Object Speech Outline Essay

I. Blood sweat and tears have been shed in this jersey. I have battled in this Jersey, for God, this school and my team. All my life I have played soccer with the goal to never â€Å"plateau† or to stop getting better, to always achieve the next level. I have played soccer since I was four years old and this jersey embodies my experiences up to this point. This jersey represents not only soccer, but my accomplishments, my defeats, my passion, my hatred, the impact it has had on my life, and much more. But most importantly this jersey represents God in my life, and how soccer has been the catalyst for God to minister through me. II. I started off my college soccer career playing division 1 soccer at Sacramento State in the 2nd hardest conference in the country, the big west. As a freshman I had the 4th most minutes played on the whole team, I had a full ride, and some might say my life had been set up nicely. But by then end of the season I found myself feeling empty, something was missing. The more I thought about it the clearer it became, I had all of this but I didn’t have what mattered most, God. So I took a leap of faith and left sac state to pursue a deeper and stronger relationship with God. I had no intention of playing soccer anymore or coming to APU. But one of my good friends who plays here at Azusa convinced me to come and check it out. Having done this I found myself in a position, for the first time in my life, where my faith and my passion have been able to coincide, through wearing this jersey. III. This brings me to my second point, which is that not only am I able to play soccer for God and represent my faith, but I am able to actually minister to people through my sport. This summer I tried out and made a semi professional team known as the Southern California Seahorses. This team plays at the highest level possible for college athletes while still allowing them to maintain collegiate eligibility. The Seahorses are a Christian based organizatio n whose main goal is to mold young men into, not great soccer players who are Christians, but Christians who are great soccer players. You may wonder what the difference is, though it is rather small in semantics the significance is nothing short of incredible. I am now proud to call myself a Christian who  happens to play soccer. The difference is what do you put first, your passion and your goals, or God? For the first time in my life, I have put God above my goals, I have put aside my dreams to live to serve God, and in return God has blessed me by allowing to me to still pursue my goal by ministering through soccer. IV. As I said before, this Jersey embodies my life up to this point, why? Because soccer has been the center of my life, everything has revolved around it, and finally I am now able to combine the two biggest things in my life, my faith, and my passion for soccer, and am blessed to be able to practice both on a daily basis. For me the question that brought the most clarity, was when I was asked, â€Å"Do you call yourself a soccer player who is Christian, or a Christian who happens to play soccer? †

Epidemiology: Global and Public Health Essay

The purpose of this paper is to describe the history of public health, including pertinent dates and significant events and the different aspects of public and community-based health. Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals (Winslow, 1920). It is concerned with threats to health based on population health analysis. The population in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the inhabitants of several continents (for instance, in the case of a pandemic). The dimensions of health can encompass â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†, as defined by the United Nations World Health Organization. Public health incorporates the interdisciplinary approaches of epidemiology, biostatistics and health servic e. Environmental health, community health, behavioral health and occupational health are other important subfields. The focus of public health intervention is to improve health and quality of life through the prevention and treatment of disease and other physical and mental health conditions, through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors. Promotion of hand washing and breastfeeding, delivery of vaccinations, and the distribution of condoms to control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases are examples of common public health measures. The origins of the Public Health Service can be traced to the passage of an act in 1798 that provided for the care and relief of sick and injured merchant seamen. Reorganization in 1870 converted the loose network of locally controlled hospitals into a centrally controlled Marine Hospital Service, with its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The position of Supervising Surgeon (later Surgeon General) was created to administer the Service, and John Maynard Woodworth was appointed as the first incumbent in  1871. The commissioned officer corps (now known as the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service or the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps) was established by legislation in 1889. At first open only to physicians, over the course of the twentieth century, the Corps expanded to include veterinarians, dentists, Physician Assistants, sanitary engineers, pharmacists, nurses, sanitarians, scientists, and other health professionals. Quarantine was originally a state function rather than federal, but the National Quarantine Act of 1878 vested quarantine authority to the Marine Hospital Service and the National Board of Health. The National Board was not reauthorized by Congress in 1883 and its powers reverted to the Marine Hospital Service. Over the next half a century, the Marine Hospital Service increasingly took over quarantine functions from state authorities. As immigration increased dramatically in the late nineteenth century, the Federal Government also took over the proce ssing of immigrants from the states, beginning in 1891. Because of the broadening responsibilities of the Service, its name was changed in 1902 to the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, and again in 1912 to just the Public Health Service. As the century progressed, PHS commissioned officers served their country by controlling the spread of contagious diseases such as smallpox and yellow fever, conducting important biomedical research, regulating the food and drug supply, providing health care to underserved groups, supplying medical assistance in the aftermath of disasters, and in numerous other ways. Today the mission of the Commissioned Corps of the PHS is â€Å"Protecting, promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation.† The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service (PHS) as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. As one of the United States seven uniformed services, the PHS Commissioned Corps fills public health leadership and service roles within federal government agencies and programs. The PHS Commissioned Corps includes officers drawn from many professions, including environmental and occupational health, medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, psychology, social work, hospital administration, health record administration, nutrition, engineering, science, veterinary, health information technology, and other health-related  occupations. Agencies within the Public Health Service are: * Administration for Children and Families (ACF) * Administration on Aging (AoA) * Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) * Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) * Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) * Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) * Federal Occupational Health (FOH) * Food and Drug Administration (FDA) * Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) * Indian Health Service (IHS) * National Institutes of Health (NIH) * Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) According to â€Å"CHHS† (2007), â€Å"The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) oversees twelve departments and one board that provide a range of health care services, social services, mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment services, income assistance and public health services to Californians from all walks of life. Major programs include no-cost and low-cost health care coverage for low-income Californians (Medi-Cal); income support for the aged, blind or disabled (SSI/SSP); income support for CalWORKs recipients, low-cost public health insurance (Healthy Families) for children from working families. Other large programs administered by CHHS departments include food stamps, child welfare services, in-home supportive services, support for the developmentally disabled, foster care, mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, and vocational rehabilitation. CHHS directly serves millions of Californians in health and human service programs, while touching the lives of all Californians through statewide efforts such as public health protection and emergency preparedness and response.† Public Health Nursing Practice is the synthesis of nursing theory and public health theory applied to promoting and preserving the health of populations. The focus of practice is the community as a whole and the effect of the community’s health status (resources) on the health of individuals, families, and groups. Care is provided within the context of preventing disease and disability, and promoting and protecting the health of the community as a whole (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2008). It is mainly composed of the following areas: Behavioral Science/Health Education, Biostatistics, Emergency Medical Services, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Services Administration/Management, International/Global Health, Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, Public Health Laboratory Practice, Public Health Policy, Public Health Practice (â€Å"What Is Public Health?†, n.d.). Community Health Nursing Practice is the synthesis of nursing theory and public health theory applied to promoting, preserving, and maintaining the health of populations through the delivery of personal health care services to individuals, families, and groups. The focus of practice is to preserve the health of individuals, families, and groups and the effect of their health status on the health status of the community as a whole (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2008). Community nursing works with the individual in hospitals, nursing homes, home healthcare, and hospice. Nurses in this field work in government and private agencies, clinics, and other private settings. They focus on populations, working with individuals, groups, and families to improve the overall health of communities. They educate about health care issues, disease prevention, nutrition, and childcare, and also work with community leaders, teachers, parents, and physicians in community health education. In conclusion, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. Its’ vision is Healthy People in Healthy Communities. Its’ mission is to Promote Physical and Mental Health and Prevent Disease, Injury, and Disability. This is accomplished by preventing epidemics and the spread of disease; protecting against environmental hazards; preventing injuries; promoting and encouraging healthy behaviors; responding to disasters and assists communities in recovery; and, assures the quality and accessibility of health services. Through public education, health promotion and disease prevention, the public will have the opportunity to take control of their own personal health. Research and analysis help to guide recommendations and teaching. As new information is discovered, the teaching for health promotion changes. Public health is put into action by  legislation and political acts. Community healthcare may be for profit, nonprofit or government run healthcare delivery systems for individuals. Policy and recommendations are done through public health and delivered through community health. Public health nursing is vital to the health and well-being of the nation as a whole. References CHHS. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.chhs.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2008). Population-centered health care in the community (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. U.S. Department of Health &Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/about/ What is Public Health?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.whatispublichealth.org/what/index.html Winslow, Charles-Edward Amory (1920 Jan 9). â€Å"The Untilled Fields of Public Health†. Science 51 (1306): 23–33).

Bullying in Schools and Colleges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bullying in Schools and Colleges - Essay Example It has been found that bullying has increased to tremendous levels and it is almost impossible now to contain the problem. Due to the ever-increasing problem of bullying, it is seen that several states and schools have taken a notice of the grave situation and implemented laws to ensure that it does not prevail. A person that I recently met was quite a calm person in real but was a former bully in his school. He was known for his aggressiveness back then because of which the students feared them. When I questioned him I got to know quite a lot about him and made a general consensus about the bullies. The environment had a huge effect on the former bully but he got to learn things because of which he moved onto the spiritual way of life. His home life and family were the most disturbing things in his life and I believe that these things made him turn into a bully. According to him his family was more of the masculine type and liked being tough. He had four elder brothers who used to f ight with him often. He was simply frightened of them and had lost self-respect in this cause. His father never paid enough heed to him and he had to rely on his loneliness for some time. This loss of self-respect caused the former bully to target people who were of his own kind. In other words, he looked for people who were more like him and bullied them. He used to look for fellow students who were scared and did not have respect for themselves and then bullied them accordingly. The former bully stated that he was greatly influenced by his family and somehow the genetic factors got to him. His brothers were known to be the most famous bullies in the high school and he followed in their footsteps. He also told that he got to learn different techniques of bullying through his brothers. Fighting with them was an experience, he says which made him learn how to tackle off the guys who were powerful than him. Above all bullying was considered to be a very cool act by him and other guys and this made him fall into the act. Genetic factors obviously did play a role as put down by the bully. Masculinity ran in his family and he practiced this masculinity on the other students believing that this would help him regain his pride. However, he states that over time he has learned a lot of new things and has moved to the spiritual way of life. Above all, he was affected by the fact that his family was nothing about honor. As the bully grew up he realized that his family did not have much to respect for others. Women were not treated as they should have been and he observed his brothers and father to find out the fact that they themselves were hiding from reality. None of his family members were able to lead a good life and soon he realized that masculinity was only a reason for him to be a bully. With the spiritual learning, he started to walk back from fights and became proud of it. He realized the wrongs that he had done as he put in the interview. He also went to many of the people he had bullied to apologize and most of these apologies were accepted, fortunately. His personality traits can be related to those of a normal person as he realized about them when he grew up. The former bully started feeling the emotions of others when he grew up and respected the people who stood up against him.

How intersectional identities can transform intersectional Dissertation

How intersectional identities can transform intersectional disadvantage into public appreciation through sports - Dissertation Example It is argued that there is a public romance with sports in which black athletes such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Pele together with homosexual Carl Lewis have challenged stereotypical attitudes toward homosexuals and racial minorities.4 In other words, there are opportunities for minorities in sports to penetrate intersectional boundaries and to not only gain acceptance, but to also be admired. This research study will demonstrate the opportunities according competitive sports for transcending intersectional boundaries by reference to South Africa’s Rugby League. South Africa, a country that has transitioned from apartheid to democracy in the late 20th century provides an example of both extremes: oppression and equality in sports. This study will therefore be divided into four parts. The first part of this study defines intersectionalities and provides an analysis of sports generally. The second part of this paper provides an intersectional analysis of sports in South Africa’s Rugby league during apartheid. The third part of this study conducts an intersectional analysis of sports in post-Apartheid South Africa’s Rugby League. The final part of the paper analyses intersectionalities in sports today. Part I: Introduction Davis defines intersectionality as: †¦the interaction between gender, race, and other categories of diffiference in individual lives, social practices, institutional arrangements, and cultural ideologies and the outcomes of these interactions in terms of power.5 The term intersectionality was introduced by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989 as a means of providing more profound insight into the experiences of non-white women. Crenshaw felt that feminist studies did not adequately address the special circumstances that women of diverse racial minorities experienced. Crenshaw argued that there was a need to demonstrate how both gender and race interacted to inform the experiences of women of colour.6 Today, intersectionali ty theory is understood as a means of analyzing the intersection between gender, race, class and ethnicity and how these interactions are manifested in community settings, institutions and the daily lives on individuals and their interactions with others.7 Essentially, intersectionality takes the postion that different social entities are made up of different identities. For example black people are comprised of black heterosexuals, black homosexuals and my other identities. Intersectionality theory argues that the different status identities of members of a social group will correspond with the extent to which the individual will likely be discriminated against.8 Over the last ten or so years there has been an intensifying growth in intersectional analyses as a result of an appreciation for the realization that identities are multidimensional and are constantly changing and formed by â€Å"power† through â€Å"additional categories as social class, sexuality, and

Informal report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Informal report - Essay Example These are behavioral goals to create an inclusive work environment . It needs to be brought to the notice of all employees that under the Disabilities Act, it is discriminatory to behave unfavorably to employees with any kind of physical or mental disability. The company is bound under the law to provide desired facilities to disabled employees. All staff needs to be aware of the legal aspect of the law not to discriminate an employee even for having relationship with a person of disability . It should be clear to all concerned that our country’s law is against any such discrimination over employment, which may be related to hiring, notice to quit job, salary, job roles, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and other job related terms and conditions . Harassment of disabled employees is an illegal act. Even an offensive remark can be discriminatory if it is randomly made. It is necessary for the creation of congenial work environment that such derogatory comments are rarely made. Not only the colleagues or managers, sometimes customers also harass a disabled employee. We need to take extra precaution in this regard to check the behavior of all; it is very much in the wider interests of our company . It is our managerial responsibility to ensure that our employees with disabilities get suitable accommodation while performing the assigned work. We need to provide them with all the benefits and privileges of employment. Wherever a disabled employee requires a wheelchair or the provision of a reader or interpreter, it is the management’s responsibility to ensure facilitating him with these facilities . †¢ If an individual is understood to have a physical or mental disability, which is not temporary

Comparison of Religious Writings and Practices Term Paper

Comparison of Religious Writings and Practices - Term Paper Example A comparative study of religious literature and religion itself might just be more beneficial to people towards pleasing God (Taylor 23-98). This paper takes a keen look at the resemblances found between Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the Codes of Hammurabi, the doctrines of the Koran and the doctrines of the Old and New Testament with a view on establishing how they could have evolved from one ancient common cultural memory. The confrontation of races considered alien and diverse did not always turn out the causes of war, but it occurred that this was often the opportunity and condition for psychical conflict that is even still being experienced today (Peters 92). The origin of the Old Testament could be considered as a natural development that resulted out of the Babylonian religion (Rogers 107). This could be seen from the examination of certain religious practices and concepts such as the world’s origin, the fall of man, the flood, and life after death, demons, the devil, angels, the Sabbath, sacrificial cult, priesthood, names and worship of God, and the monotheistic notion of deity. The concept of deity is fundamental to all religious writings and thinking (International Bible Society). The Sumerians descended from Ham, according to the records in Genesis 10:6-10, Nimrod led the Sumerians in Shinar. These represent a group of Cushitic people that moved south of Egypt and were black in complexion (Sayce 276-277). In Sumerian stories of as depicted in the Epic of Gilgamesh, creation is said to be the origin of man and this is the same belief that the Old Testament, Genesis presents. To Sumerians, Dilmun is paradise and seen as the place where the sun does rise and is the land of their living this place appears vividly as the scene of the creation stories told in Sumerian religious myths. The hero of flood is also mentioned who is Ziusudra or Utnapishtim that the gods took to make him live forever. Utnapishtim happens to be Noah who is the center of man’s salvage from the floods in the OT. This Utnapishtim is celebrated in Sumerian poems as a very wise king and priest at the same time leading the people of Shurrupak and is the son of Ubara-Tutu or he Who Saw Lif e and appears as the protege of god Ea that by his grace does survive the flood together with the wife and the seed of all living creatures. The revelations made to Babylonian Noah by God in the OT are evident here in that Ea is friendly to mankind and does reveal to him Enlil’s design that was meant to destroy mankind from the face of the earth. There is also a multiplicity of gods. We also have a king list which tells the length of reign for each king just as it is the case with the OT, although the Epic of Gilgamesh does not give clear chronology as is seen in the OT because of the father age revelations in OT. The chief god of these Sumerian people happens to be Bel and this is the cognate of Baal mentioned in the OT for the Canaanite people. It is interesting to note that Gilgamesh is a true depiction of Nimrod mentioned in the Old Testament (Delitzsch 65). The idea of Queen of Heaven is presented in the Gilgamesh Epic and the same idea is in Mesopotamian pagan religion and even in Jeremiah 7:18, the Jews are seen to imitate it and this annoys God. Even in catholic worship, Mary is seen as the Queen of Heaven. Tower of babel is also eminent. An interesting

English for Speakers of Other Languages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

English for Speakers of Other Languages - Essay Example The first part examines the comprehension of what has been read and asks the reader to answer several multiple choice questions regarding that text. This is on the simple level of memory and comprehension of what has been read. The second part requires not only understand but logistical interpretation. The reader is presented with text that is missing three paragraphs and then presented with four paragraph choices at the end and asked to insert the proper three paragraphs in to the correct section of the test. This certainly presents an advanced level of understanding required to correctly eliminate the erroneous paragraph and insert the correct three paragraphs in the proper sections. This demonstrates an understanding of syntax and semantics. Section three is again a presentation of text, each at different stylistic levels of reading examples and multiple choice questions are asked at the end. Section four flips the scenario and asks a question prior to reading the text, turning th e reader's intelligence to search on first to find answers to specific items requested. This not only displays semantic and organization understanding but structural knowledge as well: A person's structure of knowledge in a subject area includes not only declarative knowledge about substance (or information about what) but also procedural knowledge about methods (or information about how) and strategic knowledge about alternatives for goal setting and planning (or information about which, when, and possibly why). (Merrick 1984: 156)

Assignment Rough Draft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment Rough Draft - Essay Example As this concept is quite important and complex at the same time due to the fact that it acts as a basis of any type of relationships, it gives birth to number of issues, the key of which are gender inequality and the fight against it. The concept of gender is best explained from the point of view of symbolic interaction theory, which states that every person plays a particular role in the society (Turner, 2012). In accordance with Turner (2012), a person is a social actor who performs an assigned role, which includes patterns of behavior and feelings. Even in the twenty-first century, the issue of gender discrimination still takes place. In order to fight the problem, there exists a range of federal laws, among which are Civil Right Act, the Equal Opportunity Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Law and others (â€Å"Gender Discrimination,† 2013). At the same time, these and other laws and programs appear to be not very effective for women. However, the Affordable Care Act is believed to change the situation for the better: due to the act, about 13 million women will gain coverage by 2016 (National Womens Law Center, 2013). These days, triple jeopardy of African American Women with disabilities occurs in the United States. Because of the existing stereotypes, this group of women experiences the following difficulties. First of all, they are expected to have traditionally female occupations. Secondly, African American women have difficulties which result from group-specific factors, such as likelihood of being a single parent. Finally, the disabled have decreased work opportunities because of lack of compliance on behalf of the employee (Smith & Alston, 2008). A human service professional should be culturally competent to meet the requirements of the sphere as well as to be able to work in it. For every person, it is natural to have

Based on Feminist theory, which may include patriarchy (e.g Assignment

Based on Feminist theory, which may include patriarchy (e.g. MacKinnon; Pateman), the essay is about The pay gap between men and women in Australia) - Assignment Example The gender wage gap is larger for the private sector than the public sector, and it is highest in the health care and social assistance sector. As women grow older, the wage gap also increases. This item is relevant to the study because it provides statistics for existing wage gap differences and where they can be found. It is also linked with other statistics and studies that determines that gender discrimination is the predominant cause of the gender wage gap. Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips established The International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW International) in 1930. BPW International is part of international networks of business and professional women with affiliates in 95 countries. This web page offers numerous articles regarding gender pay gap across the world. It shows that Australia’s wage gap is lower than Austria, Germany, and Belgium, but higher than New Zealand and France. Eveline, J., & Todd, P. (2010). Gender mainstreaming: The answer to the gender pay gap? In C.L. Bacchi (Ed.), Mainstreaming politics: Gendering practices and feminist theory (pp.163-190). South Australia: University of Adelaide Press. Eveline and Todd (2010) examined if gender mainstreaming is an effective policy in decreasing wage gaps between men and women. They conducted a systematic review of gender mainstreaming in Australian states. They defined gender mainstreaming as a strategy for embedding gender concerns into studying and developing institutional arrangements, market structure, wage policies, and social norms. They stressed that the application of the enterprise bargaining system since the 1990s worsened gender wage gap in Australia. They noted from their review that gender mainstreaming cannot be effective as a gender wage gap corrector without supporting industrial relations policy changes. This item is relevant to the topic because it studies the effects of gender pay gap in Australia and focuses on the

Catcher in the Rye Essay Example for Free

Catcher in the Rye Essay The word ‘morals’ is concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction of right and wrong. Themes such as innocence, isolation and youth reside in the novel, the audience is made aware of Caulfield’s view on children’s innocence, the isolation he feels and how he perceives adults as ‘phony’. Holden Caulfield is a 17 year old adolescent boy that becomes infatuated with protecting the ‘innocence’ of younger children. Caulfield feels mentally, socially and personally isolated from everyone else. He desires the need to be not alienated. He attempts to reach out to someone but this desire for a connection is mitigated by hesitation. â€Å"The first thing I did when I got off at Penn Station, I went into this phone booth. I felt like giving somebody a buzz, but as soon as I was inside, I couldnt think of anybody to call up. So I ended up not calling anybody. I came out of the booth, after about twenty minutes or so. The short sentence structure emphasises Caulfield’s hesitation of trying to contact someone but not being able to commit to it, this then positions the reader to feel sorrow for the isolation that Caulfield feels. Caulfield’s hesitation to immerse himself in a connection with another person, explores the idea that whilst Caulfield was progressing with his coming of age, this isolation is a step back for the development of himself. Salinger captures an adolescences bias perception of adults being phony and that they only think of themselves. Salinger explores the perspective of children being a complete world apart from the adults through Caulfield. ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ examines the theme of youth in conjunction with the process of becoming an adult. Caulfield has an idealized perception of what children are like, he has a fantasy of what children are like, and he hastily makes assumptions of adults, predominately on how they treat children. â€Å"There was a lady sitting next to me that cried all through the goddam picture. The phonier it got, the more she cried. Youd have thought she did it because she was kind-hearted as hell. But she had this little kid with her that had to go to the bathroom, but she wouldnt take him. She kept telling him to sit still and behave himself. She was about as kind-hearted as a goddam wolf. † The simile ‘She was about as kind-hearted as a goddam wolf’ emphasises the similarities between the lady and a wolf, this then positions the reader to become aware of Caulfield’s feelings towards adults and the lack of ‘respect’. This sense of him having no ‘respect’ for adults’ challenges society’s moral of respecting your elders is explored throughout the novel and represented through Caulfield’s character. In conclusion, J. D Salinger explores ideas and concepts of what it is like to become of age and how society’s morals are challenged by adolescents and children. He uses themes such as the innocence of children, the isolation of Caulfield and how the youth perceive adults to represent these ideas. I believe that Salinger effectively explores the ideas of coming of age and challenging society’s morals within his novel by using these themes and allows myself as an individual to understand the novel on a deeper level.

Toni Morison Analysis | Feminist Postcolonial Approach

Toni Morison Analysis | Feminist Postcolonial Approach Although Toni Morrison is known for her epic themes, vivid dialogue and richly detailed characters but this essay focuses on her approach towards feminist post colonialism. At first I will give a brief overview of the term feminist post colonialism and demonstrate how feminist discourses and post colonialism shared many similarities. Further this essay examines the construction of radicalized and gendered identities in Morrisons fictional work. I will also explore how these identities are constructed and created in fiction by using a feminist postcolonial approach. Morrisons text by addressing historical issues critically and in so doing attempting to heal historical wounds; it may also seek to change it. She focuses on the damage that the black women characters suffer through the construction of femininity in a radicalized society. I will extensively focus on Morrisons novel Jazz, Beloved, and The Bluest Eyes and elaborate how by using different narrative techniques such as characte rs, plot, setting and imagery to mirror the atrocities done to the Afro American women. Key words: Post colonialism, feminism, slavery, African American women, Harlem renaissance, Beloved. Nobel Prize laureate, Toni Morrison is considered to be one of the most popular and most important authors of the 20th Century. Much of her literary work has actively challenged the stereotypes that have been imposed on African American women throughout history. The characters in her novels are beautifully portrayed in order to allow the reader to explore their journeys and the way in which they are presented. The expression of the black female voice is characteristic of Toni Morrisons novels. Morrison, through her black female characters portrays the collective experience of black women in America which are shaped by the past experience of slavery and by the patriarchal capitalist American society. Patriarchy in America dates back to the colonial period when male authority and female submission was essential to the subsistence economy and to the social set-up. This society marginalized woman and gave them meager and indirect access to power in the community. Before going into the de ep analysis of Morison works from the feminist postcolonial perspective we must consider how both feminism and postcolonial interlinked. Feminist discourse and post-colonial theory shares many similarities. Firstly, both discourses are political and concern themselves with the struggle against oppression and injustice. Moreover, both reject the established patriarchal system, which is dominated by the hegemonic white male, and also deny the supposed supremacy of masculine power and authority. There are a significant number of literary texts that are written from both a feminist and post-colonial standpoint. Feminism, in its various forms, is a popular and powerful vantage point for postcolonial thought, and each of these texts presents a number of ways that colonization-and the consequences which last well into postcolonial eras. These texts often share views on the individuality and disparity of the subject, as well as agreeing on shared strategies of resistance against dictatorial external forces. These texts deal with the double colonization of women by both their male counterparts and the dominant colonial powers .Specially, it becomes clear that the female body becomes a thing of commodity, an item to be owned, controlled, or abused for sexual gratification by those in power. Ultimately, as one move both with and through feminist perspectives, it reveals that colonization works by creating a system of interlocking oppressions such as race, gender, sexuality, class, etc. The writings of Toni Morrison are identified with formerly colonized peoples and shaped this web of interlocking oppression in her own way. She wrote with postcolonial perspective and we find the traces such as magical realism, oppression of women, search for home and self-identity, homelessness, rootlessness, language, gender stereotype, classism, racial differences etc. throughout her writing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality this statement by the Swedish academy is an appropriate description of Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison. Her novel Jazz which was first published in 1992 is set in Harlem of the 1920. It reestablishes an essential aspect of African American history_ the Harlem renaissance. Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual movement that was significant to the emancipation of African American at the beginning of 20th century. Setting her novel at the backdrop of this movement, she regenerates a black historical past and has given life to it. Morrisons Jazz looks back upon the Harlem Renaissance from a late 20th century perspective and revolves around the stories of African American characters Violet, Joe and Dorcas. In Jazz, Toni Morrison wants to create a novel that explores the essence of jazz. In her introduction to Jazz, Morrison writes, I wanted the work to be a manifestation of the musics intellect, sensuality, anarchy; its history, its range and its modernity. Due to this Morrisons novel not only reflects the evolution of Jazz music but also captures the soul of the jazz movement. Morrison molds the settings, plot lines, characters, and structure of her novel to recreate the rich history, revolutionary spirit, and progressive style of jazz. Morrison uses the settings in Jazz to reflect the history of the jazz movement. It also addresses its influence on the Harlem Renaissance. In addition, Morrison uses flashbacks to addresses significance settings associated with the Great Migration. Moreover, she uses the settings in the novel to reflect the connection between jazz and African American culture and history. Morrison addresses the spirit of anarchy that was embodied in both the jazz movement and Harlem life. Morrison structures the plot lines, narratives, and characters of Jazz to reflect the elements of musical anarchy, as well as to reflect the violent and anarchical spirit of the jazz moment and life in Harlem during the Renaissance. The chaotic and violent aspect of the lives of African American woman living in Harlem during the Renaissance is reflected in the actions of Violet. The lawlessness in Jazz is shown when we are confronted with the horrible action of Violet attacking the corpse of her husbands lover. Further we find out that Joe Trace is the girls murderer and are drawn deeper into the chaotic, violent world of Harlem. The actions of both Joe and Violet Trace result from their inability to accept the changing views regarding gender. Likewise, Joe Trace illustrates the possessiveness of African American males and the refusal to accept the new views to gender power. Joe kills Dorcas because she attempts to leave him. Joe is actually tied to old views of sexuality. He links sex with possession. When Dorcas rejects him and seeks sexual fulfillment in another, Joe Trace speaks out against her use of gender power. The domestic violence that spread through Harlem during this period resulted from the violent rejection of changing sexual and gender norms. In addition, it reflected the chaotic and anarchical spirit of the jazz age time when both violence a nd sensuality were at the forefront of the musical, intellectual, and cultural lives of African American life. The importance of sexual expression cannot be denied when discussing the Harlem Renaissance and Jazz Age. Sexual expression became a landmark of jazz music, dance, and culture. Morrison points out the sensuality of jazz music through the sensual relationship between Joe Trace and Dorcas. The relationship between Joe and Dorcas is passionate kind of love. Their relationship revolves around secret sexual encounters and passionate emotions. When Morrison writes playful fingers examine and caress, we picture lovers caressing each other and jazz musicians playing their instruments. Morrison uses sensual characters, plot lines, and language to mirror the sensuality of jazz and the boldness of sexual expression associated with the Jazz Age. In Jazz, Morrison reflects the structure of jazz through her modernist composition. Morrison mimics jazz composition in her creation of the novel. She uses numerous voices, structured plot lines, disconnected sections, bold and poetical language, and sensual plot lines and imagery to elaborate her ideas about that age and the situation prevailing in Harlem at that time. Through her use of various elements of modern fiction styles and structures, Morrison brings to life the boldness, sensuality, tension, and history of jazz. In Jazz, Morrison addresses the importance of African American culture and musical forms on the ideas of the Jazz Age through her characters, settings, plot lines, and modernist structure, in order to mirror the jazz history, spirit, and structure of African America art and thought. Toni Morrisons Beloved, offers significant insight into power relations through her female protagonists. The most critical type of colonial oppression experienced by the women of Beloved is physical that is concerned with controlling and taking benefit of the bodies it subjects. Sethe and her family have the direct experience of being owned by white slave holders. Women in this novel often suffer violent and controlling sexual abuse that is either not present or in much less drastic forms for the colonized men. In Beloved, a particularly disturbing form of this oppression happens when Schoolteacher and his boys restrain and violate Sethe. Morrisons novel, however, not only shows the female body oppressed, but also struggle for individuality and self-ownership. Denver, when thinking about her family considers the situation a slaves body is in both materially and under colonial ideology: Grandma Baby said people look down on her because she had eight children with different men. Colored people and white people both look down on her for that. Slaves not supposed to have pleasurable feelings of their own; their bodies not supposed to be like that, but they have to have as many children as they can to please whoever owned them (Morrison 246-7). Even in the cruel reality of sexual slavery, women like Baby Suggs are able to reclaim their humanity by simply enjoying sex. One of the glaring ironies, or hypocrisies, of colonialism is that it condemns the colonized for the very things it forces them to do. It condemns the enslaved woman for being sexually assorted, yet at the same time forcers her to have as many children as pos sible. In Beloved, colonial power over the sexual life of the female body is a horrific reality, but freedom is as close as ones own physical selfhood. Slaverys destruction of identity is another postcolonial theme from feministic point of view in the novel under discussion. Beloved explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual devastation done by slavery. The most dangerous effects of slavery are its negative impact on the former slaves senses of self, and the novel contains multiple examples of self-alienation. Paul D, for example, is so alienated from himself that at one point he cannot tell whether the screaming he hears is his own or someone elses. Slaves were traded as subhuman or as commodities whose worth could be expressed in dollars. Sethe was also treated as a subhuman. She once walked in on schoolteacher giving his pupils a lesson on her animal characteristics. She seems to be isolated from herself and filled with self-loathing. Yet her children also have volatile and unstable identities. Denver conflates her identity with Beloveds, and Beloved feels herself actually beginning to physically disintegrate. There is a sense of complete loss of self and existence among most of the characters in the novel. Due to the inability to believe in their own existences, both Baby Suggs and Paul D become depressed and tired. Baby Suggss fatigue is spiritual, while Paul Ds is emotional. Other slaves-Jackson Till, Aunt Phyllis, and Halle went insane and thus suffered a complete loss of self. Yet Sethes act of infanticide illuminates the perverse forces of the institution of slavery. Under slavery, a mother best expresses her love for her children by murdering them and thus protecting them from the more gradual destruction wrought by slavery. Where slavery exists, everyone suffers a loss of humanity and compassion. For this reason, Morrison suggests that our nations identity, like the novels characters, must be healed. Crucially, in Beloved, we learn about the history and legacy of slavery not from schoolteachers point of view but rather from Sethes, Paul Ds, Stamp Paids, and Baby Suggss. Morrison writes history with the voices of a people historically denied the power of language, and Beloved recaptures a history that had been lost-either due to willed forgetfulness or to forced silence. Magical realism as a dominant literary mode in Toni Morrisons Beloved can be considered as a decolonizing agent in a postcolonial context. Morrisons narrative in Beloved, takes the advantage of both realism and magic to challenge the authoritative colonialist attitude and so can be alleged as a powerful and efficient method to project the postcolonial experience of African-American ex-slaves in the Unites States. It also provides an alternate point of view to Eurocentric accounts of reality and history to attack the solidity of Eurocentric definitions. It is also a consequence to mirror the hidden and silenced voices of numerous enslaved generations of African-Americans in the history of United States. Beloved is written from the marginal point of view of African-Americans who do not have social and political power. It is the story of Sethe, an ex-slave, who grieves the fact that she murdered her baby girl in order to save her from a life of slavery. She mourns so much that her grief becomes manifest into a body of a young woman named Beloved, a ghost in the beginning, the same age that Sethes dead baby would have been had she lived. The presence of two opposing discursive systems of magic and real in Beloved can reflect the tensions between the colonized and colonizer discourses in a postcolonial context. Applying postcolonial terminology, realism represents the hegemonic discourse of the colonizer while magic refers to the strategy of opposition and resistance used by the colonized. Magical realism can also provide a way to fill in the gaps of cultural representation in a postcolonial context by recovering the fragments and voices of forgotten histories from the colonized point o f view. In other words, magical realism may serve as the transformative decolonizing project of imaging alternative histories. The magical realism of Morrisons text by addressing historical issues critically and in so doing attempting to heal historical wounds, not only can reflect history, it may also seek to change it. Thus, Beloved can be read as a postcolonial historiographic intervention, a strategic re-centering of American history in the lives of the African- Americans who are historically dispossessed. Toni Morrisons novel, The Bluest Eye examines the construction of radicalized and gendered identities in fictional texts, specifically in Afro-American writings. In the novel, Morrison challenges Western standards of beauty and elaborate that the concept of beauty is socially constructed. Morrison also recognizes that if whiteness is used as a standard of beauty or anything else, then the value of blackness is diminished and this novel works to subvert that tendency. In demonstrating pride in being black, this writer does not simply portray positive images of blackness. Instead, she focuses on the damage that the black women characters suffer through the construction of femininity in a racialised society. As Paul C. Taylor argues, a white dominated culture has racialised beauty, [in] that it has defined beauty per se in terms of white beauty, in terms of the physical features that the people we consider white [people] are more likely to have (Taylor, 1999, 17, emphasis in original). Therefore, in the process of trying to achieve beauty, as Taylor further argues, the experience of a black woman à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ differs from the experiences of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Jewish and Irish women (Taylor, 1999, 20). This can clearly be seen in the ways that the black women characters in Morrisons novel suffer in trying to conform to Western standards of beauty. The Bluest Eye tells the story of an eleven year old black girl, Pecola Breedlove, who wants to have blue eyes, because she sees herself, and is regarded by most of the characters in the novel, as ugly. The standard of beauty that her peers subscribe to is represented by the white child actress, Shirley Temple, who has the desired blue eyes. The novel starts with the description of an ideal white family but in the near-parodic style of a school reading primer, where we meet Dick and Jane and their lovely parents living in a nice and comfortable house with a lovely dog and a cat. The Dick and Jane text functions as the hegemonizing force of an ideology ([focused by] the supremacy of the bluest eye) by which a dominant culture reproduces its hierarchical power structure (Grewal, 1998, 24). As Donald B. Gibson also demonstrates, the Dick and Jane text implies one of the primary and most insidious ways that the dominant culture exercises its hegemony, through the educational system. It reveals the role of education in both oppressing the victim and more to the point teaching the victim how to oppress her own black self by internalising the values that dictate standards of beauty (Gibson, 1989, 20). In contrast to this hegemonic identity, the main black characters are depicted as various and very different characters located in three hierarchical families: first Geraldines, then the MacTeers and at the bottom, the Breedloves. The novel shows how these black characters respond to the dominant culture differently and this refutes easy binary social distinctions. Pauline Breedlove, Geraldine, Maureen Peal, and Pecola are black characters who try to conform to an imposed ideal of femininity. They are absorbed and marginalized by the cultural icons portraying physical beauty: movies, billboards, magazines, books, newspapers, window signs, dolls, and drinking cups (Gibson, 1989, 20). Pauline Breedlove, for example, learns about physical beauty from the movies. In Morrisons words, along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion (Morrison, 1970, 1999, 95). Consequently, in trying to conform to the ideal of white femininity, the black women characters despise their blackness which in turn leads to self-hatred. They see themselves through the eyes of white people and their worship of white beauty also has disastrous effects on their own community. Geraldine, for example, represses her black characteristics which are not fitted to white femininity as she strives to get rid of the funkiness (Morrison, 1970, 1999, 64). Being well educated and having adopted Western ways of life, Geraldine draws the line between coloured and black. She deliberately teaches her son the differences between coloured and black: Coloured people were neat and quiet; niggers were dirty and loud (Morrison, 1970, 1999, 67). However, not all the black characters admire or are in awe of Western standards of beauty. The novel also shows black people who are aware of the danger of adopting Western standards of beauty. Claudia, the young girl narrator, at the very beginning of the novel, describes herself as indifferent to both white dolls and Shirley Temple. She also realizes that she does not really hate light-skinned Maureen but hates the thing that makes Maureen beautiful. As children, Claudia and her sister Frieda are happy with their difference, their blackness: We felt comfortable in our skins, enjoyed the news that our senses released to us, admired our dirt, cultivated our scars, and could not comprehend this unworthiness (Morrison, 1970, 1999, 57). This may suggest that Claudia resists the pressure to conform to a white vision of beauty. Therefore, Claudias consciousness can also be read as decolonising her mind from colonial oppression as she frees herself from white standards imposed on black people. As Grewal argues, individuals collude in their own oppression by internalizing [the] dominant cultures values in the face of great material contradictions (Grewal, 1998, 21). Quoting Terry Eagleton she also argues that the most difficult thing in emancipation is to free ourselves from ourselves (Grewal, 1998, 21). Through Claudia, however, the novel suggests that some are capable of challenging this, but for the victims of such oppression this awareness may come too late. Conclusion: There are many literary texts and writers who have written from feminist postcolonial view but Toni Morison stand head and shoulder above due to her fictional writing about Afro American community in general and for black women in specific. There are many works of Morrison which make her distinguish among others. We find several post-colonial themes in her novels like slavery, homeliness, rootlessness, cultural clash, mimcry, question of identity, language, magic realism, marginlizatin etc. but these all themes has been presented through a female point of view that how these things add suffering in the woman life. The postcolonial vision of black identity and specifically black woman identity is that Morrison attempted to shape in her novels. These novels have primarily focused on how black people have been spiritually and physically victimized throughout the oppressive black history in the United States. She presented the question of identity of black community, that how they were n eglected even as a human being. In her novels we see complexity of colonial relations between blacks and whites. When we analyse these fictions it reminds us the work of postcolonial theorists like Frantz Fanon and Homi Bhabha, which particularly integrates the concepts of mimicry, ambivalence, and hybridity. Morrisons fiction in the frame of postcolonial theory very aptly presents postcolonial black identity.

Ethnography Essay -- Ethnography

Ethnography Introduction Beginning with the early stages of savagery to the complex civilizations in the 21st century, the need to compete remains an important aspect in the continual evolution of mankind. Competition took various forms throughout history from the bloody attempts to kill a mammoth in order to provide nourishment, to the violent battles between two opposing sides taking place on college football fields every Saturday afternoon. Another form of competition involving severe contact on a scale par with football is the sport of rugby. My personal history with the sport began in a medium sized island in Polynesia. I lived and worked in New Zealand during the summer of 1999, between my sophomore and junior year. This little country hosts a number of different leagues and excels on the world level. I watched numerous matches on the television and in the parks. The first time I watched the national team (the â€Å"All Blacks†) was in a friendly match against New Zealand’s biggest rival, Australia (the â€Å"Wallabies†). I returned to Occidental in late August with an All Blacks jersey and the idea of playing rugby once my soccer season ended. Unfortunately the gods thought it would be better that I hold off on rugby for a year, so they helped me land on my right foot in such a way that I fractured my ankle during one of my last soccer games. The next semester I studied in southern France, specifically a city called Toulouse. The â€Å"Stade Toulousain† is the best club team in France, and has won numerous European club championships. After watching rugby in New Zealand and France, I finally started to play rugby over the course of my senior year. When the opportunity to study a group for my ethnography in â€Å"Anthropology 370†... ...ile too much playfulness is a problem also. The oval ball pictured above exemplifies a sport with many opposing themes and contradictions. With a round ball like soccer, the ball bounces rather consistently. On the other hand, the oval-shaped rugby ball is constantly competing against opposing forces for the specific direction it will travel. Works Cited Appadurai, Arjun. â€Å"Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy.† Global Culture: Nationalization, Globalization, and Modernity. Ed. Mike Featherstone. London: Sage, 1990. 295-319. Bourdieu, Pierre. â€Å"How Can One be a Sports Fan?† The Cultural Studies Reader. Routledge, London. Carruthers, Vanessa. In class discussions. Occidental College. 6 February 2001. â€Å"Rugby.† Encyclopedia Brittanica. Online. Internet. 9 April 2001. Available: http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=114957&sctn=1

Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and the European’s Claim to Superiority

Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and the European’s Claim to Superiority Incomplete Works Cited Just beyond the â€Å"biggest and greatest town on earth†, four men sit patiently on their boat, waiting for the serene waters of the Thames to ebb (65). One of the men, a Buddha, breaks the silence, saying, â€Å"and this also†¦has been one of the dark places of the earth† (67). This pensive and peaceful idol, Marlow, explains to his apathetic listeners how a great civilization is blindly made out of a darkness, remarking, â€Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only† (70). The irony with which Marlow looks upon colonization suggests that this redeeming feature, â€Å"†¦Europe’s claim to be civilized, and therefore superior, needs earnest reexamination† (Sarvan). As Sarvan suggests, Heart of Darkness contrasts the appearance of African â€Å"savagery† with European â€Å"civility† to demonstrate the inhumanity of the Europeans, rather than that of the Africans. Conrad’s dehumanizing descriptions of the Africans serve to show the inhuman effects of colonialism, rather than to demean the African people. For example, Sarvan notes that when an African is â€Å"reclaimed† by serving the Europeans, â€Å"†¦it is grim irony because he has been reclaimed to a worse state of barbarism.† When Marlow reaches the first station, he notices one of the â€Å"reclaimed† in a uniform jacket missing a button and notes, â€Å"†¦[He] seemed to take me into partnership in his exalted trust†¦I also was a part of the great cause of these high and just proceedings† (82). By ironically referrin... ...rlow’s â€Å"ironic voyage of discovery† could have happened anywhere. Indeed, the appearance of a fiendish black figure with his â€Å"long black legs, waving long black arms† is a mere illusion created by the fire behind him (148). The possibility that this wild and mysterious being in the midst of a great darkne ss could represent any man in any place lends a great sense of significance to Marlow’s â€Å"inconclusive experiences† (70). The irony of this dark portrayal of human nature is that humanity must hide from its own abomination in order to survive. Just as Marlow tells a detestable lie to hide the horrors of one man’s corrupted soul, it is ironic that the â€Å"taint of death, a flavor of morality† should protect idealism (96). Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. â€Å"Heart of Darkness.† An Introduction to Literature. Terry, Joseph. New York, NY: Longman, 2001. 1614-1672.

Great Expectations, Little Dorrit Essay -- Great Expectations Essays

Charles Dickens used his own personal experiences and views to create the setting in his novels, as it is seen in Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, and Bleak House. The role of the setting in each book is to create the mood and support the characters. (Davis 350) In Dickens’ novels the setting helps the reader better understand the time period and the problems the people of London faced with the political and social structure in place at the time. It also gives insight into the lives of the people through the intricate detail. Many times in Dickens novels, the setting becomes a character itself and without it the story would be incomplete. Dickens attention to detail is part of what makes his novels so unique and original. In order to see the influence Dickens’ experiences had in his books, first one must know a little of his history. Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens. (Kaplan 18) During most of his childhood they lived in London and this is where most of his settings come from. John Dickens had a hard time living within his means and when Charles was 12 his father was sent to the debtors’ prison, known as the Marshalsea. (Kaplan 39) While John was in prison Elizabeth and their other children lived at the Marshalsea with him, but Charles was sent to work in a factory to help support the family and pay off his father’s debt. (Kaplan 41) This time in Charles’ life would always be a haunting memory for him and it influenced many of his stories. After a year John’s mother died, leaving him enough money to pay off his debts and he was released from the Marshalsea. Even after his father’s release from prison, Dickens mother made him continue to work at the factory. This time caused him to be b... ...d distinct. Many of the settings in Great Expectations and Little Dorrit come from Dickens’ childhood experiences, such as the dock yard, the Marshalsea and working in the factory. He paints vivid pictures with words to show the reader exactly how he saw things. Bleak House shows his strong beliefs and views about the political system of England during this time. He uses the story to show exactly how unorganized and corrupt the political system was at the time. These novels are great examples of how the setting plays a role in the story, by creating the mood and helping the reader better see into the lives of the people living during that time. The major role the setting plays in these stories is the insight into the beliefs of the author and the experiences he had growing up in and around London in the nineteenth century, as it is portrayed by him in his works. Great Expectations, Little Dorrit Essay -- Great Expectations Essays Charles Dickens used his own personal experiences and views to create the setting in his novels, as it is seen in Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, and Bleak House. The role of the setting in each book is to create the mood and support the characters. (Davis 350) In Dickens’ novels the setting helps the reader better understand the time period and the problems the people of London faced with the political and social structure in place at the time. It also gives insight into the lives of the people through the intricate detail. Many times in Dickens novels, the setting becomes a character itself and without it the story would be incomplete. Dickens attention to detail is part of what makes his novels so unique and original. In order to see the influence Dickens’ experiences had in his books, first one must know a little of his history. Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 to John and Elizabeth Dickens. (Kaplan 18) During most of his childhood they lived in London and this is where most of his settings come from. John Dickens had a hard time living within his means and when Charles was 12 his father was sent to the debtors’ prison, known as the Marshalsea. (Kaplan 39) While John was in prison Elizabeth and their other children lived at the Marshalsea with him, but Charles was sent to work in a factory to help support the family and pay off his father’s debt. (Kaplan 41) This time in Charles’ life would always be a haunting memory for him and it influenced many of his stories. After a year John’s mother died, leaving him enough money to pay off his debts and he was released from the Marshalsea. Even after his father’s release from prison, Dickens mother made him continue to work at the factory. This time caused him to be b... ...d distinct. Many of the settings in Great Expectations and Little Dorrit come from Dickens’ childhood experiences, such as the dock yard, the Marshalsea and working in the factory. He paints vivid pictures with words to show the reader exactly how he saw things. Bleak House shows his strong beliefs and views about the political system of England during this time. He uses the story to show exactly how unorganized and corrupt the political system was at the time. These novels are great examples of how the setting plays a role in the story, by creating the mood and helping the reader better see into the lives of the people living during that time. The major role the setting plays in these stories is the insight into the beliefs of the author and the experiences he had growing up in and around London in the nineteenth century, as it is portrayed by him in his works.

International Humanitarian Law

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW and THE IRAQ CRISIS SUSAN SOUX April 2003 International Humanitarian Law ? the RULES which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict, protect people who are not, or are no longer taking part in the hostilities, and to restrict the methods and means of warfare employed IHL ‘the law of armed conflicts’ or or ‘law of war’ †¢ Geneva †¢ Hague Geneva ‘the law of Geneva is designed to safeguard military personnel who are no longer taking part in the fighting and people not actively involved in hostilities’ Hors de combat †¢ Civilians †¢ Medical/religious personnel The Hague ‘the law of The Hague establishes the rights and obligations of belligerents in the conduct of military operations, and limits the means of harming the enemy’ International humanitarian law prohibits all means and methods of warfare which: †¢ fail to discriminate †¢ cause superfluo us injury or unnecessary suffering †¢ cause severe or long-term damage to the environment. Other agreements prohibit the use of certain weapons and military tactics and protect certain categories of people and goods. ? he 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, plus its two protocols; ? ? ? the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention; the 1980 Conventional Weapons Convention and its four protocols; the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention; ? the 1997 Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines; ? the 2000 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Many provisions of international humanitarian law are now accepted as customary law – that is, as general rules by which all States are bound. HENRI DUNANT ‘BATTLE OF SOLFERINO’ History †¢ 1859 – Battle of Solferino †¢ 1863 – ICRC †¢ Geneva Conventions – 1864 †¢ Hague laws – 1899/1907 †¢ 1949 –Geneva conventions †¢ 1977 – Additional Protocols Geneva Conventions 1949 Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 August 1949. Convention (II) for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. Geneva, 12 August 1949. Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949. Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949. Iraq ratified Geneva Conventions 1956 US ratified in 1955 Additional Protocols 1977 †¢ Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II), 8 June 1977. Neither Iraq nor the US have ratified the Protocols International Human Rights Law †¢ Universal Declaration of Human Rights –1948 †¢ International Covenant on Social,Economic and cultural Right †¢ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights †¦other conventions/covenants†¦ †¢ Convention on the Status of Re fugees – 1951 †¢ Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement 1998 International Tribunals †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Nuremburg ICTY – Hague ICTR – Rwanda Sierra Leone International Criminal Court (Rome – 1998/2002) †¦ Universal Jurisdiction †¦ ‘Genocide’ ‘War Crimes’ ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Current Issues †¢ Allegations of indiscriminate bombing †¢ Targeting under IHL †¢ Ensuring Humanitarian Access †¢ Status of Combatants, Civilians and Civilians Taking Up Arms †¢ Suicide Attacks – ‘Perfidy’ †¢ Occupying Forces International Red Cross Protectors of the Geneva Conventions impartial, neutral and independent from any political objective’ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ ‘Right to be present’ when conflict breaks out Protect the lives and dignity of victims of war Monitors compliance with Geneva Conventions Visits POW’s Provides medical/humanitarian assistance IRAQ ICRC – in battle areas †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Hospitals Water Pow’s Tracing IFRC and Red Crescent Societies – outside the battle †¢ Refugee camps †¢ Tracing †¢ Humanitarian assistance International Delegates Water Systems Medical Assistance Family Tracing Refugee Camps Orthopaedic Centres Orthopaedic Centres Resources: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ www. icrc. org www. ifrc. org www. redcross. ca http://www. ihlresearch. org/iraq/ http://www. reliefweb. int/ocha_ol/civilians/ www. unhcr. ch â€Å"As human beings, we cannot be neutral, or at least have no right to be, when other human beings are suffering. Each of us†¦ must do what he or she can to help those in need, even though it would be much safer and more comfortable to do nothing. † – Kofi Annan UN Secretary-General

Groupthink and Asian Cultures

Prabhjot Kaur Communication Theory Final Paper ASSUMPTIONS: A high level of cohesiveness is usually present when groupthink occurs, and there is a great reluctance on the part of group members to stray from the group’s position. They do not want to leave, be forced out, or be ignored by other members. This â€Å"oneness† associated with cohesiveness is typically a desirable condition except when the group relies too much on solidarity that the desirable ends are not focused on. They are likely to operate in the group in a manner that seeks the approval and even affection of the other group members. This is not the same as wanting to please the group leader with little or no concern for the opinion of the other group members. Cohesiveness is just one of three conditions necessary for groupthink to exist. The second assumption relates to the process of problem solving in small groups marking it a usually unified process. When a group is given the task of making a decision they usually go in with the thought of reaching a unanimous decision and strive to get along. They are also susceptible to adapt to the cohesiveness of the group due to affiliative constraints. An affiliative constraint refers to members withholding their own opinions in fear of being rejected by the group. (West & Turner, 243) This is vital to the outcome of groupthink because if the members with opposing views did not fear rejection and argued their views the decision making process would be further delayed and would affect the cohesiveness of the group. The third assumption is that groups and decision making are frequently complex. There must be other alternatives available than just the one option the group is picking and the members of the group must be aware of these options. If there are no other options then groupthink does not apply because there is no valid input being withheld by the members. Group members must know the who the other members are and be able to understand the position of the other members. Many factors such as â€Å"age, size of groups, intelligence of group members, gender composition, competitive nature of group members, and leadership styles that emerge in the group† (West & Turner, 244), will affect on how group members behave and choose to challenge the group’s decision. Group members who are similar in one or many of these areas to one another are more conducive to groupthink. Homogeneity can foster groupthink among members and discourage them to challenge the group. (West & Turner, 244) CONDITIONS THAT PROMOTE: The first condition that promotes groupthink is presence of the cohesiveness we discussed earlier causes pressure for members to conform. The other two conditions are; group structural factors and group stress. The structure of the group does affect the way the group will function when faced with a complex problem to solve. It is important for the group to have strong group insulation or â€Å"the ability to remain unaffected by outside influences† (West & Turner, 246). Impartial leadership also can cause people to not have access to the full information available to help them make their decision. Leaders who have their own personal agenda prioritize that first before the well fare of the group. Final structural flaw that could lead to groupthink is the lack of decision-making procedures. If the procedures are not clearly established then the members have no structure to follow and reach a valid decision and can easily get lost in the influence of others to conform. Also, if there is no diversity in the backgrounds and experience present in the group then it may be very difficult for the group to be able to see all sides of the issue before making their final decision. PREVENT: West and Turner outline four major ways when discussing how to prevent groupthink. The first recommendation is to require oversight and control committee to enforce the procedures set for decision making and make them aware of their responsibility to challenge collectivism. The second recommendation is to embrace whistle blowing, so the members will report unethical or illegal practices. The third recommendation is to allow for objection because conscientious objectors who refuse to participate in the decision-making process due to violation of personal conscious need a safe environment for members to challenge the collective view without fearing rejection or other forms of negative reactions. The last recommendation is to balance consensus and majority rule. It is too much pressure to get a consensus instead it is better to work towards a majority decision. EXTENTION: Geert Hofstede is a Dutch social psychologist that did a study on of cultures across modern nations. Geert Hofstede (2001) defines Power Distance to â€Å"the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally†. The U. S. s considered a low power distance country, meaning within institutions and organizations here people relate to one another more as equals regardless of formal positions. However in high power distance countries the less powerful accept power relations that are higher in status. Hofstedes’ data from his study of over 40 countries shows that India has the highest power distance score for culture. This score implies a high level of inequality of power and wealth within society. This c ondition is a cultural norm for the India rather than a negative effect of groupthink. This presence of a high power distance helps facilitate groupthink. Sinha (2008) explains, â€Å"The seniors in a group set the pace and make decisions, which the rest of the group members are likely to accept without further questioning. † This custom is carried over to personal life as well where the elderly of the family will make decisions that the rest will follow. Geert Hofstede (2001), a Dutch social psychologist, defines power distance as â€Å"the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.   A low power distance country such as the United States is where individuals relate to one another more as equals regardless of formal positions; however, in high power distance countries like India, the less powerful accept power relations that are of higher status. Hofstedes’s cultural data research of 40 countries shows that India has the highest power distance sco re, which implies a high level of inequality of power and wealth within society. Sinha (2008) explains, â€Å"The seniors in a group set the pace and make decisions, which the rest of the group members are likely to accept without further questioning. †Ã‚  Ã‚  Rather than groupthink having a negative effect on group decision making, this is a cultural norm in India. This custom is carried over to personal life as well where the elderly of the family will make decisions for everyone. This presence of a high power distance facilitates groupthink in various aspects of Indian society.

Class Distinctions in George Orwell’s 1984 Essay

1984, a novel by English writer George Orwell, was a cautionary tale about the perils of a totalitarian society. Class distinctions are one of the worst dangers that were discussed in the novel. It was portrayed as a means for Big Brother to maintain his rule over Oceania. The different social classes in Oceania viewed each other as competitors for economic, political and social dominance. In the process, the possibility of a political rebellion in Oceania is quelled. Oceania is composed of three social classes: the Inner Party (about 1% of the population), the Outer Party (about 18% of the population) and the Proles (about 81% of the population). The respective lifestyles of these sectors were characterized with inequality – the Inner Party enjoyed more privileges than the Outer Party, although they both made up the Party of Oceania. Members of the Inner Party were accorded key government positions, had larger incomes and lived in luxurious homes. In sharp contrast, members of the Outer Party lived in dilapidated flats. They also had to devote even their spare time to Party activities such as community hikes and games or risk being suspected as a â€Å"traitor† (K-1. com, n. pag. ). The proles are the backbone of Oceania – they are employed in industry and on farms. However, the Party accepts them as members of society only because of their capacity to produce. As a result, the proles live in extreme penury. They reside in districts where there are fewer telescreens and policemen – they don’t have any contact with the state as long as they did not commit any wrongdoing. Consequently, proles can indulge in prohibited things such as prostitution, old books, old furniture and alcohol. The Party, on the other hand, does not pay much attention to what they do – the former regards proles as too uneducated and disorganized to pose as a serious threat to their rule (K-1. com, n. pag. ). Given that the ideology of the Party is Ingsoc (English Socialist Movement), it is ironic that inequality is very rampant among the citizens of Oceania. The novel provided an explanation to this phenomenon through the fictional book The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism. The latter believed to be written by a certain Emmanuel Goldstein, the leader of the dissident group the Brotherhood. But it turned out that the Thought Police created the book in order to trap Winston Smith (SparkNotes, n. pag. ). The book’s first chapter, Ignorance is Strength, argued that human societies are traditionally divided into three classes: the High, the Middle and the Low. The objective of the High is to uphold its dominance over society. The goal of the Middle, on the other hand, is to attain the status of the High. As for the Low, it is too busy trying to find a way out of poverty to be concerned with matters that do not directly affect it. As a result, struggles throughout history share the same pattern. The Middle overthrows the High with the help of the Low in the name of justice and liberty. Once the Middle becomes the High, it thrusts the Low back to its original marginalized position. A new Middle group will then emerge to repeat the cycle. The second chapter, Freedom is Slavery, was explained to Winston by O’Brien. According to O’Brien, the goal of attaining freedom is useless due to the inevitability of death. Thus, when â€Å"Freedom is Slavery† is reversed to â€Å"Slavery is Freedom,† it is implied that complete submission to the Party will grant an individual freedom in the form of experiencing the Party’s immortality and omnipotence. The third chapter, entitled War is Peace, first identified the three superstates of the world: Oceania (the United States and the British Empire), Eurasia (Russia and Europe) and Eastasia (China, Japan and Korea). The chapter went on to argue that these superstates waged war with one another for economic reasons – they wanted to gain unlimited access to the natural resources of foreign lands and to find new markets in which they could dump their surplus goods. Furthermore, war in itself is already a possible solution to an economic slump. An increase in the number of jobs in the defence sector due to war will increase economic activity by increasing the income of consumers (NewspeakDictionary. com, n. pag. ). Big Brother remained in power in Oceania through class distinctions. Class distinctions kept the people divided and fighting among themselves. As a result, Big Brother was able to manipulate them into serving his interests. The longer the people remained divided, the longer they remained enslaved.

MotEffects of Employees’ Motivation on Organizational Performance Essay

Abstract Many theories came along to show the importance of motivation. Motivators are the things that drive the employees to achieve; de-motivators are the opposite and would lead to deterioration on the job-level. Performance is directly affected by motivation, thus, a performance appraisal should be done where the manager measures the performance of an employee and acts accordingly. Motivation is the key to success in any given task or job. If not met, failure will most probably be the result. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the demotivators, the motivators of employees at work and the effect of these factors on employees’ performance thus organizational performance and the positive correlation between both latter concepts. Introduction Abraham Maslow once said, â€Å"If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I’d still swim. And I’d despise the one who gave up.† The drive for him to reach the land is a combination of ability, willingness, and motivation. Likewise in any organization, there is always a drive for employees to achieve. The heart of this drive that leads to positive organizational performance and thus success is motivation; it is this desire to achieve. Motivating employees is when the employer gets them to â€Å"want† to do what he/she knows should be done. It is also the third key performance indicator of Human Resources. The main assets of an organization are the employees; if not satisfied and motivated then progress and success are close to impossible. Thus, it is a conductive synergy; if dissatisfaction occurs employees would dock, procrastinate, sabotage the company, increase absenteeism, or even petition. Motivation could be of two kinds: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is based on the desire for external rewards, such as gaining approval of others, earning money, winning prizes†¦ etc. Usually extrinsic motivation tends to be more commonly needed among people who have low or poor self-confidence or those who lack internal goals. The internal  goals or the inner desire to do something or gain knowledge in something is what intrinsic motivation is based on. People who are led by intrinsic motivation are those who know what their goals are and are aligned with what they value most. Read more:  Which Factors Affect the Motivation of Employees Working Due to the highly competitive era that we live in, managers need to consider behavioral management theories to increase employees’ retention and increase organizational effectiveness. After the classical school of management came the behavioral school to speak out on the name of employees’ satisfaction and stated that they are driven by motivation and one could not possibly give them the job and ask them to yield good performance. According to Hawthorne’s theory, a study was conducted on employees’ performance in dim and bright light. Results were the same because in both cases they were given recognition and attention. According to McGregor, a manager should follow his â€Å"Theory Y† which states that people are good by nature and that they are ambitious and self-motivated. A theory Y manager believes that people will do well at work if they were given the right conditions. They are the managers that usually create the climate of trust that will l ead to the development of the human resource aspect in an organization. Following that came Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that divided the human needs into five categories: physiological, safety, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The first three are the lower level needs and the latter two are the higher level needs. Physiological needs are first and the most important; they are the basic requirements for the survival and function of humans and are met by having a hygienic environment at work. Safety needs are those concerning the security of the employment, resources, body, family†¦ etc. These needs are satisfied by having a sealed contract at work. Humans constantly need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups. Thus Maslow proposed the third level of needs: the social needs. The self-esteem needs as the name suggests, it is the need for confidence, achievement, and respect by and to others. Self-actualization which is the utmost level is met after mastering all prior needs one after another. It is portrayed as Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Another theory is the expectancy theory which st ates  that motivation is a function of expectancy, instrumentality, and value. The employee should know that the job or the task is not a â€Å"mission impossible†; moreover, he/she should also know that there is a means to achieving it and if so will be awarded in a valuable way. After the managers apply those behavioral theories into the workplace, the organization tends to become more productive. Performance therefore needs to be measured in a process called performance appraisal. It is one of the periodic HR’s duties in which the employee is examined and evaluated, objectively and constructively. Based on the results, which the employee should know by giving him/her feedback, key areas of improvement or praise are shed light on. Therefore, the manager will know who to promote, demote, train or even fire. There are three major steps in the performance appraisal process: identification, measurement, and management. With identification, the behaviors necessary for successful performance are determined. Measurement involves choosing the appropriate instrument for appraisal and assessing performance. Management, which is the ultimate goal, is the reinforcing of good performance and the correction of poor performance. What are the motivators and de-motivators? How do they affect performance and how they are measured? The answers will be further discussed in the literature review. Demotivators at Work What does really motivate employees? How can we boost employee’s morale? What can we do to increase the performance and the productivity of our employees? How can we know if the way our employees are doing things is right and doing the right things? †¦..  And the list continues.  We could really spend a day just talking about the concerns of organizations when it comes to securing its continuity in this ever-growing competitive environment. The key to success is definitely in the way we run our employees in such a manner to boost their morale and keep them motivated to excel in their jobs for it has as major positive impact on increasing productivity. When we talk motivation, we need first to align what  demotivates the employees. Demotivators are those nagging, daily occurrences that frustrate employees and cause them to reduce, either consciously or unconsciously, the amount of productive energy they use in their jobs. Demotivators are draining the life out of employees everywhere, undermining morale and wasting the most valuable resource we have – human talent and creativity. Demotivators can be a single factor or a group of factors that affect that employee’s morale and cause him to underperform. Not only do demotivators trigger negative emotions, but they also elicit negative behaviors – such as withholding effort, absenteeism, tardiness, extended breaks, criticizing management, theft, conflict, and even violence, vandalism and sabotage. First, we are going to consider â€Å"Micromanagement† as a demotivator: Employees have different needs, different expectations, and different ambitions. Following Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the physiological, safety and belongingness are the most important needs that must be secured first to any employee. Only after his basic needs are met, will he focus on realizing his self esteem and his self actualization, thus he will go the extra mile to perform effectively in order to achieve now his growing needs for achievement and for power. Micromanagement limits the employee’s motivation and his potential growth, and also affects his morale eventually. He will feel that he‘s not getting recognition and room to grow professionally. Some managers apply the theory X type of management, being autocratic, never trusting their employees, nor delegating them: hands on, central and formal management are some examples. Any employee under these conditions will not sense a feeling of belonging to the organization, nor will he feel responsible to work effectively or to improve his performance. At the end of the day, he doesn’t see any potential to grow out of his current position, or that his efforts will be appreciated as the credit would go to his managers. â€Å"Hazy Job Profiles† is another demotivator that is very frequent in many organizations: Absence of a clear job description, absence of a realistic reachable goal, absence of a clear target, absence of performance appraisal and a regular evaluation telling an employee where he stands and what areas he needs to improve, are all classic reasons that define the hazy a nd unclear job profile that negatively affects the employee’s behavior. An employee needs to know what is expected from him, what his responsibilities are, what areas he is accountable for, his  reporting authority and who reports to him. All these are important for him to know how he will be judged and on what basis he will be evaluated and assessed. Even though some organizations do not spend enough time on setting the job profile, it is an essential part to be well prepared by the HRM to give the employee the kick he needs to evaluate and advance in his career. â€Å"Unclear expectations† represent another demotivator that must be taken into consideration. In fact, without realizing it, management often communicates wrong messages, or fails to communicate clearly what’s required of the employees. They ask them to maximize production, emphasize on quality, customer satisfaction, limit the interaction time with customers, work faster, then work safer, etc†¦ All these messages can be misleading to employees and they fail to target what is really important or to prioritize their tasks. Thus, communication is the game in everything. The result is that they lose time and energy on wrong or unneeded tasks, and they accomplish wrong results that would lead them consequently to frustration, demotivation and disinterest in the job. Let’s consider now the â€Å"Work Environment† as a demotivator: In any organization, it is highly important to check the internal environment, the external environment and the global environment. If the subject company has a poor working conditions and a not so pleasant environment, this wou ld kill the natural abilities of people to perform. Will they feel relaxed to perform? The answer is no because they will be too busy securing basic needs, again physiological and safety needs. The absence of team work means that employees will be looking to establish their own interests over those of the company. It is important to generate a healthy environment, and a positive competition among employees, the sort that would push for team work, creativity and new ideas, not job docking or demotivation. Politics causes a suffocating environment that kills the natural abilities of the people to perform. It is difficult to fight at every step and do things which you know is must for the growth of the company. A company will cease to exist when its employees favor their own interests to those of the company. Managers here are bound to integrate the employees in the discussions, and involve them to a certain extent in the decision making. Moving to the â€Å"Absence of Recognition†, we all look to achieve, we all look for power and we all want to fit in and belong whether socially or professionally. We do it in order to feel secured, satisfied  and self content. We also do it because we look forward to enhance our self-esteem and realize our self-actualization. We also do it because we expect to be rewarded for our efforts afterwards. Every employee expects something in return when he achieves outstanding results. The reward can either be monetary, a reward system, or anything positive. Not receiving any recognition for something that we really worked hard on can be, and will be frustrating. Sometimes, an employee would appreciate a â€Å"thank you† or â€Å"well done† or â€Å"good job† from his superiors in front of a group of a few people. This will mean a lot to him and will boost his morale and entice him to maintain his performance or push it a little further. Some companies just fail to realize that this is cheapest and most efficient form to keep the employees happy and motivated. â€Å"Workload† can also be considered to be a demotivator: Most companies are nowadays applying the downsizing policies to be able to reduce their costs and maintain their position in the market. It is off course a hard decision on any organization to decide to lay off some of its employees. Such a decision will not only have its toll on the employee himself, but it will also affect his health, his family, his colleagues and the company itself. As a matter of fact, the company will then have to redistribute the work on one or two other employees who will handle the relative tasks in addition to their current tasks. The result is too much work to complete with so little time, which leaves no possibility for the employee to explore his natural abilities, or to learn new skills. He will no longer be motivated to work, nor will he focus on achieving high results or performing effectively, as all he will care about now is how to finish the workload on time, and how he will cope with the extra work. Now, how can the â€Å"Salary† be a demotivator? A job should provide the minimum expected income to lead a normal life and be able to answer the important needs of a human being to live in dignity and live decently. This is the most prevalent reason but sometimes it seems that no one is happy with what they get. If the employee’s salary levels within and outside the company is not at par and good performance is not adequately compensated, the employee will first not be motivated to work, no more then he will be motivated to perform his tasks correctly and effectively. Thus, overall performa nce is affected. â€Å"Organizational Culture† may also demotivate employees. Employees look to fit the organizational culture and to be in harmony with their  supervisors. Being friendly with workers, offering assistance and help, how managers treat their teams, existence of healthy competition, type of language people use, the way of doing things, etc†¦ These are some of many factors that can reflect the company’s culture and environment. If the environment is not pleasant, the employee will be demotivated. He will not be in the mood to work, nor will he communicate with his colleagues to get the job done if it requires assistance. He will not look to achieve if his relation with his supervisors is not so great, for he thinks they will get the credit, whereas he will not advance in his career. If an employee is not happy he cannot work hard, and if he dreads to go to work every day, his productivity will soon or later on drop dramatically. â€Å"Organizational Policies† represent a major issue when talking about demotivators. Each company has its own policies but sometimes they are too many for the employee to grasp. The company also has to abide by the local environment policies that include those enforced by the government. Example of policies may include but they are not restricted by: Policies for women, Special si tuations, Conduct, Etc†¦ These policies impact the life of employees and their working atmosphere, and can prove to be demotivating once they don’t take into consideration the humanitarian view. You may not weigh it much, but people who have to travel a lot or cover a big of distance to their office know the importance of this factor in their lives. Therefore, â€Å"Distance† is another demotivator. The balance of life between home and office seem to evaporate in thin air. All travel and no time for themselves demotivates them to the core. Some â€Å"Meetings† can be unproductive and can be time consuming and exhausting for employees, with no results to be seen. They see it as a waste of time and energy, and it leaves them demotivated. Moreover, â€Å"Hypocrisy† usually involves superior comments or promises, followed by contradictory behavior. Many organizations say one thing and do another – leaving employees feeling angry, frustrated and betrayed. â€Å"Change† may also pose a challenge and is an important factor to maintain as well as to achieve organizational success. Companies need to unfreeze the status quo, run changes then refreeze the situation again, and that’s a very important cycle to be respected because constant change is extremely disruptive. Sometimes it can unplanned, b adly communicated and poorly envisioned. Employees have already a lot on their back to worry still about  unnecessary and unproductive changes. Many changes leave the employees feeling down, as they have to abide by what the management decides is right for now. â€Å"Hiding Information† from employees is demotivating. It can be interpreted as mistrust or a threat when the data is not communicated, leading sometimes to incoherent and incompatible efforts that are not aligned with the management vision and plan. When we don’t involve employees in what’s happening or why a certain decision has been taken, they will not be motivated to work nor will they feel responsible or accountable for achieving the required tasks. Let’s treat the issue from the â€Å"Low Quality Standards† perspective: Poor-quality work does not only include the cost of replacement, scrap and dissatisfied customers. It also includes the terribly demotivating impact on employees. Most employees look forward to achieve a work of high quality. It makes them feel good and satisfied on a personal level. However, due to growing competition and time and costs constraints some companies are prioritizing short production goals, thus lowering the quality standards. The result is that either the customers are left dissatisfied or the employees are left demotivated because they are involved in goal setting and process improvement. Both have devastating repercussions on the company. Why not to speak a little bit about â€Å"Favoritism†? Actually, Favoring one employee over another is very common in organizations due to stereotyping or the look like me effect when managers and supervisors usually falls in. When the least favored employee gets good results, the recognition is almost absent, but if he makes the smallest mistake the punishment is tough. The opposite happens with the favored employee, and his mistakes go sometimes unnoticed and unpunished. The rest of the employees will notice and feel discrepancies, which will lead them to demotivation. slide 5 of 13 From another point of view, â€Å"The Absence of a Benefit Package† or the existence of a weak one can be demotivating for employees when they compare themselves to what other employees are being offered in different companies.slide 6 of 13 1111111slide 8 of 13 Finally, â€Å"Violence and Harassment† can demotivate employees at work. There are different types of harassments at the workplace: sexual, racial,  personal, bullying, age harassment and disabled harassment. Issues like these can threaten the safe working environment that companies strive to insure. When employees don’t feel safe, they will not perform and they will start absenting, docking the job, etc†¦ which will affect the overall organizational performance. Adding to that the fact that such issues can lead the organization to court shall any of the employees decide to file a lawsuit case? What a bad toll that would have on the organization’s reputation and rank in the society and marketplace? Motivators at Work Employee motivation is a continuing challenge at work. It doesn’t only guarantee that work is done in time but it also ensures that quality of work is not compromised. Employees want to earn reasonable salary to support themselves and their families. Money is the only inducement as for nobody works for free; no other incentive or motivational technique comes even close to it with respect to its influential value (Sara et al, 2004). It has been known as a chief source of satisfying people’s needs. It has the power to attract and retain individuals. However, it doesn’t motivate; it only activates employees to do the minimum that is required in their job descriptions. Frederick Herzberg, the Behavioral theorist who conducted studies on worker motivation in the 1950’s and developed the Motivation-Hygiene theory of worker satisfaction and dissatisfaction, concluded that hygiene factors such as salary or pay can prevent dissatisfaction, but they do not motivate employees. According to Herzberg, hygiene factors work primarily as demotivators if they are not sufficient. As for the motivators, he believed that responsibility, recognition, achievement and advancement increase satisfaction and motivate people towards a greater effort and performance. Herzberg like many other behavioral theorists was influenced by the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs concept. The theory of Herzberg has shed the light on the importance of the intrinsic aspects of a job and their ability to motivate employees. It also generated the concept of job enrichment. He believed that removing some of the control over employees, giving them additional authority, increasing their personal responsibility and freedom in their own work and encouraging  them to take on new and more difficult tasks would enrich their job and positively motivate them. In addition, studies have shown that giving employees more responsibility and letting them feel a greater ownership in the business make th em more motivated to work harder and make the business succeed. Non-monetary incentives such as recognition can be as successful, and sometimes more successful, than monetary based plans. According to Maurer (2001) recognition is an essential factor in enhancing employee job satisfaction and work motivation which is directly associated to organizational achievement (Jun et al., 2006). This type of incentive works well with people who are intrinsically motivated. It can be achieved by simply asking employees for their opinions on specific issues or ideas. Such a criterion makes them feel that their opinion matters and is valued thus giving them an important role within the company. Recognition also includes acknowledging employees performance which in fact is really high on the list of employee needs for motivation. Managers should associate recognition in return with monetary gifts. Although employees would prefer money, but sometimes they might also appreciate praise, a verbal or a written â€Å"Thank you†. Appreciation is another form of non-monetary incentive. Even though its effectiveness isn’t stressed enough however it has a significant impact on e mployees. Employees would appreciate being involved directly with their immediate supervisors. The daily interaction builds good relationships. Discussing and sharing different points of view and ideas assist employees in getting involved thus motivated. And in return involved employees will start working beyond what is required from them in their job description and go the extra mile for the business. Furthermore the quality time spent with employees can be a huge enabler for understanding their current motivators. This relationship is the only and the most important factor in employees’ retention. Recent surveys have also found that flexible work arrangements improve employees’ motivation and retain them. In addition, having a clear staffing structure in the business with a scope for career development can expand both engagement and motivation. Likewise having a bonus or commission structure and creating a â€Å"Familial† atmosphere, in which everybody is treated fairly, can also maximize employees’ motivation and productivity. Similarly, as the p roverb says â€Å"With great power comes more responsibility†, empowering employees to take responsibility for their own  job and distributing leadership across all the levels in an organization can encourage, motivate and engage them with their tasks, especially if they can be left to work autonomously. David McClelland, like Maslow, also believed that people develop various needs throughout their life experiences. However, the only difference between McClelland’s theory and Maslow’s is that it assumed that different people have different patterns of needs. McClelland’s theory focused on the need for achievement which is the desire to do something better than it has been done before, the need for power which is the desire to control, influence, or be responsible for other people and the need for affiliation, which is the desire to maintain close and friendly personal relationships. According to McClelland, employees have all these needs to some extent but with different intensities. The relative strength of each need affects what will motivate each person. Managers through their daily interaction with employees can understand their behavior and the kind of motivation that best works. For example, employees with a strong need for achievement are more motivated by success than by money while employees with a strong need for power seek out advancement and responsibility whereas employees with a strong need for affiliation give ambition a back seat in exchange for approval and acceptance. Similarly, Vroom’s â€Å"Expectancyâ €“Valence† theory suggested that people are most motivated to seek achievable and worthy results. Meaning that, the strength of motivation is a function of the perceived value of the outcome and the perceived probability that the behavior will result in the outcome. Moreover studies have shown that making work more interesting to employees will make them give it their full attention and enthusiasm. This can be achieved by job rotation, enlargement, and enrichment. Job rotation gives employees more variety by moving from job to job and giving them the opportunity to learn new skills through cross-training. Job enlargement also assumes job variety by adding more duties to the job which in return makes it more satisfying and motivating. Job enrichment as explained by Herzberg gives employees more responsibility to make decisions and more recognition for good performance. Most of these motivation theories have one thing in common: Managers must consider individual differences while designing rewards. They should always keep in mind that what motivates one person may not motivate anot her. So they need to offer a variety of rewards and fairly distribute them to avoid  discrimination. Linking Motivation to Performance In order for us to study the implications of employees’ motivation on the organizational performance, it would be essential for us to start by defining the organizational performance and effectiveness terminology. Researchers do not agree on a specific definition for organizational performance. In fact, they look to it from different perspectives and they might adopt divergent views in defining it. Moreover, some of them have already created business models in an effort from them to explain and highlight this broad pillar concept in today’s business World. However, the grounds for defining the organizational performance and effectiveness are common among the majority of researchers. According to Mary et al, (1996), organizational performance is the ability of a company to attain its goals and objectives by the use of its resources. It is the maximum utility and efforts of the essential constituents of an organization in achieving the organizational goals and it reflects these constituents’ satisfaction in the input-output transformation process, as seen by Matthew et al, (2005). Finally, organizational performance is deemed to be â€Å"the process of locating targets and attaining them proficiently in spirited and energetic surroundings† (Constant.D, 2001). But, the breakneck challenge remains in creating such â€Å"energetic† surroundings in nowadays business environment in an attempt to reach the highest levels of motivation. Several studies conducted around the World and in different organizations assert that a positive relationship exists between the organizational performance and employees’ motivation. Thus, it becomes incontestable that when an organization tries to increase its employees’ satisfaction by motivating them, it will be increasing their performance and their effectiveness in achieving the organizational objectives set by the corporate level of management. And this is again verified by Matthew.J. et al, (2009), who consider the maximization of profits to be the fruit of a higher level of effectiveness and efficie ncy among workers in the business set, generated by satisfaction, delight and internal motivation. Many organizations, even unintentionally, found themselves enjoying a higher performance and effectiveness by increasing their employees’ degree of motivation. Many  researches were conducted in an attempt to explain the nature of the relationship between the Human Resources Management (HRM) practices and the organizational performance. In a study realized by Paul, A.K., & Anantharaman, R.N. (2003) and titled â€Å"Impact of people management practices on organizational performance†, the authors see that it is crucial for employees to be motivated, satisfied and committed in order for them to bring value and significantly contribute in the success of their organizations. Therefore, this reflects the indirect link between HRM policies and organizational performance through HRM output. On the other hand, controls (size, capital intensity, union intensity) which are all subtitles under the HRM policies section, may influence directly the organizational performance according to another study conducted by Huselid (1995). Thus, taking into consideration these studies, it is now clear that the HRM policies enjoy a duplicate relationship w ith the organizational performance (direct and indirect relationship), as they include motivation. And here, we should not forget to underline the importance of employees’ retention, one of the major Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the HR of every organization, in establishing the coherence of this relationship. If a company is unable to retain its internal customers (employees), then it will encounter difficulties in capitalizing on its human asset. Thus, it is important to set employees’ retention as an indispensable condition to be satisfied before discussing the implications of motivation on performance. In addition to that, it is important to shed light on the fact that organizational performance is a function of a multitude of variables that must be taken into consideration when measuring overall performance. A. Katou (2008) suggests that the performance is the big framework under which concepts such as effectiveness, efficiency, development, satisfaction, innovation and quality fall. And since these concepts are the basic components of organizational performance, thus it becomes steady that each one of them is directly related to performance. Therefore, anything that might positively affect any of these concepts might also be positively reflected on performance itself. Thus, when measuring the increase in organizational performance due to motivation, it becomes vital to take in consideration positive implication of motivation on each of these concepts. A high organizational performance might result due to a higher level of  effectiveness achieved in top management positions when setting the appropriate goals and objectives and communicating these objectives to all levels and departments within the organization. And motivation, once found among top managers, it will play a major role in increasing the effectiveness of these managers in setting the appropriate goals to reach. A motivated manager will put the interest of the whole organization as a priority and will work hard with his subordinates to achieve them. In a similar context, the Behavioral School of Management suggests that employees are more likely to express a high sense of motivation when they work with a motivated manager (Hawthorne studies). Staying within Katou’s study (2008) frame, motivation is directly related to efficiency, which constitutes the ability of firm to meet its objectives using the least amount of resources. Motivated employees are more likely to consider the costs that their organization incurs to achieve the expected goals and objectives. So, they think about squeezing the costs as a way to increase their revenues and profits, leading to a maximum efficiency and performance. Moving to the development, it is essential to say that an organization must always conduct a SWOT analysis, watching both its internal and external environment. Consequently, it must analyze any opportunity looming and try its best to make out of it the most profit it could. Thus, motivation here is essential key to performance since it leads to a proactive workforce that constantly analyzes the external environment for any opportunity, and that permanently trying to predict the future. Hence, motivation turned out to be res ponsible of the subsequent future of an organization in addition to its ulterior prosperity. Finally, adhering to Katou’s research (2008), motivation is at the root of every step forward in the innovation concept. Definitely, a demotivated workforce will soon suffer from the routine of the daily work and will never think of finding new ways in achieving the organizational objectives or manufacturing a product and so on and so forth. Thus, a huge role is attributed to motivation in this direction. And once motivation and innovation meet, a positive synergy is created among workers at all levels of management, driving the whole organization to realize and achieve high quality and standards in serving its customers, either by providing high quality products or offering high quality services in the business environment. This would definitely drive us to talk about the competitive  advantage that high quality and innovation would both create within the organization itself, leading to outperforming competitors and to the generation of core competencies that provide the organization with the power to overcome any threat imposed by the presence of any competitor. Thus, the outcome is a higher performance due essentially to motivation. In a recent study by Nicu Ioana Elena (2011), a motivated workforce will also ensure, in addition to all of the previous consequences discussed above, a better assumption of responsibilities in the organization leading to higher levels of performance. She also affirms in her study that organizations in which employees are motivated are more likely to witness small absenteeism rates, very low personnel fluctuations, a negligible Procrastination rate (Fatigue, Stress), and frivolous percentages of Sabotage and Docking among its employees, all of them associated with burnout that leads to modest levels of organizational performance. Finally, motivating employees might show to be of a certain intrinsic value to the organization itself. In fact, when an organization takes care of its employees, constantly trains and develops them and motivates them to work harder and achieve organizational goals in the most effective and efficient way, they would feel that they are treated as valuable assets in the company and they would feel the importance accorded to them by their supervisors. Thus, they will adopt a positive attitude towards the organization they work at, and this will be reflected by a better organizational reputation which may in a way or another have its own indirect implications on the organizational performance and on the way the organization is seen by competitors or other factors or players in the business environment. This point should be definitely treated in the light of the close working relationships that might unite employees from different organizations. A final point we would like to consider is the equity v/s inequity perception among employees. Usually, in the business framework, employees tend permanently to compare themselves to other employees in the same organization (Internal Equity), or in other organizations (External Equity). An employee who intuits a perception of inequity compared to one of his colleagues might face the situation with a fight, fright or flight reaction. And these reactions may increase the employees’ turn over rate, hence reducing the organizational performance. However, motivation is the only remedy in this case, reducing inequity perceptions (Internal &  External) among employees, contributing in employees’ retention and therefore increasing the overall organizational performance. Conclusion and Recommendations After we have discussed all of the factors affecting the employees’ performance in the work environment, either positively or negatively, and after having already examined the positive correlation between employees’ motivation and employee’s performance at work by showing the positive results and outcomes that may procure a motivated workforce to the organization, it becomes inarguable that focusing on employees’ motivation as a way to increase organizational behavior is vital in insuring the organization success and continuity. In fact, a lot of organizations nowadays consider enhancing the HR practices and orienting all of their HR efforts towards achieving a higher level of motivation among employees as important as any other financial or strategic business planning. Actually, employees represent the internal customers of the organizations and their importance to the organization is as equal as the importance of normal customers. Thus, they should be ta ken care of and they should be treated the same way an organization treats its customers. This issue has become a very hot topic in recent business and research studies as a considerable number of companies went out of business because of lack of motivation among employees in certain industries where motivation does really count. In addition to that, business planning has noticed a new trend, including a major consideration of employees’ motivation as a key factor leading to success. For instance, entrepreneurs are becoming more and more aware of employees’ motivation and they are including in their plans effective steps to implement in order to increase the level of motivation, even before starting the business. And this shows the relevance of such an issue in nowadays business world. Moreover, since reaching a high level of  performance in the organization is the common primary goal of the different functional departments, starting with the finance department and not ending with the marketing and sales departments, it becomes wiser to think of centering all the efforts towards increasing motivation as a way to achieve a higher level of performance, or even making it the common primary goal to reach among all of these functional departments. However, many questions can be addressed in this regard as motivation is relative to each employee and is a function of a multitude of cultural and societal variables. Therefore, it is not easy to achieve motivation among every individual element of the workforce and it is also not easy to reach perfection in realizing that task. Eventhough high motivational levels among employees might be reachable, it is almost impossible for executives in an organization to reach a level at which they can say: â€Å"Thank God our organization is blessed with a perfectly motivated workforce†. This may be witnessed due to the different human, psychological, social and cultural backgrounds of employees. Finally, another factor that may pose a challenge is the ability of the HR personnel to manage the issue between theoretical and practical discrepancies regarding motivation as nothing can be perfectly applied, and everything is subject to change due to an infinite number of reasons that deserv e further research and study. References Ali, R., & Ahmad, M. S., (2009). 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