Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse

Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"To the lighthouse† is a thoughtful novel that focuses on childhood emotions and adult relationships in a typical contemporary family. This is portrayed by different behaviors exhibited by characters of this novel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to analyze the characters of this book and show the relationship that is shared among the characters. The paper will also describe the symbolism that ties the characters together and finally it will show their development at the end of the story. Mrs. Ramsey is one of the main characters in this novel, and takes the lead role of bringing all the other characters together (Woolf 2). The writer describes her as a strong woman who acts as a mother not only to her family but also to other people surrounding her. This is shown by the roles she plays in the novel which makes her image come out as caring, loving, and a wise woman. Her figure is seen as a house where others can find shelter. Mrs. Ramsey depiction is symbolic in that she is seen as a source of light for the house where people can gather hope. Woolf uses this character to employ the technique of symbolism. She explains the need for marriage between men and women saying that marriage was a must, even though her marriage was not perfect. She tries to soften the attitude that her husband posses due to his ego. She manages to change the attitude of her husband from the action of labor sharing at the end of part one (Woolf 117). Mrs. Ramsey has the power to attract people with her beautiful looks and her passionate interaction. However, she has been criticized for damaging other people lives through her efforts to bring her family together. She tries to make people change to what she wants them to become (Woolf 43).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's s ee if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Her daughters, Prue, Nancy, and Rose disagree with her on various occasions. As a result of this disagreement, her daughters decide to take different paths in life. Mrs. Ramsey tries to show her womanhood through her activities like holding parties for dinner and raising her eight children. She displays herself as a â€Å"superwoman† who is even capable of taking men’s responsibilities. She is not satisfied with her husband’s responsibilities as a husband and as a father (Woolf 50). Mrs. Ramsey tries to expose her husband’s failure through her actions and it worries her that her husband cannot realize her efforts. The author depicts Mrs. Ramsey as a person who was able to care for all classes of people, including the rich and the poor. In addition, she cared for those people with disabilities by showing them compassion and by fighting discrimination and gender inequality. Her gender roles are shown by the soft response she gives to her husband, who is depicted as rude. She is seen as role model by other people; this is shown by mourning of her death by her family and other people (Woolf 78). Mr. Ramsey is initially seen as a brutal man who displays selfishness from the way he speaks and the words he uses to address people. After reading the novel, the reader realizes that he was suffering from his pride. He deeply interested in his achievements and his line of work. His pride wanes when he realizes he was emotionally disturbed and is forced to seek help from his wife. This is also evident in part three when he begs for sympathy from lily in absence of his wife. Mr. Ramsey exhibits dictatorial moods when in stress; these are the times when he is rescued by his wife. He struggles between being a scholar and fulfilling his domestic duties. However, with his big family, he found it difficult to concentrate on his work (Woolf 22).Advertising We wi ll write a custom essay sample on Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More James Ramsey is one of the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey. At the beginning of the novel he is seen as a child of six years who had a passion for going to the lighthouse. His father does not give him a chance to go to the lighthouse in part one; this is however different in part three when his father is forcing him to go to the light house. Woolf uses the lighthouse symbolically to depict the relationship that existed between James and his father. The motherly relationship that existed between James and his mother was so strong that he wished that she was his dad. James even has a fantasy of stabbing his father so as to replace him with his mother (Woolf 45). James is described as a normal person without any mental illness. His attitude towards his father shows how much he hated him. The return to the lighthouse is used to show the change of cha racters that was realized after the death of Mrs. Ramsey. James is seen in a reconciling mood with his father, a person he hated when his mother was alive. Lily Briscoe is an artist who keeps on painting everything that she comes around. By painting, she tries to bring out the characters of people through imagery. The relationship that exists between Lily and Mrs. Ramsey is full of criticism. Lily criticizes the idea of Mrs. Ramsey making decisions for others and not being supportive to other people’s choices. At the end of the story, Lily admired Mrs. Ramsey and wanted to be like her. The relationship that exists between lily and men is much complicated in that she does not want to be married; instead she considers marriage as personal incapability to maintain creativity. Like Mr. Ramsey, lily is faced with a dilemma of trying to define her life. Nevertheless, she uses her paintings to come up with the answers. At some instance, she makes a painting of Mrs. Ramsey, a figure she profoundly admired and a figure she wanted to emulate (Woolf 48).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Charles Tansley is a guest to Mr. Ramsey and also his student. His role in the novel is to show a boundary between different classes of people. The relationship that exists between him and Mrs. William Bankes is also invited to the summer house as a friend of Mr. Ramsey. He is widower who befriends lily. He adores Mrs. Ramsey but due to his friendship with Mr. Ramsey, he is forced to keep it down. His role in the novel is to bring out the characters of lily and Mrs. Ramsey, their stand on marriage, and the way they perceive men (Woolf 58). Augustus Carmichael is depicted as person with his own unique lifestyle. He has his own principles which he maintains throughout the story. He is the only person who is resistant to the tricky traits of Mrs. Ramsey. He is used in the novel to bring down the dominance of some characters and to neutralize the tension in the story. Through this character, the reader is able to see the human nature of Mrs. Ramsey. Symbolism has been shown by use of ce rtain words like lighthouse to show solidarity and transformation in the novel. Lighthouse as a form of solidarity has been used by the Ramsey family as way of showing their togetherness. This structure remains even after ten years showing the stability that was initiated and left by Mrs. Ramsey. The light of the house gives way to allow the family to move on even when the dark falls. Lighthouse has been used to show the source of power for the family as they gain control over the house. Waves have been used symbolically to show the obstacles faced by the characters in life. These challenges are constructive in that they make characters to be strong enough to move on, and in some occasions, they discourage the characters making them to give up. These waves reveal themselves through the behaviors adopted by some characters, like bravely or ignorance. Waves are also not permanent; they come and go meaning they do not take away what is permanent like the light in the house (Woolf 102). The window also has been used symbolically to give lily a chance to observe clearly what to paint. The paintings are her efforts to find answers about life. The window clearly portrays Mrs. Ramsey as the center stage of the whole family over which everyone can look through. Lily looks through this window when painting Mrs. Ramsey in order to see her clearly, to understand her, and to enumerate her in life (Woolf 116). Towards the end of the story, the skull has been used as a symbol of death for different characters. This happens towards the end of the novel like the death of Mrs. Ramsey. The basket that was filled with fruits shows unity, even Carmichael refuses to disturb it so as not to break that unity. The idea of Mrs. Ramsey arranging them on the table shows her as the pillar to distribute and maintain this unity (Woolf 118). In conclusion, â€Å"To the Lighthouse† is a symbolic title that is realized at the end of the story. The author chooses this to represent the fa mily unity that becomes even more concrete at the end of the book. The death of Mrs. Ramsey is painful but serves as an eye opener to her entire family. This is evident at the moment they go to the light house for the last time. It also serves to show that the family’s hope was not taken away by the demise of one of its leader. â€Å"To the Lighthouse† is Woolf’s masterpiece that brings out a story of a huge family, the relationship between the members, their disagreements, and their common grounds. Woolf, Virginia. To The Lighthouse. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.

Académie Française, the Moderator of the French Language

Acadà ©mie Franà §aise, the Moderator of the French Language The Acadà ©mie Franà §aise, often shortened and simply called  lAcadà ©mie, is an organization which moderates the French language. The primary role of the Acadà ©mie Franà §aise is to regulate the French language by determining standards of acceptable grammar and vocabulary, as well as adapting to linguistic change by adding new words and updating the meanings of existing ones. Due to the status of English in the world, the Acadà ©mies task tends to be focused on lessening the influx of English terms into French by choosing or inventing French equivalents. The Primary Function of the Acadà ©mie Officially, the Article 24 outlines that The primary function of the Acadà ©mie will be to work, with all possible care and diligence, to give our language definite rules and to make it pure, eloquent, and capable of dealing with art and science. Maintaining a Common Linguistic Heritage The Acadà ©mie fulfills this mission by publishing an official dictionary and by working with French terminological committees and other specialized organizations. Strangely, the dictionary is not sold to the general public, so the Acadà ©mies work must be incorporated into society by the creation of laws and regulations by the above-mentioned organizations. Perhaps the most notorious example of this occurred when the Acadà ©mie chose the official translation of email. Obviously, this is all done with the expectation that French speakers will take these new regulations into consideration, and in this way, a common linguistic heritage can theoretically be maintained among French speakers around the world. In reality, this is not always the case. Created by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635 The Acadà ©mie Franà §aise was created by Cardinal Richelieu under Louis XIII in 1635, and the first Dictionnaire de lAcadà ©mie ranà §aise was published in 1694 with 18,000 terms. The most recent complete edition, the 8th, was finished in 1935 and contains 35,000 words. The next edition is currently underway. Volumes I and II were published in 1992 and 2000, respectively, and between them cover A to Mappemonde. When complete, the 9th edition of the Acadà ©mies dictionary will include approximately 60,000 words. Its important to note that this is not a definitive dictionary, as it generally excludes archaic, offensive, slang, specialized and regional vocabulary. Linguistic and Literary Patronage The secondary mission of the Acadà ©mie Franà §aise is that of linguistic and literary patronage. This was not part of the original purpose of lAcadà ©mie, but thanks to grants and bequests, the Acadà ©mie now offers about 70 literary prizes per year. It also awards scholarships and subsidies to literary and scientific societies, charities, large families, widows, underprivileged persons and those who have distinguished themselves by courageous acts. Peer-Elected Members Essentially a linguistic jury, the Acadà ©mie franà §aise is a group of 40 peer-elected members, commonly known as Les Immortels  or  Les Quarante. Being chosen as an Immortel is considered a supreme honor and, except in extreme cases, is a life-long commitment.Since the creation of lAcadà ©mie Franà §aise, there have been more than 700 Immortels who were  chosen for their creativity, talent, intelligence and, of course, particular linguistic adeptness. This range of authors, poets, theater people, philosophers, doctors, scientists, ethnologists, art critics, soldiers, statesmen and churchmen assembles at lAcadà ©mie into a unique group of people who make decisions on how French words should be used by analyzing how they actually are, creating new terms, and determining the beneficiaries of the various awards, scholarships, and subsidies.In October 2011, the Acadà ©mie launched an interactive feature called Dire, Ne pas dire on their website in the hopes of bringing pure French to the cyber masses.

Human Wisdom and Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Wisdom and Advertisements - Essay Example Advertisers are sophists. In any given advertisement, the main aim is to convince the buyer that the product is perfect in order for the buyer to buy it. Instead of most advertisers to advertise a product on the basis of the truth, most of them use persuasive tactics. Sophistic advertisements include power point presentations on TV, Web sites content which contain three-dimensional photographs of the products. Advertisements are sophistic since they aim at appealing to the target consumers. Unsophistic advertisements showroom presentations of products and newsletter advertisements (Craig 289). Lesson four Similarities between Stoics & AquinasTop of Form Bottom of Form . The development of natural law has been attributed to Stoic. Stoicism arose in Hellenistic period. Both Stoics and Aquinas believe human beings have a soul which is capable of perception.  Both philosophies agree that human beings have the capacity to assent or resent to presentations made (Craig 28). Both identify God with nature where nature hold cosmos together and cause terrestrial things. Both philosophies consider ethical goals as the kind of life which is consistent with cosmos. Both Stoics and Aquinas recognize that humans have intellectual capabilities which guide them in their moral choices. According to the two philosophies, society wellbeing includes acts which promote co-existence and human wellbeing (Craig 39). Lesson five Aquinas moral philosophy has strengthened my thoughts on personal philosophy. It has supported my thoughts on morality and ethics. According to my thinking, we cannot achieve total happiness in the world since happiness is supernatural and consists of union with God. In order to achieve happiness in life, we must have certain moral virtues which guide us in seeking it in a consistent way. Living things also comprise of matter and substantial form and seek their own perfection (Craig 90). According to my experience, members of the same species have different deg ree of maturity and ability. For instance, adults have more developed cognitive capabilities than a child who is in line with Aquinas philosophy. According to Aquinas, human wellbeing consists of doing acts that are in accordance to human nature and intellectual limitations may prevent us from doing what in good. For instance, mad men commit murder due to their intellectual limitation. Aquinas philosophy emphasis on need of prudence in judgments which is wisdom in human affairs and the reason for the actions. Lesson six Thought experiments are mental hypothesis which are used by philosophers to illuminate dense ideas (Craig 326). Most of them communicate in narrative form or in diagrams. Their role is to increase the man’s understanding of nature. The prisoner’s dilemma is one of the thought experiences I have used before. It analyzes who two individuals may refuse to cooperate when it is in the best interest of them to do so. In this thought experience, two men are ar rested by a police officer without enough evidence to convict them. The police officer separates them and offers them a good deal whereby one should testify against them other. If one betrays the other and the other remains silent, the betrayer is set free while the co-operator is jailed for one year. If both remain silent, they are jailed for

Virtual communities Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Virtual communities - Article Example t block or the other side of planet of any individual who is a part of a computer-mediated social group, as well as the potential benefits for personal or societal wellbeing of belonging to such communities. From virtual discussion blogs, networking communities and play-station networks to virtual shops, jobs, and even virtual classrooms, this widespread medium is phenomenal for bringing about such a greater sense of community. This concept/term has become so pervasive in its use that there is a propensity to blend all social activity into a sole concept and disregard the diversity of virtual frameworks (Renninger 2002, p.293). The World Wide Web has made it simpler for individuals to form virtual communities. Geographically dispersed, these communities are used for multiple social and professional groups to hold discussions, share activities, and build strong ties among members; they have become central to motivating people to get wired. There are many examples of virtual communities that serve different purposes and target different segments. For instance, for independent contractors and consultants, About.com is a key example of a virtual community that can be utilized to assist a distributed workforce. This community provides discussion platforms, online training, and other resource areas for assistance. Moreover, another example of a virtual community is BlackPlanet.com, which specifically caters to the African American society. It allows the Black minority to interact, by offering email, free personal pages, chat rooms, forums, news, instant messaging, and Internet telephony, as well as online events and special promotions. Furthermore, this community features online channels which cover a variety of topics, like career, health, money, politics, news, music, beauty, love, sex, and spirituality etc.; it also has a ‘Black Expressions’ book club (McKay 2000, p.157). Virtual communities go far and beyond to cover all segments, for example, for gaming and

Working arrangements at Richer Sounds Essay Example for Free

Working arrangements at Richer Sounds Essay The majority of the people Richer Sounds employ are employed on a permanent basis. All these people are issued with a written contract of employment. Permanent workers are given a 20 day paid holiday each year, this increase after six years by 1 day extra holiday per year, so if they work for 10 years they can get up to 25 days paid holiday a year. They are also entitled to sick pay, where they will be paid their normal wage for the first 10 days, then half of the wage for the next 20 days and after 30 days they will need to claim for government statutory sick pay. People who come to work on a temporary basis wouldnt be issued with a written contract of employment. Temporary employment is mainly done during busy periods such as Christmas, where colleges will be employed for a short time and their work will end as soon as the sale period is over.  Most colleagues in Richer Sounds work full time although their hours vary, because not all stores have taken the new working arrangement, which is to work from 12 noon to 7pm. A normal working week will be a total of 42.5 hours per week and for the stores who have changed to the new working arrangement it will be less. Contract of employment The contract is a written legally binding document provided by the employer for employee, the contract states in detail of what the employees terms and conditions are.  The terms of employment for colleagues in Richer Sounds are that they obey the rules of employment and codes of conduct; these are the two main and most important terms in Richer Sounds. The rules of employment are split into two sections. Section A are rules that Richer Sounds have decided for the company and section B are rules for the colleagues of Richer Sounds. Richer Sounds Advertise for new colleagues by advertising their vacancies within every edition of the in-store catalogue and website. Usually these vacancies are for needs of new sales person or need of new employees to work in the departments. This generates ongoing applications (CVs) from many interested people. If there are no vacancies at the time, then the company keeps a record of all the people who have applied for Richer Sounds, for a max of six months. These adverts saves the company major amounts of money, because if they were to publish it on the newspaper then they would have to pay a certain amount of money to the newspaper company, therefore the idea of publishing vacancy adverts on their catalogues and website is a really good way to save money. If the company doesnt receive any phone calls or reply from any people regarding an interest in the job, then the company will have to publish the ad in the newspapers, this way a wider range of people would be able to view it. Colleagues in Richer Sounds are also advised to introduce his/her friends or relatives to the business; however these applicants must also follow the same rules of the application process as all others do. Richer Sounds Advertise for new colleagues by advertising their vacancies within every edition of the in-store catalogue and website. Usually these vacancies are for needs of new sales person or need of new employees to work in the departments. This generates ongoing applications (CVs) from many interested people. If there are no vacancies at the time, then the company keeps a record of all the people who have applied for Richer Sounds, for a max of six months. These adverts saves the company major amounts of money, because if they were to publish it on the newspaper then they would have to pay a certain amount of money to the newspaper company, therefore the idea of publishing vacancy adverts on their catalogues and website is a really good way to save money. If the company doesnt receive any phone calls or reply from any people regarding an interest in the job, then the company will have to publish the ad in the newspapers, this way a wider range of people would be able to view it.  Colleagues in Richer Sounds are also advised to introduce his/her friends or relatives to the business; however these applicants must also follow the same rules of the application process as all others do.

Glitches :: essays research papers

How to glitch Halo 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is a glitch? What is Halo 2? Halo 2 is a video game that is played on the XBOX gaming console. It is a first-person shooter with beautiful landscapes and environments. In every environment there are limits and boundaries as to what you can do and where you can go. A glitch is when you find a way around these limits and boundaries. There are many glitches in Halo 2, but the one we will learn is how to get out of the environment called â€Å"Burial Mounds.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Halo 2 there are walls around every environment. To build these walls, programmers make a boundary that you cannot pass through and then they assign it a color and/or texture to make it look like a real wall. The obvious solution to getting out of an environment would be to simply find a way over these walls. That was the case in the prequel to Halo 2 called Halo, but in Halo 2 the programmers did not want gamers to get out of the environments so they built invisible walls above the visible ones so that it looks like there is just one wall, but really there are two walls stacked on top of each other. To make these invisible walls they simply make a boundary and do not assign a color to it. These invisible walls worked very well, but there was one problem with them; they did not make a complete circle around the environment. The invisible walls have two ends that meet together somewhere in the environment and leave a small â€Å"hole† between each end. Fi nding this hole and getting through it is how we will glitch Burial Mounds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Step one is to setup the proper game. Turn your XBOX on with Halo 2 inside. When the main menu appears select the â€Å"Settings† option. A submenu will appear and you will need to select the â€Å"Game Variants† option. Once you have done this a list of game options will appear and you will scroll down the list and change these options as such: Level – Burial Mounds Game Type – Juggernaut Over shields – On Once you have done this press the back button until you are at the main menu again. Now choose the option â€Å"Multiplayer.† When you get to the multiplayer submenu you will need a partner to join the game with you because this glitch requires two players. Glitches :: essays research papers How to glitch Halo 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is a glitch? What is Halo 2? Halo 2 is a video game that is played on the XBOX gaming console. It is a first-person shooter with beautiful landscapes and environments. In every environment there are limits and boundaries as to what you can do and where you can go. A glitch is when you find a way around these limits and boundaries. There are many glitches in Halo 2, but the one we will learn is how to get out of the environment called â€Å"Burial Mounds.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Halo 2 there are walls around every environment. To build these walls, programmers make a boundary that you cannot pass through and then they assign it a color and/or texture to make it look like a real wall. The obvious solution to getting out of an environment would be to simply find a way over these walls. That was the case in the prequel to Halo 2 called Halo, but in Halo 2 the programmers did not want gamers to get out of the environments so they built invisible walls above the visible ones so that it looks like there is just one wall, but really there are two walls stacked on top of each other. To make these invisible walls they simply make a boundary and do not assign a color to it. These invisible walls worked very well, but there was one problem with them; they did not make a complete circle around the environment. The invisible walls have two ends that meet together somewhere in the environment and leave a small â€Å"hole† between each end. Fi nding this hole and getting through it is how we will glitch Burial Mounds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Step one is to setup the proper game. Turn your XBOX on with Halo 2 inside. When the main menu appears select the â€Å"Settings† option. A submenu will appear and you will need to select the â€Å"Game Variants† option. Once you have done this a list of game options will appear and you will scroll down the list and change these options as such: Level – Burial Mounds Game Type – Juggernaut Over shields – On Once you have done this press the back button until you are at the main menu again. Now choose the option â€Å"Multiplayer.† When you get to the multiplayer submenu you will need a partner to join the game with you because this glitch requires two players.

Managing diverse workforce Essay

Workforce diversity includes the obvious differences we see when we look around: race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion and ethnicity. But it’s also the less obvious traits, the subtle differences that often register with us unconsciously, such as socioeconomic status, marital status, educational background, language, accent and appearance. We all have something that makes us unique, some special talent or ability that we bring to the table that differentiates us from our colleagues. That’s diversity at its best. Sourcing and managing people from a diverse background have become a critical part of an employment and management strategy. Workers who vary in age, gender, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background or culture, ethnicity and language, make a positive contribution to an organization’s workforce — they’re an asset to organization culture and the bottom line as companies and managers are realizing every day that passes. There is a common belief that a diverse workforce brings innovative and creative solutions to an organization from ‘outside the box’. An effective corporate diversity program is a powerful way to gain a competitive advantage and stand apart from competition. It can’t be overstated that diverse workforce brings real bottom-line value to any organization. Diverse workforce allows organizations to break barriers, attract new customers and build customer-base and help form strategic alliances with partners across the globe by having better knowledge of the target markets and establishing better communication capabilities and having ability to communicate in a variety of languages including understanding of cultural differences. Just over half of the employers polled in Canada said they anticipate a shortage of quali? ed workers in the next ? ve years and approximately 67% believe they currently have a more diverse workforce than 5 years ago. These forward-thinking companies are not only placing an emphasis on making a positive contribution to their workforce – but on their bottom line. Source:Randstad Despite Workforce diversity is becoming common phenomenon across Canada, managers of today are increasingly facing the challenges of handling a diverse workforce and being sensitive to this diversity (Tjosvold, 1985). The rationale behind this research is to understand challenges organizations are facing as a result of managing diverse workforce. Additionally the research would try to look into various ways managers can overcome these challenges and make managing diverse workforce a real success. The concept of managing diversity originated in America following the growing need to manage cross-cultural and individual differences in an increasingly diverse demographic workforce (Cox & Blake, 1991). In Canada, immigration and large numbers of women entering the workforce promoted diversity management efforts since the 1990s, although the workplace composition differs from that in the USA (Miller & A. Rowney, 1999). Experts (Fernandez, 1993; Rice, 1994; Carnevale and Stone, 1994) indicate that business owners and managers who hope to create and manage an effective, harmonious multicultural workforce should remember the importance of the following: Setting a good example: This basic tool can be particularly valuable for small business owners who hope to establish a healthy environment for people of different cultural backgrounds. This is because they are generally able to wield significant control over the business basic outlook and atmosphere. The leaders must exhibit strong commitment to addressing issues like myths, stereotypes, and real cultural differences, as well as organizational barriers that interfere with the full contribution of all employees. Communicate in Writing: Organization policies that explicitly forbid prejudice and discriminatory behavior should be included in employee manual, mission statement and other written communications. Diversity should be a super-ordinate goal instead of a goal assigned to individual group. Training Programs: Awareness and skill building training programs provides information on cultural norms of different groups and how they may affect work behavior. New employee orientation programs are ideal for introducing workers to organization’s expectation regarding treatment of fellow workers irrespective of their cultural or ethnic background. Recognize individual differences: There are number of dimensions around human relationships. These include but not limited to: acceptance of power equality, desire for orderliness and structure; the need to belong to a wider group etc. Difference should not be assumed to be cultural. Other sources are personality, aptitude or competence ( Goffee, 1997). Actively seek input from Minority workers: Seeking opinions of minority groups and their involvement on important matters is beneficial not only because of the contributions they can make but also as it sends a message that they are valued by the organization. Revamp reward system: An organizations performance appraisal and reward system should encourage and reinforce effective diversity management. Flexible Work environment: Cox (1994) indicated that flexible work environment could be highly beneficial for and to people of non-traditional cultural background because their approaches to problems are more likely to be different from past norms. Continuous Monitoring: Experts recommend that business owners and managers establish and maintain systems and routines that can continually monitor the organization’s policies and practices to ensure that it continues to be a good environment for all employees. Periodic surveys should be conducted by management to understand employee’s needs (Jorgensen, 1993). Impact of Diversity on Organizational Culture: Hill and Jones defined organizational culture as those set of norms, values, and attitude that defined the way the employees of an organization behaved and interacted with each other and with others outside their organization (Hill and Jones, 2001). Organizational culture has been seen as instrumental in impacting individual employees in an organization. A positive organizational culture promotes diversity by taking advantage of diverse talent pool as well as intellectual capital whereas a negative organizational culture will stifle and discriminate against diversity and thus affect the work environment and consequently the employee productivity (Chatman and Spataro, 2005). Thomas identified that organizational culture is responsible for the systematic and planned way in which a diverse workforce is managed in an organization and their skill sets are put to use for the benefit of the business (Thomas, 1992). With dramatic adoption of diversity as a value-add across number of organizations, it’s become important to make sure organizational culture promotes workplace diversity. It means extensively analyzing a organization’s current culture and changing those parts that limit cultural diversity. Also, it means recruiting new employees for the skills they can bring to the organization rather than their cultural homogeneity. Lastly, it means working with a management team to help them understand that cultural diversity is a business issue, and their own careers will benefit from enabling their employees to reach their full potential (â€Å"Managing Diversity†, 1999). Diversity management contains three (3) components: 1. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action programs direct attention to laws that guide recruitment and promotion. 2. Valuing differences centers on interpersonal qualities that shape management’s relationships with their employees. 3. Managing diversity focuses on the diverse quality of employees’ work-life needs such as childcare, family leave, and flexible holiday schedules. It requires setting policies and procedures that empowers managers to meet employees’ needs (Galagan, 1999; Jenner, 1994; Wilkinson, 1999). â€Å"Managing diversity is managing human resource needs,† says Ben Harrison. ( Jenner, 1994). Human resource personnel alone can’t do the work of managing diversity. All levels of managers should implement programs designed to heighten awareness of cultural differences, foster appreciation for these differences, and identify the commonalties among the various ethnic groups. Managing diversity is an effort that will involve all members of the organization In order to reap the fruits of diversity. The process should start by including managing diversity into the overall strategy, this will promote cultural synergy and effectively integrating the better elements associated with multiple cultures. This tactic will help in aiding of identifying and implementing of new practices in companies with diverse units. Steps to be taken to begin managing diversity are: 1. Assess your organization’s needs by conducting an organizational audit to determine which diversity problems exist. The audit should consist of surveys, interviews, focus groups, or a combination of these. 2. One should learn all s(he) can by exposing him/herself to different types of people, for this can reduce Stereotyping. 3. Strengthen top management’s  commitment level. White males control the resources and feel most of the fear; therefore, they should be informed of the importance of their involvement, for this can reduce if not eliminate their fear. 4. Develop new selection criteria that include personality characteristics. Promote cultural synergy by effectively integrating the better elements associated with multiple cultures. 5. Invest in communication training to reduce prejudice and develop 6. Choose solutions that balance strategy to achieve the organization’s goals. 7. Build diversity into your leadership team: You must plan for the development and promotion of your employees. 8. Look for ways to adjust your organization to your workers. This means the organization’s culture should be employee oriented. Instituting flexible management systems to accommodate diverse workers can do this. This includes job sharing, flextime, and separate reward and benefit systems. (â€Å"Managing Diversity†, 1999,Galagan, 1999;Nelton, 2000) Conclusion At the end of the day appreciating diversity in people means recognizing, accepting, and supporting their differences. In addition, properly managing diversity means creating an environment that takes advantage of the different characteristics of everyone, which is in the best interest of the organization and the employee. The concept of managing diversity was developed as a result of the changing demographics of workforces, imperfections of Affirmative Action programs, and discrimination laws. Managing diversity involves consumption of all program and resources to building systems and a culture that unite different people in a common pursuit without undermining their diversity. It differs from solely using from Affirmative Action programs or other of its kind, because it creates an environment where all individuals can contribute to their maximum potential. Attaining support from top management is the most important implementing step in the process, which is necessary to ensure success. Additionally, it reduces the fears of the dominant group. Through the use of all valuing diversity, managing diversity and affirmative action companies create a qualified, diverse work force that appropriately reflects the demographics of its communities.

Nonsampling or Systematic Errors

Nonsampling errors can occur both in a sample survey and in a census. Such errors occur because of human mistakes and not chance. The errors that occur in the collection, recording, and tabulation of data are called nonsampling errors. Nonsampling errors occur because of human mistakes and not chance. Nonsampling errors can be minimized if questions are prepared carefully and data are handled cautiously. Many types of systematic errors or biases can occur in a survey, including selection error, nonresponse error, response error, and voluntary response error.The following chart shows the types of errors. (i) Selection Error: When we need to select a sample, we use a list of elements from which we draw a sample, and this list usually does not include many members of the target population. Usually it is not feasible to include every member of the target population in this list. This list of members of the population that is used to select a sample is called the sampling frame. Thus, the sampling frame that is used to select a sample may not be representative of the population. This may cause the sample results to be different from the population results.The error that occurs because the sampling frame is not representative of the population is called the selection error. If a sample is nonrandom (and, hence, non representative), the sample results may be quite different from the census results. (ii) Nonresponse Error: Even if our sampling frame and, consequently, the sample are representative of the population, nonresponse error may occur because many of the people included in the sample did not respond to the survey. This type of error occurs especially when a survey is conducted by mail.A lot of people do not return the questionnaires. It has been observed that families with low and high incomes do not respond to surveys by mail. Consequently, such surveys over represent middle-income families. This kind of error may also occur in a telephone survey. Many people may not be home when the interviewer calls. This may distort the results. To avoid the nonresponse error, every effort should be made to contact all people included in the survey. (iii) Response Error: The response error occurs when the answer given by a person included in the survey is not correct.This may happen for many reasons. One reason is that the respondent may not have understood the question. Thus, the wording of the question may have caused the respondent to answer incorrectly. It has been observed that when the same question is worded differently, many people do not respond the same way. The answers given by respondents may differ depending on the race of the interviewer. (iv) Voluntary Response Error: Another source of systematic error is a survey based on a voluntary response sample.The polls conducted based on samples of readers of magazines and newspapers suffer from voluntary response error or bias. Usually only those readers who have very strong opinions about the issues involved respond to such surveys. Surveys in which the respondents are required to call some telephone numbers also suffer from this type of error. Here, to participate, many times a respondent have to pay for the call and many people do not want to bear this cost. Consequently, the sample is usually neither random nor representative of the target population because participation is voluntary.

How the Meiji Restoration Ended Shogunal Rule in Japan

How the Meiji Restoration Ended Shogunal Rule in Japan The Meiji Restoration was a political and social revolution in Japan from 1866 to 1869 that ended the power of the Tokugawa shogun and returned the Emperor to a central position in Japanese politics and culture. It is named for Mutsuhito, the Meiji Emperor, who served as the figurehead for the movement. Background to the Meiji Restoration When Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. steamed into Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) in 1853 and demanded that Tokugawa Japan allow foreign powers access to trade, he unwittingly started a chain of events that led to Japans rise as a modern imperial power. Japans political elites realized that the U.S. and other countries were ahead in terms of military technology, and (quite rightly) felt threatened by western imperialism. After all, mighty Qing China had been brought to its knees by Britain fourteen years earlier in the First Opium War, and would soon lose the Second Opium War as well. Rather than suffer a similar fate, some of Japans elites sought to close the doors even tighter against foreign influence, but the more foresighted began to plan a modernization drive. They felt that it was important to have a strong Emperor at the center of Japans political organization to project Japanese power and fend off Western imperialism. The Satsuma/Choshu Alliance In 1866, the daimyo of two southern Japanese domains- Hisamitsu of Satsuma Domain and Kido Takayoshi of Choshu Domain- formed an alliance against the Tokugawa Shogunate that had ruled from Tokyo in the Emperors name since 1603. The Satsuma and Choshu leaders sought to overthrow the Tokugawa shogun and place the Emperor Komei into a position of real power. Through him, they felt that they could more effectively meet the foreign threat. However, Komei died in January 1867, and his teenaged son Mutsuhito ascended to the throne as the Meiji Emperor on Feb. 3, 1867. On Nov. 19, 1867, Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned his post as the fifteenth Tokugawa shogun. His resignation officially transferred power to the young emperor, but the shogun wouldnt give up actual control of Japan so easily. When Meiji (coached by the Satsuma and Choshu lords) issued an imperial decree dissolving the house of Tokugawa, the shogun had no choice but to resort to arms. He sent his samurai army toward the imperial city of Kyoto, intending to capture or depose the emperor. The Boshin War On Jan. 27, 1868, Yoshinobus troops clashed with samurai from the Satsuma/Choshu alliance; the four-day long Battle of Toba-Fushimi ended in a serious defeat for the bakufu and touched off the Boshin War (literally, the Year of the Dragon War). The war lasted until May of 1869, but the emperors, troops with their more modern weaponry and tactics, had the upper hand from the start. Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrendered to Saigo Takamori of Satsuma and handed over Edo Castle on April 11, 1869. Some of the more committed samurai and daimyo fought on for another month from strongholds in the far north of the country, but it was clear that the Meiji Restoration was unstoppable. Radical Changes of the Meiji Era Once his power was secure, the Meiji Emperor (or more precisely, his advisors among the former daimyo and the oligarchs) set about refashioning Japan into a powerful modern nation. They: Abolished the four-tiered class structureEstablished a modern conscript army that used Western-style uniforms, weapons, and tactics in place of the samuraiOrdered universal elementary education for boys and girlsSet out to improve manufacturing in Japan, which had been based on textiles and other such goods, shifting instead to heavy machinery and weapons manufacturing. In 1889, the emperor issued the Meiji Constitution, which made Japan into a constitutional monarchy modeled on Prussia. Over the course of just a few decades, these changes took Japan from being a semi-isolated island nation threatened by foreign imperialism, to being an imperial power in its own right. Japan seized control of Korea, defeated Qing China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 to 95, and shocked the world by defeating the Tsars navy and army in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 to 05. Blending Ancient and Modern to Build Anew The Meiji Restoration is sometimes characterized as a coup detat or revolution ending the shogunal system for modern Western governmental and military methods. Historian Mark Ravina has suggested that the leaders who created the events of 1866–69 did not do so only to emulate Western practices but also to restore and revive older Japanese institutions. Rather than a clash between modern and traditional methods, or between Western and Japanese practices, says Ravina, it was the result of a struggle to bridge those dichotomies and create new institutions that could evoke both Japanese uniqueness and Western progress.   And it didnt happen in a vacuum. At the time a global political transformation was underway, involving the rise of nationalism and nation-states. The long-established multi-ethnic empires- Ottoman, Qinq, Romanov, and Hapsburg- were all deteriorating, to be replaced by nation states who asserted a specific cultural entity. A Japanese nation-state was seen as vital as a defense against foreign predation. Although the Meiji Restoration caused a lot of trauma and social dislocation in Japan, it also enabled the country to join the ranks of world powers in the early 20th century. Japan would go on to ever greater power in East Asia until the tides turned against it in World War II. Today, however, Japan remains the third largest economy in the world, and a leader in innovation and technology- thanks in large part to the reforms of the Meiji Restoration. Resources and Further Reading Beasley, W.G. The Meiji Restoration. Stanford University, 2019.Craig, Albert M. Choshu in the Meiji Restoration. Lexington, 2000.Ravina, Mark. To Stand With the Nations of the World: Japans Meiji Restoration in World History. Oxford University, 2017.Wilson, George M. â€Å"Plots and Motives in Japans Meiji Restoration.† Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 25, no. 3, July 1983, pp. 407-427.

2 Easy Ways to Coach Yourself into Happiness and Success

2 Easy Ways to Coach Yourself into Happiness and Success A lot of people nowadays are hiring life coaches to provide them with accountability and structure in creating a fulfilling life. It’s easy to get complacent, and we are often not our own best coaches. But not everyone can afford a life coach, and even those who can might get coaching for a year then go back to being â€Å"self-coached.† In this month’s Success Magazine, an inspiring article about self-coaching (Be Your Own Life Coach) offered two exercises that will help you coach yourself- if you put them into action, of course. Both options were suggested by coach Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D. Option #1: Did I do my best to†¦ Here’s the first exercise: Ask yourself each day: Did I do my best to†¦ Set clear goals? Make progress toward goal achievement? Be happy? Find meaning? Build positive relationships? Be fully engaged? When I read this list, I liked it so much that I put it on my calendar to complete at 9pm every night. I am on day 3 and grateful for the ritual! I have shared the exercise with friends as well, and they have enjoyed going through the list for themselves at the end of a day. I encourage you to join me and try answering these questions every day for two weeks. At the end of those two weeks, ask yourself in how many areas you are seeing improvement. I’d love to hear a report! Option #2: Daily Question Process With this exercise, your first project is to come up with 20 to 30 questions relating to your goals and who you want to be. The questions must have either yes/no or number answers. Keep them short and easily answered. And spin them toward the positive! For instance, â€Å"How much do I weigh?† â€Å"How many minutes did I meditate today?† â€Å"Did I treat my employees well?† â€Å"Did I make time to spend with my family?† (You would not write questions like, â€Å"Did I eat too much today?† â€Å"Was I stressed out?† Notice how much your energy dropped just reading those questions!) Put your positively-framed questions in the first column of a spreadsheet, then write the days of the week in the next 6 columns. Although not specified in the description offered, I would put a final column for a rating of your quality of life for the week, with a scale from 1 to 10 (I can’t bring myself to suggest a 0 as another person suggested in describing a self-coaching journal!) Once you create your spreadsheet for the week, you will have a scorecard that will reveal, over time, what activities lead you toward fulfillment and the life you want. Of course you can change your questions over time as you meet certain goals and have others change. Here’s the rub†¦ If you were hoping there would be a self-coaching technique that would not require your thinking or writing about something every day, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. As much as I wish I could have a single thought and change my life, I must accept that it’s daily check-ins and accountability that truly create change. Since human beings are notoriously unaccountable to ourselves, I suggest putting a system into place and having someone to whom you report on your daily self-coaching activities. I put my â€Å"Did I do my best to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  exercise on my calendar, and I have a friend I talk to at least once/week about how I’m doing. Consider creating a dinner-time ritual with your family to discuss how you’re doing, or even a check-in at the office! You can create a life-coaching group for yourself! There are many possibilities of how to stay honest as you take on self-coaching. What are your ideas of how to do this? Will you take on one of the exercises offered here? Please share below!

Chemical Industry Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chemical Industry Safety - Essay Example After review of the availed data, safety parameters in a chemical industry was reached at as the main project goal. Analysis of these parameters was divided into four categories. These are risks the chemicals impose on human lives, measures necessary to avoid chemical risks, fire and explosion prevention and general safety within the factories. The recommendation from the study was a challenge to the Saudi government to ensure relevant industrial laws are enforced. It is important to note that Saudi Arabia has made significant growth economic wise, an important aspect which can be attributed to the firm industrial base. Saudi Arabia has emerged to be among the few countries in the region that are in full support of their industrial sector. One of the beneficiaries of this support are the chemical industries which have significantly grown throughout the years courtesy of a supportive Saudi government. In spite of all these, the chemical industries have posed to be among the most delicate industries in terms of safety due to the various hazardous chemicals dealt with. A part from this being a major concern, research has proven that accidents in industries are being caused by: human errors, working environment and poor management in terms of safety. It is conclusive to say that productivity of various industries is largely dependent on the safety of employees. Safety is therefore paramount and should be handled above any other thing.