Gender and Language Free Essay Example, 1000 words

People may use sexist language simply because the use is habitual and they find it hard to alter terms or phrases used most or all of their lives. Additionally, people are continually exposed to sexist terms in the spoken and written language. To not disrupt a normal, rhythmic and understandable conversation, people use these terms without a thought of inappropriateness. â€Å"Conversational sexism is learned at an early stage, from the time a child is learning to speak† (Parks & Roberton, 1998). Language is learned at an early, impressionable age along with the sexism permeating it. However, studies have shown that though hard to change entirely, the use of sexist terms in everyday speech can be altered depending on the sensitivity level a person possesses regarding sexism. What is learned even early on in development can be re-learned to some extent if a person is aware of the disparity in language usage. According to one study’s findings, males of high school age we re, not surprisingly, more probable to use sexist language than were their female counterparts. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender and Language or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now (Matheson & Kristiansen, 1987). The sexism present in language is spoken seldom with thought of its meaning. It is a significant aspect of the culture that is passed down from one generation to the other normally with no intention. Children can only learn language habits from what they hear from those already comfortable with their language patterns. Well before a child enters school, they are already developing knowledge of gender-related stereotypes and roles that will, at least somewhat, stay with them for a lifetime. â€Å"By the age of three, children are able to distinguish males from females, and by the age of five, many children have already formed strong gender stereotypes. These gender stereotypes are constructed, shaped and maintained by societal values† (Serbin, Powlishta & Gulko, 1993). Literature, by way of having stories read to them, along with what they observe from their parents’ words and actions are the main key methods by which children learn social standards. Gender biases contained in books shape the way children formulate self images and how they view other people as well. Books have served to reflect and define people’s concept of feminine and masculine roles in society. Words frequently used to portray males were fierce, terrible, great, proud, furious, horrible and big. Descriptive adjectives used for females frequently involved words such as sweet, frightened, weak, beautiful and scared.

Nietzsche Dionysis Essay - 1347 Words

What method does Nietzsche use to become the Dionysian Overman? What perspective on life does the Overman adopt? How does it enable â€Å"amor fati† and express optimum Yes-saying to our present natural life in the world? How does this overcome â€Å"slave morality or religion†? Nietzsche uses acceptance of fate, its obstacles, adversity and also its divinity to become the Dionysian Overman. He believes by affirming life in both its cruelty and beauty that we can achieve joy in the present without the need for beliefs in an afterlife or future existences. Nietzsche states the Overman holds a love for natural life, with no grudges or sense of resentment whilst others hold spitefulness despite their religious beliefs and hence they cannot enjoy life†¦show more content†¦This is because, â€Å"The child is innocen[t]†¦a new beginning†¦ the spirit now wills its own will, the spirit sundered from the world now wins its own world...† (Hollingdale trans., Penguin, pg 55.) Now with a mindset free from societal pressure and preconceived ideals one may become overman and go forth with a joyful perspective on life. The Overman adopts the perspective that beauty, cruelty, happiness and sadness despite their definitional differences are to be appreciated all the same. He explains that it is the obstacles in life that spurn the greatest happiness, it is explained in this Chinese Proverb: The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all. Nietzsche believes that as â€Å"there is no adversity in Heaven there can be no such beautiful flowers blooming there† (PHIL1087 #4) and hence no chance for courage, generosity and personal growth. There is hence no chance to adopt a Dionysian perspective and be at one with all of what is natural, to thence be able to find true Dionysian virtue. This virtue lies in the acceptance of all that is pleasurable and painful. It then brings happiness as Nietzsche argues that â€Å"vice sprouts from disaffection†¦resentment, spite, from the†¦lack of inner power and its joy†. As the Overman can hold no sense of resentment, or grudge and through metamorphosis has a strong sense of

Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic Free Essays

Do 1 Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic Recently the senate and county elections in the Czech Republic confirmed that the preference of Czech voters is shifting to the left, what’s more the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia got the second highest number of votes. The results are disturbing, because the last time Communists won the polls, the Czechs ended up being oppressed for over 40 years until they managed to overthrow the government. Now it seems that the same people have suffered from a collective memory loss. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic or any similar topic only for you Order Now Have they forgotten how life was before 1989 and what crimes the communists committed during their reign? Voting for the communists is a mistake, which should never be made, because it is considerably better not to have them interfere in our lives. One of the biggest differences between now and then is the atmosphere of the time. Back then people described the atmosphere as â€Å"shades of grey†. They were not encouraged to be different, on contrary individualism was oppressed and frowned upon. As a result most of the people were afraid to do or say anything that would make them stand out of the crowd. This resulted also in an atmosphere of fear. Nowadays individualism is supported in almost any area possible. From a young age people are pushed to be creative and this creativity distinguishes us from others. We have freedom of speech, which means that we can complain about anything even our current government, whereas back then if you said anything negative about the communists they would put you in prison. The concept of freedom was also very different. There wasn’t a real democracy with the communists in power. The communistic regime in Czechoslovakia was characterized by the absence of free elections. Many basic human rights were limited such as freedom in political or religious beliefs, freedom of speech, the right to assemble or the right to education. This affected the Do 2 lives of people immensely and many of them were unsatisfied and angry, however the majority of the society was afraid to do anything. The reason was that the communists got rid of inconvenient people. They fired people, they made sure their children couldn’t get on the desired universities; they blackmailed, tortured and killed people through staged trials. For the majority of society it was simpler to act as if they were okay with the regime. In this day and age human rights are secured through countless declarations, laws and treaties. International organizations oversee observance and countries that breach these contracts have to face sanctions and they have to answer to the International Court of Justice. There are also major differences in the everyday life of normal people back then and now. During the reign of Communists it was forbidden to travel out of Czechoslovakia. Only those, who had special permission, could travel abroad and even then, most of these people were monitored by the secret service. Communism is strictly against capitalism hence the Communists tried to convince the public that the capitalistic countries were bad and that economically and socially communistic countries were better off than most of the western capitalistic world. Thus they couldn’t let people travel abroad, because it would be clear right away that they were knowingly deceiving them. People had also a hard time when they went to shop. There were no products from capitalistic countries and everywhere the selection was very poor. Things as clothes, modern technology or even meat were scarce products. This may sound almost unbelievable to a person, who didn’t experience this era or who was born after the fall of communism. We live in a global world today. People travel to the furthest corners of the world. It takes a few clicks to order anything from anywhere in the world through the Internet. People are surrounded by shopping malls with a huge selection. In other words we have everything that we need at the reach of our hands. Do 3 As we can see life during the communistic regime was much harder than life today and it was full of fear, uncertainty, and injustice. People lost many of their basic human rights, they had to suppress their individuality and succumb to the regime. If we compare it to the life that we have now, we have really nothing to complain about and it is obvious that we are better off without the Communists in the government. It is then very hard to comprehend why the Czechs are forgetting so quickly, what the communists have done in this country only a few decades ago and why so many of them have voted in their favor. I would suggest more informational campaigns about this period of history in order for the Czechs to learn properly about their history, because as George Santayana once wrote: â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it† (1). Do Thuy Linh (Linda) Paula Solon Composition I Comparison and Contrast Essay – Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic November 8, 2012 Essay Outline Thesis: Voting for the communists is a mistake, which should never be made, because it is considerably better not to have them interfere in our lives. Introduction: The results of recent elections in the Czech Republic show a shift of voters’ preference to the left. The most disturbing outcome is that the second highest number of votes belongs to the Communists. The atmosphere back then and now. â€Å"Shades of grey† and atmosphere of fear People feel safe and free Concept of freedom back then and now/ There was no real democracy and basic human rights were violated Human rights are nowadays secured through countless international contracts Everyday life of normal people back then and now. Things as travelling and shopping were hindered or denied Today in this global world we can go anywhere and buy almost anything Conclusion: Comparing life back then and now it is clear that we have nothing to complain about. It is then hard to believe how the Communists got so many votes. Maybe the Czechs need more informational campaigns in order to learn properly about their history. Works Cited 1. Santayana, George. The Life of Reason. London: Prometheus Books, 1998. Print. How to cite Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic, Essay examples

Essay On The Cask Of Amontillado Example For Students

Essay On The Cask Of Amontillado Civil rights is the term that refers to the right of every person to equal access to societys opportunities and public facilities.Civil Rights in AmericaCivil rights is used to imply that the state has a positive role in ensuring all citizens equal protection under law and equal opportunity to exercise the privileges of citizenship and to participate fully in life regardless of race, sex, religion, or other characters unrelated to the value of the individual. According to Websters Dictionary, the definition of civil rights is the right s to personal liberty and to legal, economic, and social equality establish by amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by certain Congressional acts. (Websters Dictionary page 94) Civil rights have to with whether individual members of differing groups- racial, sexual, and the like- are treated equally by government and, in some areas, by private parties. Civil rights deal with issues of equality among the American citizens. The concept that human beings having inalienable rights and liberties that cannot be violated by others or the state is linked to the history of democracy. It was first expressed by the philosophers of ancient Greece. In theory, Americans are equal in their rights, but in reality, they are not now equal, nor have they ever been. African Americans, women, Hispanic Americans, the disabled, Jews, American Indians, Catholics, and members of nearly every other minority group have been victims of discrimination in fact and in law. The nations creed- all men are created equal- has encouraged minorities to believe that they deserve equal justice and has given weight to their claims. Inequality is built into almost every aspect of our society. Civil rights are any of the civil liberties guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and the Civil Rights Acts of the Constitution. Civil rights are also protected under state constitutions and federal statutes that protect a persons civil rights. For example, African Americans with a correctable heart problem are only half as likely to receive the necessary surgery as are whites with the same problem. Disadvantaged groups had to struggle for equal rights. African Americans, women, Native Americans, and others have all had to fight for their rights in order to come closer to equality with white males. Americans have attained substantial equality under the law. They have, in legal terms, equal protection of the laws, equal access to accommodations and housing, and equal right to vote. Legal equality for all Americans has not resulted in de facto equality. African Americans, women, Hispanic Americans, and other disadvantaged groups have a small share of Americas opportunities and benefits. The history of America shows that disadvantaged groups have rarely achieved greater measure of justice without a struggle. Legal equality has been rarely bestowed by the more powerful upon the less powerful. Their gains have rarely always occurred through intense and sustained political movements, such as the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Americas disadvantaged groups have made significant progress toward equal rights, particularly during the past few decades. Through acts of Congress and rulings of the Supreme Court, most forms of government-sponsored discrimination from racially segregated public schools to gender-based pension plans- have been banned. However, because civil rights policy involves large issues of social values and the distribution of societys resources, questions of civil rights are politically explosive. In recent years, affirmative action programs- designed to achieve equality of result for African Americans, women, Hispanic Americans, and other disadvantaged groups- have become a civil rights battleground. Affirmative action has had strong support of civil rights groups and has won the qualified endorsements of the Supreme Court but has been opposed by those who claim that it unfairly discriminates against white males. Discrimination and civil rights is a big issue in our society right now and I think it will continue to be an issue for decades to come. It always has been part of our history. .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df , .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .postImageUrl , .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df , .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:hover , .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:visited , .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:active { border:0!important; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:active , .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub329cd8a6fba8856bb55cef6556032df:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tobacco Use and Lung Cancer EssayWORKS CITED PAGEAltman, Andrew Civil Rights, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2003 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2003/entries/civilrights/Campbell, Michael Civil Rights Pagehttp://www.hg.org/civilright. Sowell, Thomas. Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?1st ed. William Morrow and Company 1984Lamb, Annette and Johnson, Larry. August 2001http://www.42explore.com/civilrights

Langston Hughes As Social Person Essays - Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes As Social Person Langston Hughes is considered by many readers to be the most significant black poet of the twentieth century. He is described as ...the beloved author of poems steeped in the richness of African American culture, poems that exude Hughess affection for black Americans across all divisions of region, class, and gender. (Rampersad 3) His writing was both depressing and uplifting at times. His poetry, spanning five decades from 1926 to 1967, reflected the changing black experience in America, from the Harlem Renaissance to the turbulent sixties. At the beginning of his career, he was surrounded by the Harlem Renaissance. New York City in the 1920s was a place of immense growth and richness in African-American culture and art. For Hughes, this was the perfect opportunity to establish his poems. His early work reflects the happy times of the era. However, as time progressed he became increasingly bitter and upset over race relations. Except for a few examples, all his poems from this later period spoke about social injustice in America. The somber tone of his writing often reflected his mood. Race relations was the shadow of his career, following him from his first poem to his last. The tone and subject matter of Hughess poetry can be linked to certain points in history, and his life. The youth of Hughes is brought out by his poem Harlem Night Club, a piece which describes living in the moment. Often children do not consider the consequences of their actions; they act on instinct and desire. Hughes might have been 27 when he wrote this poem, but the feisty, upbeat tempo of a school boy is present in his style. Harlem Night Club is unique in that it describes the integration of blacks and whites in an optimistic tone. The vigor and spirit of his youth is reflected in the energy of the writing, Jazz-band, jazz-band,? / Play, plAY, PLAY! / Tomorrow....who knows? / Dance today! The repetition of the words, and the increasing emphasis on the word play bring out the excitement to the reader. More evidence of Hughess youth comes from the very focus of the poem: the interracial couples. The entire poem can be summed up as ...a single-glance tableau of interracial flirtation against a background of heady jazz. (Emanuel 120) This festive relationship between the two sexes can rarely be seen in any of Hughess later poems. At this point in his life, Hughes was enjoying the culture and excitement of the Harlem renaissance. It was an amazing period in New York for African Americans, the first real large scale expression of their culture. Jazz was a flourishing art form that Hughes often liked to write about. It is easy to see why most of his poems of this period (1921-1930) would be festive and cheerful. Unfortunately, the party didnt last into the next decade and the country fell into a deep depression. The period between 1931 and 1940 was a dark period for Hughes, and for African-Americans in general. On top of the financial difficulties the depression brought, widespread racism re-surfaced in the North. The celebration in Harlem was replaced by angry whites who were anxious to put blame on someone for their troubles. White Man is a direct attack on the white mans violations against the African-Americans. Like the earlier poem Harlem Night Club, it is a fast-paced, dynamic piece. However, its tone reflects pure anger and frustration. White Man! White Man! / Let Louis Armstrong play it? / And you copyright it / And make the money. / Youre the smart guy, White Man! / You got everything! Its intensity makes the reader frantic just from reading it. The line about Louis Armstrong refers to the great jazz trumpet player, the first black man to be recognized as a successful jazz artist by a white audience. Only now, ten years later, we see that it is the whites who profit from his talent. Hughes is desperate not to forget the accomplishments of the 20s, and not to let those accomplishments get taken away by greedy white businessmen. Another attack on the white world comes in his piece Ballad of Roosevelt. Roosevelt is thought of as one of the countrys greatest leaders, a wonderful humanitarian. But in this poem Hughes reminds us that he did not always come through with his promises. The poem is written in rhyme and has a flowing, nursery-rhyme feel. There is a chorus of three lines that repeats after every stanza. In each verse, Hughes states a problem

Los Reyes Magos essays

Los Reyes Magos essays Los Reyes Magos is the third of the three Christmas-time celebrations. The first is Los Pasados, which is a twelve-day celebration from December 12 to the 24. Following Los Pasados is of course, Christmas. After Christmas is Los Reyes Magos. Los Reyes Magos is a Latin American, post-Christmas celebration of the three kings, or Magi that visited Christ. On January 8, the whole family gathers at a family members house for a huge feast. There is much celebration and music and traditional food. The festivities are topped off with and enormous, traditional cake-like bread filled and covered with candies and fruits. Before the bread is baked, a small figurine of a child is hidden in the dough. After being baked, the bread-cake is sliced and distributed amongst the family, whoever gets the child or the largest piece of the child has to host the Los Reyes Magos party the following year. The best description of Los Reyes Magos I found happened to be in poem form and is as follows. Los Reyes Magos when Santa Clause has delivered his toys To all you lucky Northern girls and boys And you think that Christmas is all done In Latin America, the holiday has just begun Well, yes, it's true we haven't got Christmas snow But we've got twelve more jolly days to go Before our own celebration is through In Latin America, there's so much more to look forward to Oh, Los Reyes Magos, our three kings We thank you for the memories and wonderful new things Oh, Los Reyes Magos, our three kings You bring Los Reyes Magos on their camels so fair Fill every one of our shoeboxes with care Then stop to snack on the grass we left for them In Latin America, like long ago in Bethlehem You know, it's not that Christmas isn't grand But the day of three kings, that's what lights up our homeland Once found the Christ child under a star ...

Social Performance of a Company, Part 2 Research Paper

Social Performance of a Company, Part 2 - Research Paper Example Thereby, my organization titled Tencel Corporation intends to put into effect a comprehensive and effective code of conduct that abides by the principles established by the United States Sentencing Commission (2012) guidelines chapter 8 section 8B2.1.with regards to an effectual compliance and ethics plan. Tencel Corporation operates in the communications services industry, our business activity is governed by the purpose of achieving our primary corporate objectives which are profit maximization and maintaining shareholder value. The achievement of the aforementioned corporate objectives however must be met by conforming to ethical guidelines and developing a successful decision-making process which takes into account the interests of both the shareholders and stakeholders of the company. For the purposes of designing the code of conduct for Tencel Corporation, the codes of conduct of three key companies within the communications services industry will be assessed, these companies i nclude AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink. The code of conduct created by AT&T aligns the responsibilities of the members of the organization and expects all employees to obey to the guidelines that have been designed to promote the concept of integrity within the business environment (AT&T 2013). AT&T understands that its foremost commitment should be towards upholding honesty in all operations and activities of the organization which is the foundation of the implementation of AT&T’s code of conduct (AT&T 2013). According to Chapter 8 section 8B2.1. of the United States Sentencing Commission (2012) guidelines a company is expected to advance an organizational culture that is based on the promotion of ethical standards and obedience of governmental legislations and laws, however, the establishment of an organizational culture based on the aforementioned principles is not explicitly observable in the code of conduct developed by AT&T even though a significant portion of the ethical guidelines propagate the creation of an inclusive workplace environment (AT&T 2013). On the contrary, Verizon advocates the sustenance of an organizational culture based on integrity (Verizon) while at CenturyLink, the management intends to internalize and incorporate the ‘Unifying Principles’ of the company within each and every member of the CenturyLink team in order to establish an organizational culture which rests on the fundamentals on which the company was founded (CenturyLink). The code of conducts of all three organizations that were assessed for the purposes of this assessment maintain a non-retaliation policy and all of the properties of the companies such as the assets, intellectual property, reputation, brand name and research are protected by the placement of several measures that are explained in the code of conducts designed by Verizon and CenturyLink, however, AT&T’s policies with regards to the protection of its assets are not defined in a clea r manner. Practices related to employee placement, working conditions, diversity and health and safety regulations are also addressed (AT&T 2013; Verizon; CenturyLink). Bethoux et al. (2007) note that an analysis of the code of condu

Mao zedong Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mao zedong - Research Paper Example He became the main participator in the United Front. Mao was appointed as leader of the Peasant Movement Training Institute. Mao’s work included organizational and ideological instruction for peasant leaders. The opportunity opened Mao’s eyes to the potential of the Chinese peasants to engage in a revolution.2 Mao married Yang Kaihui, a daughter of one of his Beijing University’s mentors, in 1921. In 1930, Yang was executed by the Kuomintang. However, Mao had begun to stay with an 18-year old girl, He Zizhen. In the next nine years, they had sired five children. Mao divorced He in 1937 and married Jiang Qing. 1937 became a cataclysmic year for every person involved in the Chinese Revolution. Mao and his fellow Communists were involved in the futile southern China after the April Shanghai coup. The experience resulted into a distrust of Soviet advice. There was a deep animosity toward Chiang Kaishek that resulted in a search for new strategies to a mass-based revolution. Mao moved with a small group of loyalists to Jinggangshan, a mountainous and forested region in the province of Jiangxi. It was here that Mao faced the reality of real rural revolution.3 The political attitudes of Mao materialized against a background of great crisis in China in early 20th century. China was weak and divided. The main national problems were the need to reunify China and to expel foreign occupiers. Mao, who was young, was seen as a nationalist. He was strongly anti-imperialist and anti-Western and even before becoming attracted to Marxism. His nationalism combined with his combativeness to admire the martial spirit- martial spirit later became a pillar of Maoism. 4 There was a strong need for change and social reform. China’s social structure was obsolete. For instance, the gentry class was an obstacle to modernization. This class dominated the peasants, who comprised the significant majority

Kateryna by Taras Shevchenko Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kateryna by Taras Shevchenko - Essay Example The essay "Kateryna by Taras Shevchenko" explores the painting by Ukrainian artist Taras Shevchenko, Katerina. Shevchenko painted this painting during Austria, Hungary, and Russia. Austria and Hungary took over the Polish regions, Romania, and other Western territories of the Ukraine. Tsarist Russia occupied the Eastern Ukraine. Kateryna is set in a time where Ukrainians were forbidden to explore their culture through language or art. Several of Shevchenko’s paintings were done in exile. The cultural aspect of the Ukrainian dress on the woman to the peasant sitting on the ground shows the plight of the Ukrainian nature at the time. The Ukrainians were poor and conquered, but never defeated. The Russian riding a horse shows the powerfulness of the Russian soldiers and symbolizes the mighty country. This style is romanticism. The idea of throwing off aristocratic views with paintings depicting strong emotion is exemplified in Kateryna. The strong emotions of a seduced or raped w oman carrying an illegitimate child tug at most individuals’ emotions. Shevchenko wanted to cause outrage and anger against the occupying soldiers of Russia and the Tsarist government in general. The light colors also are considered a trait of the Romanticism era. Kateryna has a barefooted peasant girl in the forefront with a beggar at her feet. A dark animal jumps a little to her left. In the background is a large tree to the right. A windmill was placed in the top left corner. Between the windmill and girl is a Russian soldier.

Jean Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development

Jean Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget, best known for his work in developmental psychology, was born in Neuchà ¢tel, Switzerland, on August 9, 1896. As a child, Piaget found his mother to be neurotic which led him to an interest in psychology. As the oldest child, Piaget was very independent and at the age of ten he published his first scientific paper on the albino sparrow allegedly to convince the librarian he was not a child. In Piagets adolescence his mother urged him to study religion which he found to be childish. Instead, he decided to devote his time to discovering the biological explanation of knowledgethrough the study of philosophy and the application of logic. This failed Piaget in his quest for answers, and he turned his focus to psychology. In 1918, Piaget graduated with his Doctorate in Science from the University of Neuchà ¢tel. While teaching at the Sorbonne in Paris, he met Alfred Binet and began working with him evaluating childrens intelligence tests. Piaget was not concerned with the ri ght or wrong answers of the child, but was instead fascinated that certain errors occurred at predictable ages and began focusing on how children reasoned. In 1923, he married Valentine Chà ¢tenay and had three children with her. Piagets children immediately became the focus of intense observation and research and resulted in three more books (http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000094077/, 2010). Jean Piaget designed a model explaining how humans make sense of the world around them through collecting and organizing information from experiences with people, objects, and ideas. This was called the Theory of Cognitive Development. Piaget identified four factors; maturation, action on your environment, learning from others or social transmission, and searching for a balance or equilibrium that influence the way thinking and knowledge are developed. He also theorized that all species inherit the tendencies to organize thoughts and behaviors while adapting to his/her environment. Organization of thoughts and actions that allow a person to mentally think about events or objects are called schemes. Adaption of knowledge and thinking processes involves assimilation or incorporating new information into existing schemes, as well as changing existing schemes to respond to a new situation or accommodating. Piaget also believed that as young people develop they pass through four stages. T he first stage of cognitive development, which occurs between the ages of birth to two years, is called the Sensorimotor stage. In this stage, the child uses his/her five senses and motor abilities to comprehend the world around them. The child also distinguishes his/her self from objects and begins to act intentionally towards a goal. Object permanence is also achieved at this stage. The second stage is called the Preoperational stage and occurs between the ages of two to seven years. In this stage, the child begins to develop the ability to form and use symbols as well as think operations through logically in one direction. Egocentrism also dominates the childs thinking and language during this time. The third stage of cognitive development is between the ages of seven to eleven years is called the Concrete-Operational stage. The characteristics of this stage are the ability to solve concrete tangible problems logically, the ability to demonstrate conservation, the mastery of grou ping objects into categories based on characteristics, reversible thinking, and sequentially arranging objects according to weight, size and volume. The final stage of cognitive development, called Formal Operations, occurs from eleven years through adulthood. In this final stage, the adolescent becomes extremely focused on analyzing their own attitudes and beliefs while not denying that others may have different perceptions. The ability of an adolescent to think hypothetically, considering all possible combinations and choices, while reasoning deductively are other characteristics of this stage as well (Woolfolk, 2008). In Piagets Four Stages of Cognitive Development, the Preoperational stage would be the most noteworthy to me since this is the age range I will be teaching in elementary school. It is necessary to teach children in an active discovery learning environment, encouraging them to question, explore, manipulate, and search out answers on their own. This theory teaches me that as an educator, I must also be an observer in my classroom. I must carefully assess my students current stage of development, cognitive level, as well as strength and weaknesses, while tailoring a set of tasks and curriculum that is specific to each childs needs. Piagets theory is also beneficial to me because it teaches me that I will need to focus on the learning process of my students, rather than the end product. This theory also tells me that intelligence grows through assimilation and accommodation; therefore, I must provide many opportunities for my student to experience both. This theory can help me better understand my kindergarten students because I will be knowledgeable to their skill acquisition at certain ages. It will also guide my teaching strategies as well as help me design lesson plans and activities based on my preoperational students ability levels, while not causing frustration. According to Piaget, the characteristic of egocentrism is often seen in preoperational children. To combat this, I would provide my students with opportunities to work in groups, so they can learn from each other, participate, and be productive at their own pace. A basic understanding of Piagets theory could tremendously benefit parents, by knowing when to introduce new skills to his/her child in order to maximize understanding and success. I would recommend that parents observe his/her child, to make sure that what they are teaching is appropriate for their childs present stage of learning. Avoid stressing standardized learning such as committing rules and facts to memory and instead choosing constructive hands-on experimentation. I would also advise parents to allow active learning through game playing, exploring, and drawing. When giving directions to their child, I would suggest keeping things short and simple. To help a child getting ready for school in the morning, I would recommend having a clock with hands in his/her room. The child does not have a sense of time at this age. The parent should tell the child that when this hand points to this number, have your clothes on and be ready. I would also suggest for parents to talk to his/her child about their experiences and constantly engage them with questions about what they are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting. As a teacher with students in the preoperational stage, I must remember that my students may or may not reach each of Piagets stages at the predetermined age assigned since each child develops individually. It is essential to provide students with as many opportunities as possible to experience new things. This will help them continuously build on his/her foundation of language and learning. Learning at the preoperational stage, takes place by the student constructing new schemas through knowledge discovered in hands-on learning. Lesson plans should include hands-on activities, field trips, and learning games with props or visual aids. Hands-on environments should be set up in your classroom with different stations to learn math, science, social studies, etc. To teach math, I would use colored chips or even pennies for counting, adding and subtracting. To teach science, I could use a magnifying glass to see how objects such as pictures of snowflakes are the same or different from eac h other. When taking field trips to places such as science museums or the zoo, I would constantly ask questions about what my students are experiencing. To assess the skills that my students are acquiring, I could use portfolios, group presentations, and demonstrations that would let my students explain his/her learning process to me. REFERENCES: NNDB: Tracking the entire world. (2010, February 9). Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000094077/. Woolfolk, A. (2008) Educational psychology: Active learning edition. Personal, moral, and social development (pp. 36-45).

De Tocqueville Essay -- essays research papers

Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristocracy is a phenomenon that is perhaps as natural a summer crop, and as devastating as the locusts that eat it. De Tocqueville’s position on aristocracy is quite clear. He is a strong advocate of the aristocracy, it is a part of the natural order and necessary. His position may have some basis, however I have yet to see the “upside'; of a caste system or a good defense of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  De Tocqueville believes that aristocracy provides stability and fellowship. De Tocqueville’s support of aristocracy is weak and ill founded. His first point of aristocracy is that of stability, “Among aristocratic nations, as families remain for centuries in the same condition,';. Stationary families have the stability to resist most circumstances and become fixed. This also allows families to gain power that they have no real right to hold. Old things often become stagnant and rotten, as did the aristocracy when families intermarried beyond their genes capacity, as well as becoming corrupted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  De Tocqueville’s second point is that the aristocracy have great lineage and pay homage to their ancestors, “A man almost always knows his forefathers and respects them;';. This is quite true, however De Tocqueville does not mention that because of the family “blood';, wars have been fought, and many lives lost. De Tocqueville continues to say, “He willingly imposes duties on himself towards the former and latter [ancestors and descendants], and he will frequently sacrifice his personal gratifications . . .';. It is a nice sentiment, however, history has taught us that it is rare to find a self-sacrificing person, and even rarer is the benevolent overlord. De Tocqueville’s argument lacks a solid and provable basis. The fact that aristocrats look only for their ancestors or descendants is a very self-centered act. They are concerned with only their family and it’s success. De Tocqueville does not mention the “sacrifice'; an angry lord makes for his serfs and servants by throwing them off his land. It would destroy De Tocqueville’s argument to show that lords were hard, if not cruel at times, on their tenets. History has proven it.   &nb... ...o people can live lives of their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Equality is one of democracy’s foundations. De Tocqueville does not see this, however as he writes, “As social conditions become more equal . . . [people cannot] . . . exercise any great influence over their fellows,';. The idea behind this strange equality is that people are free to make decisions with out the fear of outside influences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Democracy, though it works as a system designed for the masses, also works for individual rights. De Tocqueville notes that, “they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands.';. This is a foundation of democracy, that we have right to life. This includes the right to shape our “destiny';.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  De Tocqueville wrote sensible arguments, save the fact that they were totally unfounded and not supported in any way. I cannot say whether it is better live under democracy or feudalism. It is possible to see that in most circumstances, a democracy is better for the people. In fact, it’s better for any person to live under a democracy, except for the aristocrat.

Explain How Children and Young People’s Development Is Influenced by a Range of Personal Factors Essay

There are many influences which can affect a child’s development, personal factors include influences before and at birth, health status and disabilities, sensory impairments and learning difficulties. Genetics affect a child’s development at conception where the sperm and egg determine sex, height and eye colour. If the genetics are faulty this can affect the child’s health and development. During pregnancy the mother needs to ensure that she does not smoke, drink or use drugs, all of these things are made up of toxins which can severely harm the baby which in turn can cause complications at birth and possible delayed development later on in life. Genetics can also cause addiction, depression and low self esteem if these problems run in the family. Difficulties throughout the labour such as anoxia (lack of oxygen) can cause difficulties for development. Read more: Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay If a child is born with a condition or develops one later on in life this may affect their development. They may have an illness such as asthma which affects their breathing; this can be caused by living in highly polluted areas or living in a house with people who smoke. Due to this the child may be less likely to play and be active with their friends as their condition may restrict them from doing this, this may mean that the child has a lesser understanding of appropriate group interaction or team playing. Learning difficulties in a child can cause a developmental delay; this means that the child finds learning difficult. Disabilities, sensory impairments and learning difficulties can affect children’s and young people’s development, their disability may affect one area of development which in turn can affect another the development of another area, meaning that overall development cannot occur, this can lead to low self -esteem and self-worth.

Empowerment in Nursing Practice Essays

Empowerment in Nursing Practice Essays Empowerment in Nursing Practice Paper Empowerment in Nursing Practice Paper The concept of empowerment is one that is often discussed in the context of modern nursing practice. Empowerment has become somewhat of a ‘buzz’ word in the health care system and is often used out of context and without a true understanding of it’s meaning or implications to practice. This essay will attempt to conceptualise empowerment, specifically in nursing practice. Three areas will be analysed in an attempt to provide a simple overview of the empowerment approach to nursing. First, definitions of empowerment, second methods of empowerment, and finally barriers to empowerment will be explored. The first emergence of the concept of empowerment in health care can be traced to the Alma Ata Declaration of 1977 (Falk-Rafael, 2001). In that document health was recognised as an issue of social justice, a fundamental human right. Following that empowerment became the central ideology of the â€Å"new public health† (Grace, 1991) aligning with the Ottawa Charter’s definition of health promotion as a â€Å"process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. † The word Power is derived from the Latin verb â€Å"potere† (to be able). Simply, power can be defined as that which enables one to achieve their goals (Davidhizar and Dowd, 1999). With this definition in mind it would then follow that the empowering nurse needs to move from the traditional role of understanding and caring, to a role of facilitating the patient to define for themselves the direction in which their health care plan should develop in order to achieve their goals, thus enabling them to work towards maximizing the quality of their lives (Melville, 1997). According to Aoki (2002), empowerment can also be defined as a collective process acknowledging, promoting and enhancing an individual’s ability to meet their own needs, decipher problems and muster the necessary resources to be in control of their own lives. However, Kuokkanen and Leino-Kilpi, (2000), state that empowerment is not a clear concept, they say that although in it’s fundamental state, referring to solutions rather than problems, empowerment is positive; empowerment is a ‘dynamic’ concept where power is shared, taken over and given away. Regardless of definition it appears to be generally accepted that patients need to be in control of their own lives. Empowerment may take on different forms for different patients depending upon their circumstances and ability or desire to be empowered (Davidhizar and Dowd, 1999). Ultimately the desired result is for the individual to achieve a sense of control and direction that enables them to attain a better quality of life (Aoki, 2002). It is through the concept of maximising the quality of an individual’s life that the consequences of empowerment for nursing practice can be illustrated. During illness people become vulnerable and unsure of their world, it is during this time that they become dis-empowered. It is important for a nurse to understand their patient and to provide care that is centred around the unique needs of that individual (Cox, 2000). The empowering nurse will often spend many hours with a patient building a trusting and collaborative relationship. However empowerment is not easy and is something that has to be worked at particularly in a health care culture where it has been traditionally accepted that patients would relinquish power to those who knew how best to help them (Lutz and Bowers, 2000). Communication and information both facilitate patient empowerment. Faulkner, (2001) states that empowerment is achieved through the provision of information and the upholding of a patient’s right to be involved in the decision making process. A nurse that withholds information from a patient regarding aspects of their care is placing the patient in a position of weakness and reinforces the position of power for the nurse. Davidhizar and Dowd, (1999) state that â€Å"informational power† is about sharing valuable information, in the nursing context it could be about educating a patient or informing them of their rights either verbally or through the provision of educational literature, which is appropriate to the patient’s literacy level. Research shows that patients who become empowered in a particular area of their care have more potential to gain control of many other aspects of their life (Faulkner, 2001). For this reason it is vital for the nurse to remain aware of their patient’s situation and to continue to assist as necessary or as needed. It is interesting and important to note that not all patients see empowerment as being a positive thing. Many patients are happy to relinquish their power to a nurse and find security in this. Faulkner, (2001) cites the example that many aging patients find increased control over situations, activities and health care can in turn lead to their increased concern and may cause the patient undue stress and worry about their future. For many patients in this category the feeling of being ‘totally cared for’ provides a sense of comfort and security from the overwhelming reality of life (Gould, 1990). Gould (1990) goes on to say that some patients hold nurses in such high esteem that they feel inadequate and willingly relinquish their power to the nurse seeing him/her as the expert in relation to their health care needs. There are many barriers to empowerment, some totally outside of the nurse’s control that may in effect stand to dis-empower the nurse. Things such as budget constraints, environmental culture and simply a lack of time may all have an impact upon the empowerment of the nurse, thus effecting his/her ability to effectively empower the patient. Aoki, (2002) states that often a nurse needs to learn how to empower him/herself in order to empower their patient. Empowerment in a general nursing context is far from a simple matter of encouraging a patient to take control of their life. In all cases it is important that an individual approach be taken and consideration given to social, physical and cultural constraints both in relation to the nurse and the patient. However one thing does appear clear that in order for a nurse to empower a patient they must develop a collaborative and trusting relationship that aims to provide the patient with accessible information according to individual needs. Reference List: Aoki, Y. (2002). Reflections on empowerment. Nursing Older People, Feb 2002, 17-22. Cox, C. (2000). Response to Patient Centered Care: Understanding Its Interpretation and Implementation in Health Care. Nursing Reasearch, 45, 183-187. Davidhizar, R. Dowd, B. (1999). Benevolent Power. The Journal of Practical Nursing, March 1999, 34-31. Falk-Rafael, A. (2001). Empowerment as a process of evolving consciousness: A model of empowered caring. Advances in Nursing Science, 24, 1-6. Faulkner, M. (2001). Employment Disempowerment and The Care of Older People. Nursing Older People, July 2001, 18-22. Gould, D. (1990). Empathy: A review of the literature with suggestions for an alternative research strategy. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 15, 1167-1174. Grace, V. (1991). The marketing of empowerment and the construction of the health consumer. International Journal of Health Services, 21, 329-343. Kuokkanen, L. and Leino-Kilpi, H. (2000). Power and empowerment in nursing: three theoretical approaches. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31, 275-241. Lutz, J. Bowers, J. (2000). Patient centered care: Understanding it’s interpretation and implementation in health care. Nursing Reasearch, 45, 165-182. Melville, M. (1997). Do patients have power in health care? British Journal of Nursing, June 1997, 337-340.

Free Essays on Conventional Air Defense

TODAY'S conventional air defense requires both air-to-air and surface-to-air weapon systems. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) typifies this with a balance of 300 air defense-capable fighters and 1,100 surface-to-air missile (SAM) launchers in West Germany and the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).1 Similarly, Britain's crucial air defense battle in the 1982 Falklands conflict demonstrated a balanced dependence on fighters and SAMs, with 31 Argentine aircraft destroyed by Harriers and 28 shot down by ship- and shore-based missiles.2 Fusing SAMs and fighters into an effective air defense team is a major challenge in a land theater when they are owned and operated by separate services, with the Air Force flying the fighter aircraft and the Army shooting the missiles. This joint air defense responsibility requires joint training that can meld both. systems into a coordinated, mutually supporting team. This training requirement is currently unfulfilled. Army and Air Force air defenders are training hard, but they are too often training separately for this joint mission. There must be integrated practice if our air defenders are to be successful. To build a case for the need for increased joint air defense training, we need to address the following areas: Current Army and Air Force air defense training. Risks of not training jointly. Benefits of joint training. Some possible fixes. Consider the analogy of a football team whose backfield and line always practice separately, never putting it all together before the first game. Although both team elements may consider themselves individually proficient, the team would certainly suffer significant execution problems when the backfield and the line played together for the first time. Hard scrimmaging as a whole team is vital to a team's preparation. Unfortunately, our air defense team, consisting of an Army front line and an Air Force backfie... Free Essays on Conventional Air Defense Free Essays on Conventional Air Defense TODAY'S conventional air defense requires both air-to-air and surface-to-air weapon systems. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) typifies this with a balance of 300 air defense-capable fighters and 1,100 surface-to-air missile (SAM) launchers in West Germany and the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).1 Similarly, Britain's crucial air defense battle in the 1982 Falklands conflict demonstrated a balanced dependence on fighters and SAMs, with 31 Argentine aircraft destroyed by Harriers and 28 shot down by ship- and shore-based missiles.2 Fusing SAMs and fighters into an effective air defense team is a major challenge in a land theater when they are owned and operated by separate services, with the Air Force flying the fighter aircraft and the Army shooting the missiles. This joint air defense responsibility requires joint training that can meld both. systems into a coordinated, mutually supporting team. This training requirement is currently unfulfilled. Army and Air Force air defenders are training hard, but they are too often training separately for this joint mission. There must be integrated practice if our air defenders are to be successful. To build a case for the need for increased joint air defense training, we need to address the following areas: Current Army and Air Force air defense training. Risks of not training jointly. Benefits of joint training. Some possible fixes. Consider the analogy of a football team whose backfield and line always practice separately, never putting it all together before the first game. Although both team elements may consider themselves individually proficient, the team would certainly suffer significant execution problems when the backfield and the line played together for the first time. Hard scrimmaging as a whole team is vital to a team's preparation. Unfortunately, our air defense team, consisting of an Army front line and an Air Force backfie...

Diffusion and Osmosis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diffusion and Osmosis - Lab Report Example One particular example is the absorption of water and other nutrients from the soil by root hairs in plants. The following experiments demonstrate these basic concepts in action, and how distribution of substances in two regions with different concenration gradients occurs. In order to determine osmolarity of a potato and how it is effected by the process of diffusion, a simple experiment is performed. 7 cylindars are carved out from a potato, and then cut to a uniform size of 5 cm. One very important aspect of this experiment are the 6 sucrose solutions, ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 molars, 100 ml each, and placed separately in 6 250-ml beakers together with 100 ml of distilled water. A sensitive balance is also necessary to accurately determine the weight of each potato piece, before and after incubation. Another experiment is performed to determine the process of osmosis. For this experiment a 500 ml beaker is used which is filled with 300 ml of water. A 25-30 cm dialysis tubing bag is essential, since it represents the semi-permiable membrane that is present during osmosis. 4 ml of a 30% glucose and starch (placed in the dialysis bag) and a small amount I2KI represent diffusing substances. Benedict's reagent is also necessary to determine the diffusion pattern of the substances involved. The carved out and cut pota... All the pieces are incubated for 45 minutes, and then their weights are measured and recorded. The percentage change in weight for each of the pieces is also calculated and recorded using the following formula: Percentage change in weigh= weight change/initial weight * 100 In the second experiment is prepared by soaking it in water, closing one end with a rubber band or string as not to let any solution to enter into the bag, and by adding a 4 ml of a 30% glucose solution into the bag. A 4 ml starch solution is also added, and the color of the glucose-starch solution is recorded. Then, 300 ml of distiled water is placed in a 500 ml beaker in which a small amount of I2KI is added. The color of this solution is also recoded. The dialysis bag is placed in the beaker and they are left for 45 minutes. It should be noted that the free end of the bag is not in contact with the solution of the beaker, as it is left lying out of the beaker. The color of both solutions (in the dialysis bag and beaker) are recorded, after which 3 ml samples are taken from each solution, as well as a sample of distilled water, representing the control tube. Placed in 3 different tubes, a small amount of Benedict's reagent is added to each tube. The final colors are then recorded. - Results Using the data collected from the first experiment, a graph can be plotted (Table 1). The y axis represents the osmolarities of the sucrose solutions, representing the independent variable while the x axis represents the weight of the potato pieces after incubation, represents the dependent variables, with the negative value being a decrease in potato piece weight, and vise

Music Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Appreciation - Essay Example Studying the different time periods such as the Renaissance, Baroque period, Classical period, all these time periods contributed in different ways to the music we have today. Take for example, the kind of music that was played in the Baroque period. Music at that time lacked coherent melody, was filled with unremitting dissonances, constantly changed key and meter, and speedily ran through every compositional device. Look at the Classical period as well. Music during this time was balanced. Nothing was too fast or too slow, or too loud, or too soft. The texture of this type of music was lighter and clearer than Baroque music and less complex. Variety of keys, melodies, rhythms and dynamics along with frequent changes of mood and timbre were more commonplace in the Classical period than they had been in the Baroque. One thing that amazes me is that back in these different eras, there was a distinct type of music that most people played, what was acceptable. In the baroque, it was fas t music, in the Classical time, it was orchestrated music. In the Renaissance period, there was the development of respect for rhythm and sense of the words in texting. However, in our modern time and day, you have not necessarily just one type of music that is being played or dominant, but many different kinds, and a combination of all these different rhythms make me really appreciate the generation that we live in. This can be seen in the hit charts, in music that comes out today. Look at Alicia Keys, her music is an incorporation of both classical music and pop with a slight jazzy feeling to it. Another good example is of bands, such as One Republic. When they released their single, â€Å"Apologize†, there was incorporation of their classical music instruments, and the song in itself was a very emotional song filled with meaning. This realization helps me realize that just like how we are progressing, unlike before where people were more narrow-minded and only open to thei r own ideas but now we see a blending of all these different forms of music, we should be learning from the past. We should take the good and leave the bad, and bring all these good ideas together to form disciplines that will change our lives for the better. We should take the different music from different cultures and bring it together to form songs that will unite us as one and help us grow. These days, people tend to look more to Western music as the â€Å"ideal†, whatever is being done in western music, is what should be followed, but I believe this is wrong. Every culture has a rich background that they can bring to the table. I think we should learn to embrace our uniqueness, and stop trying to urge everyone to be like us. We’re connected across the planet. We can share the views of people on music, the arts, and culture via a wide array of internet-available nets capes, blogs, and interactive venues. We can access the musical world easily, purchase it, and dow nload it. We can learn it by listening to sources, and asking questions of it, interactively. We’re also connected to cultures living locally—at home, within our families, schools, and communities. There we can quite easily make the effort to know the children we teach, the human resources that are available to give support to our teaching efforts, and the music-makers that range from the occasional and

Study abroad application Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Study abroad application - Scholarship Essay Example Most importantly, the study abroad scholarship will be an important financial boost to my personal, academic, and professional goals and objectives. This is because the study abroad program will enhance my communication skills, broaden my adaptability and independence, and subsequently promote culturally diverse and interpersonal skills. In light of these insights, the scholarship will go a long way in enhancing my academic and career opportunities. The scholarship, therefore, is a significant platform upon which I will not only share, but also learn cultural competency. In conclusion, I value academic interactions with peers and teachers because every individual is different and unique in his/her own way. In that regard, the scholarship is a good opportunity for me to travel abroad, meet and make new friends, learn international differences in academic curriculum, and ultimately share my experiences and competencies with different cultures firsthand. It is my sincere hope that this study abroad scholarship application will be

The process of International Assignments Essay Example for Free

The process of International Assignments Essay Human resource management (HRM) is a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets: the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. â€Å"HRM aims to help the organization to achieve success through people. As Ulrich and Lake (1990) remark, ’HRM systems can be the source of organizational capabilities that allow firms to learn and capitalize on new opportunities’. HRM is concerned with both meeting human capital requirements and the development of process capabilities: in other words, the ability to get things done effectively†1. These strategic goals and objectives are most important and mandatory in a world which becomes more and more global. To be successful, companies have to keep up with their competitors, which usually mean that getting things done effectively is crucial in everything they do. Globalization has brought remarkable developments in the diversity and complexity of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) and management of the global workforce is a critical dimension of companies’ international business. 2 1. 2 Objective of the term paper According to Harvey and Moeller3 there are currently 850,000 subsidiaries of multinational corporations operating globally. Furthermore, 65 per cent of Multinational Companies (MNCs) surveyed in a GMAC global relocation survey are expecting expatriate manager numbers to rise steadily over the next decade. Expatriate managers continue to be a viable means for exercising control over foreign operations and they can therefore have a direct impact on organizational performance. 4 Furthermore, international assignments are also the single most expensive per-person investment a company makes in globalizing its workforce, and unfortunately, most firms are getting anaemic returns on this investment. To improve their return, managers must understand the best practices, thinking, and scientific research on international assignments. 5 According to the above fact and the current worldwide growth of the expatriation missions worldwide, this term paper should give an overview of the Process of International Assignments and its importance for internationally operating Companies – with special focus on the Repatriation of Expatriates. 1. 3 Approach First of all, the question is answered on who should be recruited and how the best person possible for the job can be acquired. If a company is not able to find the right candidate internally, personnel are often recruited externally. But this brings along some other problems which should not be left behind, as insufficient commitment or lack of corporate identity and boundaries to the parent company. 6 Once some appropriate candidates for the vacant position are found, companies have to sort out according to the required characteristics and qualifications as well as the official job description, if available. Next, a number of objectives must be incorporated in the design of expatriates’ pay packages when it comes to negotiating and setting up contractual conditions for the future employee. Chapter three therefore deals with elements a contract should consist of as well as compensation itself. If the contract is finally set up and signed, training for the respective employee and proper preparation regarding the international assignment is fundamental. This can ensure the employee’s success as creating a global mind, overall understandings of the expatriates’ coming tasks as well as differences in local and domestic culture are only some of the toughest tasks an expatriate has to face during his international assignment. Preparation and support given by the company are therefore urgently needed, not only in giving information about host country, upcoming tasks and the stay itself but also in regards to questions related to family, friends, home-flights and all other social questions arising. The last stage of a foreign assignment is the process of repatriation. This phase is the most difficult and unpredictable one. The expatriate not only has to arrive and settle down at home, but also in headquarter where things, positions and people might have changed. â€Å"Often when they return home, expatriates face an organization that does not know what they have done for the past several years, does not know how to use their knowledge and does not care†7. As the process of international assignments is very complex and this term paper limited, each chapter only gives a short and simple overview of the single topics summing up important facts and figures submitting general conspectus. 2. Personnel recruitment and selection 2. 1 International staffing strategies Key question to international staffing regards the selection of one of the four different staffing strategies: ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric or regiocentric. 8 Choosing the right strategy generally depends on different influencing factors like the characteristics of the parent company or foreign company, conditions in the host country as well as individual characteristics of the employee. 2. 1. 1 Ethnocentric staffing The ethnocentric approach usually indicates that companies are satisfied and happy with the strategy of the headquarter and they now try to implement their domestic standards also in the host country. 9 Home personnel are educated to lead worldwide. This means that key positions in domestic and foreign operations are held by Parent Country Nationals (PCNs). 2. 1. 2 Polycentric staffing The polycentric orientation stands in direct contrast to the ethnocentric orientation, being more variable and independent. Evaluation and control is determined locally and therefore a high level of autonomy can be found in those subsidiaries. 10 Local personnel, Host Country Nationals (HCNs), are educated to lead locally. 11 2. 1. 3 Geocentric staffing Following the geocentric staffing approach organizations are generally complex and interdependent worldwide like McDonalds or Apple. Universal standards for evaluation and control apply and nationality does not matter in favour of ability. The best talent educated to lead worldwide. 12 This also implicates working with Third Country Nationals (TCNs). 2. 1. 4 Regiocentric staffing The fourth staffing strategy is a mixture of the polycentric and the geocentric approach. Managers are generally selected on the basis of being the best in the region, with international transfers generally being restricted to regions. This kind of strategy has become more and more popular during the last years with many MNCs choosing to organize operations regionally. 13 2. 2 Personnel recruitment General target of personnel recruitment is to find an appropriate candidate for the right job. This process may be either conducted from outside or inside the company. Both ways of recruitment possess of advantages and disadvantages, but these can only be named exactly in a concrete recruitment case. 2. 2. 1 Internal recruitment There are different ways of internal recruitment. Personnel may be transferred or promoted to the job as an example. Another form is an apprenticeship of young people, having the advantage to shape future personnel right from scratch. Employees may also perform an on-the-job training for their future position or responsibility. 14 According to Scherm recruitment for international assignments within the company is mostly done by above-mentioned promotions or relocation of staff from one facility to another. 15 The advantages of internal recruitment are on hand. Companies know their potential expatriate longer, are used to their behaviour, thinking, skills and company as well as product specific knowledge. This reduces the risk of selecting the wrong candidate. According to the Global Relocation Trends Survey 200916, only 11 % of the expatriates expected to go abroad have been newly recruited externally. Due to the high selection risks, internal recruiting dominates. As basis for the recruitment decision performance measurements, personal reports, interviews with the employee as well as career plans are taken into account. 17 2. 2. 2 External recruitment If qualified personnel cannot be found internally, recruitment is done outside the company. This is also the case if the company is not able to qualify their personnel within a set time frame or due to lack of experienced staff. It is most important that companies know the relevant job market if they want to succeed in recruiting employees externally as well as doing this in an economically way. External recruitment can then be divided into two segments, passive and active external recruitment. Whereas active external recruitment means addressing potential candidates through e. g. different institutions, media or by using social networks, passive external recruiting companies set their emphasis on spontaneous, speculative applications of respective candidates or mouth-to-mouth propaganda of their great company image. 18 In case recruitment for an international assignment is done externally the risk for selecting the wrong candidate is often minimized by outsourcing the task to an external consultant or agency as they generally have more experience. 19 Nevertheless, the traditional ways of searching for the right candidate, e. g. simply advertising the vacancies in the local newspapers or online, employment centres or job fairs, are still applicable. Candidates from outside the company may bring in new ideas and may have a wider range of experience due to their former tasks but the selection process might take longer, might require extensive personnel resources and might be more expensive (e. g. advertising and interview process, personnel consulter). 2. 3 Personnel selection For an international assignment to become a great success for both, company and expatriate, selecting the right candidate out of several is one of the most important steps of the whole process. Several selection strategies are used and quite common but failure situations in individual assignment cases are widely spread in MNCs. 20 In order to make sure that the candidate possesses the right characteristics, qualifications, and skills a detailed job description and information about coming management tasks can be very helpful during this process. Unfortunately, these proper specifications are often not available or only give a rough overview of upcoming challenges. 21 2. 3. 1 Selection criteria A first impression about the population of expatriates provides the demographic data study of the Bookfield Global Relocation Trend Surveys. 22 For 2009 it is stated that 75 % of all expatriates have been aged between 30 and 49 whereas 80 % of them have been male. Only 9 % have had prior experience as international expatriates. 27 % have been single and therefore sent without partner and almost half of them have been sent off together with their kids. 23 Usually the HR Manager selects the expatriate according to the following criteria: A specific or subject-related qualification as the expatriate often has no other specialist on site. Personal characteristics like motivation, discipline, patience, endurance, and readiness to take on responsibility. Cultural openness, willingness to learn and experience new things, open-minded, no resistance to change. Family-related criteria The single criteria may overlap to a certain point. In literature different weightings for all of these criteria exist but they all agree to the fact that Family and Cultural openness should be most taken into account. 24 2. 3. 2 Final selection process and instruments Generally, there are no other specific selection processes or criteria used for finding a candidate for an international assignment than the ones used in national context. Among selection process and criteria four are widely known, starting with the general application documents. Job requirements and the matching candidate personal profile decide in first instance who is to be invited to a personal interview. If it is decided to recruit a candidate internally, generally the previous career and the internal development of the employee are taken into account. Often, prior to an invitation to a personal interview, candidates have to successfully take part in an assessment centre focusing more and more on intercultural competences like empathy, cultural understanding, behaviour etc. 25 It is seen as an advantage of the external assessment of intercultural competence in intercultural assessment centres that the requirement regarding the behaviour and orientation are high and the candidates will be evaluated by several observers over a longer period. 26 In addition to this, personal interviews, together with wife or husband of the respective expatriate are increasing as it is important that they support and understand situation and coming tasks. They can help the expatriate to stay grounded and sometimes they even move with the expatriate to the new country. Last, tests can be used as a selection technique ranging from general mental ability tests to psychological tests. Finally, neither in literature nor in practice a general opinion which of the above mentioned selection processes and criteria are most appropriate or useful in regards to international assignments or the identification of intercultural competent employees exist. 27 3. Contractual conditions of the employment abroad 3. 1 Objectives of a contract No matter if a company operates nationally or internationally, the contract of an employee should be compliant with labour law standards, offer transparency and motivate staff in order to decrease fluctuation. Further, it should provide the legal and financial frame work of the working relation and last but not least should be economical and cost effective for the company. Protection of human life, health, and comfort by creating a strong and cohesive culture as well as safe working environment should been given highest priority and objective of contracts. 3. 2 Compensation Depending on the international orientation of the company as well as kind and duration of the international assignment there are three different compensation policies which can be differentiated, following below. 3. 2. 1 Ethnocentric compensation policy The Ethnocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Balance Sheet Approach: During a short-term assignment (delegation, 1 to 5 years)28, the employee retains his residence in the home country. His family usually stays back there, as moving those with the expatriate would exceed costs. The salary is paid by the parent company in the currency of the country of origin and charges can be passed on to the foreign company if applicable. The employee remains employee of the parent company and retains his employment contract. A supplementary agreement to this contract is set up for all specialties such as tasks, duration, home flights, remuneration vacation etc. 29 About 60 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 30 Advantages are on hand: The expatriate can maintain home country living standards and generally receives a surplus for the additional future challenges and efforts. Therefore, this approach is accepted by most employees. Disadvantages for the company are sometimes massive compensation differences within a country e. g. the salary of a PCN might be considerably higher as that of a HCN. This fact might de-motivate local employees. Furthermore, the ethnocentric compensation policy is complex in administration. 31 3. 2. 2 Regiocentric compensation policy The Regiocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Going Rate Approach: During long-term assignment (relocation, 1 to 5 years)32 compensation is based on the Host Country. As the term ‘relocation’ already says, the employee gets directly involved in the foreign company. Usually, the family moves with the expatriate to the hospitable country and the salary is paid in the local currency directly by the foreign company. However, there are ways to still pay out a part of the salary in the currency of the home country, if desired. The existing contract with the parent company is brought to rest. The employment relationship however is not cancelled just like during military service or parental leave. At the termination of employment abroad the contractual ties between employee and parent company come back to life again. 33 Currently, approximately 11 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 34 Advantages are quite obvious: As the salary of the expatriates is linked to the salary structure of the host country salaries might be less costly in low-wage countries. Further the approach encourages equality between locals and expatriates and the identification with the host country. Due to an expected change in the living standards as well as huge variation between the expatriates’ salaries in different countries this approach is often very low accepted by expatriates. 35 3. 2. 3 Global compensation policy The global compensation policy neither considers the standards of the parent country nor those of the host country. Compensation is set globally and independently from other countries. This approach should provide the basis for an international remuneration policy. It should fit into corporate identity and should give international expatriates of MNC the opportunity to gain international experiences on the same level, offering transparency and the same salaries worldwide. Although corporate guidelines for a compensation policy often exist, they can hardly be found in the above described pure form but are being mixed up as due to costs and laws in the host countries compensation policies often require adjustment. 36 4. Preparation and support In order to make the international assignment a huge success for both the candidate and the company there are several measures which can be taken to prepare and support the expatriate. Support is an on-going process and done by superiors, responsible persons or agencies. It does only end after repatriation whereas the preparation phase should start directly after recruitment and ends with the expatriate departing. According to Festing, training and support have to take the process of cultural adjustment into account, and can therefore be divided into the phases described below37. 4. 1 â€Å"Pre-Departure† Training Preparation and training can help to improve the ability to interact effectively and adequately with foreigners in working and non-working environments38. An ideal pre-departure preparation is therefore quite necessary. This preparation should enhance knowledge about cultural, political, legal, economic, and social conditions of the host country and provides the expatriate with all general information. If the expatriate is not fluent in the host country language, foreign language instructions and trainings should be offered. Other practices of pre-departure training include look-and-see-trips, orientation by lectures and briefings, cross-cultural trainings in order to understand why foreign partners think and behave in different ways as well as briefings by returnees who can give the expatriate valuable and important insider information. These pre-departure trainings should be extended to the expatriates’ family wherever possible and necessary. 39 4. 2 â€Å"Start-upâ€Å" Training After departure of the expatriate, the start-up training in the host country begins. The parent company helps the expatriate and his or her family in different forms (coping with the adaptation to a foreign environment, accommodation, school for children, safeguarding the interests of the expatriate in the parent company etc. ) and continues to be present. The intensity of the support varies depending on the resources and systems the different MNCs have implemented. A mentor system is most common and should ensure that each expatriate has been assigned a senior executive at home or on-site, who has a â€Å"parent† function. 40 Furthermore, a detailed employee orientation plan for the new position in the host country can be helpful for the expatriate to find his or her way around. The continuous and direct contact to the headquarter during this stage is crucial as the expatriates should still feel connected to the company and not be left behind. Often expatriates continue to learn the language of the new country in local courses, receive specific further trainings or coaching either by experts from the parent company or by local trainers. 4. 3 â€Å"Cultural shock preventionâ€Å" Training As adoption of new thoughts and behaviours of a new culture and situation requires more time than any cross-cultural training program can offer the expatriate in advance during this stage the expatriate requires extensive support. As expatriates tend to see everything more from a touristic point of view first, they finally arrive in the host country. They easily get frustrated or disappointed by a variety of things (language barriers, behavioural differences, climate etc. ) during this stage and the experience of unpredictability in combination with the feeling of abandonment and isolation possibly comes over the expatriate and his or her family. Helpful during this stage is the assigned mentor. The expatriate can talk with the mentor about his or her feelings and share information and experience. An information exchange with other expatriates is also advantageous as they often understand problems, feelings, and thoughts better as the mentor. If the expatriate is accompanied by his or her family and the spouse does not work during the international assignment, cultural adaptation difficulties are quite more problematic and more intense than the expatriates’. 41 5. Repatriation 5. 1 Reintegration Generals â€Å"When the expatriate is sent abroad he expects the new, unknown situation and the problems involved. But when he returns to his home country, he encounters it completely unexpected†42. This statement of Adler still describes the situation an expatriate often has to face when returning to the home country very well. They have left with a special task or order to complete but when they return they often do not exactly know how their position in the headquarter and their life will look like. Further problems are often connected to the duration of the assignment, the expatriates personal experiences made in the host country, cultural differences on-site and abroad, the expatriates personal situation as well as the repatriation support. 43 Therefore, it is hard to find a general recipe for successful reintegration planning. Individual solutions have to be found and every international assignment and expatriate has to be looked after individually. â€Å"The repatriation of staff into the parent company already starts with the selection and preparation decisions for the foreign assignment. The reintegration does not end with the return to the parent company and is not completed until the staff has been introduced to its new position in the company’s headquarters, performs effectively and feels comfortable with his job†44. In order for the expatriate to reintegrate successfully and not to quit the company after the assignment and a consequent loss for the mother company of investment and expertise (human capital), the reintegration process should be divided into the three stages following below. 5. 2 Before expatriation Already before the international assignment has taken place it should be discussed with the expatriate what he or she expects of a future position, how the expatriate would like to develop, how the expatriate sees the future career as well as tasks. This is often done by the mentor of the expatriate for the international assignment. As the expatriation program is very expensive and time consuming for a company, failure rate or the possibility of the expatriate leaving the company after the assignment should be eliminated. Generally, an employee, who is willing to work and live for probably years in a foreign country, with all personal consequences, should be integrated into an internal performance program, right at the beginning of the assignment. Setting up an agreement outlining the type of position expatriates will be placed in upon repatriation, the compensation and a general idea of their future job description should be arranged prior to going abroad. 45 Another possibility to limit reintegration problems is the idea to limit the assignment in its duration in advance to about 3-5 years. This limitation should prevent the expatriate from getting too attached to the way of living, behaviour, values, and culture of the host country and facilitate repatriation upon return. 46 It is seen as advantageous that the expatriate is able to foresee a concrete end to the assignment. 47 5. 3 During expatriation During the assignment, it is important that the expatriate has continuous contact and an on-going information exchange with the home office. This can be done by the mentoring program itself, regular home flights, company newsletters, information exchange platforms, and media like intranet or weekly telephone conferences with superiors and colleagues. 48 The expatriate should feel as a part of the company and should also be able to develop a worldwide network, learn to think global, and actively exchange information, knowledge and experience with other colleagues and expatriates. There should never come up the feeling to be forgotten or left behind. 5. 4 After expatriation As indicated by Johnston, from the repatriate’s perspective problems associated with reintegrating into the home country are loss of status, loss of autonomy, loss of career direction, and a feeling that the company undervalues international experience. 49 In order to avoid these problems, most MNCs offer a reorientation program where their repatriates take part in. These reorientation programs can provide immediate help in most of the work-related questions arising after expatriation. The repatriate is given information on new products, organizational changes, personnel, corporate culture, market and new strategies and developments. Sometimes also an experience exchange with former expatriates takes place in order to facilitate reintegration and manage the reverse culture shock as well as sudden change in lifestyle. The former expatriates can help the repatriates to cope with their new experiences as they have been mainly through the same. Additionally, repatriates are often used to train and coach colleagues that are about to begin their assignments to share their experience and give the expatriate the perception that their work and international expertise is valued, recognized, and needed. This should avoid professional disappointment and under-utilization of newly developed global skills of the expatriates. The new position of the repatriate should fit to newly developed skills and experience or the former position should be extended but not restricted to nine-to-five work. Career deficits upon returning should be compensated by HR training methods. Social repatriation measures also include support in the adjustment back to social lifestyle, status, housing, financial counselling, and tax assistance, school systems and children’s education as well as spouses new job search, if applicable. 50 6. Conclusion 6. 1 Target achievement â€Å"Expatriation is an important step towards becoming a global leader†51. Furthermore, an international assignment is a powerful experience in shaping the perspective and capabilities of effective global leaders. People are the key to success; they are the ones behind the strategy. Developing and retaining human capital becomes more and more important nowadays. â€Å"During expatriation, managers find the opportunity to acquire and/or master their coping, cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, networking, and coaching skills. They also develop business, technical, and managerial competencies while overseas, where they have to adapt to a variety of roles such as integrator, balancer, change agent, mentor/motivator, and talent developer. If international assignments are important to global leadership development, then this opportunity should be given early in a manager’s life†52. Additionally to give mangers and/or employees the opportunity to international assignments they have to be prepared and supported to become successful. This term paper points out that cross-cultural training, support, preparation, and repatriation training can make a difference in the history of successes of international assignments of MNCs, although it is mainly underestimated. Employees are hired everywhere in the world, wherever the necessary skills, training and experience can be found. Due to time pressure, employees are often sent to foreign countries on very short notice. Furthermore, there is still a prevalent belief that intercultural knowledge and skills are not really essential to success when collaboration with foreigners. In addition to this ignorance, there are doubts about the training effectiveness. Managers are frequently not convinced that cross-cultural training is really an effective means for gaining control of the complex issues of international cooperation. These facts make it somehow quite difficult to progress in the international assignment process. 53 6. 2 Prospects Today, an international assignment is more than only vacation abroad. The learning-by-doing approach had become outdated. In order to keep up with internationalization, companies should focus on developing global leaders and therefore structure their IHRM process quite well. This includes a strategic expatriation and repatriation policy as losing repatriates to the competition will sooner or later create a huge competitive risk and already costs the company quite a lot of money. In order to progress and ameliorate the international assignment process however, companies have to conduct further research in some fields. This starts with selecting the right candidate for the job. How does the job look like in detail and which requirements are set? How long should the assignment exactly take and what are the specific goals? A concrete job description is one step forward to a structured IHRM process. If the expatriate e. g. is accompanied by the spouse, which possibilities does the company have to find an adequate job for both in the same region (dual career couples)? If it would be possible to enhance satisfaction of the spouse of the expatriate, this might also reduce the risk of failure of the assignment. The same question is to be asked upon their return. 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(2002): Toward the boundaryless career: a closer look at the expatriate career concept and the perceived implications of an international assignment, in: Journal of World Business, 2002, 37. Jg. , Nr. 3, pp. 216-227 Trends Survey 2009: Toronto et al. : Brookfield Global Relocation Services Wagner, D. , Zander, E. , Hauke, C. (1992): Handbuch der Personalleitung: Funktionen und Konzeptionen der Personalarbeit im Unternehmen, Munchen 1992 Weber, W. , Festing, M. , Dowling, P. , Schuler, R. (2001): Internationales Personal-Management, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden 2001 Declaration in lieu of oath I hereby declare that I produced the submitted paper with no assistance from any other party and without the use of any unauthorized aids and, in particular, that I have marked as quotations all passages, which are reproduced verbatim or nearby-verbatim from publications. Also, I declare that the submitted print version of this term paper is identical with its digital version. 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