Saturday, November 30, 2019

Social and Cultural Framing in America Essay Example

Social and Cultural Framing in America Paper Social and Cultural Framing in America People build a series of mental filters through biological, social, and cultural influences, and they use these filters to make sense of the world. This is called framing. Framing is so effective because it is a mental shortcut, human beings are by nature lazy thinkers, and we don’t like to think too much or too hard. Frames provide people a quick and easy way to process information. Diana Kendall, a sociology professor at Baylor University has studied how mass media has portrayed upper, middle, working, and poverty classes by how they stereotype them in different ways. Rather than providing a meaningful analysis of inequality and showing realistic portrayals of life in various social classes, the media either play class differences for laughs or sweep the issue under the rug so that important distinctions are rendered invisible† (Kendall 330). The media has created the notion that in society the affluent are rewarded and the workin g class and poor are punished. TV shows like The Simple Life, Life of Luxury, and The Fabulous Life show how socio-economic classes are either played-up or minimalized and used for laughs. In a mass-mediated culture such as ours, the media do not simply mirror society; rather, they help to shape it and to create cultural perceptions† (Kendall 331). The media blurs the line between what is real and what is not when it comes to perceptions of economic or social class. Televisions shows, magazines, and newspapers tell us that the only way to move up in the world is to identify yourself with the rich and powerful and to live â€Å"vicariously† through them. My mother watches Entertainment Tonight and reads those tabloid magazines, and I constantly ask her â€Å"Why Mom? Why do you bother reading up on these people that waste their undeserved riches and get married and divorced at least 10 times? † and she just says â€Å"Well I want to know what’s going on in their life, and hear all the gossip†. But WHY?! How does their life affect YOU at all? The media bombards the middle and lower classes with these useless tabloid stories. Diana Kendall explains that â€Å"Viewers feel a sense of intimacy with elites, with whom they have little or no contact with in their daily lives† (Kendall 332). Non-elites over identify with the wealthy, because the media tells us that these upper class people are better than us. In contemporary society, equality does not exist. Although, media audiences can purchase material items that can somehow make you equal to higher class people. Take Paris Hilton, a woman famous for just being born into a wealthy family. She has made millions and millions of dollars by marketing products to her lower class fans so they can get a taste of her life, so they can be â€Å"Just like Paris†. We will write a custom essay sample on Social and Cultural Framing in America specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social and Cultural Framing in America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social and Cultural Framing in America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Not stopping at just jewelry, Ms. Hilton has decided to exploit people in even more ways: Calendars, toys, autobiographies, and another book about her dog’s life. But I can’t just pick on Paris Hilton; thousands of celebrities do the exact same thing. These egocentric people will slap their name on anything to encourage unnecessary consumerism among all their fans. The media loves to glorify the material possessions of these celebrities, as if ravenous consumerism can make you happy. People who extensively watch television have an exaggerated sense of how wealthy most Americans are and how they spend their money. Also, since television stimulates consumerist desires, extensive viewing may lead to more spending and less saving. Which makes sense, considering every commercial implies that â€Å"YOU NEED THIS† or â€Å"THIS MAKES YOUR LIFE EASIER†. Most media framing about the wealthiest class is positive, ranging from framing that depicts members of the upper class to be like everyone else, to framing that portrays them as generous, caring individuals. But the most popular type of framing for the wealthy class is called â€Å"emulation framing†. This type of framing suggests that people in all classes should â€Å"reward† themselves with a few of the perks of the wealthy, such as buying Paris Hilton’s jewelry. Many adults who try to live the â€Å"good life† through trying to buy happiness end up in the poor house. When will normal people realize that they do not have the household funds to just go off and spend food or house repair money on frivolities? Many reports are showing that middle and working class people are incurring massive debt because of the reckless spending on big houses, expensive vehicles, and other items that are beyond their budget. There is a stark contrast between the media framing of the upper class to the framing of the lower classes. At best the poor are portrayed as deserving of our sympathy only around the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas). Around these times, the poor are depicted as people who are just down on their luck, working class families who work really hard but just can’t catch a break. The worst types of depictions of the poor are stereotypical bums, drug addicts and losers who are poor because they deserve it or because of their bad decisions. â€Å"Episodic Framing† shows some of the problems of the poor, but does not link it to larger societal problems such as limited educational opportunities, high rates of unemployment, and low paying jobs. The media will keep this status quo of depicting rich people as perfect and poor people as something to laugh at or a faceless statistic. If the media industry persists in retaining the same old frames for class, it will behoove each of us readers and viewers to break out of those frames and more thoroughly explore these issues on our own† (Kendall 346). After Hurricane Katrina, some disaster photographs were released with some controversial captions. The two pictures in the article Loot or Find: Fact or Frame? By Cheryl I. Harris and Devon W. Carbado depict two such pictures. They are both of people wading thr ough chest deep water with supplies, although the captions were different. One of them was of a black man carrying Pepsi and a suspicious black bag full of items. The caption said the black man was â€Å"looting†. The other picture showed a white couple wading through water with supplies, and the caption said they were â€Å"finding†. As you can guess, people complained that the captions accompanying the images were racially suggestive. The fact that most of the people who were not allowed to leave the city and were left to fend for themselves were overwhelmingly black made some think that maybe the executive powers did not care about blacks. We all know about Kanye West’s amusing blurt â€Å"George Bush doesn’t care about black people†. Katrina challenged the notion of â€Å"Color Blindness†, that is, that race is not a factor in how we see the world. I believe that race is a huge factor in how some people see the world. I don’t think anyone is 100% colorblind, especially when the media depicts certain races different ways. When many of the black musicians today are portrayed as tough, gritty gangsters, what are you, the viewer supposed to think? When blacks in the media are shown wearing tons of gold jewelry, baggy clothes and carrying guns, what are you going to think when you see a black man with baggy pants and jewelry walking around? I don’t think that everyone who looks that way will act a certain way, but looks are a first impression. Most of the people suffering during Katrina were black and poor, and that raised a lot of questions. Was it â€Å"†¦a case of presidential indifference? Or dislike of, poor black people? Or was it†¦the predictable consequence of a natural disaster that befell a city that just happened to be predominantly black? Was it†¦the result of a culture of dependency combined with local bureaucratic incompetence? Was race a factor in determining who survived and who did not? Or did class provide a better explanation? † (Harris and Carbado 427). The point is that during Katrina, blacks were framed into being looters, criminals, or just uncontrollable rioters. I feel that one can only explain this type of disaster if one was there in the thick of it. The existence of racial frames makes it difficult for people to confront the complex problems of racism and racial prejudices. Immigration. I am very emotionally conflicted about immigration in America today. My father’s side of my family has been in this country for around 90 years, emigrating across the Atlantic from southern Italy. My mother’s side has been here for about 50 years, coming from a French town in New Brunswick. I can imagine how difficult it was to come to a new country that wasn’t fond of foreigners, get a job, a raise a family. It’s still the same now, Mexican immigrants come into the country looking for work in a somewhat hostile environment. I hate that illegal immigrants sneak into this country, and take labor away from Americans. But I’m conflicted because America is a nation of immigrants, and if this land belongs to anyone its definatly not White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, it’s the Native Americans. In the current presidential race, some candidates don’t want immigrants in the country. But it’s usually those same candidates who give tax cuts to the wealthy and couldn’t care less about working class folks or their jobs anyway. The whole terrorism scare with immigrants is a bit tricky. I believe that there could be terrorist cells in this country, but with basically all of these guys being extremist Muslim, how can our police force, with its inefficient and bureaucratic system, go after these bad guys without being criticized for being racist and religiously prejudiced? Things are different in this country today, and we can’t cling to our old xenophobic, materialistic values anymore. How can a nation run on values and principles that were established in 1776? Things change, people change, morals change, and America needs to change or else we will run ourselves into the ground.

Monday, November 25, 2019

U.S. Citizenship Test Questions

U.S. Citizenship Test Questions On Oct. 1, 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) replaced the set of questions formerly used as part of the citizenship test with the questions listed here. All applicants who filed for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008, are required to take the new test. In the citizenship test, the applicant for citizenship is asked up to 10 of the 100 questions. The interviewer reads the questions in English and the applicant must answer in English. In order to pass, at least 6 of the 10 questions must be answered correctly. New Test Questions and Answers Some questions have more than one correct answer. In those cases, all acceptable answers are shown. All answers are shown exactly as worded by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. * If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT A. Principles of American Democracy 1. What is the supreme law of the land? A: The Constitution 2. What does the Constitution do? A: sets up the governmentA: defines the governmentA: protects basic rights of Americans 3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? A: We the People 4. What is an amendment? A: a change (to the Constitution)A: an addition (to the Constitution) 5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? A: The Bill of Rights 6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?* A: speechA: religionA: assemblyA: pressA: petition the government 7. How many amendments does the Constitution have? A: twenty-seven (27) 8. What did the  Declaration of Independence  do? A: announced our independence (from Great Britain)A: declared our independence (from Great Britain)A: said that the United States is free (from Great Britain) 9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? A: lifeA: libertyA: pursuit of happiness 10. What is freedom of religion? A: You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion. 11. What is the economic system in the United States?* A: capitalist economyA: market economy 12. What is the rule of law? A: Everyone must follow the law.A: Leaders must obey the law.A: Government must obey the law.A: No one is above the law. B. System of Government 13. Name one branch or part of the government.* A: CongressA: legislativeA: PresidentA: executiveA: the courtsA: judicial 14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? A: checks and balancesA: separation of powers 15. Who is in charge of the executive branch? A: the President 16. Who makes federal laws? A: CongressA: Senate and House (of Representatives)A: (U.S. or national) legislature 17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?* A: the Senate and House (of Representatives) 18. How many U.S. Senators are there? A: one hundred (100) 19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? A: six (6) 20. Who is one of your states U.S. Senators? A: Answers will vary. [For District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories, the answer is that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.] * If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk. 21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members? A: four hundred thirty-five (435) 22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? A: two (2) 23. Name your U.S. Representative. A: Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.] 24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent? A: all people of the state 25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? A: (because of) the states populationA: (because) they have more peopleA: (because) some states have more people 26. We elect a President for how many years? A: four (4) 27. In what month do we vote for President?* A: November 28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?* A: Donald J. TrumpA: Donald TrumpA: Trump 29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? A: Michael Richard PenceA: Mike PenceA: Pence 30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President? A: the Vice President 31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? A: the Speaker of the House 32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? A: the President 33. Who signs bills to become laws? A: the President 34. Who vetoes bills? A: the President 35. What does the Presidents Cabinet do? A: advises the President 36. What are two Cabinet-level positions? A: Secretary of AgricultureA: Secretary of CommerceA: Secretary of DefenseA: Secretary of EducationA: Secretary of EnergyA: Secretary of Health and Human ServicesA: Secretary of Homeland SecurityA: Secretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentA: Secretary of InteriorA: Secretary of StateA: Secretary of TransportationA: Secretary of TreasuryA: Secretary of Veterans AffairsA: Secretary of LaborA: Attorney General 37. What does the judicial branch do? A: reviews lawsA: explains lawsA: resolves disputes (disagreements)A: decides if a law goes against the Constitution 38. What is the highest court in the United States? A: the Supreme Court 39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court? A: nine (9) 40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States? A: John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.) * If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk. 41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government? A: to print moneyA: to declare warA: to create an armyA: to make treaties 42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? A: provide schooling and educationA: provide protection (police)A: provide safety (fire departments)A: give a drivers licenseA: approve zoning and land use 43. Who is the Governor of your state? A: Answers will vary. [Residents of the District of Columbia and U.S. territories without a Governor should say we dont have a Governor.] 44. What is the capital of your state?* A: Answers will vary. [District of Colu*mbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.] 45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?* A: Democratic and Republican 46. What is the political party of the President now? A: Republican (Party) 47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? A: Nancy Pelosi (Pelosi) C: Rights and Responsibilities 48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. A: Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).A: You dont have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.A: Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)A: A male citizen of any race (can vote). 49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?* A: serve on a juryA: vote 50. What are two rights only for United States citizens? A: apply for a federal jobA: voteA: run for officeA: carry a U.S. passport 51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? A: freedom of expressionA: freedom of speechA: freedom of assemblyA: freedom to petition the governmentA: freedom of worshipA: the right to bear arms 52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? A: the United StatesA: the flag 53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? A: give up loyalty to other countriesA: defend the Constitution and laws of the United StatesA: obey the laws of the United StatesA: serve in the U.S. military (if needed)A: serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)A: be loyal to the United States 54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?* A: eighteen (18) and older 55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? A: voteA: join a political partyA: help with a campaignA: join a civic groupA: join a community groupA: give an elected official your opinion on an issueA: call Senators and RepresentativesA: publicly support or oppose an issue or policyA: run for officeA: write to a newspaper 56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?* A: April 15 57. When must all men register for the Selective Service? A: at age eighteen (18)A: between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26) AMERICAN HISTORY A: Colonial Period and Independence 58. What is one reason colonists came to America? A: freedomA: political libertyA: religious freedomA: economic opportunityA: practice their religionA: escape persecution 59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? A: Native AmericansA: American Indians 60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? A: AfricansA: people from Africa * If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk. 61. Why did the colonists fight the British? A: because of high taxes (taxation without representation)A: because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)A: because they didnt have self-government 62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? A: (Thomas) Jefferson 63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? A: July 4, 1776 64. There were 13 original states. Name three. A: New HampshireA: MassachusettsA: Rhode IslandA: ConnecticutA: New YorkA: New JerseyA: PennsylvaniaA: DelawareA: MarylandA: VirginiaA: North CarolinaA: South CarolinaA: Georgia 65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention? A: The Constitution was written.A: The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. 66. When was the Constitution written? A: 1787 67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. A: (James) MadisonA: (Alexander) HamiltonA: (John) JayA: Publius 68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? A: U.S. diplomatA: oldest member of the Constitutional ConventionA: first Postmaster General of the United StatesA: writer of Poor Richards AlmanacA: started the first free libraries 69. Who is the Father of Our Country? A: (George) Washington 70. Who was the first President?* A: (George) Washington B: 1800s 71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? A: the Louisiana TerritoryA: Louisiana 72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. A: War of 1812A: Mexican-American WarA: Civil WarA: Spanish-American War 73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. A: the Civil WarA: the War between the States 74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War. A: slaveryA: economic reasonsA: states rights 75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?* A: freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)A: saved (or preserved) the UnionA: led the United States during the Civil War 76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? A: freed the slavesA: freed slaves in the ConfederacyA: freed slaves in the Confederate statesA: freed slaves in most Southern states 77. What did Susan B. Anthony do? A: fought for womens rightsA: fought for civil rights C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information 78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.* A: World War IA: World War IIA: Korean WarA: Vietnam WarA: (Persian) Gulf War 79. Who was President during World War I? A: (Woodrow) Wilson 80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? A: (Franklin) Roosevelt * If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk. 81. Who did the United States fight in World War II? A: Japan, Germany, and Italy 82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? A: World War II 83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States? A: Communism 84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination? A: civil rights (movement) 85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?* A: fought for civil rightsA: worked for equality for all Americans 86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States? A: Terrorists attacked the United States. 87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. [Adjudicators will be supplied with a complete list.] A: CherokeeA: NavajoA: SiouxA: ChippewaA: ChoctawA: PuebloA: ApacheA: IroquoisA: CreekA: BlackfeetA: SeminoleA: CheyenneA: ArawakA: ShawneeA: MoheganA: HuronA: OneidaA: LakotaA: CrowA: TetonA: HopiA: Inuit INTEGRATED CIVICS A: Geography 88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. A: Missouri (River)A: Mississippi (River) 89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States? A: Pacific (Ocean) 90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States? A: Atlantic (Ocean) 91. Name one U.S. territory. A: Puerto RicoA: U.S. Virgin IslandsA: American SamoaA: Northern Mariana IslandsA: Guam 92. Name one state that borders Canada. A: MaineA: New HampshireA: VermontA: New YorkA: PennsylvaniaA: OhioA: MichiganA: MinnesotaA: North DakotaA: MontanaA: IdahoA: WashingtonA: Alaska 93. Name one state that borders Mexico. A: CaliforniaA: ArizonaA: New MexicoA: Texas 94. What is the capital of the United States?* A: Washington, D.C. 95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?* A: New York (Harbor)A: Liberty Island[Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).] B. Symbols 96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes? A: because there were 13 original coloniesA: because the stripes represent the original colonies 97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?* A: because there is one star for each stateA: because each star represents a stateA: because there are 50 states 98. What is the name of the national anthem? A: The Star-Spangled Banner C: Holidays 99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?* A: July 4 100. Name two national U.S. holidays. A: New Years DayA: Martin Luther King, Jr., DayA: Presidents DayA: Memorial DayA: Independence DayA: Labor DayA: Columbus DayA: Veterans DayA: ThanksgivingA: Christmas NOTE: The questions above will be asked of applicants who file for naturalization on or after October 1, 2008. Until then, the Current Set of Citizenship Questions and Answers remains in effect. For those applicants who file prior to October 1, 2008, but are not interviewed until after October 2008 (but before October 1, 2009), there will be an option of taking the new test or the current one.

Friday, November 22, 2019

A Study On Organizational Behavior Management Essay

A Study On Organizational Behavior Management Essay Organizational behavior is a field concerned with study of the relationship between the organization and the individuals in the workforce. In particular it entails studying how the organization influences the behavior of its workers and how as a result those individuals are able to influence the organization. It is a wide topic that involves various disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, sociology and so on. In studying the organizational behavior it helps to note that in the traditional closed systems various factors that are important in the modern working environment were left unconsidered. However the open system has appreciated the environmental factors such as attitudes and human sentiments which remain vital in studying the human behavior. In health care sector the behavior of individuals or groups is similar to any other organization even though there could be a little variation which can be attributed to the unique challenges that are offered by different environment al conditions. As such the management issues that are experienced in other organizations are also replicated in the health sector. The organizational behavior is important to the management in the modern heath care environment. Challenges from the organizations which range from the accomplishments and professionalism continue to be felt in the organizational behavior. For instance, the heath care providers have highly skilled professionals who are supposed to adhere to a code of reliable systems to ensure delivery of health services. Apparently the heath professionals such as physicians work autonomously and as such the management must find the right balance to enhance the productivity of the workforce while giving the physicians their autonomy. In the current financial conditions the health workers are expected to deliver on quality health services amid stiff competition and more coordination in delivering such complex services. In addition, the labor challenges are present in mode rn health care organizations placing more strain on the few heath care professionals available. Indeed, with escalating costs of delivering heath care services and reducing reimbursements it has been become imperative for the managers to be equipped with skills on the organizational behavior for the better coordination and productivity of the available workforce. With the increased demand for outpatient services and aging population the provision of the health care services requires better management of the workforce against the backdrop of the above challenges. But this calls for the managers to have skills on the organizational behaviour. Another scenario in which the management team in the health sector should be equipped with the right skills n addressing issues concerning the employees is outlined. Understanding organizational behavior would prove important in an instance where there is high rate of absenteeism. However, instead of the managers evaluating the underlying problem they end up sacking the physicians. The managers could be inhospitable with the workers avoiding their presence leading to an unhealthy relationship which translate to absenteeism. This is another instance in the modern working environment that a manager requires such skills in enhancing the productivity of the worker and reduces this rate of absenteeism. 2. Employees and organizational behaviour

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

REFLECTIVE WRITING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

REFLECTIVE WRITING - Essay Example I also ensured that all the company’s activities were run according to the set plan. This is mainly to ensure that there would be no discrepancies between the plan of the company and the results obtained. Being a multinational company, Caltex experienced a number of changes in its operations. Therefore, as the organizational manager, I had to ensure that I identify all activities which are to be performed in the company, and any changes that could have occurred. In addition, I also had to organize activities according to departments. This is whereby; activities of the personnel department would be separated from activities of the accounting department (Sims, 2002, 9). This helped me to be organized and to ensure that there was no conflict in the activities of the company. The learning theory that extremely helped during my work is the Kolb’s experiential learning theory. This involved; a clear observation of all the experiences that occurred in the company. After any pa rticular occurrence, whether good or bad, I would take time and observe its causes and its implications. For example, during a time when the company’s sales were falling, I observed the issue carefully and the possible mechanisms that would help to increase the sales back. Other experiences such as fall in the customer numbers, conflicts among employees or poor media coverage also helped me to learn from them. Afterwards, I would then try to formalize the concepts that could have been associated with the occurrence. I would then generalize these concepts in order to access the possibility of the situation occurring again. For instance, in a case where the sales of the company were falling, I would use concepts such as new promotion methods, or increasing the sales personnel. If there were employee conflicts within the organization, I would use concepts such as having peace talks within the organization, and counseling of the employees. After assessing the concepts that are ap plicable to a new situation, I would then use them on a new situation. Therefore, in case of future falling of sales or future employee conflicts, I would know the concepts to use. This learning theory has really helped me to learn from challenges and make use of them instead of getting discouraged (Leonard, 2002, 69). Substantive Topic Applied: Managing Organizational Change Organizational change occurs when a company goes through a transition from its current state to some desired state (Inc.com, 2012, 1). Therefore, managing organizational change is the process of planning, controlling and implementing change in the organization. This is important because; in some organizations change is resisted by the employees. In addition, managing organizational change is important since; it might be very costly for the company at times. In Caltex Company, we experienced a series of changes especially with the improved technology. For instance, the company introduced electronic payment of bi lls by customers. This is whereby; customers could purchase fuel and pay for it electronically without requiring an attendant at the petrol stations. The company also introduced online purchasing of petroleum products and door-to-door delivery of the products. This technology had a lot of impact on the company since; it reduced the number of employees thus, lowering the salary expenses. With introduction of online purchasing, the customers also increased greatly. The company had to embrace the technology and hence, there were a lot of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Maritime Technology 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maritime Technology 1 - Essay Example This physical quantity has been associated with randomness by Boltzmann who believes that in a confined system, the disorder that is produced is actually entropy. On the other hand, Shannon considers positive information that is produced in message transmission as entropy. Conversely, there is one more interpretation given to the term which is very much opposite to the former. Brillouin associates entropy with deficiency of information. This can also be stated as uncertainty and doubt and something which cannot be predicted. Ignorance is also one part of the mentioned interpretation of Brillouin. In addition, finally, there are some authors and theorists who consider freedom as entropy; freedom to evolve from one state to the other (Brissaud, pp. 69-70, 2005). Entropy is, basically, a fundamental and core value of modern physics that could be easily linked with different areas like metaphysics, biology and even economy. For these reasons, every interpretation and explanation of the t erm has its own importance in these diverse fields and they should be made to use in order to learn more about the phenomenon. Let the paper analyse each interpretation separately. When they say that entropy is the disorder, it means that when heat is produced in a closed system, the molecules gas molecules would, automatically, move randomly in any position. This would create more work and energy in the system than the energy which was initially present. This chaos and disrupt is termed as entropy. Moreover, considering the second and third interpretations, the lack of information, actually, refers to uncertainty and indefiniteness. An outsider can never predict where and how the gas molecules would spread when heat energy is produced in a closed system. This tendency of not being able to predict the present and future positions of molecules makes entropy associated with uncertainty and lack of information. However, for the same closed system, considering it from the inside, the mo vement and change is actually an information which is referred to as positive and beneficial adding up to the knowledge. Likewise, the gas molecules have maximum freedom to move rapidly in whatever directions, which increases with time (Brissaud, pp. 70, 2005). However, many theorists and authors disagree with the association of entropy with disorder. These theorists claim that the agitation is more a result of temperature than of entropy as a whole. This confusion exists because of the reason that all these three quantities and values are closely in connection with each other. Heat, temperature, and entropy have so close relations that the source of disorder and agitation is not observable clearly and precisely. When defined accurately, temperature, according to the modern and classical thermodynamics, is the value given to the molecular agitation that happens after heat is produced in a closed area. Furthermore, heat is termed as the disordered energy creating the chaos. Therefore , these three core principles in thermodynamics are closely linked with one another and are the source of the concepts of agitation and disorder that are associated with entropy (Brissaud, pp. 82, 2005). Thus, temperature is the real phenomenon associated to chaos and disorder since low temperature systems are always said to under order and less agitated. This is the reasons theorists disagree with that interpretation. Heat production and the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Richard Wilbur Boy at the window Essay Example for Free

Richard Wilbur Boy at the window Essay When one is considered naive, it has been thought to determine one as â€Å"having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information; credulous† (www. dictionary. com). In Richard Wilburs’ poem, Boy at the Window, Wilbur uses simple form language to paint the image of the boy staring out the window at the snowman. In the beginning of the poem, Wilbur reveals two characters, one a snowman and the other a young boy. Both characters in the poem seem to have a connection to each other, and may even consider themselves, friends. Perhaps the boy may have helped to build the snowman. One day during an incoming storm, the boy peers outside the window and appears to be frightened for the snowman because the snowman has no shelter from the storm â€Å"In dusk and cold is more than he can bear† (Clugston, 2010). The boy fears for the snowman’s life because the boy realizes the rain will melt the snowman away. However the snowman does not want to come inside the warm house with the boy for fear he will melt and die. In this case who is naive, the boy or the snowman? Beginning from the perspective of the boy staring out the window, it is obvious the boy feels helpless. The boy realizes that a storm is coming, â€Å"A night of gnashing and enormous moan†, (Clugston, 2010) which will eventually wash away the snowman. When the boy feels the snowman is going to die the boys emotions turns to one of hurt. The young boy does not understand that the snowman needs the cold to survive, even if it means death when it rains. The tone of the poem indicated that perhaps the boy feared what the outside world held for the snowman, and the storm intensified that. In one world, the inside, the boy felt â€Å"Such warmth, such light, such love, and so much fear† (Clugston, 2010). He wanted the snowman to experience the same warmth as he did because the boy took comfort in his surroundings and identified what made him feel safe in his eyes. On the other hand, perhaps the snowman felt sympathy for the young boy. From the outside, the snowman seems to understand how the boy is feeling. So the snowman sheds a tear for the boy because he understands the boy cares a lot about him, â€Å"He melts enough to drop from one soft eye A trickle of the purest rain, a tear†, (Clugston, 2010). Because the snowman does not have a fear of the rain, the snowman does not seem to understand that the storm will cause him to melt away, as he is quite comfortable with being outside in the cold. While the snowman looks quite comfortable outside, the snowman may not portray that feeling to the young boy looking at the snowman from his home. Overall, the theme of the play speaks volumes about being naive and misinterpretation of viewing another persons’ life and how they choose to live it. This point of view that Wilbur tried to relay to the reader allowed me to focus more so on the snowman and how he wanted to live than the boy. As human beings, one always wants to change what they believe to be wrong in society without asking the person(s) if they want the change. One should never determine how a person’s life should be lived based off of how they are living there own life. But this fact that we are not aware of certain systematically proceeding misinterpretations does not only shape the image of personality, as constituted in the naive and experience of everyday life, but also influences scientific thought, (Ichheiser, 1943). Both are considered to be inexperienced about the fundamentals of life and how they both lived. The boy took comfort in believing that if the snowman were rescued by bringing the snowman in the house, the snowman would be saved. The snowman believed that by staying outside, no harm would come to him and he was not alone or afraid of the incoming weather, because he had nothing to fear of living outside alone and in the dark. The boy and the snowman lived two diverse lives, one that could never be meshed together because of the scientific fact that one character lived a cold life and the other character lived a life in which there was warmth.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Creating Biofuels from Waste Essay -- Energy Fuel Environment

Biofuels from Waste Purpose Biofuels mark a great step into today’s efforts to slow down global warming. However, when food sources, such as corn and soy are used as derivatives for ethanol, the impact is far worse than using fossil fuels. Biofuels require more energy to do artificial refinery, cultivating, and collecting; whereas, fossil fuels already meet all the prerequisites through millions of years in the earth, and thus use less energy. On the social justice stance, the poor suffer through the sky-rocketed food prices because farmers are using their food to supply the ethanol demand. As technology becomes more efficient, society can rely on a source of energy that deters global warming, uses less energy to process, and betters the world economy. Question Which specific cellulase from fungi breaks down bleached paper waste efficiently? Why? Bleached paper is solely composed of cellulose (20-25%) which it makes it an ideal source for fuel because its lack in lignin makes it more efficient in the refinery process. Fungi serve as vital decomposers in the natural world. By channeling this idea to break down paper waste into sugars, the possibilities are endless. Terms to know †¢ Cellulase are enzymes that break down cellulose. Fungi and bacteria have special enzymes that are designed to decompose material. †¢ His-tag is a tag that helps the identification process by attaching to a protein. A His-tag is a small tag that aids the purification process by binding with a nickel NTA matrix. Materials -Agar plates -Sterile q-tips -Yeast -Incubator -Bleached paper waste -Fungi -PCR -Primers -Blue dye -Plasmid: pTrcHis-Topo -Wash buffer -Elution buffer -LB broth -E.Coli competent cells -Ice -Water -Filter .. ...15 July 2008. Biofuels: for Transport. United Kingdom: German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, 2007. Feldstein, Paul. "PCR." COSMOS. Hutchinson Hall, Davis. 10 July 2008. Lindsay, LeAnn. â€Å"Cellulase Assay.† COSMOS. Hutchinson Hall, Davis. 30 July 2008. Nag, Ahindra. Biofuels Refining and Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Pyles, Denver. Use of Biodiesel-Derived Crude Glycerol for the Production of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids by the Microalga Schizochytrium Limacinum. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Blackburg, 2008. 13 July 2008 . Sticklen, Mariam B. "Plant Genetic Engineering for Biofuel Production: Towards Affordable Cellulosic Ethanol." Nature Reviews: Genetic(2008). BIOSIS Previews. 15 July 2008.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Long Walk to Remember Poem

Long walk to Forever I’m what they call A. W. O. L Was a private first class in the Artillery. Hitchhike since two days, On the fringe of a city, Near fields and woods and orchard. In the early afternoon, I knocked on Catharine’s front door. I want to give Henry a rosy bride, By taking a walk with Catharine. One foot in front of the other, Through leaves, over bridges. That will be my present. I’ve never done anything like this before, Time to time, I softly said to me,I love you. I have never kissed you, I would have before. So let’s take a walk, One foot in front of the other, Through leaves, over bridges. We had always been playful, but never talk of love. What happens next? I let you know I loved you.. â€Å"Too late†, she said. I started walking again. Involuntarily, she bursts into tears, and clenched her hands. A woman couldn’t hide love, As I was seeing love now. I kissed her. The bells in the tower of the school rang. Just dream of m e,Your wonderful Newt. Marry me, Catharine? Not Henry Stewart Chasens. There are many, many good things about me. We say goodbye, shake hands, part friends. I smiled, and walked away quickly. In long perspective of shadows and trees. I stopped, and turned, â€Å"Catharine. † She ran to me. â€Å"I’ll always remember you,† she said. I’m not disappointed. We take a walk, One foot in front of the other, Through leaves, over bridges. I’m sorry Catharine, Because I love you

Saturday, November 9, 2019

A Case Against Deceptive Advertising

Verizon Wireless, a joint ownership of Verizon Communications Inc. and the Vodafone Group PLC, had sold laptop cards with limited capabilities for wireless Internet access.For $59.99 the company was offering an â€Å"unlimited monthly usage plan,† despite the fact that the service had limitations (Sharma & Cheng, 2007).   Customers were not able to use their laptop cards for â€Å"high bandwidth activities,† for example, to download movies (Sharma & Cheng).   Moreover, Verizon Wireless had not mentioned the limitations of its laptop cards in advertisements (Sharma & Cheng).Following an investigation by the State Attorney of New York, Verizon Wireless was required not only to agree to change its â€Å"‘unlimited’ advertising† of the wireless broadband service, but also to reimburse the customers with $1 million in all (Sharma & Cheng).   Besides, the company was required to pay $150,000 in fees and penalties to New York.   Verizon Wireless agr eed to meet all of the legal conditions (Sharma & Cheng).CritiqueThe case of the laptop cards sold by Verizon Wireless concerned deceptive advertising.   The company had referred to its service as an unlimited plan in spite of its limitations.   Customers should have been informed about the limitations before they purchased the service.Thankfully, the New York State Attorney intervened to compel the company to reimburse the customers.   As a matter of fact, this aspect of business law is vital for consumer protection against company fraud.Deceptive advertising includes misrepresentation and omission.   Perhaps Verizon Wireless had mistakenly omitted the limitations of its service in its advertising.   Nevertheless, it was required to pay for its mistake.This serves as a warning for all companies in the U.S.   Furthermore, the business regulatory departments around the country must continue to evaluate all advertisements seeing that imperfect information is a source of ma rket failure.ReferencesSharma, A., & Cheng, R. (2007, Oct 24). Verizon Wireless Reaches Deal in Marketing Probe.The Wall Street Journal, pp. B5.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Tips for Taking Great Cemetery Pictures

Tips for Taking Great Cemetery Pictures Pictures are a wonderful way to document cemeteries and graveyards, from scenic views of the cemetery, to inscriptions of individual tombstones. It isnt always as easy as it seems, however, to achieve sharp, clear photographs of stones that may be centuries old. That old stone may be easy enough to read when youre standing just a few feet away, but capturing its three dimensional carving and inscriptions on a flat picture sometimes takes a bit of work. What to Photograph Its not every day that you get to visit an ancestors cemetery, so take the time, if you can, to create a photographic record of the entire cemetery, rather than just a single tombstone: Take at least two shots of each headstone, one close up so that you can read the inscription, and one from a distance which identifies the markers location in the cemetery. If the gravestone is one of several in a family grouping, then you may also want to take a wide angle shot of the entire family plot (a tombstones position in relation to other family members may provide a clue to relationships).Take several pictures (from different angles) showing the entire cemetery, or at least as large a portion of it as you can fit in a single picture.Unless it is a small family plot hidden in the middle of a cornfield, the front gates or entrance of the cemetery makes another good view to record on film. What Time of Day is Best? Proper lighting is the most critical factor in achieving a good, high-definition tombstone photo. According to tradition, many older cemeteries have individuals buried facing East, which generally means that the inscriptions on the headstones also face East. For this reason, morning light is often the best option in which to obtain the best lighting for photographing tombstones. There are, obviously, many exceptions to this very general rule, however. Tombstones may be situated so that they face the road, a beautiful view, etc. Overhead trees and cloudy days can also make photographing tombstones a difficult task. For this reason, it is best to scout out the cemetery in advance in order to determine the best time of day for taking pictures.   Lighting the Tombstone When optimal lighting is not possible, several tools can be used to reflect light onto shadowy tombstones. Directing sunlight or other light diagonally across the face of a gravestone casts shadows in indentations which makes inscriptions more visible and easy to read: Mirror - A mirror is a common tool for reflecting sunlight onto shadowy tombstones. Mylar (plastic) mirrors are available at most home stores (no reason to risk travelling around with a glass mirror in your car) and can be easily equipped with a set of legs (like an easel) to aid in propping the mirror to effectively reflect sunlight where you need it. Larger mirrors can even be used to reflect sunlight from a distance to light up tombstones resting under shady trees. Collapsible Reflector - A common accessory used by many photographers, a collapsible light reflector can be purchased for about $30-$50. They typically fold up into a small 4-6 package, handy for traveling. Aluminum Foil - A low budget alternative, and handy for travel, aluminum foil makes a decent light reflector in a pinch. Youll either need a piece of cardboard to support the foil, or a partner to hold it for you. Enhancing the Inscription When good lighting isnt enough to bring out a badly eroded inscription, there are a few other methods employed by many genealogists: Water - Wetting down a tombstone with a spray bottle of fresh water can sometimes make carvings stand out much more than when dry. After wetting the stone, allow the surface to dry for a few minutes, leaving the indented lettering damp, which makes it darker and easier to read. Shaving Cream - A method used by many genealogists, shaving cream can do wonders at bringing out hard-to-read inscriptions. This practice is discouraged by most professional conservators, however, as shaving cream contains acidic chemicals and greasy emollients which make it hard to remove from the stone and damaging if left there over time.Black Light - Suggested by some, a black light bulb (75 watt or higher) can be used to make a worn inscription pop out. While an extension cord may be a problem in many cemeteries, you can find portable, battery-operated black light units in many party or novelty stores (they are especially popular around Halloween). Cast the light directly on the tombstone and the words j ust seem to pop right out at you. Black light works especially well when it is dark, but since cemeteries are not always the safest place to visit at night, try draping a large, dark blanket over both you and the tombstone while using the black light. This should create enough darkness for a very illuminating inscription.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Module 4 - Case Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Module 4 - Case Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example Further, society as a whole expects that the behavior of all the citizens should be such that society advances on its own rather than regress due to actions and behaviors. During the recent times, high profiled failures of large organizations, unethical behavior being associated with the senior executives of the firms as well as fraudulent business, and accounting practices have highlighted the need for emphasizing more business ethics. The current financial crisis has also highlighted the vulnerabilities of the financial sector of the world and how senior executives used the money given for bailout purposes as their own bonuses. The hue and cry by the public, therefore, has been mostly directed towards the unethical behavior of organizations towards different stakeholders. This paper will discuss ethical behavior of two organizations, i.e. Primark and Anglo American, and will explore costs and benefits involved as well as discussing one component from Svennson & Woods’ model. What is Ethical Business Behavior Every business has a responsibility towards the society, and ethical behavior outlines the rules and regulations which actually govern the ethical behavior of the firms. ... It is also important to understand that society expects from the businesses and as such, businesses have to correspond to the basic rules of the society. This, therefore, requires that firms should not engage any such behavior which can effectively go against the values and norms of the society. Some of the critical areas where firms often face critical choices in terms of ethical business behavior include finance, accounting, supply chain management, human resource management, and marketing. These are the areas where firm often engage into behavior which may not be entirely considered as ethical in nature. There have been incidents where firms have engaged into actions which were not considered as ethical. Incidences such as falsification of information presented in financial accounts, insufficient and inadequate working conditions for the workers, unjustified bonuses and high compensation levels of senior executives, etc., are some of the issues which have come under heavy screener of unethical business practices (Dowling, Festing, & Engle, 2008). How Primark Applies Ethics One of the key concerns for Primark is to source ethically because it has to deal with variety of third party sources. Considering the overall nature of business of the firm, Primark has to procure its merchandize from different suppliers scattered all over the world. Ethical issues, particularly with regard to the supply chain of the firm, arise due to adverse labor situation in suppliers’ countries. Although Primark is committed to provide excellent value to its customers, it is clear on the issue of not delivering such value on the expense of those who actually produce for the firm. As such, Primark attempts to balance

Saturday, November 2, 2019

What is counselling and what are counselling skills, how do they Essay

What is counselling and what are counselling skills, how do they relate to other approaches to helping - Essay Example Counseling is often carried out personally in non-public sessions between the counselor and clients. However, counseling can also be performed via telephone, writings and e-mail or video conferencing. It may take many different forms to bring an individual to a better understanding of himself and others. Thus, counseling can be advantageous to a person facing problems in maintaining relationships (What is counseling? N.d.). Counselors require talent for understanding the conditions of the clients and their problems (Nelson-Jones, 2005).In this paper I intend to discuss the different approaches of counseling incorporating the ethical framework, the principles of Rogerian Person Centred Approach, personal growth and therapeutic change. Humanistic approach to psychology was founded by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow in the U.S. during 1950s. Humanistic psychology focuses on the subjects that are meaningful to human beings. Humanistic psychologists lay emphasis on conscious experience rather than on behaviour or personal responsibility. That is why they differ from most of the psychologists. Humanistic psychology also focuses on the importance of the individual’s attempt towards personal growth and achievement (Humanistic Psychology: Maslow, n.d). Humanist approach of psychology interprets an individual in regard to subjective analysis of previous experience. It assumes we have a deep-rooted biological drive that inspires us towards personal development and the active psychological condition of self-actualization. It provides stress on the importance of ‘self’ and how self influences an individuals thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. The self is our personality. Rogers extended Maslow’s hypo thesis of self-actualization into the field of humanistic person-centred psychoanalysis with his emphasis on understanding, actual positive regard and authenticity. Building these conditions for development in therapy enables an environment that helps