Channel Firing Poem Analysis Essay Example

Channel Firing Poem Analysis Paper Essay on Channel Firing by Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardys â€Å"Channel Firing† is a poem written in 1914, four months prior to the start of World War 1. This historical context is crucial to understanding the poem as it expresses the dark and sorrowful foreshadowing of the months before the war, creating feelings of tension, turmoil and unrest. There were, at the time, many young men who did not share the common unease, more so tension turned to excitement, turmoil to eagerness and unrest to anticipation. The split between society in the months leading up to the war is portrayed in Hardys poem. For example, the anonymous character Hardy embodies in this poem states how he â€Å"thought it was judgement day† as he hears gunfire, quite clearly depicting his fear. ‘Channel Firing’, is a dialogue carried out entirely by the occupants of a seaside cemetery, who confuse naval gunnery practice with the thunder of the Day of Judgment. As Fussell suggests, Hardy almost wrote the war before it happened. It is no surprise that Siegfried Sassoon, who wrote the sharpest satirical poems about war, acknowledged Hardy as his master. Hardy had, of course, written about war before this, and very powerfully. Allusions in Channel Firing Possibly an allusion to a childrens tale Alice in Wonderland in which the Mad Hatter is frozen in time and perhaps as a result goes insane, Hardy perhaps draws a comparison between this character and the leaders of humanity. The use of mad as hatters could also be a reference to humanitys aggressiveness and thirst for blood to be a detrimental mindset, or indeed it could depict the primal instincts of man. We will write a custom essay sample on Channel Firing Poem Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Channel Firing Poem Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Channel Firing Poem Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another quote that is perhaps important to consider is â€Å"They do no more for Christà ©s sake†. This could be seen to have two meanings, â€Å"for Christà ©s sake† could itself be a curse as is used in modern day in anger or exasperation, or perhaps it could allude to an aforementioned point that humanity goes to war, fights and dies in Gods name, thus meaning that they no longer fight for God. With further reference to religion, the poem seems to allude to, through the use of humanitys unending cycle of violence, a powerless God or a God that does not care. The key way in which this poem slightly differs from other Hardy work is that he accepts Gods existence, even going so far as to introduce him as a character with a stanzas worth of dialogue, â€Å" Till God called, No†. A major factor to take into consideration when studying any of Hardys poems is his religious background.

Nazism And World War II Essays - Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany

Nazism And World War II Essays - Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany Nazism and World War II The National Socialist German Workers? Party almost died one morning in 1919. It numbered only a few dozen grumblers? it had no organization and no political ideas. But many among the middle class admired the Nazis? muscular opposition to the Social Democrats. And the Nazis themes of patriotism and militarism drew highly emotional responses from people who could not forget Germany?s prewar imperial grandeur. In the national elections of September 1930, the Nazis garnered nearly 6.5 million votes and became second only to the Social Democrats as the most popular party in Germany. In Northeim, where in 1928 Nazi candidates had received 123 votes, they now polled 1,742, a respectable 28 percent of the total. The nationwide success drew even faster... in just three years, party membership would rise from about 100,000 to almost a million, and the number of local branches would increase tenfold. The new members included working-class people, farmers, and middle-class professionals. They were both better educated and younger then the Old Fighters, who had been the backbone of the party during its first decade. The Nazis now presented themselves as the party of the young, the strong, and the pure, in opposition to an establishment populated by the elderly, the weak, and the dissolute. Hitler was born in a small town in Austria in 1889. As a young boy, he showed little ambition. After dropping out of high school, he moved to Vienna to study art, but he was denied the chance to join Vienna academy of fine arts. When WWI broke out, Hitler joined Kaiser Wilhelmer?s army as a Corporal. He was not a person of great importance. He was a creature of a Germany created by WWI, and his behavior was shaped by that war and its consequences. He had emerged from Austria with many prejudices, including a powerful prejudice against Jews. Again, he was a product of his times... for many Austrians and Germans were prejudiced against the Jews. In Hitler's case the prejudice had become maniacal it was a dominant force in his private and political personalities. Anti-Semitism was not a policy for Adolf Hitlerit was religion. And in the Germany of the 1920s, stunned by defeat, and the ravages of the Versailles treaty, it was not hard for a leader to convince millions that one element of the nation?s society was responsible for most of the evils heaped upon it. The fact is that Hitler?s anti-Semitism was self-inflicted obstacle to his political success. The Jews, like other Germans, were shocked by the discovery that the war had not been fought to a ezdstill, as they were led to believe in November 1918, but that Germany had , in fact, been defeated and was to be treated as a vanquished country. Had Hitler not embarked on his policy of disestablishing the Jews as Germans, and later of exterminating them in Europe, he could have counted on their loyalty. There is no reason to believe anything else. On the evening of November 8, 1923, Wyuke Vavaruab State Cinnussuiber Gustav Rutter von Kahr was making a political speech in Munich?s sprawling B?rgerbr?ukeller, some 600 Nazis and right-wing sympathizers surrounded the beer hall. Hitler burst into the building and leaped onto a table, brandishing a revolver and firing a shot into the ceiling. ?The National Revolution,? he cried, ?has begun!? At that point, informed that fighting had broken out in another part of the city, Hitler rushed to that scene. His prisoners were allowed to leave, and they talked about organizing defenses against the Nazi coup. Hitler was of course furious. And he was far from finished. At about 11 o?clock on the morning of November 9the anniversary of the founding of the German Republic in 19193,000 Hitler partisans again gathered outside the B?rgerbr?ukeller. To this day, no one knows who fired the first shot. But a shot rang out, and it was followed by fusillades from both sides. Hermann G?ring fell wounded in the thigh and both legs. Hitler flattened himself against the pavement; he was unhurt. General Ludenorff continued to march stolidly toward the police line, which parted to let him pass through (he was later arrested, tried and acquitted). Behind

Compare and Contrant The French and American Revoulutions Essay

Compare and Contrant The French and American Revoulutions - Essay Example Considering the seniority of the American Revolution characteristics that were unique to this historical even would first be discussed. The American Revolution was the first democratic revolution of human history. America was a British colony and like other colonies of the British Empire was highly oppressed. The British formed many disgracing laws and wanted to use the American land as a supplier of resources and fund that can be used against the French. The main cause of the American Revolution was â€Å"No taxation without representation† (Danver, 145). The Boston Tea Party acted as a catalyst to this great historical event and eminent American leaders like Washington, Jefferson, Madison and many others led from the front with their determination. Abolition of British colonial rule was the sole objective of the revolution and regarding that this revolution unlike French Revolution was directed against a foreign ruler. The American Revolution led to the establishment of the first true democratic government and a single constitution that has remained an icon to the rest of the world even today. In contrast the French has a history of eight constitutions. Again feudal challenge has never been faced by America in order to build a new country and this is exactly opposite for France. The regime that followed the French Revolution can not be considered as modern democracy; especially the reign of Napoleon, it was a type of dictatorship never been heard of in America. Freedom, equality and economic growth have followed the American Revolution at a pace that was never heard of before and might well never be. The French Revolution also has its share of uniqueness. Before the revolution the French government was financing the American Revolution with a hope that it might weaken their arch rival the British. Again there was fascinating stories of royal spending and both of these led to almost bankruptcy of the French government. To restore the situation the commo n French people who were mainly peasants were taxed at a higher rate. The king was bereft of any authority that he could tax the wealthy aristocrats. Beside there was growing unhappiness among the common people regarding the French queen of that time Marie Antoinette. The queen was of foreign origin and was infamous for her royal spending habits that was consider as the route of all financial anarchy of that time. At that time a protest from the commons that led to the fall of Bastille (14th July, 1789) acted as a catalyst to a far bigger uprising that led to French Revolution. Unlike the American Revolution this was hugely supported by the common French people. Ironically many leading revolutionaries who once initiated the revolution fell pray after the denouncement of the monarchy and lost their lives during the â€Å"reign of terror† (Farmer, 1). Though a reformatory process started immediately after the revolution, yet it could not be sustained. At the end unlike the Amer ican Revolution the French Revolution was unsuccessful considering the fact that it had failed to deliver political stability and peace. The main goal to end the oppression of the monarchy along with feudalism remained a distant reverie even after much bloodshed. At most monarchy was replaced by the dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte. Though the above two paragraphs have revealed that both these revolutions have their own uniqueness and contrasts with each other, however they have many things in

Multiculturalism in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiculturalism in Britain - Essay Example Any perfect society embraces and cherishes the notion of cultural diversity and it encourages interactions between members of different cultures. In Britain, multiculturalism, when it was developed in the 1970s, had inter-cultural integration as its main objective. The foundation of the policy was based on â€Å"commitment to equal respect and an interpretation of equality as meaning that non-assimilation is acceptable† (Parekh 5). This means that the policy would ensure that communities lived harmoniously in the country without having to loose their identity and cultures. The multiculturalism policy in Britain has resulted in the presence of composite and hybrid identities that are not really common in other European countries. However, some groups in the country have taken advantage of the flexibility of this policy to advance their own personal and mainly selfish agendas. This has seen the rise of extremists groups in the country and a large portion of the population blames multiculturalism for giving extremists a chance to carry out their terrorist activities within the country. This has raised a lot of confusion and caused a lot of tensions with some communities being specifically targeted by others for deportation from the country. Multiculturalism, while its intentions are noble, has its own drawbacks that include freedom and possibility limitations (Slack). It is also seen by many as a means of legitimizing racism, hence the notion that it is divisive (Murray). In the past government efforts to bring national cohesion were compromised by attempts to bring up the question of xenophobia and racism within the populace. It remains to be seen what exactly it is that the coalition government led by Cameron will achieve in terms of putting in place measures to preach peaceful co-existence and acceptance in different communities that are represented in the country (Parekh 23). Cameron’s remarks that multiculturalism policy has failed should have b een accompanied by suggestions on how to make the situation better. The government has been for the last few years been at the forefront in condemning the actions of extremist groups, especially Islamic extremists who are out to cause mayhem and panic among Britons. There have been a number of successful crackdowns on these groups, but there is widespread fear that the entire Islamic community is being targeted. The government can do better to ensure that no one feels threatened by these crackdowns or by the extremists. The Labour Party has its own Prevent Strategy which seeks to prevent violent extremism in Britain. The question is whether such a policy would enhance cohesion or cause even more tension in a country that already has reservations about accepting certain people in its midst. Many Muslims in the country have discredited the Prevent Strategy which they claim is being used as a spying mechanism on them (Modood 97). It is clear that the Prevent strategy would not really w ork at the moment since a lot of communities would feel targeted. What Britain needs is a well planned integration policy that encourages communities to live together without prejudice. 2002 Home Office White Paper stated that â€Å"

BUS 187 Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BUS 187 Project - Essay Example Hofstede also emphasized on the understanding of people’s behavior and thus their previous, present and future behavior can be predicted (Hofstede, 150). In this regard, five dimensions of culture have been identified: uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity versus femininity, individualism versus collectivism and long term versus short term orientation. France exhibit; 15-16 power distance, 10-11 individualism, 35-36 masculinity and 10-15 and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 180). Individualism and collectivism have been cited as the most important aspects in which societies differ. According to Patwardhan (249), the understanding of the difference between individualistic and collectivist society is crucial in understanding consumer behavior (Patwardhan, 249). France with individualism versus collectivism index of 10th and 11th shows that it is highly individualistic. This shows that both countries are not compatible with direct selling as a strategy. Since France is highly individualistic, the ties between individuals are loose thus actions are rarely taken in a collective manner and everyone is expected to bother much about his or her immediate families (Patwardhan, 250). In this respect, the interest of French society does not prevail over the interest of individual members of the society. This is a very key factor L’OREA L Company in designing the brands and their respective marketing, promotional and advertisement campaigns. Unlike collectivism, the French think of themselves as â€Å"I† and do not act collectively or draw their identity from the society. This analysis therefore presents the consumer behavior of France which must be considered in marketing. France as an individualistic society does not promote direct selling as a mode of promotion of products. However, advertisement is likely to perform very well in

International Management Competencies |Reflection

International Management Competencies |Reflection INTRODUCTION MSc International Management was my chosen area in which to study after my BA honors in International business management at Oxford Brookes and I was given the opportunity to complete a Masters Degree in the same line of study. The semester classes started on the 28th of September 2009, where I was to take part in International Management Competencies. The sessions would give me the possible additional prospect of becoming a first-class international business manager. To be involved in a global business concerning mixed cultures, overall integration and examination for changes that affects globalization by interacting cross-culturally. (Thomas, 2008). The class in which I took part in included 23 students from 17 different countries of origin, which meant I would be having contact with individuals that have the same interest of subject with different backgrounds and experiences to offers with diverse cultures which most certainly could give me an insight into different ethnicity and cross-cultural factors. These could potentially overlap between each other while interacting. With this in mind, understanding culture it is to be associated with the aim to define common human problems which are shared between groups. (Schneider, 1997). The module itself would also give me the unique opportunity to enhance my mangerial skills by learning form my experiences and taking part into the activities that would bring further education in developing my fundamental process of learning. I began to understand that the classes would give me a vast ability to develop my skills on a weekly basis by interacting with all the members of my class and group that I was placed in, also while working on the reading material and keeping a weekly diary (see Appendix A) it seemed to be appealing and would most definitely exceed my knowledge on the subject in question, to understand that International managers hold the responsibility towards an organisations success by managing with their hu man resources which are related to their cultural differences and backgrounds (Groseschl, Doherty, 2000). REFLECTIVE STATEMENT EXPERIENCES The most important task that I had to undertake this semester was associated with a mixed group of individuals form the same division to then explore the core case study given by our module leader, â€Å"The case of the Floundering Expatriate†, in which it involved diversity in cross-cultural groups concerning an organization that tries to manage these mixtures effectively to try accomplish great performance and success. The role for the project would be to analyse Bert Donaldson‘s managerial practices and to address the key issues with his team, and actions he could take in his own cultural development. The final results would then to be presented to the peers in weeks 8 (trial mock, see diary Appendix A, week 8) and week 10 (final assesed, see Appendix A week, 10), with also a group report showing all the content and understanding of the case. The group i got allocated to consisted of 5 people from different countries with mixed culture backrounds, knowledge and experiences to offer (Appendix A,week 2-3), of which Shirley came form Venezuela, Konstantin from Bulgaria, Judith form Germany, Moses from Denmark, and me from Italy. The process in which all these events happened has been recorded in diary format shown in the appendix (Development through the weeks of the semester) showing overall actions taken during the initial process in which it began, where i had to change to another team (Appe ndix A, week 2 and 3). The group was given the chance to be fully independent, and we had the power to decide when to schedule as there was no pattern or organised structure to follow, therefore we could procede as best as we could, to optimize the procedure, which would be critical for the result. As described by Robert Harris, (2004) the synergy within a team has to be promoted by improving strategy that creates enhanced quality of work, autonomy control, improved communication, which then results in higher performance, productivity and more research and development. On initial startup there was a lack of organization and indeciciveness to whome should be the leader, to find a comprimise to work consistenely, but then Shirley proved to be up to the part and showed great ability to commence and organize a programme to follow (see Appendix B) related to meeting times and place, and a leader was found, persuing the role as the motivator and director of the operation by applying her h uman resource skills and direction of the generic scope which are crutial for a successful leader by creating a sense of purpose structure and clear defenition of purpose (Emirates Center, 2002)(Appendix A week 5 to 6). The role in which i could represent myself would be as a team worker and finisher ,a relevant role that would have to be skilled over the weeks to come. As mentioned by Harris, 1998, a team worker has the main priority to put people on top of his list, concerning feelings, needs, and has a strong observing power of the strengths and weaknesses of the group. Additionally he plays as a facilitator minimising any possible frictions that may arise. FEELINGS I was very content to be in the assigned group and ready to combine all our ideas together to then put them into practice. By using different prespectives on cultures and leadership which are essential to be able to learn the basic skills for managing its organization successfully and create a working environment that can develop its skills and training through time. Managers are faced with one of the biggest tasks to motivate and lead individuals to different cultures by understanding their behaviors, as motivation has the need to achieve and dominate in its class (Mc Clelands, 1981). I had an amazing feeling that the overall experience would bring me insight into team working and learning other cultures by having the possibility to integrate and develop skills needed in working life environment, involving decison making process, solving problems, and being able to carry out required tasks. Furtermore an absolute importance to the way in which you present your skills and ideas is cr utial for the success and undestanding you bring across. As explained by Tjosvold et al (2003), cross cultural management is increasing due to expatriation and international trade, meaning that people from diverse cultures must work together in the global marketplace. Societies differ in characteristic ways of thinking, feelings and acting through effective approaches derived from their values which portrays stereotypes and expectations that come from these specific situations. Finally by examining my teams diversity there were some disadvantages towards lack of cohesion(Appendix A week 7-8), and misscomunication through language as none of us were native spakers, but there were several advantages thatour mixed creativity gave a wide range of prespectives, better ideas and less groupthink, that resulted in better problem definition in regards to finding solutions for productivity. THOUGHTS As our first meeting started on the 16th of October many thoughts ran through my head and I was thinking if the group would be able to interact, merge developing ideas and fuse past experiences (work related and life events) with knowledge to minimize any potential cross-cultural issues that may arise. During the meeting everyone knew their role (Appendix A, weeks 3-6). I was motivated to extend and widen my thoughts by analyzing the situation in hand for the development plan needed. I was beginning to feel very relaxed and was pleased to share my opinions and ideologies of the case, by describing as best as I could what I thought we should include for the report to analyze it according to the prerequisites. I stared to realize that I was changing as time passed on, as I understood that my preferences where towards working with others and accepting ideas and mixing concepts to reach an evaluated criteria for fluency. I began to apprehend that I function perfectly as a team worker by constructing a working structure with appropriate skills and resources as suggested by West (2004), but there was a necessary need for change towards the way I express myself and come up with ideas. I would have to be more assertive and confident in myself. As for being an expatriate from Italy it brought additional challenges for working in a new cultural environment. Haour-knipe (2001), argued that in order to be successful during the integration of a new society there needs to be an adaption towards learning the new language, making new friends and getting occustomed to the the new surroundings and local culture. Nonetheless I saw different insights into peoples different styles and ways of achieving a process where I could take into account additional practices to develop myself towards diversity and the power that a team can generate, as mentioned by Essed (1996), diversity can be understood by experiencing events that are in common with the individuals from the team, where the se beliefs, principles and theories have an important impact on the opportunities for success. Not only would this be developed through practice but also the assigned reading would help me to expand the ideas and understand further ways to think globally and express myself. REFLECTION Through team working I understood different aspects of behaviors towards work commitments and endless encounters that would affect the work process. With this in mind i can understand that culture influences behavior as its a process about people or events they carry out, by looking towards cultural norms (acceptable behavior and influences of past experiences, Francesco, 2005) shared in a group, with selective perception, stereotypes, expectations, social dominance and different attributes for reaction (Usunier, 1998). A good example illustrating this could be the existence within the group members of both low and high context cultures of which everyone except for me was low context. Meaning that there explanations are done through words or verbalization instead of context, while I was the only one of high context mainly the opposite of them. Therefore by looking towards my experience i have noticed the various advantages that brought me to seek my role, not only that i knew what i wanted to do but also it was confirmed by Belbins self awareness questionnaire (Appendix C) that i was an implementor and team worker. These implications are the essential attributes for my team, that are in need for improvement towards my communication practice and presentation style that would have to be fully prepared to describe content coherently and right to the point. By developing these aspects it brings me a step closer to becoming a successfull specialist in the field of international business as Brooke (1996) described the process of becoming a successful by 3 stages involving observation, experience and theory, thereon analysing them to understand the relevance of each to learn the theoretical side. THEORY INTO PRACTICE The potential cross-cultural problems related to the topic of the session were plentiful, where there were issues concerning team roles, working skills, and decision making. There were also differences in communication style (verbal and non-verbal) and performing practices among cultures. Moreover there are diverse preferences towards leadership performance (skills), decision styles, and expectations with a need of cross cultural adjustment towards a new environment. Consequently it is necessary to know ones skills to be assertive; portraying what you may offer when entering in United Kingdom to show all the benefits you may bring to future career. SUMMARY Managers need to able to take into account all the concerning circumstances mentioned above to lead Individuals form their team towards working as a unit to increase overall performance to reach targets (Thakur, 1993).What needs to be understood is that globalization is a major factor affecting cultures all around the world, where everyone has to work closely together and need each others support to build up to required expectations and competencies. This factor involves the rapid growth of a market in relation to social, economic and technological problems (Kavous, 2009). This module gave me the chance to question, analyze and improve my managerial skills, while the reflective statement and diaries give a broad outline of the experiences passed. Furthermore the professional development plan below will outline future areas for development .The overall project gave me an opportunity to discover my interpersonal skills as well as weaknesses that I need to overcome to develop sufficient international managerial competencies, the most important of which are communication, decision-making, leadership, presentation skills and team working. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ardalan, Kavous. (2009) â€Å"Globalization and culture: four paradigmatic views†, International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 513-534. Danielle Medina Walker, Thomas D. Walker, Joerg Schmitz, Terence Brake. (2003) Doing business internationally: the guide to cross-cultural success. McGraw-hill pages 33-36 Culture. Dean Tjosvold, Kwok Leung. (2003) Cross-cultural management: foundations and future. Ashgate publishing company, pp. 1-6. Francesco, A.M. and Gold, B.A. (2005) International Organizational Behavior, Upper Saddler River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc., pp. 159, 161,175, 204, 205. Groseschl, Stefan, Doherty, Liz. (2000) â€Å"Conceptualising Culture†, Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 2-3. Jean-Claude Usunier. (1998) International and cross-cultural management research. Sage publications. pp. 31-35. Mary Haour-Knipe. (2001) Moving families: expatriation, stress and coping. Routledge publisher, pp. 90-92. Michael A. West. (2004) Effective teamwork: practical lessons from organizational research. Malden Oxford. Pp. 75-85. Michael Z. Brooke. (1996) International management: a review of strategies and operations. Stanley Thornes Ltd. Pp. 3 -21. Philip R. Harris. (1998) The New Work Culture: Hrd Strategies for Transformational Management Publisher HRD Pres, Team working pp. 520-526. Philip Robert Harris, Robert T. Moran, Sarah Virgilia Moran (2004) Managing cultural differences: Global leadership strategies for the 21st century. Elsiver, Oxford ,sixth edition PP.150 -156 Cultural differences. Philomena Essed. (1996) Diversity: gender, color, and culture. Library of Congress, A challenge towards diversity pp. 135-137. Schneider, S. (1997) Managing Across Cultures, Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. (2002) Leadership and management in the information age pages 12-22. Thomas, D.C. (2008) Cross-Cultural Management Essential Concepts, 2nd Edition, Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Ltd, pp: 49, 50, 59,131-137, 187, 223, 234. APPENDIX A WEEK 1 DATE: 29th of September 2009 EVENT/ACTIVITY: Introduction of the Module and Key Competencies of an International Manager. Discussion of a Case Study, Exercise 3 â€Å"Spanning the globe†. EXPERIENCE: This was my first class where a brief presentation was given on how the module would turn out to be and what was expected form us with course objectives and learning outcomes. During this class we were given a specific task to work on, the case study â€Å"Spanning the globe†, to be worked on as a team with people that were assigned together to work sitting on the same table during the lecture break that was give to us. During the given time the whole group decided we should read the case study individually and then discuss and go through the question given, therefore everyone had a specific task and to combine ideas together. The overall outcome of the task was to see how everybody would react to team work under a strict time management and to combine personal ideas with other members of the team. FEELINGS: My initial feelings of the task were orientated toward overall successful performance to achieve what was asked from me, I thought the group was well organized and prepared to come the exercise to come up with combined answers and ideas. Time management was also dived in 3 sections, the first towards reading the case study, secondly reviews opinions of members and finally to write notes down for a final answers. THOUGHTS: During the whole experience I felt I was learning throughout and getting to know different people and other ways of working as a group which made me happy and motivated to continue with the module introduced to us, where I realized that I would learn a great deal from this module that would most definitely improve me as a potential fine manager. REFLECTION: What I could learn from the first group discussion was that all individuals are different and that everyone has a different way of performing and achieving a process, therefore we have to accept to learn to work together and combine all ideas and conflicts to create something unique and to use individuals strengths to help the process. Also I had a rough look at the content of the module and understood that a wide range of reading material had to be studied, also by using as core text book Cross-Cultural Management essential concepts by David C. Thomas 2nd edition, and others similar to this. THEORY INTO PRACTICE: The potential cross-cultural problems related to the topic of the session are the following: Time pressure (35 min) Different understanding of the content Different opinions about approach Different perspectives of case study Working together effectively (constraints) General discussions to agree on a certain point In order to enhance these potential threats it has to be noted that individual competencies of members need to be worked on in order to be a successful manager and improve cross cultural team work by accepting different skills and behaviors that might come into practice. WEEK 2 DATE: 6th of October 2009 EVENT/ACTIVITY: International Team Working. Work group vs. Team. Division into groups for Assignment 1, Discussion of the Case Study 0.1 â€Å"The Thames Pump Valve Company† and different activities about team working guidelines, reflections about advantages and disadvantages of working in groups, improving long-term performance of leaders of a multicultural team and personal awareness and skills exercise. The group that I was in included me, Julius, Roman, and Pimita, but one member was missing as she did not attend the class. (Of which we were assigned to be group 2). EXPERIENCE: During this class our team explored the performance and potential of multicultural teams and the key barriers to achieve high performance and which strategies to consider to address these issues. The first discussion was about the case study of â€Å"The Thames Pump Valve Company†. This case study was part of our homework for the day and the discussion in my group was productive in the end. During the class we experience even other activities such as the exercise about team working guidelines where different cultural background proved even different ranking of the list of provisional guidelines. The second activity consisted in establishing advantages and disadvantages of working in groups and the other one was about improving the performance of leaders of a multicultural team in the long-term. During the session we discussed on conclusion of the role of self assessment to find each members preference and role within the group by completing Belbins team role task to see each other differences. Finally we were given the case study of â€Å"The case of the Floundering Expatriate† of which we would be analyzing with a group for the rest of the module to then give an oral presentation of the findings and solutions asked for. FEELINGS: I felt very happy to get to know my team members and see if we would work efficiently together, understand there different ways of doing and achieving a method, our group consisted of members from Germany (Julius), Russia (Roman), Italy (Eugenio), Pimpta (Thailand). So there were certainly potential for different cultural issues and idea generation. Overall there was a feeling of excitement for the beginning of a new relationship. THOUGHTS: While we were getting to know each other I was thinking what kind of benefits they would bring to the team and what could I learn from this experience and give towards making the group work. With this in mind previous weeks task for homework help me understand potential preferences that I might be involved in, I assessed myself development by completing the questionnaire given to us to correspond towards qualities for an effective manager where my strong points found were towards: Relevant professional knowledge and understanding Proactivity, inclination to respond purposefully to event Social skills and abilities Secondly I looked towards personal awareness and skills exercise between the roles that an international manger takes into account, by organizing the most important roles that comply with you to be successful, the most important ones for me where: Team leader/ Judge/ Challenger/ and Innovator REFLECTION: While attending the session I learned that I would most definitely be a team worker as I got along with my members and I was motivated to bring great ideas and completing the task assigned to us. At this moment in time there was no evident leader so positions still needed to be assigned. Finally we all decided to meet the following Monday to discuss the case study of â€Å"The floundering Expatriate†, for a general review. Finally I was also reviewing the material that had to be red, the initial chapters of the core text book and others suggested by the module leader. THEORY INTO PRACTICE: The cross cultural factor that were influenced in this session were that there could have been a language restrain between each other and that clear ideas didnt seem to flow at times , therefore a better organization was needed. WEEK 3 Date: 16th of October 2009 Event/Activity: Culture and Values and Managing diversity. I started to feel ill, which resulted in getting the flu. Therefore I could not attend the First group meeting as I was unable to for health reasons and I was therefore moved to group number 1, as another member form group 2 attended and course leader suggested I move to the other group as they were already agreed to work together. Experience: During this week I got a temperature resulting in getting the flu and I was in bed for a few days. On Wednesday we had the first group meeting and one of my group mates was really kind to send me an e-mail with all the details discussed during the meeting. On Thursday I tried to recover from this by taking medicine and resting for a few days which put my back on track, unfortunately I felt badly that I could not attend the meeting and felt very frustrated; also I had to interact with my new group and set up new meeting and roles that would be taken FEELINGS: I was very happy to meet the other members of my group and was ready to work with them on the case study of â€Å"The floundering expatriate†, I wanted to see how we would socialize and combine all our ideas and put them into practice, but as I was ill I could do that, so it made me sad that I let the team down, and I had to tell them that I couldnt attend. The group I was now assigned to consist from Shirley (Venezuela), Konstantin (Bulgaria), Moses (Denmark), Judith (Germany) and me (Italy), a nicely balanced group from different origins. THOUGHTS: During the time I didnt spend with my group I though what I could offer my team, and I started to think towards my potential assets that they could benefit from. One task that helped me realize what I could offer involved in completing Belbins team roles self assessment by looking toward contribution, shortcoming events, involvement in projects, characteristic approach towards work, satisfaction, difficulties that may arise, and problems that can be dealt with. With all this taken into consideration, the final verdict showed that I exceeded towards being an implementer and team worker. Another way in which I understood that I was starting a general development of my life towards a working life was due to understanding wide-ranging points of view and concepts of cross-cultural management from Francesco and Gold, Thomas books that gave me a great deals to think about how my performance would affect the group and how I would interact with fellow members. REFLECTION: Unfortunately I couldnt learn anything from the group meeting as I was absent, but I read the case study and was ready to share my views and opinion on how to come about answering the questions that were given to us. Also I was informed form other member to meet my new group on the following Monday to review question 1 and 2 of the case study, to bring my ideas and thoughts to the next session. THEORY INTO PRACTICE: The cross cultural factor that were influenced in this session were that the group might have thought that I was unorganized and not willing to work as I did not attend and hoping that this would not happen again. Additionally by being and implementer it meant that I would be reliable , disciplined, conservative and efficient and mainly to turn ideas into practical actions and work successful in a team with a smooth flow, knowing that I could bring these positive attributes to my team the following week and for the rest of the semester to complete the task given to perform a presentation on possible ways of developing the case study of â€Å"The Floundering Expatriate† by looking towards the: Cross cultural issues that arise Action plan to develop Berts Team Steps in which Bert need to take into account to develop his interaction skills Finally followed by our groups performance in completing the task WEEK 4 Date: 19th of October 2009 Event/Activity: Second group meeting: Presentation of task 1 and 2 Experience: The group decided to review question 1 and 2 on Monday at 12.00 with a meeting point in the library in Wheatley campus, so we could discuss and review the work done the week before for the tasks and see if any progress was made since their last meeting. SECOND Experience: 22nd of October This weeks class of IMC was divided in two parts; the first one had a guest lecture who talked about coaching and mentoring and the second one was about leadership. During the first part we did a test called ‘International Coach Federation Professional Coaching core Competencies to get a view about our coaching abilities. Also an article about coaching was distributed in class, titled â€Å" Accessing cultural orientations: the online Cultural Orientations Framework Assessment as a tool for coaching† by Gilbert and Rosinski (2007). The second part was about Manager as a leader where we discussed the characteristics of global business leadership and cultural influence on leadership in different counties. FEELINGS: I was happy this week to learn about mentoring across cultures and leadership which are essential needs for an international manager to learn the basic skills for managing its organization successfully and create a working environment that can develop its skills and training through time, as managers are faced with one of the biggest tasks to motivate and lead individuals to different cultures by understanding their behaviors, as motivation has the need to achieve and dominate in its class (Mc Clelands, 1981). While on the other hand leadership has the ability to inspire individuals to influence organizations members towards goals and targets that need to meet. THOUGHTS: As the lesson progressed I was thinking what kind of role would I seek to pursue during a managerial task, and when reflecting I was brought to understand that I would have a great ability to be a leader by having the ability to see members potential assets for the team and task in hand and by leading them to enhance their skills gradually by making them feel comfortable with what their achieving. REFLECTION: After the past experiences I started to realize that I might want to develop my leadership skills in my team, but as time progressed we noticed that Shirley took the role of leader right from the start by organizing schedules and giving out tasks to perform on a weekly basis and found myself in the situation to comply with her demands as she was very organized and everyone had the opportunity to collect and deliver any ideas that may be relevant for the case study. Also during the lectures I learned all the different styles that a manager can adopt or operate on, that can bring a wide variety of solutions. THEORY INTO PRACTICE: The cross cultural factors affected form this session and that concerned me the most were: A leader was found and had to deal with the of being a team worker Time constraint arose and found ourselves to rush through some of the work First sessions were formal and members from the group felt discomfort We need to establish a greater bond to flow in an organized way Different styles for expressing their ideas Different approaches to understanding and exploring ideas WEEK 5 DATE: 26th of October 2009 EVENT/ACTIVITY: On Monday we had our third group meeting. On Tuesday, IMC class, where we had a guest lecture about International Careers and Development. EXPERIENCE: This group meeting took place at the same time and place as organized and decided, were it was productive and we kept on expanding our ideas and development for the project and started to become more organized and coherent. WEEK 5 DATE: 29th of November 2009 EVENT/ACTIVITY: On Monday we had our forth group and on Tuesdays we had IMC class where we discussed â€Å"Problem analysis and decision making in an international environment†. EXPERIENCE: As every Monday we had our usual group meeting in the library the difference this week was that I was the only one to show up on time. During this class we discussed a case study â€Å"Pinpoint executive toys; the culture is important and can be said to be structured!† where we should put ourselves as managers of this organization and make some crucial decisions. While we were discussing the case study and try to find a solution to all the questions we found ourselves to work perfectly and in harmony together. FEELINGS: The guest lecturer gave me more insight into what my future plans would be and preferably were I would like to take my knowledge and skills into which sector of work, this gave me an insight into thinking more deeply into where I would like to work, where to stay in England or go abroad, working in an organization or company, and also what sectors would I be interested in. THOUGHTS: This week I was slightly de-motivated as I felt that I had to catch up with other modules and the work started to load on me, therefore I noticed that I was lacking towards generating new ideas and completing tasks, but I found the will and strength to study more, which showed I was gaining more insight into enhancing my personal skills as I wanted to achieve greater benefits to apply in future jobs or personal

88 Ways to Know Whether You Are Chinese :: essays research papers

88 Ways to Know Whether You Are Chinese ( BBS  µÃ‚ µÃ‚ °Ã‚ ¸) 1. You look like you are 18. 2. You like to eat chicken feet. 3. You suck on fish heads and fish fins. 4. You have a Chinese knick-knack hanging on your rear view mirror. 5. You sing Karaoke. 6. Your house is covered with tile. 7. Your kitchen is covered by a sticky film of grease. 8. Your stove is covered with aluminium foil. 9. You leave the plastic covers on your remote control. 10. You've never kissed your mom or dad. 11. You've never hugged your mom or dad. 12. Your unassisted vision is worse than 20/500. 13. You wear contacts, to avoid wearing your "coke bottle glasses". 14. You've worn glasses since you were in fifth grade. 15. Your hair sticks up when you wake up. 16. You'll haggle over something that is not negotiable. 17. You love to use coupons. 18. You drive around looking for the cheapest petrol. 19. You drive around for hours looking for the best parking space. 20. You take showers at night. 21. You avoid the non-free snacks in hotel rooms. 22. You don't mind squeezing 20 people into one motel room. 23. Most girls have more body hair than you, if you are male. 24. You tap the table when someone pours tea for you. 25. You say "Aiya!" and "Wah!" frequently. 26. You don't want to wear your seatbelt because it is uncomfortable. 27. You love Las Vegas, slot machines, and blackjack. 28. You unwrap Christmas gifts very carefully, so you can reuse the paper. 29. You only buy Christmas cards after Christmas, when they are 50% off. 30. You have a vinyl table cloth on your kitchen table. 31. You spit bones and other food scraps on the table. (That's why you need the vinyl tablecloth). 32. You have stuff in the freezer since the beginning of time. 33. You use the dishwasher as a dish rack. 34. You have never used your dishwasher. 35. You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times. 36. You eat all meals in the kitchen. 37. You save grocery bags, tin foil, and tin containers. 38. You have a piano in your living room 39. You pick your teeth at the dinner table (but you cover your mouth). 40. You twirl your pen around your fingers. 41. You hate to waste food. 42. You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing. 43. You don't own any real Tupperware - only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, takeout containers, and jam jars. 88 Ways to Know Whether You Are Chinese :: essays research papers 88 Ways to Know Whether You Are Chinese ( BBS  µÃ‚ µÃ‚ °Ã‚ ¸) 1. You look like you are 18. 2. You like to eat chicken feet. 3. You suck on fish heads and fish fins. 4. You have a Chinese knick-knack hanging on your rear view mirror. 5. You sing Karaoke. 6. Your house is covered with tile. 7. Your kitchen is covered by a sticky film of grease. 8. Your stove is covered with aluminium foil. 9. You leave the plastic covers on your remote control. 10. You've never kissed your mom or dad. 11. You've never hugged your mom or dad. 12. Your unassisted vision is worse than 20/500. 13. You wear contacts, to avoid wearing your "coke bottle glasses". 14. You've worn glasses since you were in fifth grade. 15. Your hair sticks up when you wake up. 16. You'll haggle over something that is not negotiable. 17. You love to use coupons. 18. You drive around looking for the cheapest petrol. 19. You drive around for hours looking for the best parking space. 20. You take showers at night. 21. You avoid the non-free snacks in hotel rooms. 22. You don't mind squeezing 20 people into one motel room. 23. Most girls have more body hair than you, if you are male. 24. You tap the table when someone pours tea for you. 25. You say "Aiya!" and "Wah!" frequently. 26. You don't want to wear your seatbelt because it is uncomfortable. 27. You love Las Vegas, slot machines, and blackjack. 28. You unwrap Christmas gifts very carefully, so you can reuse the paper. 29. You only buy Christmas cards after Christmas, when they are 50% off. 30. You have a vinyl table cloth on your kitchen table. 31. You spit bones and other food scraps on the table. (That's why you need the vinyl tablecloth). 32. You have stuff in the freezer since the beginning of time. 33. You use the dishwasher as a dish rack. 34. You have never used your dishwasher. 35. You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times. 36. You eat all meals in the kitchen. 37. You save grocery bags, tin foil, and tin containers. 38. You have a piano in your living room 39. You pick your teeth at the dinner table (but you cover your mouth). 40. You twirl your pen around your fingers. 41. You hate to waste food. 42. You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing. 43. You don't own any real Tupperware - only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, takeout containers, and jam jars.

Should People Be Allowed to Use Mobile Phone While Driving?

Should People be allowed to Use Mobile Phone while Driving? These days, mobile phone has become almost a basic necessity. We need a mobile phone everywhere for a faster and swifter communication with rest of the world. Unfortunately sometimes, because of the misuse of mobile phone especially while driving, even the lives of people are at risk. Using cell phones while driving distracts drivers from the road, and drivers need to use all their senses, including hearing, to drive. Since we can't use our sense of hearing for the purpose of driving when we are on our cell phones, many accidents can be caused.Although mobile phone makes our communication easy and fast, it should not be used while driving on the road. In my opinion, talking on a cell phone while driving is an extremely dangerous practice. The idea of allowing the use of mobile phones while driving is relevant because the use of cellular phones has become a necessary part of our modern life. On the contrary, driving requires full attention on road. †Studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone is extremely dangerous and puts drivers at a four times greater risk of a crash† said  president and CEO The National Safety Council Janet Froetscher.Compare and Contrast Driving in the Winter and Driving in the SummerIt causes miscommunication between driver and traffic control. Using mobile phone while driving can cause loss of concentration and as a result a single mistake while driving can lead to injury or death. However, most of all texting and driving should be banned because it can hurt themselves and other too. As technology has become more advanced, more distractions are available for drivers and became more dangerous. Now it's not just a simple conversation or a text message that can distract drivers: it's YouTube, Face book and the New York Times, all competing with the road for the driver’s attention.It can also be said that, while the usage of mobile phone during drivi ng is considered as dangerous, conversing with passengers during driving can be called as equally dangerous. Taking â€Å"hands free† on a cell phone can be considered the same as talking to a passenger while driving. On the other hand, it can be said that while, multitasking during driving seems to be normal, but in reality, multitasking can actually reduce the field of vision while driving.On top of that, another study demonstrates that talking to passengers, as opposed to talking on a cell phone, actually makes adult drivers safer, because passengers help alert drivers to potential driving risks. In addition, recent studies have shown that the use of communication devices can actually impair ones driving, as during communication we are required to give attention to the speaker. In the process of listening to the speaker, many people unconsciously, lose focus on their driving and hence their driving is worse than before.Since all cell phone conversation still required focus ed attention, hands free devices are no less distracting than hand held devices. Another point in favor of the use of cell phones while driving could be that, responsible people who understand the risks involved in using mobile phones while driving and can actually handle this should be allowed to use mobile phones during driving. Even though people might argue about responsible people being allowed to use mobile phones while driving, studies have shown that drivers who are allowed to talk while driving tend to respond less quickly and are much more likely to cause car accidents.Furthermore, driving while using cell phones can be considered equivalent, to a certain extent, as drunk driving because people when drunk become unresponsive and while talking on their cell phones while driving they also become unresponsive, although not as much as drunk people but still enough to be called risky. During driving when people talk on their mobile phones, risk the lives of other people as well as they are distracted from the task at hand. After considering all the above arguments I still strongly believe that, people should not be allowed to use mobile phones while driving.Driving while talking on a cell phone is distracting as it causes many accidents each year. It is a dangerous practice and needs to be outlawed because a lot of people who have gotten into car accidents were found to be on their cell phones when the accident happened. So in conclusion, I would like to state that, laws on preventing drivers to use cell phones while driving should be implemented where there is none and laws should be made stricter where there are such laws. (751 WORDS)

Quotes From Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks

Quotes From Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was a  civil rights activist, social reformer, and racial justice advocate.  Her arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus triggered the 1965-1966 Montgomery bus boycott and became a turning point of the civil rights movement. Early Life, Work, and Marriage Parks was born Rosa McCauley in Tuskegee, Alabama, on Feb. 4, 1913. Her father, a carpenter, was James McCauley; her mother, Leona Edward McCauley, was a schoolteacher.  Her parents separated when Rosa was 2, and she moved with her mother to Pine Level, Alabama.  She became involved in the African Methodist Episcopal Church from early childhood. Parks, who as a child worked in the fields, took care of her younger brother and cleaned classrooms for school tuition.  She attended the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls and then the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes, finishing 11th grade there. She married Raymond Parks, a self-educated man, in 1932 and at his urging completed high school.  Raymond Parks was active in civil rights, raising money for the legal defense of the Scottsboro boys, a case in which nine African-American boys were accused of raping two white women.  Rosa Parks began attending meetings with her husband about the cause. She worked as a seamstress, office clerk, domestic, and nurses assistant. She was employed for a time as a secretary on a military base, where segregation wasnt permitted, but she rode to and from work on segregated buses. NAACP Activism She joined the Montgomery, Alabama, NAACP chapter in December 1943, quickly becoming secretary.  She interviewed people around Alabama about their experience of discrimination and worked with the NAACP on registering voters and desegregating transportation. She was key in organizing the Committee for Equal Justice for Recy Taylor, a young African-American woman who had been raped by six white men. In the late 1940s, Parks participated in discussions within civil rights activists about desegregating transportation. In 1953, a boycott in Baton Rouge succeeded in that cause, and the Supreme Courts decision in  Brown v. Board of Education  led to hopefulness for change. Montgomery Bus Boycott On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks was riding a bus home from her job and sat in an empty section between the rows reserved for white passengers at the front and colored passengers at the back.  The bus filled up, and she and three other black passengers were expected to relinquish their seats because a white man was left standing. She refused to move when the bus driver approached them, and he called police.  Parks was arrested for violating Alabamas segregation laws. The black community mobilized a boycott of the bus system, which lasted for 381 days and resulted in the end of segregation on Montgomerys buses. In June 1956, a judge ruled that bus transportation within a state couldnt be segregated. The U.S. Supreme Court later that year affirmed the ruling. The boycott brought national attention to the civil rights cause and to a young minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After the Boycott Parks and her husband lost their jobs for being involved in the boycott.  They moved to Detroit in August 1957 and continued their civil rights activism.  Rosa Parks went to the 1963 March on Washington, site of Kings I Have a Dream speech.  In 1964 she helped elect John Conyers of Michigan to Congress. She also marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. After Conyers election, Parks worked on his staff until 1988.  Raymond Parks died in 1977. In 1987, Parks founded a group to inspire and guide youth in social responsibility. She traveled and lectured often in the 1990s, reminding people of the history of the civil rights movement.  She came to be called the mother of the civil rights movement. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. Death and Legacy Parks continued her commitment to civil rights until her death, willingly serving as a symbol of the civil rights struggle. She died of natural causes on Oct. 24, 2005, at her Detroit home. She was 92.   After her death, she was the subject of almost a full week of tributes, including being the first woman and second African-American who has lain in honor at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Selected Quotations I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up, and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.Im tired of being treated like a second-class citizen.People always say that I didnt give up my seat because I was tired, but that isnt true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was 42. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.I knew someone had to take the first step, and I made up my mind not to move.Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it.I didnt want to pay my fare and then go around the back door, because many times, even if you did that, you might not get on the bus at all. Theyd probably shut the door, drive off, and leave you standing there. At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.Each person must live their life as a model for others.I have learned over the years that when ones mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.From the time I was a child, I tried to protest against disrespectful treatment.Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.God has always given me the strength to say what is right.Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.I do the very best I can to look ​upon life with optimism and hope and looking forward to a better day, but I dont think there is anything such as complete happiness. It pains me that there is still a lot of Klan activity and racism. I think when you say youre happy, you have everything that you need and everything that you want, and nothing more to wish for. I havent reached that stage yet.

Sociology Reflection Paper

Sociology Reflection Paper The sociology of religion is the study of how different sets of people in religious groups interact and how their behavior is influenced by these interactions. People’s religious practices, norms and behavior are influenced by interactions they have with each other in their religious groups.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology Reflection Paper specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Religion is a collective set of beliefs and practices with a spiritual foundation meant to influence people’s perceptions and behaviors. People who share similar religious ideals have collective behavior which identifies them as followers of that specific religious group. They have strong ties to fellow devotees in their religious groups. These beliefs strengthen people’s adherence to religious doctrines which define the essence of a religion. Followers of a religious group have common ways of interaction which bind th em together. They are required to perform specific roles which determine their status and power in their religious groups. They have faith in religious teachings which are strongly emphasized as sacred. Religions has a set of beliefs and practices which all members need to adhere to. Followers of different religions have to be familiar with sacred texts which spell out beliefs and their relevance. They need to satisfy various expectations by performing religious rituals and other activities which have a lot of spiritual symbolism. Members of a particular religious group are socialized to treasure various moral codes of conduct in their lives. By fulfilling moral objectives, members satisfy important tenets of their religion. The sacred aspects of religion make people interpret extra ordinary experiences differently. Any extra ordinary event is associated with a revered form of supernatural power or deity.They believe that a supernatural power guides their lives and as such, they nee d to reciprocate by devoting by their lives to the religious order they believe in. Religious sociology is important because it helps people understand the value of religion in their lives. This makes one understand the essence of religion and how it shapes human character, identity and personality. People devote their thoughts and emotions to their religion for various reasons. Therefore, this helps one understand how religion binds members of a particular society to enable them have collective practices and beliefs. People are able to understand the relationship they have with their religion and how this contributes to their existence. They are able to look at various rituals, practices and teachings rationally. This helps them understand how these religious tenets build their faith. The sociology of religion makes one to look critically at religious rituals which bind him or her with other devotees. The devotee is able to understand how these interactions shape their personality and behavior.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This subject helps a person understand the moral implications he needs to satisfy as stipulated by his or her religion. Therefore, this models an individual’s behavior to conform to acceptable societal norms and standards of behavior. Religious affiliation makes people more aware of their identity and the roles they are supposed to play within a given society. Interactions people have with each other in a particular religious group gives them a sense of belonging and identity. General beliefs which bind people within various religious groups help them focus on life and what they seek to achieve out of it. Sacred texts enable believers interpret the teachings contained therein and apply them in their own lives. Sacred texts reassure people to be more righteous in what they do to reduce their pre-occupation with materi al objects. The Rational Choice Theory argues that people are motivated by their own self interests before they choose to perform certain actions. Therefore, natural human behavior inclines people to engage in activities which have material or psychological benefits. The theory argues that people who choose to observe religious doctrines are motivated by their own individual needs. They expect to benefit from their devotion to religion by improvements in their personal welfare. This theory argues that people are rational beings who only engage in an action after assessing benefits they stand to gain. Individual human actions determine how people in a group interact with each other. Different life experiences shape human behavior and they impact on choices people make. Therefore, people make personal religious decisions based on their past experiences after assessing how these choices will work for them. This theory asserts that people opt for religious choices which give them person al satisfaction. They evaluate results they intend to achieve and come up with ways to attain them. The theory argues that human behavior is planned and this makes every individual calculate rewards and losses likely to be experienced before engaging in a particular action. People prefer to engage in actions that are naturally rewarding over those that punish them. Therefore, they are willing to devote themselves to religion to gain protection, consolation and future promises of personal prosperity. Human consciousness drives them into religion to gain recognition, status, social connections and money. This is made possible by interactions they have with other devotees who have similar aspirations. Therefore, by being active in religion, devotees achieve their own personal interests.

Case study 3 whole foods Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3 whole foods - Case Study Example Whole Food Market Inc. operations are fully supported by its headquarters, distribution centers, commissary kitchens, regional offices, meat and produce procurement centers, bake-house facilities, as well as specialized tea and coffee procurement and roasting facilities (Whole Foods Market, Inc.). Whole Food Market Inc. deals in a variety of products that include meat, sea food, grocery, catering and prepared foods, cheese, tea, beer, coffee, body care, nutritional supplements, as well as lifestyle products such as pet and household products. Whole Food Market Inc. 365 and 365 Organic Every Day Value trademarks account for more than half of its trademark products. Other trademark brands include the Whole family trademark brands such as Whole Catch, Whole Foods Market, Whole Living, Whole Paws, Whole Pantry and Whole Fields, Engine 2, Nature’s Rancher, Allegro Coffee and Well-shire Farms (Whole Foods Market, Inc.). Whole Food Market Inc. also has a specialized health approach known as Health Starts Here. This approach is based on four simple facets aimed at building better meals. These facets entail Healthy Fats, Plant Strong, Whole Food, and Nutrient Dense. All in all, Whole Food Market Inc. is devoted towards promoting a healthy living by offering products that are free from artificial preservatives, color, flavor, and chemicals (Whole Foods Market,

Retail Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail Marketing - Essay Example A good marketing mix entails place, packaging, product, promotion and price. Strategy of retailing is always first drawn in a business plan. A business plan entails information about the objective and goals of the business. The plan always embraces research over who the business’s potential customers are as well as what their necessities. The plan should consist decisions on marketing mix style, such as how the customers will acquire the products. An efficacious retail company recognizes their market, the essential of considered location, and their customers. Competition in the retail business is sometime fierce, thus, such companies need the superlative micro marketing implements or factors accessible to analyze where to locate new stores inaugurate client profiles, and regulate preeminent marketing practices in order to treasure new customers (Berman, and Evans, 30-90). Some of the factors are explained in the following paragraphs. First factor is the retail pricing. In the industry of commerce retail pricing is denoted as psychological prices. In retail marketing, the prices are always fixed and exhibited on signs. This is because when prices are not displayed clearly, there can be price discernment. This is where the price for sale relies on the customers (Berman, and Evans, 30-90). ... Using of clients patronage, more or less constantly predicts the necessity for staffing for different function. Typically necessity varies extensively. Compliant staff exploitation to staffing necessities obliges a flexible workforce that can be available when required (Kappa, 90-9). Third factor is the transfer mechanism in retail marketing. It is tremendously vital for retailers to consider the means of delivering their products to their customers. There are various means of delivering goods to consumers: Counter services, it is mostly applied where products are not accessible to clients and must be acquired from the seller. This delivery service is mostly for small costly goods such as jewelry and controlled substances such as liquor and medicine (â€Å"Turning the Retail 'Showrooming Effect' into a Value-add†). Another means of getting goods to customers is through delivery. With this service products are shipped directly to clients home or at their work (â€Å"Retail Mar keting†). Telephone ordering is common nowadays either from television advertisement, newspaper, catalog or a local restaurant menu, for instant services such pizza delivery. Lastly is the door to door marketing, where the retailer travels with products for sale (Kappa, 90-9). Fourth factor of retailing is the customer services. This is the sum of deeds and components that permit the consumers to obtain what they desire from the retailer establishment. It is advisable for sales associates to welcome customers and make themselves available to aid the customers reach what they need (â€Å"Advance marketing strategies with ROI at every step†). When customers enter into the store, it is essential that the sales associate to make sure customers feel at home,