Media Bias Denial of What Should be Done

As a nature of individuals, personal interests are often present in different aspects of life that is needed to be done. In the case of a larger set of community, the media is one perfect example of how and where interest is very present. In the course of the continuous media presentation of different news, events and issues in the different areas of life, the media is said to seemingly affect the thinking of people. Unlike in the past, the media was not a staple institution that the society seen as a factor that affects their lives.But now, in the current times the media has all the power and opportunities in which they could send a message for the people. However, the question that is posted that is mostly raised is: â€Å"Is the presentation and the perspective of the media of the news, events and issues unbiased? † In the book written by Bernie Goldberg entitled Bias, he stated that the issue of conflict of interest often becomes a grave concern that is often questioned by many. It is known that people have their own view points with regards different topics for example, the issue of September 9, 2001.In the event of the World Trade Center bombing, the perspective of the media had became the most important factor of which had influenced the people in looking at the event. In the very day that the buildings in New York was crushed and powdered into the ground many of the news anchors were seen to have a great bias of who had done the bombing. Every one in the media perceived that the actions of bombing were caused by the terrorists who are angry with the government.Many of the media personalities most especially in the news were angry of the event however, in the end the conspiracy of the September 9 bombings had come out and suddenly, different media personalities and their statements had presented a different perspective. In the case of the media elites, Goldberg was very vocal in stating that three media personalities Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Pet er Jennings are deeply respected by their viewers. However, the perspectives of all these elite media personalities are mostly conservative.Goldberg is obviously a liberalist and he openly stated that all the media personalities he had stated were all conservatives thus; all their statements were statements coming from the conservative view point. If any form of liberalist view point is stated within the circle of other media communities, there will be a so called hindrance in utilizing such perspective. In the book, the conflict of interest which is mostly noticeable in the narration of the author was that liberal bias is truly misunderstood by different media personalities.Variety of these personalities are seeing the perspective that they must be able to create distinction of weather they could affect the perspective of the republicans or the democrats. However, it is stated by the author that â€Å"liberalism is the result of how they see the world† (Goldberg, 2002, p. 5) . But then again as stated in the earlier paragraphs, different individuals have different perspectives when it comes to variety of topics. Some of the biases which they had imbibed came from experiences and learning which had stayed within the individuals’ values system.In the end, the book is presenting that the media has a system in which they wanted to please the people. The media wanted to provide something for their viewers in order to have a higher rating. Therefore, they grant the desires of the viewers but disregard the issue of bias. This then results to the fact that the media is pursuing a certain type of ideology in order to have higher income return and viewer followings. In the view of this, the media is presented as a true institution that has its own rules which must be followed by anyone.The main perspective of the media community is to satisfy the people who are watching however, the quality of the stories and events they provide has less substance for the ideology utilized is only locked to the view of the conservatives which limits the thinking of the individuals to see the other side of the story. Moreover, the media is seen as biases for there is no room for other view points which is creates in equality and prejudice.

Snow White and Red Rose

There was once a poor woman who lived in an old thatched cottage . In front of the cottage grew two rose bushes. One grew flowers as white as snow, the other had flowers as red as wine. The woman had two daughters who resembled these rose bushes: one had a complexion as white as snow, the other lips as red roses. She named her daughters snow white and red rose. They were both good girls, but very different. Snow white, the elder, liked to stay with her mother and help her around the house, while her sister, Red rose, would wander the fields collecting flowers. But they loved each other dearly, and enjoyed each other’s company. This pleased there mother. ‘what one has she must share with the other. ’ The two girls liked to go walking in the woods to pick berries. Although the woods were filled with wild animals they never came to any harm-rather the reverse. The rabbits would come would come to feed from their hands and the deer would walk by their sides. If the girls were far from their home when night fell, they would make themselves a bed on the soft moss and sleep peacefully until morning. Their mother did not worry, as she knew her daughters were perfectly safe in the woods. The cottage itself was spotlessly clean, thanks to the way the two girls helped their mother. Red rose did the work housework during the summer. She would rise early, before anyone else was awake, so that she could bring her fresh flowers to put by her bed. During the winter, it was Snow white who lit the fire and set the cooking pot to boil. It was a copper cauldron, but she cleaned it so well, it shone like gold. One evening, as the snow falling softly outside, Snow white and Rose red sat by the fire as their mother read to them. A small lamb lay beside them, basking in the warmth, and a dove dozed on its perch above them. As the night drew on there came a loud knock at the door. ‘Quickly, Rose red,’ said her mother. ‘Open the door. It must be a lost traveller looking for shelter for the night. ’ Rose red opened the door, but standing there, instead of a traveller, was a enormous bear! She screamed and Snow white ran to hide behind her mother. ‘Do not be afraid,’ said the bear. ’ I mean you no harm. I am dying of cold and I am simply seeking some warmth. ‘The lamb trembled with fear and the dove flew away at the sound of the bear’s voice, but the girls’ mother was not scared. ‘Poor bear,’ she said. ‘Come, and warm yourself by the fire. Come, my daughters, do not be afraid, this bear will not harm you. ‘The girls came closer and were soon felling confident enough to brush the snow from his thick fur and tickle him with a stick. This would make the bear chuckle, but every now and again they would poke him too hard. The bear would growl softly, ‘Snow white, Rose Red, be careful. You almost spread me. ’ When it was time to go to bed, the girl’ mother suggested that the bear stay and sleep close to the fire. The next morning the two sisters woke and saw that the bear had left. Its heavy footprints in the snow led towards the wood. The next night the bear returned, and the next, and the next. All winter, the bear returned to sleep in the thatched cottage. The young girls spent the evenings playing with him, then at daybreak the bear would leave. One morning, when spring had come, the bear to Snow white, ‘I must leave now, and I will not be able to return until after summer. ’ ‘Must you go? ’ asked Snow white. ‘I’m afraid so,’ he replied. ‘I have to protect my treasure from the elves. As long as the ground is cold, the elves cannot find it, but as soon as the sun returns and heats the ground, they try to steal it. Snow white was very sad to see the bear leave, but as he passed the door, the latch caught against his skin and cut him. For a moment Snow white thought she saw a flash of gold shining through his fur, but she glimpsed it so briefly she could not be sure. Seeing snow white’s confused look, bear fled quickly into the woods. Sometime later, Rose red and Snow white were sent by their mother to collect firewood in the forest. As they approached a newly-felled tree, they spotted something hopping around the stump. It was an elf with a long white beard. The end of the beard was caught in the trunk and he pulled and tugged at his beard to try to release it. The elf glared at the girls. ‘What are you, statues? Why don’t you help me? ’ The happened here? ’ asked Red rose nicely. ‘You have a brains of a turkey! ’ the elf snapped back. ‘Can’t you tell that I was trying to chop down this tree here for firewood? It was all doing fine until my beard got caught in this cursed tree. Then you two young turkeys wandered past laughing at me! ’ To two sisters tried to free the elf, but his beard remained held fast on the tree. ‘Let’s go for help,’ suggested Rose red. You idiots! ’ he cried. ‘How dare you cut off the end of my beard? ’ Then he threw the bag on his shoulder and left without even looking at the young girls, let alone thanking them for freeing him. A few days later, Snow white and Rose red decided to go fishing. When they were close to the river, they saw something moving. It was the elf that Snow white had helped a few days earlier. A strong wind had entangled his beard with a fishing line-and at the other end of the line was a big fish. The fish was pulling so hard it threatened to drag the elf into the water. ‘Be careful! shouted Rose red. ‘You’ll fall into the water. ’ ‘I am not doing this on purpose, you fools,’ replied the elf, rudely. ‘It’s this cursed fish which wants me to fall in. ’ The young girls went to help. They hauled the elf into the bank and tried to disentangle the beard from the line. Unfortunately his beard was so twisted that Snow white was forced once again to resort to the scissors. The elf started to howl, ‘Oh, you devils! Why do you feel you have to mutilate the faces of everyone you meet? You disfigured me earlier, cutting off the point off my beard, and now you’ve cut off more! I daren’t show my face now because of you. ’ Snow white and Rose red were astonished. Then the elf added a curse. ‘I wish you only one thing-it is that you have to run without stopping until you have worn out the soles of you shoes. ’ Then he turned his back on the two girls, picked up a bag of pearls he had left on the riverbank, threw it over his shoulder and marched away. A short time afterwards, the girls’ mother sent them to town to buy some needles and thread. The path to the city crossed a moor covered with large rocks. Snow white and Rose red spotted an immense eagle circling in the sky.

Banduras social learning theory Essay

Our study is based on the theory of operant conditioning and Bandura’s social learning theory. Operant conditioning states that learning happens through association, and we believe that car advertises are trying to make their target population associate buying their car with a desired characteristic/traits/lifestyles e.g. having a lot of female attention. Skinner described the ABC model of operant conditioning, which includes an antecedent, behaviour and a consequence. Bandura for his theory stated that learning can only occur if the four criteria (attention, retention, reproduction and motivation) were met. From looking at YouTube adverts we found that smaller cars had a tendency to have more feminine themes whereas larger cars tended to have more masculine themes.  Aim  To whether there is a difference between gender and the size of cars they drive.  Alternative Hypothesis:  Males will have a higher tendency to drive large cars while females will have a higher tendency to drive smaller cars  Null Hypothesis:  There will be no difference in gender and the size of the car they drive, and any difference will be due to chance. METHOD:  Design:  This is an independent group design and a quasi experiment as each participant can only be in either the male or the female category. We will gather our data by tallying, as our study will only include nominal data. This is useful as tallying is easy to analyse and draw up conclusions from. We are only looking at the gender of the driver and the type/size of their cars, so our data is quantitative. This is a non-participant naturalistic overt observation. Seeing as our results are nominal, this is an independent group design and the hypothesis predicts a difference. We will try our best to operationalise our variables by tallying the cars for the same period of time and by collecting data in different locations throughout Maidstone. Our IV will be the gender and how dependent variable (DV) will be the size of the cars. To make it easier to see the driver or the car, we will be collecting our data by a set of traffic lights, and tallying in the correct sections.  Participants  All of our participants will be over 17, as this is the legal minimum driving age. We will be using opportunity sampling as only those driving at the time of the study will take part in the study. Apparatus  Pen, paper and clipboard   Procedure  1. A table was draw up to collect results in (a copy can be found in appendix)  2. Researchers decided time and place of when they will be getting results  3. Researches went to location, stood by the nearest traffic light and collect results  4. Next lesson, the results were pooled  5. Adjustments were made  6. Carried out inertial test using chi-squared test  Control:  Pilot study was not to include family and sports cars as they are marketed differently and tend to be gender neutral. We increased our ecological validity by carrying out the experiment in different places in Maidstone. Ethics We followed most of the ethical guidelines by: ensuring that no participants were harmed physically or psychology and that the results were anonymous. Participants were not given fully-informed consent and were not debriefed as this would be too time consuming, but if a participant was to ask about our study they would have been told the true aim of the study and having their results omitted if they want to.We will accept our null hypothesis and reject our alternative hypothesis because our observed value (1.34) of chi-squared is lower than the critical value(3.841) and this means our results aren’t significant. Therefore the probability of our results being due to chance equal p

Impacts of Acid Rain on Central and Southern China Research Paper

Impacts of Acid Rain on Central and Southern China - Research Paper Example Environmental pollution take the form of air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution among others that affect the general livelihood of the people who live in certain areas of the world. One of the effects of the environmental pollution is the production of acid rains, which has been witnessed in many parts of the world as a result of excessive emission of substances with hydrogen ions into the atmosphere. The effect is that the hydrogen ions combine with the environmental water to produce an acidic substance which falls to the ground as rain and it has very many negative impacts. Acid rain has its water with a pH value which is lower than the normal pH7 for neutral substances such as clean water, which contain no hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions. The pH value of water in the acid rain can be lower than seven as a result of emission of carbon (IV) oxide, oxides of sulphur and those of nitrogen (Chen, Li & Gao, 2010). The water that result from acid rains are as cannot be healthy for drinking and has a corrosive impact on the metal substances as well as negative impacts on the plants, which may be seen through falling of young plant leaves. To some other things like clothes and paintings, the acid rains can have a bleaching effect in addition to corrosion that happens (Ribeiro, Taffarel, Sampaio, Flores & Silva, 2013). This implies that acid rains are not in any way friendly to the environment in which they are experienced and they can lead to devastating impacts on vegetation cover in a given place. In evaluation of the impact of acid rains on the environments, it is important to consider its impacts on the forest cover and other species with a focus of the issues experienced in the Southern and Central China. Formation of acid rain Acid rains are formed mostly as a result of combustion of fossil fuels which lead to emission of sulphur and nitrogen oxides that are released to the environment. The problem happens when sulphurous and nitrogenous products in their gaseous forms go to the atmosphere and combine with the water. When a react fossil fuels consisting of sulphur as an impurity burn, they form a gaseous product known as sulphur (IV) oxide, which rises to the atmosphere and combine with other components thereof. In the presence of hydroxyl radicals, the sulphur (IV) oxide is oxidised to sulphur (VI) oxide, which reacts with atmospheric water molecules to form sulphuric acid (H2SO4). The acid rain that results from sulphur oxides contributes to about 70% of the acid rains in the environment all over the world (Ribeiro, Taffarel, Sampaio, Flores & Silva, 2013). On the other hand, nitrogen oxides, which make nitric acid rains, are formed as a result of combustion of fossil fuels which contain nitrogen particles as part of their components. When fuels are burned, they produce nitrogen oxide, NO, which is oxidised by the ozone (O3), and hydrogen dioxide (HO2), to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas, which is very reactive. In the reacti on, the gas reacts with hydroxide ions in the atmosphere to form an acidic substance known as nitric acid, (HNO3). Both cases of sulphuric and nitric acid cause acid depositions into the earth when they fall to the ground from the atmosphere during the either rain seasons. The acid rains can reach the earth in high amounts or as few drops to the ground but have similar devastating effects on the living and the non-living things (Ribeiro, Taffare

Genghis Khan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genghis Khan - Research Paper Example Temujin had three brothers namely Khasar, Tumuge and Khajiun, and a sister referred to Temulen. He also had two half brothers Belgutei and Bekhter. Temujin early life just like the other Mongolian tribes was not an easy one. When Temujin was at the age of nine years, his father took him to his mother’s tribe in the neighbourhood where he was required to work for several years so that he could earn himself a bride named Borje. While his father was returning home, he was poisoned by the Tatars tribe as he had a meal with them. The Tatar tribe had been enemies of the Mongolians for a long time. After the death of Temujin’s father, Temujin returned to his homeland to take after his father’s position among the Khans. However, his father’s tribe refused to be led by a young boy but instead Yesukhei’s two windows and seven children were expelled by their father’s clan. (cultural-china.com, 2010) Hoelun and her family were left without protection and for the next several years, lived in poverty and survived by feeding on roots, fish and rodents which were hunted by Temujin and his brothers. Temujin’s mother tried all she could do to keep her family together after they were expelled by the family patriarchy when her husband died. Hoelun taught Temujin skills which were needed to survive in the desert lands of Mongolia (afe.easia.columbia.edu, 2011). During a hunting expedition, a 13 year old Temujin killed his half brother Bekhter. The incident left Temujin as the head of the household. In 1182, Temujin was captured and held a prisoner after a raid which was conducted by the Bjartskular, his father’s former allies. He stayed in captivity for more than five years. He was later released at the age of sixteen and went to look for his wife Borje. His wife Borje was still waiting for him and soon afterwards the two got married. The marriage was meant to cement a strong alliance between Temujin and other tribes. Genghis Khan also had six Mongolian wives with whom he had many children with. He also married many daughters of a foreign king who submitted to his rule (Sailer, 2003). This children and wives were not to succeed Temujin. Soon after Temujin and Borje got married, Borje was kidnapped by the Merkits and she was given away as a wife. With the help of his friends and his future enemies, Jamuka and his protector, Ong khan of the Kerait tribe, Temujin was able to rescue Borje. Nine months afterwards, Borje gave birth to a son known as Joshi. While at the age of 27, Temujin organized a ‘kuriltai’ among the Mongolians and was elected the Khan. As the leader of Mongolians, Temujin gave high office positions to his relatives and his followers who were loyal to him. (asianhistory.about.com, 2011) By 1206, Temujin was able to unite a majority of the Mongolian tribes and this was what earned him the title Genghis Khan (answer.com, 2011). With the help of his army, Genghis was able to conqu er China, Samarkand, Central Asia and even Russia. Genghis and his army raided every community that resisted, killed and enslaved men. The then captured women were distributed upon the army and raped. More often, Genghis derived pleasure in sleeping with the daughters and the wives of the enemy chiefs. (Hudson, 2011) In 1227, Genghis Khan died shortly after defeating the Tangut people. The reason for his death remained unknown to many historians. References: afe.easia.columbia.edu. (2011). The Mongols in World History. Retrieved 1st December

Lesson Aids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lesson Aids - Essay Example Each card contains pictures of various servings of food. Five cards consist of the total number of servings from each food group. These cards carry 5 points. 20 cards comprise specific food portions ranging from three servings to one serving. The points attached to these cards range from three to one respectively. There are also three wild cards displaying oil as a food group but students have been taught that oil is not a food group although a small portion is needed to keep one healthy. Therefore anyone picking an oil card will be required to lose a turn for the next round. An oil card may be cancelled when the player gets a card containing the total number of servings from any particular food group (Cancellation of an oil card is the player’s choice). The game begins with each player choosing a card from the 28 stockpile. The player with the highest score on his/her card has the first turn. Each player then picks 5 cards. The first player places one card on the table. In an anti-clockwise manner, the remaining players match the first card using the same food group as displayed on the table ensuring that the recommended daily requirement is not exceeded. The player with the card with the highest points wins that round and ceases the played cards of the opponents. This person plays first in the next round. These ceased cards are put in the player’s basket which would be used to tally the winning score at the end of the game. When a player does not have a card from the food group displayed on the table, he/she is required to take cards from the stock one at a time until a card belonging to that particular food group is obtained. The game ends when either the stock pile is completed or one player has utilized all the cards in his/her hands. The player with the highest points in their basket at the end of the game

Product Design and Its Impact on Functional Product Information Essay

Product Design and Its Impact on Functional Product Information - Essay Example Marketers and academics agree that product design is important, and there exists a large body of managerial and quantitative research on design as a component of the new product development process. Consumer research on design, however, has been somewhat limited. Consumer behavior investigations into product appearance have included examinations of behavioral responses to product form (Silvera, Josephs, and Giesler 2002; Veryzer and Hutchinson 1998), the interaction of brand strength and design (Page and Herr 2002), the effects of repeated exposure to designs (Cox and Cox 2002), and the role of individual differences in response to design features (Bloch, Brunei and Arnold 2003; Holbrook and Schindler 1994). Bloch (1995) developed a model of consumer response to product form that outlined several stages in the design process from managerial goals through the creation of the products form to the consumer's response. Blochs model addressed the possibility of both cognitive and affectiv e responses to product form but did not speak specifically to how variations in product design might influence the nature of the cognitive or affective reactions. In a discussion of the different roles of product design, Creusen and Schoormans (2005) similarly mentioned the psychological role that product appearance might play but did not offer predictions as to the nature and direction of the influence. The current research contributes to the growing literature on product design by investigating how a product's appearance can influence the processing of functional product information. I examine the extent to which design signals quality, and how such a signal might interfere with the evaluation of more objective product information. Prior consumer research in product design has examined how aesthetics could influence quality evaluations in the absence of other information (Page and Herr 2002).

Not Sure Yet Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Not Sure Yet - Thesis Proposal Example Rationale: The investigation of this topic will take place through research and analysis of the state of environmental health during and after Hurricane Katrina. The thesis will first examine the nature of Katrina itself and the immediate damage done. It will then proceed to describe how the immediate destruction affected or threatened the environmental health in the region. Finally, the thesis will explore the extent to which these environmental health threats have been relieved through the hurricane help efforts, and which ones continue to be affecting the environment, posing a threat for future society in the region. Literature: The main sources to be used include an report and analysis provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, a New Orleans Environment Watch, which provides articles about specific post-Katrina environmental health issues and progress, and other articles that address more narrowed topics, such as access to healthy food. Conclusion: Although progress has been made, New Orleans continues to face numerous environmental health threats and challenges. This thesis will produce a summary and analysis that identifies which challenges are most essential in terms of needing to be addressed to provide a safe and healthy future

Esaay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Esaay - Essay Example The paper will explore my career objective, learning style, my team role, personal attributes and abilities as a mathematician in computer science and information technology. My career objective is to work for a reputable organization as top-level management in the fields of finance, management, public service or actuarial management where I would be able to use my mathematical and analytical skills to solve mathematical problems related to computer science. I will also be able to use my outgoing personality, enthusiasms, positive attitude, and will to work as a team to enhance the performance of the organization. Learning style preference is a factor that dictates the things that students learn and the ease with which they are learnt. This is because they have the potential of exerting powerful manipulation on the learning effectiveness. For this reasons, Honey and Mumford formulated a four learning style questionnaires that learners may prefer to adopt and a preferred learning methodology. These include the activist, reflectors, theorist, and pragmatism learning styles. I being interested in mathematics that requires deep analytical and complex computations and my preference of working as a team, I prefer the pragmatic learning style. This is because it allows me to ask questions on the spot from my lecturers who are experts in the field of mathematics. Pragmatic learning style enables discussion with my colleagues easy as one who is more knowledgeable in a particular area is given a chance to demonstrate to others the problem instead of struggling as an individual making trial and error as is the case with activist style (Pont 87) Leaning power refers to the skills and psychological traits that enable learners to engage effectively in diverse learning challenges. In this regard I believe that I posses different learning traits and powers that has seen me improve and get good marks in mathematics. My

Palm Oil in South East Asia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Palm Oil in South East Asia - Research Paper Example In addition, many of these smallholder palm oil producers are not well educated, due to which they lack skills and techniques of conducting business activities, efficiently. These two reasons has been the core element that causes lack of efficiency in the production of palm oil in the country. Moreover, limited production of palm oil by these smallholders also put deep impact on the overall production of palm oil by Indonesia. In this way, resources are heavily wasted by the producers, which can easily be utilized for earning precious foreign reserve for the country (World Growth, 2011). The government of Indonesia has realized the importance of wasted resources in palm oil industry and has stepped forward to overcome the loss of precious natural resource. Government, in collaboration with large scale palm oil producers, is hiring experts and technicians to provide assistance to the smallholders. Also, the government is spending heavily on conducting research and development of palm seed, fertilizers and pesticides to ensure maximum output. These seeds, fertilizers and pesticides are provided to smallholders on subsidized prices, which make it possible for every smallholder to afford better options for cultivating and harvesting palm oil. To further facilitate the smallholders, Government has introduced several schemes such as RISDA, FELCRA and FELDA. All these schemes focus on land reforms, land resettlement and rehabilitation of smallholders. Moreover, these schemes also aim at educating the smallholder palm oil producers about the potential of greater production that their lands can deliver. These measures, along with other measures that are not discussed in this report, by the Indonesian government are designed keeping in view the necessity for developing businesses and industries sustainably. Since the intervention of Indonesian government in

American View of Slavery from 1790 to 1820s Essay

American View of Slavery from 1790 to 1820s - Essay Example Slave Trade: The Europeans justified the slave trade by proclaiming that they were providing an opportunity for Africans to become Christians. By the 17th century the removal of slaves from Africa became a holy cause that had the full support of the Christian church.(Walvin 1983). Also, race and racism provided the excuse slave owners needed to allow themselves to own slaves without feeling guilty. â€Å"Slavery was not a side show in American history†, says Dr. James Horton of George Washington University; â€Å"It was the main event†. In his book American Slavery – American Freedom, Edmund S. Morgan makes a searching study of the tragic contradiction which was at the core of America, as seen in Virginia. It was the first state to start the freedom struggle through the Revolution and was also the largest slave holder in the country. The labor of enslaved Africans proved crucial in the development of South Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland, and contributed indirect ly through commerce to the fortunes of New York, Massachussetts, and Pennsylvania. The Africans were made to work on fields to grow rice, cotton, indigo, sugarcane, tobacco, etc.They also worked in the commercial economy and as domestic servants . Slavery took deepest root in Louisiana and other territories in the South. Several revolts and uprisings took place, in protest against the inhuman conditions and treatment meted out to the Africans.

Team role Essay Example for Free

Team role Essay Good teamwork is essential to creating a successful practice. This is because good teamwork creates synergy – where the combined effect of the team is greater than the sum of individual efforts. According Meredith Belbin, who is a British researcher and management theorist best known for his work on management teams, there were nine team roles and he categorized them into three groups: Action Oriented, People Oriented, and Thought Oriented. Each team role is associated with typical behavioral and interpersonal strengths and it brings its own perspective on what action shoud be taken. Belbin also defined characteristic weaknesses that tend to accompany each team role. Action Oriented Roles include shaper (SH), implementer (IMP) and completer-finisher (CF). For instance, a shaper is people who challenge the team to improve, while a implementer is people who get things done and a completer-finisher is people who see that projects are completed thoroughly. On the other hand, People Oriented Roles admit coordinator (CO), team worker (TW) and resource investigator (RI). For exemple, a coordinator is the one who take on the traditional team-leader role and have also been referred to as the chairmen, while a TW is the people who provide support and make sure that people within the team are working together effectively and a RI is innovative and curious. And Thought Oriented Roles let in plant (PL), monitor-evaluator (ME) and specialist (SP). The plant is the creative innovator who comes up with new ideas and approaches, while a monitor-evaluators is best at analyzing and evaluating ideas that other people (often Plants) come up with and a specialist is people who have specialized knowledge that is needed to get the job done. Diversity of roles is an essential element of successful teamwork because everyone has a clear understanding of aims and objectives and there is a good balance of skills, abilities and aspirations, team members have a clear understanding of each individual’s role in achieving overall team objectives.

Estimating Micro Estimation

Estimating Micro Estimation Gray and Larson (2003), defines estimation as the process of forecasting the time and the cost of completing project deliverables. These processes are developed by each organization, and employed in a unique way possible. Estimating project times and cost Accurate estimates are critical for effective project management, as inaccurate estimates may lead to false expectations and consumer dissatisfaction. Accurate estimation depends on cost and time. The lifelines for control are budgets, times and cost; they serve as a comparison between the plan outlined in the project and the actual occurrence when undertaking the project. Accurate and reliable estimates also assist in setting up project rollup and project status reports which are the major input for measuring variances and taking action. Managers will need these estimates to make the project schedule and cost for every work package in the project. This data information assists in the coordination of the project by the management. Organization cultures influence the organizations quality of estimates in that, different organizations respond differently to certain estimates e.g. padding estimates are tolerated and privately encouraged in some organizations. While others may place a premium on accuracy and strongly discourage gamesmanship estimates. The importance attached on estimates, affects the quality of estimates in some organizations. A number of them believe that detailed estimates may take much time and are not worth the effort or that future cannot be predicted. Others they may have the belief that accurate estimates are the baseline for effective project management The difference between macro and Micro estimation is; Macro estimating approach are estimating processes which are classified as top down and are usually derived from analogy or mathematical relationship. Micro-estimating approach are estimating processes, classified as bottom-up and are based typically on elements estimates found in the work breakdown structure.There are certain conditions that one would prefer to use each of the above estimating approach. Macro estimates can be used when making strategic decisions; there is high uncertainly; the project is small and internal and when the scope is unstable. Micro estimates on the other hand can be applied when; cost and time is important; fixed-price contract and when the customers wants details. The type of cost found in a project are Direct cost (Labor, material, equipments, etc), project overhead costs, and general and administrative overhead costs. Direct cost can be altered to a specific work package and are therefore influenced by the project manager. Direct costs represent real cash outflows and must be paid as the project progresses. Direct overhead costs (project costs) which closely pinpoint organizations resources being used in the project can be partly influenced by the project manager. Time phase estimation is appropriate when a project is surrounded by unusual amount of uncertainty and it becomes impractical to estimate times and costs for the entire project. A two estimate system is used in time-phase estimation in which a detailed estimated is first developed for the immediate phase and a macro estimate is made for the remaining phase of the project. Contingency allowance should be separated from original estimates because, it has been experimentally noted that many projects total estimates do not materialize and the actual costs and schedule of some projects significantly exceed original work package based estimates. The estimation errors may result in the process of estimation or in the inherent uncertainty of predicting the future. Conclusion Estimates of time and cost are important when carrying out a project. Estimates based on facts from other past projects produces at most accurate information. People, technology and downtimes may sometimes influence the quality of estimates. Estimates based on facts should be acceptable as they represent the best realistic times and cost estimates. Reference Gray, C.F. and Larson, E.W. 2002.Project Management: The Complete Guide for Every Manager, McGraw-Hill publishers

Operational Management At Pepsi Cola Company Commerce Essay

Operational Management At Pepsi Cola Company Commerce Essay At present new product decision is taken by the top management. Demand for new product is investigated by production manager- terms of raw material, machinery operations, and quality. Fro this purpose he can get guidance from constructions. Finance department evaluates financial viability. Sample production is conducted. Response from buyer in terms of satisfaction and companys ability to meet the requirement helps in deciding to produce new product. Process Design: In the company process is continuous supply of concentrate is critical but process can be automated. Process is flexible and production on plant can be changed within one hour. Production on plant can be changed within one hour. Production is of large scale and covers a wide area for the distribution of the product. Facility Design and Layout: Facility design and physical layout of plant, supporting facilities and building is provided by the parent company that is PEPSI COLA International. Transportation costs with the plant is minimum. Physical layout provides maximum utilization of available space by optimizing costs. Inventory: Company is not using the quantitative methods for calculating economic order quantity, reorder point, safety stock and annual inventory cost. The company does not give importance to control inventory cost. Lead time is usually 2 days an in an exceptional case it can be up to 4-5 days. this also one reason that EOQ, ROP, lead time are calculated using qualitative techniques, by estimates of experienced managers. Martial Requirement Planning: Company produces beverages and uses Sugar, Carbon Dioxide, Ammonia and concentrate as raw material. Sot drink is a seasonal product. Most of the sale is done during summer season. Concentrate is bought from the franchiser PepsiCo. Sugar is bought directly from the sugar manufacturers of the area. CO2 is prepared within the premises, which is enough for the full capacity of two plants. When during samara 4 plants are in working, CO2 is purchased from the outside suppliers. Company Profile: Pepsi co. is infect a corporation listed in the New York Stock Exchange USA. It is the owner of globe products like Pepsi Cola, Team, Marinda etc. Being owner of the products they give the rights of manufactures of its products to different countries. All over the world, the products are standard. If you buy a Pepsi from a remote area like Talamba and from Washington D.C., you will find absolutely same taste and color. Because Pepsi Co. has strict quality standards. And the franchisees have to follow these standards. Otherwise they have to face penalties from the real owners of the product. In Pakistan there are 10 units of Pepsi cola are working. Each unit has its own license of production. And each unit has its own territory in which it can sell its products. No unit can interfere in the area of other unit. Brief History: The company was introduced in 1967 as a (Pvt.) Limited company. It started its production in 1968. In the early stages it was famous with the name of 7-up factory. Because 7-up was its first product. The other brands were introduced after 7-up. Pepsi Cola, Marinda and Green Marinda have been different products of Shamim and Co. Since its introduction. At present 7-up, Pepsi Cola and Marinda are being produced. Company Characteristics: Shamim Co. is the biggest soft drink manufacturing unit in Pakistan with its four plants having full capacity of 50,000 crates per day. Company covers area of Southern Punjab including Sahiwal, Mianwali, Rajan Pur, Bahawalnagar and Khan Pur. Departmentalization: There are six departments in the company, which are production, Marketing, Finance, Sales, Shipping administration and personnel. In each deptt. there is a manger which is responsible for the working of his department to the general manager. A manager has an assistant manager. After Ass. A manager their are Shift Incharge in production and supervisors in sales. They control the activities of operatives. Product Planning: Shamim and company works under licensee of Pepsi Co., as explained earlier. At present Shamim and Company does not possess the ownership of any product. All of its products are originally owned by Pepsi Co. New York. Franchiser gives concentrate and sets quality standards for it products. Company just follows these standards and produces beverages. Uptill now the company has not produced any product of its own and there is no concept of product planning in future as well, because the management considers it a very theme to introduce a new brand of their own. In the brand like Pepsi Cola and 7-up are selling in the market like hot cackes. Meanwhile the people in Pakistan are reluctant to purchase Pakistan branded beverages and we dont find any successful domestic brands of soft drinks in Pakistan. Thats why the management does not have any motivation to do product planning. In a dynamic market the company may expand, add or relocate new facilities, which means that location decisions are made the life of a company. Location decisions are important due to following reasons. Competition. Cost. Hidden effects. Factors that effect the location decisions are Market related factors. Tangible Cost factors.  · Transportation.  · Labor availability and costs.  · Energy availability and costs.  · Water availability and costs.  · Site and construction cost.  · Taxes. Intangible Factors.  · Legal regulation.  · Community attitude.  · Expansion potential.  · Living conditions. Operations Planning: Product Planning: Shamim and company works under licensee of Pepsi Co., as explained earlier. At present Shamim and Company does not possess the ownership of any product. All of its products are originally owned by Pepsi Co. New York. Franchiser gives concentrate and sets quality standards for it products. Company just follows these standards and produces beverages. Up till now the company has not produced any product of its own and there is no concept of product planning in future as well, because the management considers it a very theme to introduce a new brand of their own. In the brand like Pepsi Cola and 7-up are selling in the market like hot cackes. Meanwhile the people in Pakistan are reluctant to purchase Pakistan branded beverages and we dont find any successful domestic brands of soft drinks in Pakistan. Thats why the management does not have any motivation to do product planning. In a dynamic market the company may expand, add or relocate new facilities, which mean that location decisions are made over the life of a company. Location decisions are important due to following reasons. Competition. Cost. Hidden effects. Factors that effect the location decisions are Market related factors. Tangible Cost factors.  · Transportation.  · Labor availability and costs.  · Energy availability and costs.  · Water availability and costs.  · Site and construction cost.  · Taxes. Intangible Factors.  · Legal regulation.  · Community attitude.  · Expansion potential.  · Living conditions. Location Design Location of manufacturing operations can have a graet impact on operating cost, profit and price at which products are offered. As far allocation is concerned the companys strategy consists of selecting the location from which the potential market will be served. The location of facility involves the commitment of resources to long range plan.. Location of industry is selected on the basis of  Ã‚ µ Availability of raw material on cheap prices and maximization of profits.  Ã‚ µ Proximity to potential customers.  Ã‚ µ In plant location objective is to minimize the sum of all costs, not only todays but long term cotsts. There may arise four questions for facility aspects. 1. Types of facilities needed. 2. Location of facilities. 3. Design / Layout of facilities. 4. Capacity planning. Company Location: Shamim and company is located near MDA chowk Multan in province of Punjab. The site of company is not of some strategic value. Because Shamim and Co. covers a large area of Southern Punjab. So there is no importance of site with reference to the other cities of this area. Any way; site of the company is considerable for Multan. Process Design and Facility Layout Having done the location selection company design a building, select the appropriate process technology and equipment and arranges it in away so that it has greatest potential to meet the strategic demand of organization. The type of operations to be performed in a facility, influence the facilitys needs and layouts. Equipment involved effects the layout. Facilities must be designed for the efficient operations in the organization. Layout for Operations: Facility is designed in numerous ways to support this work to be done within each facility numerous factors must be considered. Amount of available space and its shape. Design objective is very imprint. some of layouts are:  · Retail layout.  · Office layout.  · Distribution and ware house layout.  · Manufacturing layout. Manufactering Process: In Shamim Co. manufactering process is as follows; Water Extraction: Raw water is extracted from the sources. It is treated to remove its hardness. Here water is tested in lab to check it harness. If water has some Co3 or Hco3 it is drained and again soft water is used in the preperation of syrup. Preperation of Syrup: Syrup is prepared with sugar, concentrate and water. this syurup is heated upto 90 C to get it pasturized. this hot syrup is collled down and stored in the tanks. Here lab testing of syrup is done to check its quality standard. Production: Syrup is sent to Carbo Cooler. During flow of syrup from tanks to Carbo Coolers, Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide are mixed in the syrup. In production process empty is feeded from on side. This emplty is washed and light check is done to see quality of washing. From Carbo Cooler syrup goes to the Filler. At filler syrup is filled in the empty bottles, and Cap Crown is fixed on the bottols. Here and operater looks after the filling process. He can increase, derease or even stop production speed accordingly. Filled bottols are tested in lab. by taking samples. Light check is done to check the level of syrup in bottles and chek some solid partieals. The overfilled or underfilled bottols are separated. If some partical is found in some bottlol it is also separated. After light check bottols passed under a printer and code is printed on the bottoles, with this code the date of manufactering and shift time can be identified. When all checking process is done the bottlols are cased in the crates. The whole process of manufactaring is automatic. It required a little supervision. Raw material is put from one side and filled bottles come out of the process. Support Facilities: Support facilities are carried out in such a way that the direct operations can function smoothely. support facilities are essential for operations. Some of departments to be considered in layour are  · Inventories, material and suppliers.  · Tool room.  · Inspection and quality control.  · First aid.  · Maintenance.  · Safety and security.  · Clerical and bookkeeping.  · Tube well.  · Airconditioning plant.  · Transformer.  · Equipment for work shop.  · Bailing press.  · Parking facility.  · Canteen.  · Emergency situation analysis. Issuance of Different Items: When production department requires a particular item from inventory, they fill the requisition slip. One copy is kept at the store and a carbon copy is kept by the production deptt. This slip includes the quantity issued, stock register page number, iteem code, This slip is signed by the production manager. Inventory items are issued on these slip. Control of Inventory: At the end of each month, store prepares a monthly consumption report. This report includes the detail of all the inventory items which were consumed by the production deptt. of Shamim Co. during the month. In this way the inventory is controlled in the Shamim Company. Quality Control: The quality control should 1. Define specific product and service quality level requirements. 2. Determine the relationship of design and process characteristric to output quality and related process requirement. 3. Dewtermine methods, personnel and equipment for measuring quality. 4. Measure and record the quality achieved. 5. Trigger corrective processess when actual quality varies from the acceptable quality. Specification of quality requirements begins in market research continue as part of the product design activity, and culminates in the quality specification and design subsystem output. That output defineates the specific product or service attribute that effect the quality and must be assured. The Quality Specification And Design Subsystem The activities of this subsysten are integral part of the product design activities, its objectives are to be determine that the new design output 1. Will meet the customer need. 2. Will operate under end use conditions. 3. Can be produced or provided given the organizions capabilities. 4. Will function with the specified level of reliability interms of minimum means time between failure. 5. Will require less than a specified amount of maintaince hours and material costs operating hour. 6. Can be required within a certain time frame. Quality Assurance: Quality assurance is the title given to those management activities and systems required to provide assurance that the over all quality controlled task is being carried out. The quality asssurance system is the aggregate quality management system. It interfaces with other general management system performong similar functions relative to the organizations financial personnel facilities and marketing policies and capability. a) Proper use of the product and the conditions under which use is dangerous and unadviceable. b) Document the product liability planning and procedures as well as the result of all tests and inspections. Process Quality Planning Control Subsystem: This subsystem concerns the what, where, when, who of quality control during operations. It frequently involves major expenditure for personnel, equipment, inspection and testing activity. The objectives of this subsystem are to be 1. Determine the process attribute and characteristic to be measured. 2. Determine the methods of measurement and develope detalied instructions describing the measurement process. 3. Determine, select and train the personnel required to implement the quality control procedures. 4. Measure and record operational quality interms of the number of defects and seriousness of defects and causes of defect. . Measurement And Documentation Product quality must be measured on both quantitative and qualitative basis, and the measurements must be recorder. Quantification of the qualitative aspects occurs whe defects are classified into categories such as critical major, and minor, which were describe earlier. A classification such as this one of the inputs to the organizations as greater measure of quality. Product or services that do not meet the desired quality standards generate two types of required corrective actions 1. The disposition of the defective product or service. 2. An analysis of the cause of the defeciencies. MAJOR COMPETITOR : COCA COLA: QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS  Ã…’ (COCA COLA) A Tour through Our Scientific Manufacturing Processes The Coca-Cola Company ensures the supreme quality of its beverages by employing globally accepted and validated manufacturing processes and Quality Management Systems. Let us now take you through the processes and Quality Assurance Programs followed by our world-class manufacturing facilities in India Testing Source Water For Plant Site Selection The site for our manufacturing plants are finalized only after the source water has been tested for all requirements of potable water. The analysis is always conducted by independent third party accredited laboratories. The source water is then properly protected and re-tested periodically to ensure that it conforms to international standards. The water is then drawn through sealed pipelines into the storage tanks placed in secured water treatment areas of the manufacturing plant. Water Treatment Know the Chemistry Of Purity The first step in the process of manufacturing soft drinks is to disinfect the water using globally approved chlorination procedures. This ensures that all micro-organisms including pathogens are destroyed. It also removes organic and inorganic impurities caused by oxidation of heavy metal ions. The second step is the filtration at the molecular level, which is achieved either by coagulation/flocculation or reverse osmosis. Contaminants commonly removed by this process include: Dirt, clay and any other suspended matter in the water. Microbial matter (including bacteria, yeast, moulds, virus, protozoa). Heavy metals and compounds which may cause an off-taste. The third step to stop potential contaminants is water purification using granular activated carbon filters. The granular activated carbon, with its large and porous surface area, ensures effective removal of trace levels of organic compounds (including pesticides and herbicides), colour, off-taste and odour-causing compounds using the principle of absorption. The last step is polishing filtration, which is passing water through high efficiency 5-micron filters to ensure every drop of treated water is free from any activated carbon fines and is safe for use in beverages. The Purity Of Our Sugar Is Crystal Clear Our sugar selection process is as stringent as our water purification process. The sugar, bought from high-grade authorized mills, is cleaned with a globally acclaimed carbon treatment process. A purified sugar syrup is created which is then blended with the soft drink concentrate. Carbon Dioxide Meeting International Purity Standards We procure carbon-dioxide, meeting international purity standards, from authorized suppliers. The gas then goes through stringent quality control checks before it used in the beverage. All the three primary ingredients used in beverage, the syrup, treated water and carbon-dioxide, are blended as per The Coca-Cola Companys specifications. The Automated Bottling Process We use a fully automated process to recycle the glass bottles returned from the market. These bottles are sanitized at high temperatures with specially formulated cleaning agents. They are then transported to the filler after a thorough visual inspection. After they are filled, in a high-speed automated filling machine, the bottles are capped/crowned, date coded and packed into crates/cartons. The complete manufacturing process has a well defined and structured Quality Control and Assurance Program. All the manufacturing facilities employ qualified, experienced and trained professionals for manufacturing and testing of our products. All the bottling facilities follow the Good Manufacturing Practices requirements as applicable to the food industry. All manufacturing equipment fulfil the stringent requirements of GMP and sanitary design. The entire Quality Management system of each plant is documented, managed and continually improved through aworld-wide accepted system of TCCQS (The Coca-Cola Quality System). BACK TO PEPSI : The latter units are approved on a variance basis: Many organizations establish a material review board, consisting of engineering, manufacturing quality control, marketing and a customer reprentative to review proposed rework of defective parts that are out side the standards of blueprints qualifications. Approval by all the members must be received before rework can proceed. Purchase Of Raw Material: Direct raw material for the products include the following items. i) Sugar ii) Concentrate iii) Treated water iv) Empty bottle v) Amonia and Carbon Dioxide. From above items only concentrate is provided by the franchiser. All other raw material is purchased by the company itself. Sugar Quality Testing: Purchase of sugar is a critical step in the purchase of raw material. When sugar bags are arrived at the plant that time it has to pass through a strict quality check. In fact sugar quality is very very important in the production of the beverages. . Water Treatment Tests: The company has installed four tubewells to meet the requirement of water. The extracted water is then treated for the use in the final processing. At different staged of treatment tests include: 1 Upper tap tests. 2 Sand filter and carbon purifier test. 3 Water softness test. For this purpose the company has prepared forms for the record of these tests which are signed by the shift incharge after each shift. If he observed some abnormality he stops supply from one container and provides the required water through other container. The company has two containers for the supply and storage of trated water. The closed container is then sanitized and washed back. The sanitation and washing back of containers is also done at regular basis, after ten days. Syrup Testing: After mixing water, sugar and concentrate it is treated at 900 C and then it is stored in the tanks. This is called simple syrup. This syrup is tested in the lab. This syrup goes into carbo cooler. Here Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide are mixed in the syrup. This is called finished syrup. The finished syrup is also tested in the lab. If chemist finds any deviation from the standards, the syrup is drained before any further processing. Finished Bottle Tests When the bottles are filled at filler, the chemist take sample after every half hour. If any deviation from the standard is found the whole batch is drained before going in market. A microbiological test is also taken by the chemist after a week of production. If any kind of germs growth is found the stored bottles are declared rejected. Forecasting: Planning and control for operations require an estimate of the demand for the product for the service that an organization expects to provide in the future. Numerous methods for the aart and science of forecasting have been develop and reported in the literature. The field of forecasting is full of instances at both government and individual firm levels. For short term decisions, we need forecasting methods that are relatively inexpensive to install and maintain and that can be adapted to situaations involving a large number of items to be forecast. For immidiate range plans, useful forcasts will probably be aggregated by product types. Detailed forecasts for each individual item may not be necessary. Since the relaative frequency of forecasts is lower and the number of different product types for which forecasts are made is smaller than in the case for the short term decisions, forecasting methods that require modest cost and effort could be employed. Demand Foracasting By Shamim Company:- In fact Shamim Company is a product focused companywhich highly emphasize on the production of the products. Due to the environment of the market and continuously changing demand, the management relies on qualitative methods. As the company has a seasonal business so the demand is high in the months of April, May, June, July and August. This is the peak season for the company. So for the forecast of the next demand the company sees the data of sales of the same month and the trend is observed. MATERIAL REQUIREMENT PLANNING Materials related decisions must be coordinated to make efficient use of resources. Both ther necessary material inputs and the necessary capacity must be available before transformationcan be performed to know when materials will be available before it can accurately sshedule use of capacity. It has to have some idea what capacity will be available before it can know when materials will be needed. Large companies that buy large quantities of items over extendedperiod can sometime exert enough pressure on suppliers to ontain material almost when they want them. Companies that do not make large purchases may have to fit their schedules to the dates on which material can be obtained, or purchase with sufficient lead time so that material will be available when the companies need them. Continous manufacturing operations usually involve all aspects of materials management. Regardless of the way a company may be organised , several material functions probably are performed by some organizational structure of a company and assignments of resposibilities depend on the capabilities of employee and the need of the organization as percieved by its decision maker. MATERIAL REQUIREMENT PLANNING OF SHAMIM COMPANY There are two major raw materials for products of Shamim Company. These are concentrate and sugar. Other raw material include raw water, empty bottles, Ammonia gas, Carbon Dioxide gas, caustic soda, chemicals for laboratories, and stationary items. RECOMMENDATIONS Formula the Pepsi should adopt is three way of telling customers = Tell them you are cool. = Tell them in a big way. = Keep telling this to them. Pepsi forgot that people dont drink cola they drink can, so they have to make innovations for their cans and promotional marketing. They also failed to adhere to its commitment to export 50% of its production in india, so they should concentrate on what they said. Pepsi began exporting products such as tea rice and shrimp. An agricultural research center should be establish.

Mitigating Computer Misuse at Work Essay -- Business Management

Computer misuse is a ubiquitous behaviour in many organizations. It has a serious influence on system security which should be considered by every organization. Inappropriate use of computer in workplace is increasing every year and this deviant behaviour has a negative influence on both organizations and employees (Bock, Park & Zhang, 2010). D’Arcy, Hovav and Galletta (2009) mention that 50%-75% security issues have been found from the inside of an enterprise, and a majority of internal threats are relating to individual’s unsafe operation on computer. Therefore, it is necessary for organizations to optimize system security by implementing a rational measure to moderate individual’s unsafe behaviour on computer in workplace. Employees, who play a key role in security protection, need to be helped increase compliance on information security policy. This essay will discuss which is a more effective approach, reward (encouraging employees comply with security polic y and normatively use computer in workplace) or punishment (preventing misuse and insecure operation), though analysing the impact of each mechanism and employees’ reaction to draw a conclusion that punishment is a more effective way than reward to moderate employees’ misuse and unsafe behaviour regarding computer use at work. Admittedly, reward should be a more acceptable policy than punishment for employees. Employees would keep performing well in their work after being rewarded (Patel & Conklin, 2012). According to Gardner and Quigleym (2010), employees, who have been rewarded in their job, will be aroused to have a higher compliance on the purpose of their work. Appropriate reward is directly relating to employees’ working satisfaction. They will be more satisfied an... ...rganisations. European Journal of Information Systems, 18,106–125 Liao, Q., Luo, X., Gurung, A., & Li, L. (2009). Workplace management and employee misuse: Does punishment matter? The Journal of Computer Information Systems, 50(20), 49-59 Myyry, L., Siponen, M., Pahnila, S., Vartiainen, T., & Vance, A. (2009). What levels of moral reasoning and values explain adherence to information security rules? An empirical study. European Journal of Information Systems, 18, 126-139 Patel, P., & Conklin, B. (2012). Perceived labor productivity in small firms—the effects of high-performance work systems and group culture through employee retention. Theory and Practice, 36(2), 205-235 Spitzmuller, C., & Stanton, J.M. (2006). Examining employee compliance with organizational surveillance and monitoring. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 79, 245–272

Pueblo Indian Religion in the Early 20th Century Essay -- Essay Papers

Pueblo Indian Religion in the Early 20th Century The Pueblo Indians religious history is different than the average Christian religion history. Their religious beliefs are based on the creation of life. The persons seen as the creators of life are the centrality and the basis of their religion. In the early 1900’s these Indians were looked upon in different lights. White man compared the Pueblo rituals and religious routines with his own. Pueblo religious beliefs, practices and social forms were criticized, scrutinized and misunderstood by white Christian American settlers. The major religious practice and worship of the Pueblo Indians involved ritual dances. White men attempted to stop these Puebloan ritualistic dances because they did not meet his own religious standards and this happened before the Indians had a chance to explain or define what their dances really stood for. Women played a significant role in Puebloan ritual dances and religious A brief description of the Pueblo Indian culture and religion are needed to get a full understanding of why their dances were misinterpreted by white settlers and why the Indians were judged and treated in such an unjust way. Pueblo Indians lived in Arizona and New Mexico and had a very different culture religiously than the white man. White religious history shows us that women were not seen, in European and new American culture, as not being significant to religious practices. In the Pueblo religion, however the woman was regarded in a different light. They rarely practiced in religious rituals but were the center of their people’s religion. Pueblos had rituals that were performed exclusively by men, and there, these men imitated women’s reproductive pow... ... for their religious beliefs and cultural values. People’s religious beliefs and practices all need to be protected from harm and negative influence like a child needs care from his mother. The Pueblo Indians should be looked at as an example of how people should not be treated. This way, hopefully we won’t make the same mistake twice. We all have an obligation to know all the facts and the whole truth about something before we start to reject it. If the white people in the early 20th century had taken the time to understand the meaning of these dances they may not have been so quick to judge and may have stood back and reflected on their own ways of living. Work Cited Young Jane. "Women in Western Puebloan Society". Journal of American Folklore. 100.398(1987): 436-445. Jacobs D. Margaret. "Making Savages of us all". Frontiers. 17.3(1983): 178-209.

Why I Like Beethoven

Why I Like Beethoven! Why I Like Beethoven! I like Beethoven so much because he is a very great pianist and I love his music. He wrote songs for the piano, viola and violin. I really like his songs because they are defined with great beauty and I really like playing them. For example, Fur Elise is a beautiful song with a soft flowing sequence but with a fast strong section as well. I also like him because he is very persistent. Even though he went deaf at only the age of 22 yet he still went on to write more music. It would be such a hard experience to go through and still play and write music even though he couldn’t hear anything. People had to communicate with him by writing letters to him as he could not lip read and no one could do sign language so that was how he could talk to people. It would have been so hard to manage. Another thing I really liked about him was that he didn’t let anyone control his music. In that time musicians would ask people what music they would like them to play and write music to them. Beethoven didn’t do this he just wrote music to his own free will regardless of what anyone else thought. Altogether Beethoven was a brilliant musician. His music is written beautifully, even though he went deaf he remained competent to still write and play music and he was true to his music and didn’t let anyone control what he wrote. He was one of the best musicians that ever lived.

4 Day Work Week

English 112 Monday 12/06/10 Proposal: Four Day Work Week I propose that we implement a four day work week over the conventional five day work week. 1938 was the year that the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed. This act stated that there was a need for a standardized work week, and that the new standard work week was to be eight hour days, five days a week. There need for this act stemmed from employers taking advantage of their employees and working them to many hours a day and to many days a week.The basis for the eight hour work day was really on nothing other than an idea that a twenty four hour day divided into three assumed eight hour segments sounded logical. One eight hour segment was for sleep, the second for work, and the third for recreational time. As for the idea of working five day work weeks with a two day weekend, who knows? There are a lot of reasons for switching to 4 day work week. All of these reasons promote the better well-being of the government and economy, t he businesses involved, and the individuals themselves. There would be less traffic on the roads.You could assume that with a third day off that more people would opt to stay home that day, or that if people went out it would not be in rush hour traffic at least. With less traffic, the pollutants that cars emit into the air would be lessened, which is also good for keeping tree hugging hippies off our backs. The fewer cars driving throughout the week would also help keep down the amount of road work that would need to be done. Paying for the labor, materials, and equipment necessary to maintain roadways is very expensive, and quite a lot of money could be saved if there were fewer cars out terrorizing road surfaces.With less traffic and fewer people driving throughout the week it is predicted that the number of auto accidents would decrease. This would inevitably lower insurance rates, both auto and medical, which would be more money in your pocket. Probably the most important and m onetarily valuable reason, as far as cars and travel are concerned, is the money that would be saved on oil and fuel consumption. Not just for individuals but for the American economy also as calculated: There are about 133 million workers in America. Around 80% of them get to work by driving alone in a car. The average commute covers about 16 miles each way.So let’s stop and do some math: 133,000,000 workers X 80% who drive alone = 106,400,000 single driver commuter cars each day. 106,400,000 X 32 miles round trip = 3,404,800,000 miles driven to work each day 3,404,800,000 / 21 mpg (average fuel efficiency) = 162,133,333 gallons of gasoline each day Each barrel of crude oil produces, on average, 19. 5 gallons of gas. (It is important to note that other products like kerosene and asphalt are produced from that same barrel) 162,133,333 / 19. 5 = 8,314,530 barrels of oil each day. What this shows is the impact a 4 day work week could have on crude oil imports.I’m talking about a 40% reduction in the amount of oil we need Monday through Friday simply by rearranging our work week (Newton, para. 2). The implementation of the four day work week would also have some healthy side effects in the workplace. Less people would take off work. By having a 4 day work week it could mean less absenteeism. The long weekend could mean less faux sick days on Mondays, it can also mean an extra day of rest if an employee is in fact falling ill. The overall pros for a 4 day work week reflect lower turnover, and a happier, less stressed work force (Magas, para. , 8). With a three day weekend you would have almost an equal amount of days off as spent at work. With such a system in place, people would be much happier. It would be better for the individuals as this would lower stress from their jobs, and better for the companies because content workers are better for business. An individual who is happier will be more productive at work. â€Å"As a result of the alternati ve schedule, researchers found that 60 percent of employees reported higher productivity, and 60 percent of residents reported improved citizen access. In terms of employee morale, there seems to be a very strong benefit,’ Facer said† (Peterson, para. 2). This would also lower employee turnover rate. People who are happy with their jobs do not quit them. These companies would not only make more money because of the increased productivity from happier employees, but from the money that would be saved not having to pay for cost of operation for five days. If businesses were only open four days a week then that would be one day that the lights, heat, and computers would not have to be turned on. The money made, and saved, by these businesses could e put back into the companies to help keep employees even happier. Some of the things they could provide with said money are better benefits, such as retirement plans and health insurance, more comfortable work environment, or ev en have things like at work childcare like some of the Japanese have done. Christopher Byron states in Time Magazine, â€Å"Though the way Japan manages its affairs is, in many respects, the unique outgrowth of the country’s historical experience, certain of its lessons can be applied in industrial economies everywhere, and particularly in the U.S† (para. 58). For companies needing to be open six or seven days a week they could have an overlapping schedule. An example of this would be Joe working Monday through Thursday, Sally working Wednesday through Saturday, and Eduardo Philippe Jr. working Friday through Monday. This overlapping schedule would allow for businesses to remain open up to seven days a week if needed while still allowing a four day work week for employees. Other business that do not follow the standard â€Å"nine to five† work week such as restaurants, would continue to run as they normally do.With a three day weekend, people would have more per sonal time. This time could be used to run errands that could not normally be done due to being at work. They could use this time to spend with their families. Keeping their kids out of daycare for that day they are not working could save them money. If they disliked their offspring, they could use a probably well-deserved break from the little terrorists. This time could be spent doing chores around the house, or just lounging around getting fat. In 2008 Utah implemented a four day work week for eight-teen thousand of its employees.They saw an increase in employee happiness as well as productivity as noted in Inc. : Two years ago, the state of Utah ordered 18,000 of its state employees to work four days a week, 10 hours a day, and to take Fridays off. More than three-quarters of employees reported a positive experience a year into this ‘4/10' program, according to a study by Brigham Young University management professors Rex Facer and Lori Wadsworth. They observed fewer sick days, reduced overtime costs, and savings on energy bills. Employees experienced fewer conflicts between work and family commitments, so their morale shot up.And they knew they only had four days instead of five to get their work done, so they became more productive (Vanden Bos, para. 1). We too could have this four day work week implemented. The first thing to do if you think this could be beneficial to your company is to see if your co-workers are on board with the idea. If so then the next step might be to see how this would align with your customers’ needs. Then you could devise a plan that would explain the benefits and drawbacks of implementing a four day work week, as to answer any potential questions your boss might have.You could write congress. Enough interest shown in changing the arbitrary standard work week could turn the heads of the government that makes these decisions. The last reason, which I saved for the end, even though out of place, is that a four day wo rk week would be badass. Who doesn’t want to have a three day weekend? I think Americans are tired of running themselves ragged every week just to get two days to recover in this flawed system. I say we implement the four day work week so that we can quit living to work, and start working to live. Works Cited Byron, Christopher. How Japan Does It. † Time Magazine. 30 Mar. 1981. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. Magas, Glenn. â€Å"Pros and cons of the four day workweek. † Helium. 2010. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. < http://www. helium. com/items/1676495-pros-and-cons-of-the-four-day-workweek> Newton, Aaron. â€Å"The 4 Day Work Week. † GroovyGreen. 20 Sep. 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2010. Peterson, Janice. â€Å"Study finds four day work week optimal. † DailyHerald. 9 Jun. 2008. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. Vanden Bos, Peter. â€Å"How To Implement A Four-Day Work Week. † Inc. 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2010.

Death Penalty for the Mentally Insane

Mental illness is defined as â€Å"any various conditions characterized by impairment of an individual’s normal cognitive, emotional or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic or other factors, such as infection or head trauma† (Fiack). The mentally insane have a brain condition which directly effects wellbeing and actions. Mental insanity can be described as an incomplete development of the brain which can have an impact on conduct and social effectiveness.Congressman should not allow the death penalty on the mentally insane because giving the death penalty to the mentally insane is an abomination. Congressmen might consider issuing the death penalty to the mentally insane because all punishments should be equal no matter the individual, but the mentally insane are not always in control of their actions and they are not always in a stable condition in which they know what they are doing. A troubled history or childhood can prov ide a diminishing value (â€Å"Court†).Not all mentally insane are brought up in stable environments which could lead to rage and violence. The rage and violence cannot be controlled by the mentally insane patient because do to over exposure to abuse they rely on the rage and violence for self-defense. Over thirty percent of male and eighty percent of female mentally insane inmates have reported sexual or physical abuse (Fiack). A vast majority of the mentally insane have experienced some sort of abuse which may cause mixed emotions and instability.This instability causes the mentally to go crazy and take everything out on the nearest guardian they see and the mentally insane should not be penalized for being put into a state of craziness. The mentally insane receiving the death penalty is an abomination. All abominations have similar characteristics. Like crime in the United States, inflicting the death penalty on the mentally insane is a negative characteristic of the judic ial system. Every abomination has a consequence. Jail might be a consequence considering the severity of the offense, such as murder.America sells all types of guns and like enforcing the death penalty on the mentally insane, guns are fatal. Guns are the causes of many deaths and just like the death penalty, many lives are taken away from innocent and mentally insane civilians. Like gangs, the death penalty of the mentally insane affects everyone and is not community oriented. Gangs are a threat to everyone in a community and the death penalty is a threat to every citizen of the United States. Using the death penalty to kill the mentally insane is not for the community and ruins the closeness and bond a community shares among the children and adults.Smuggling in weapons, illegal narcotics and the use of drugs is a disgrace to the youths of America just like the use of the death penalty on the mentally insane. The death penalty is an abomination because in the last thirty years, more than sixty people with a mental illness have been executed (Fiack). Putting these mentally insane to rest because of an action they probably did not have control over is completely unnecessary and un-just. If Congressmen wish to punish a mentally insane person they could place them in an insane asylum to learn to control their anger and violence towards others.A consequence now exists because of all the insanity pleas within the last thirty years. The â€Å"M’Naughten Test† is now given to show if the defendant was unable to understand what he or she was doing and if there is a substantial lack of capacity to understand ones conduct (Fisanck). If the mentally insane patient can pass this test and the test clearly shows they had no control of their action and did not recognize the crime they were committing, giving them the death penalty would be unlawful. The court gave Darrell W.Ferguson the death penalty, an inmate with an apparent unclear thought process. The court s rejected the claim, not thoroughly considering mental health issues (â€Å"Court†). Although abominations are not community oriented, a group called â€Å"Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation† travels around North Carolina helping raise awareness and trying to gain support to get a bill passed against the death penalty of the mentally insane (â€Å"Murder†). The issue with bringing a mental illness case into court is the jury members do not always understand how the brain is affected by this disease.Jury members with a misunderstanding of mental illness cause the mentally insane to die on death row because they do not realize the challenges of raising a mentally insane child or grown adult nor what they are capable of without the patient even being aware of his actions. As a result, the jury tends to lean more towards a guilty verdict convicting the mentally insane before truly understanding how a diseased brain works. This process can be unfair to the victim and if the jury is not clear of the mental illness the defendant has.To solve such a problem, each individual should be informed of the exact mental illness present before the court is in session or should not be a part of the jury. Congressmen should not promote the death penalty of the mentally insane because the death penalty of the mentally insane will lead to public outcry and angered families, disassembly of moral value, and will aid in the first steps to the disintegration of human life and self-worth. Over thirty years ago John Hinckley shot Ronald Regan in the chest but was not given the death penalty because he plead insane (Vatz).Instead of giving him the ultimate punishment there is to offer he was sentenced to a mental hospital, which is what happens in most cases of the mentally insane. â€Å"In 2006, The American Bar Association passed a resolution calling for the exemption of those with serious mental illness from imposition and execution of the death penalty† (Fisanck). Congressmen should present a law to protect the mentally insane in death penalty situations. Works Cited â€Å"Court Reject Mental Health Claims Of Inmate Who Sought Death Penalty. † Mental Health Law Report. 66, June 2006.Gale Power Search. Web. 6 October 2011. Fiack, Shannon. Mental Illness and Criminal Behavior. Greenhaven Press, 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 6 October 2011. Fisanck, Christina. Crime and Criminals. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 6 October 2011. â€Å"Murder and Mental Illness: Group Supports Removing Death Penalty. † Wilson Daily Times. 11 May 2011. Gale Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 6 October 2011. Vatz, Richard E. â€Å"The Insanity Excuse and Retrograde Thinking. † USA Today. March 2011; 66-67. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 6 October 2011.

Critique of Pure Reason Essay

Immanuel Kant, (born April 22, 1724, Konigsberg, Prussia [now Kaliningrad, Russia]—died February 12, 1804, Konigsberg), German philosopher whose comprehensive and systematic work in epistemology (the theory of knowledge), ethics, and aesthetics greatly influenced all subsequent philosophy, especially the various schools of Kantianism and idealism. Kant was one of the foremost thinkers of the Enlightenment and arguably one of the greatest philosophers of all time. In him were subsumed new trends that had begun with the rationalism (stressing reason) of Rene Descartes and the empiricism (stressing experience) of Francis Bacon. He thus inaugurated a new era in the development of philosophical thought. BACKGROUND AND EARLY YEARS Kant lived in the remote province where he was born for his entire life. His father, a saddler, was, according to Kant, a descendant of a Scottish immigrant, although scholars have found no basis for this claim; his mother, an uneducated German woman, was remarkable for her character and natural intelligence. Both parents were devoted followers of the Pietist branch of the Lutheran church, which taught that religion belongs to the inner life expressed in simplicity and obedience to moral law. The influence of their pastor made it possible for Kant—the fourth of nine children but the eldest surviving child—to obtain an education. At the age of eight Kant entered the Pietist school that his pastor directed. This was a Latin school, and it was presumably during the eight and a half years he was there that Kant acquired his lifelong love for the Latin classics, especially for the naturalistic poet Lucretius. In 1740 he enrolled in the University of Konigsberg as a theological student. But, although he attended courses in theology and even preached on a few occasions, he was principally attracted to mathematics and physics. Aided by a young professor who had studied Christian Wolff, a systematizer of rationalist philosophy, and who was also an enthusiast for the science of Sir Isaac Newton, Kant began reading the work of the English physicist and, in 1744, started his first book, Gedanken von der wahren Schatzung der lebendigen Krafte (1746; Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces), dealing with a problem concerning kinetic forces. Though by that time he had decided to pursue an academic career, the death of his father in 1746 and his failure to obtain the post of undertutor in one of the schools attached to the university compelled him to withdraw and seek a means of supporting himself. Tutor and Privatdozent He found employment as a family tutor and, during the nine years that he gave to it, worked for three different families. With them he was introduced to the influential society of the city, acquired social grace, and made his farthest travels from his native city—some 60 miles (96 km) away to the town of Arnsdorf. In 1755, aided by the kindness of a friend, he was able to complete his degree at the university and take up the position of Privatdozent, or lecturer. Period of the three Critiques In 1781 the Kritik der reinen Vernunft (spelled Critik in the first edition; Critique of Pure Reason) was published, followed for the next nine years by great and original works that in a short time brought a revolution in philosophical thought and established the new direction in which it was to go in the years to come. The Critique of Pure Reason The Critique of Pure Reason was the result of some 10 years of thinking and meditation. Yet, even so, Kant published the first edition only reluctantly after many postponements; although convinced of the truth of its doctrine, he was uncertain and doubtful about its exposition. His misgivings proved well founded, and Kant complained that interpreters and critics of the work were badly misunderstanding it. To correct these wrong interpretations of his thought, he wrote the Prolegomena zu einer jeden kunftigen Metaphysik die als Wissenschaft wird auftreten konnen (1783; Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics That Will be Able to Come Forward as Science) and brought out a second and revised edition of the first Critique in 1787. Controversy still continues regarding the merits of the two editions: readers with a preference for an idealistic interpretation usually prefer the first edition, whereas those with a realistic view adhere to the second. But with regard to difficulty and ease of reading and understanding, it is generally agreed that there is little to choose between them. Anyone on first opening either book finds it overwhelmingly difficult and impenetrably obscure. The Critique of Practical Reason Because of his insistence on the need for an empirical component in knowledge and his antipathy to speculative metaphysics, Kant is sometimes presented as a positivist before his time, and his attack upon metaphysics was held by many in his own day to bring both religion and morality down with it. Such, however, was certainly far from Kant’s intention. Not only did he propose to put metaphysics â€Å"on the sure path of science,† he was prepared also to say that he â€Å"inevitably† believed in the existence of God and in a future life. It is also true that his original conception of his critical philosophy anticipated the preparation of a critique of moral philosophy. The Kritik der praktischen Vernunft (1788, spelled Critik and practischen; Critique of Practical Reason), the result of this intention, is the standard sourcebook for his ethical doctrines. The earlier Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten (1785; Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals) is a shorter and, despite its title, more readily comprehensible treatment of the same general topic. Both differ from Die Metaphysik der Sitten (1797; The Metaphysics of Morals) in that they deal with pure ethics and try to elucidate basic principles; the later work, in contrast, is concerned with applying these principles in the concrete, a process that involved the consideration of virtues and vices and the foundations of law and politics. The Critique of Judgment The Kritik der Urteilskraft (1790, spelled Critik; Critique of Judgment)—one of the most original and instructive of all of Kant’s writings—was not foreseen in his original conception of the critical philosophy. Thus it is perhaps best regarded as a series of appendixes to the other two Critiques. The work falls into two main parts, called respectively Critique of Aesthetic Judgment and Critique of Teleological Judgment. In the first of these, after an introduction in which he discussed â€Å"logical purposiveness,† he analyzed the notion of â€Å"aesthetic purposiveness† in judgments that ascribe beauty to something. Such a judgment, according to him, unlike a mere expression of taste, lays claim to general validity, yet it cannot be said to be cognitive because it rests on feeling, not on argument. The explanation lies in the fact that, when a person contemplates an object and finds it beautiful, there is a certain harmony between his imagination and his understanding, of which he is aware from the immediate delight that he takes in the object. Imagination grasps the object and yet is not restricted to any definite concept, whereas a person imputes the delight that he feels to others because it springs from the free play of his cognitive faculties, which are the same in all humans. LAST YEARS The critical philosophy was soon being taught in every important German-speaking university, and young men flocked to Konigsberg as a shrine of philosophy. In some cases the Prussian government even undertook the expense of their support. Kant came to be consulted as an oracle on all kinds of questions, including such subjects as the lawfulness of vaccination. Such homage did not interrupt Kant’s regular habits. Scarcely five feet tall, with a deformed chest, and suffering from weak health, he maintained throughout his life a severe regimen. It was arranged with such regularity that people set their clocks according to his daily walk along the street named for him, â€Å"The Philosopher’s Walk. † Until old age prevented him, he is said to have missed this regular appearance only on the occasion when Rousseau’s Emile so engrossed him that for several days he stayed at home. From 1790 Kant’s health began to decline seriously. He still had many literary projects but found it impossible to write more than a few hours a day. The writings that he then completed consist partly of an elaboration of subjects not previously treated in any detail, partly of replies to criticisms and to the clarification of misunderstandings. With the publication in 1793 of his work Die Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der blossen Vernunft (Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone), Kant became involved in a dispute with Prussian authorities on the right to express religious opinions. The book was found to be altogether too rationalistic for orthodox taste. He was charged with misusing his philosophy to the â€Å"distortion and depreciation of many leading and fundamental doctrines of sacred Scripture and Christianity† and was required by the government not to lecture or write anything further on religious subjects. Kant agreed but privately interpreted the ban as a personal promise to the king, Frederick William II, from which he felt himself to be released on the latter’s death in 1797. At any rate, he returned to the forbidden subject in his last major essay, â€Å"Der Streit der Fakultaten† (1798; â€Å"The Conflict of the Faculties†). In 1797 Kant published Die Metaphysik der Sitten (The Metaphysics of Morals), comprising Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Rechtslehre (The Philosophy of Law) and Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Tugendlehre (The Doctrine of Virtue). The former was the major statement of his political philosophy, which he also discussed in Zum ewigen Frieden (1795; Project for a Perpetual Peace) and in the essay â€Å"Uber den Gemeinspruch: Das mag in der Theorie richtig sein, taugt aber nicht fur die Praxis† (1793; â€Å"On the Old Saw: That May Be Right In Theory, But It Won’t Work in Practice†). The large work at which he laboured until his death—the fragments of which fill the two final volumes of the great Berlin edition of his works—was evidently intended to be a major contribution to his critical philosophy. What remains, however, is not so much an unfinished work as a series of notes for a work that was never written. Known as the Opus postumum, its original title was Ubergang von den metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft zur Physik (â€Å"Transition from the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science to Physics†). It may have been Kant’s intention in this work to carry further the argument advanced in the Metaphysische Anfangsgrunde der Naturwissenschaft (1786; Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science) by showing that it is possible to construct a priori not merely the general outline of a science of nature but a good many of its details as well. But judging from the extant fragments, however numerous they are, it remains conjectural whether its completion would have constituted a major addition to his philosophy and its reputation. After a gradual decline that was painful to his friends as well as to himself, Kant died in Konigsberg on February 12, 1804. His last words were â€Å"Es ist gut† (â€Å"It is good†). His tomb in the cathedral was inscribed with the words (in German) â€Å"The starry heavens above me and the moral law within me,† the two things that he declared in the conclusion of the second Critique â€Å"fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and the more steadily we reflect on. † IMMANUEL KANT Prepared by: Cherry B. Ordonez Alliona Gem S. Tolentino N- 201.

Critical Response Final Draft

Children should have a mind of their own when it comes to their entertainment. At an early age children are called to choose a toy from the isle of the toy store that is labeled and colored accordingly to fit the differences of their sex and not their entertainment needs. Children are not the ones to blame for the belief that every aspect of this world is categorized according to genders because this idea has been in our society for ages and there has always been a debate on this topic.In Christina Hoff Somers' article â€Å"You Can Give a Boy a Doll, But You Can't Make Him Play With It† published on the 6th of December 201 2, in the newspaper The Atlantic she seems to be a firm believer that genders are different, each sex has separate needs and tendencies but remain equal. This is the reason why she opposes to the Swedes who are aiming for uniformity through gender-free catalogues and new stereotype-free preschool called Agile. On the other hand, Peggy Orenstein in her artic le â€Å"Should the World of Toys Be Gender-Free? Published on the 29th of December 2011 in the newspaper The New York Times, she appears to support cross-sex toys and play activities. Orenstein believes that with cross-sex entertainment it would be easier and beneficial for the children to interact and communicate in the future, due to their shared experiences and that toys should not be separated according to sex. In response to Somers' main argument I feel that I agree with the points the author is making.Each individual is different by nature; genders have different needs and preferences. Not allowing children to play with toys that suit their personality but rather oblige them to play with something labeled as ender-neutral that will eventually lead into equality is absurd to me because then the children will not learn to have voice of their own but rather a false idea of who they are. To begin with, one point I agree with Somers is as she states it † Men and woman can b e different- but equal† (par. ). In other words the author does believe that although genders differ due to biology, as humans they remain equal. The reason agree with her is because the Swedes' way of achieving a gender neutral environment is by ignoring the differences of the genders and trying to introduce a way of dealing with people as if they are one thing. To make it clearer, when I was young I played with boys as well with girls. We were a team, we played with dolls and with trucks and we learned each ones needs.The boys helped us build things and as girls we learned them to take care of our baby dolls. This experience made me learn and inhabit that each gender provides something that lacks to the other. When we learn and accept each ones differences that is when we will become equal not by providing kids with a gender-neutral toy catalogue because then uniqueness will not exist. Another point agree that Somers has made is when she opposes to the new preschool Agile, w hich has removed gender specific items from their curriculum.In Orenstein article she states that † Every experience, every interaction, every activity-when they laugh, cry, learn, play-strengthens some neural circuits at the expense of others, and the younger the child the greater the effect† (par. 10). In other words if the children in Agile are offered an unhealthy, monitored schooling and are forced to get rid of their natural likings which benefits them while rowing up that will lead to † undermine children's healthy development† (Somers par. 1). Finally, another point which Somers could not have expressed better my opinion on the topic kids and entertainment is † just leave him alone and let him play as he wants† (par. 16). In making this comment, the author says that the criteria on which the object of a child's entertainment will be chosen by, will not have to do with what gender is the toy addressed to but with what the child's entertainm ent needs are at that certain point.For a child to make an unbiased choice about his entertainment, demands an environment which will has raised it up knowing that although toys differ according to gender there is nothing wrong in choosing a toy of your opposite sex and not raise him up in a person who believes otherwise. In other words, † the environment in which children play and grow can encourage a range of aptitudes or foreclose them† (Orenstein par. 11). In conclusion, the reason why I am in favor of Somers is because she accepts that sexes are different but does not believe that creating uniformity will provide us with equality.Accepting each ones differences and who we are is what will provide us with equality. Children should be let alone to explore their own likings without being obliged to be something they are not. Bottom line is that the differences of each human being are what make this world interesting. A world full of same people will lead us to routine.