can restrict unknown users. After implementation of this system, for students who applying from overseas, Registry will give their student ID number earlier where a overseas student can book or reserve his hostel from his country in order to reduce trouble after he arrived to Limkokwing. This system will give accurate reports whenever administer needs and also it will provide some data like how many students are currently staying in hostel and clear view of hostel location for new student’s satisfaction.

HR Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HR Training and Development - Essay Example Online job portals are the best solution which benefits both the employer and employee in landing on the right job. Today internet is one of the most widely used tools to search and post jobs online. Many companies still choose to advertise the open vacancy in the newspapers but most of the organizations are switching towards online job portals. The positive impact of an online job portal has been emphasized as is it has completely changed the way a job seeker searches for jobs and the way in which companies recruit employees. According to the latest research, there are more than 2000 online job search websites that exist today and it is also evident that job placement through online job portals have a very high ratio in the current time. Online job portals help the companies to advertise their job openings globally and the organization gets the chance to explore global talent for selection whereas job seekers can explore global opportunities and hence it creates a gateway for them t o excel in their career (Richardson 2010). The positions of Human Resource Manager and Human Resource Recruiters on careerbuilder.com and monster.com website perfectly match the criteria of my skills sets. These include the Essential Job responsibilities, requirements and other educational requirements of these posts. There are many online job advertisement portals available over the internet that provides different resources to filter the right candidate. Career building websites provide different questions, articles and links for effective interviewing of the candidate and also online screening and test to chop down to the right candidate. From the job seekers point of view career building websites provide articles and links for effective resume writing and cover letter according to the company’s requirement. Other tools provided by career builders are training resources for candidates that include different training modules in the technical or management field. These resou rces help both the job seeker and the job advertisers to effectively pursue their goals in a short amount of time (Handler 2008). The advantage from the point of view of an organization for online job postings on different job website is the cost factor. The advertisement cost is almost reduced to 90% from the traditional advertising methods. E-Recruitment allows the employees to interact with the candidate in a really short time and the employer can post a job on the website in less the 20 minutes with no limit size. Company’s online job posting can stay live on the website for complete 30 days and the hiring process is 70% faster than traditional hiring. Since the website is viewed globally therefore the audience exposure is wider and the process is easy. Job seekers can have a wider approach towards their career search and they can explore the career resources on the websites for effect resume building and cover letters for the company. Job seekers can view the complete jo b description before applying for a job and they can also filter the job from city to salary range and also according to the technical skills they possess (Handler 2008). Online job posting has become a wide choice by most of the companies to publish their jobs online. It has been observed that many companies now post available vacancies online rather than using traditional media. Hiring the right candidat

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 93

Assignment Example The news from countries that are at war is now transformed to assume a face that is more human. Women changed the local stories that have made then public to respond to homelessness, child prostitution and domestic violence and abuse. Women were determined to change the traditions that had dominated the newsrooms for a long time (Chambers, Steiner, and Fleming 11). They argued that [people see what they are seeking and what they are adapted to. Women see perceive things differently from men, and they inclusion in the newsrooms adds a lot of value to the news coverage. They complete the news the content of the news by making all parts of the society visible. They also facilitated the redress of the discriminative nature of newspapers that perceived them as citizens who were in the second class (Chambers, Steiner, and Fleming 8). They now report about those women who are in exceptionally high ranks in any organization, not just using them in adverts to demonstrate the strength of a detergent that can remove all form s of stains. This essay is in total agreement with the fact that women have brought a major transformation in journalism, and the evidence for this is clear. In conclusion, women have brought a new face in the newsroom, by completing the news coverage to all spheres of society. However, they still have not been fully integrated to occupy the top ranks in the journalism