Incarceration Essay Example for Free

Incarceration Essay There has been a lot of discussion regarding the prison population in the United States but little efforts have been engaged in regard to the transformations observed in the composition of the jail population. The law enforcement agents are under obligation by the federal, state, and local authorities to arrest and confine individuals who are criminal suspects. It is the duty of our judicial system to imprison individuals who are crime convicts. The confinement that is imposed on individuals whether prior to or after conviction is what is referred to as incarceration. Any person irrespective of race, color, sex, and age is subject to incarceration at least in theory according to the constitution. Studies have however continued to show increasing imbalance in our penal institutions as more African Americans and Hispanics continue to account to a slightly larger percentage in comparison to the whites. This paper shall present an analysis of the structural inequality as observed in the judicial system within the United States. Structural Inequality: Structural inequality is something that is affecting virtually all societies around the world. This phenomenon however does not stem from the variations amongst individuals as generally thought, but it can be attributed to the meanings and values that individuals hold in regard to these variations. These values and meanings become systemized and thus the foundation of inequality in our society. The society becomes stratified based on differences between the individuals. This leads to a hierarchical society where prejudicial values and attitudes are developed which affects the views held by the different categories of individuals (Bartels-Ellis, 2010). The US is among the world’s most leading jailers with a rating of 750 imprisonments in every 100,000 individuals (Williams, 2009). The prison population is however disproportional with African Americans and the Hispanics and other minority groups accounting for a larger percentage compared to the majority whites. It is estimated that over 60% of the prison population is from the minority groups. The imbalance in the incarcerated population has been attributed to the war against drugs that has gained momentum in the recent past. This has had a toll on the minority groups though studies have continued to indicate that drug use is also a significant phenomenon amongst the whites. The judicial system has therefore been accused of racist discrimination when it comes to matters of fair and effective judgment (Williams, 2009). Racial Bias in the Judicial System: Racial inequalities have been observed when it comes to judicial matters in the United States. There are great variations in the incarceration of different racial groups that make up the population of the US (Martel, 2008). Studies have continued to reveal the unending trend of disparities in the criminal justice system as revealed by the United States Census Bureau in 2000. According to the Bureau, there is un-proportional representation in the incarceration within the US penal institutions which happens to favor the whites. As of the year 2000, out of close to 2 million adult prisoners, 63% were from the minority groups including the African Americans and Latinos. Such disparities are in contravention of the general population as it has been established that the minority groups account for only 25% of the general population (Human Rights Watch, 2002). Statistics: According to Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), in every twenty blacks aged over 18, one is likely to be in prison whereas for the whites, the imprisonment rate is put at one in every 180 individuals. The African Americans and the Hispanics comprise of about 2/3 of the prison population. As of the year 2001, African American males and Hispanic males had a higher chance of being imprisoned compared to the whites. The blacks had a 32. 2% chance; Hispanics 17. 2% chance; whereas the whites had a 6% chance. In the year 2003, African American prisoners accounted for a larger portion of those serving a term of more than one year at 44% of the prison population followed by the whites at 35% whereas the Hispanics accounted for the remaining 19% (Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation, 2010).

Strategies for Effective Succession Planning

Strategies for Effective Succession Planning Abstract Most managers know that talented people are hard to find. If managers try to replace current employees, they often find that recruiting comparably qualified employees from outside the company may cost much more than keeping current employees. Companies will face problems when employees retire and take with them the knowledge and experiences. Succession planning is about filling the organizations talent pipeline and building internal bench strength. This paper through qualitative analysis, literature research and inductive methods of analysis, based on this study constitute the framework of dissertation. In this paper I try to explain effective succession plans and how to institute a succession plan. By citing some cases of some popular companies to explain why companies need succession plans and how these plans affect companies. Succession plan helps to ensure leadership continuity in key positions, retain and develop future intellectual and knowledge capital. Companies may face seri ous human resources crisis. By writing this research paper I realize no matter I am an employee or employer, I should always consider the future. The world is changing fast, only if I prepare for the change in the future can I chase the pace of the world. Keyword: succession planning, continuity, replacement, effect, HR crisis Introduction More and more managers are complaining that they cannot find satisfied employees to fill the void in working positions. When some excellent employees leave their companies, its hard to recruit new employees who are competent to the jobs. In todays fast-paced world, organizations cant miss a beat, especially when it involves their people. The reason that these organizations are facing this dilemma is they dont prepare well for the future. Its a disaster when organizations cannot get the right people to replace the positions in time. However, some famous companies like Microsoft, Intel and Apple; they seldom face this kind of problem. Lets take a look at how these well-know corporations deal with this. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, has always had to leave his job because his health state. Usually a company will be affected by the absence of its CEO. However, during his absence, Apple maintained operated smoothly and successfully. Even nobody has questioned: What will Apple do without Steve? Over the last 40 years, Intel has maintained a high level of growth and creation while it has transited through five CEOs. Paul Otellini, Intels current CEO, had been working at Intel for more than 30 years before becoming CEO, and his supervisors have devoted their whole careers time at this company. Innovation and predictability have become the characteristic of the Intel. On the other hand, the replacement of Bill Gates at Microsoft was a schemed case that cost Microsoft more than eight years to complete. The long-term strategy would give Microsoft a chance to absorb new managers into the management level and provide the guarantee which both customers and investors are looking for. (Douglas Welton, 2009) In fact, not only these companies, all the successful companies use a helpful tool to maintain high-quality continuity in leadership. This wonderful tool is calledsuccession planning, thats the key point why they can operate successfully all the time. Main body Background In previous years, labor in the United States was plentiful and taken for granted. Managers had lots of time to evaluate and prepare employees for advancement over long time spans and to overstaff as insurance against surprise losses in key positions. That was true in that time because most jobs did not require comprehensive prequalification. Seniority (sometimes called job tenure), as measured by time with an organization or in an industry, was sufficient to ensure advancement. Succession planning and management activities mainly concentrated on leaders at the peak of tall organizational hierarchies because organizations were controlled from the top down and were thus heavily dependent on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of top management. However, as time changed, few organizations have the luxury to overstaff in the face of drastic global competition from low-cost labor abroad and economic restructuring efforts. That is particularly true in high-technology companies where several months experience may be the equivalent of a years work in a more stable industry. At the same time, products, markets, and management activities have grown more complex. Many jobs now require extensive prequalification, both inside and outside organizations. Its not just for positions, leadership competency have become important factors fewer employees compete for diminishing advancement opportunities. As employee authority has broadened the extend of decision makers, leadership influence can be exerted at all hierarchical levels rather than limited to those few granted authority by virtue of their lofty titles and managerial positions. (William J. Rothwell, 2010) Unfortunately, United States is facing a demographic crisis. From these two charts of US population by age, we can see from 1965-2025, people who are 55 or older is the most fast growing group and they make up the main population of US, Whereas the population of other groups is maintaining nearly the same. Baby Boomers started leaving their positions in 2008. Its supposed that Gen X will replace Baby Boomers positions. However, the population of Gen X is much smaller than Baby Boomers; most of them are too young to be qualified to some managing positions, so Gen X cannot fill the void which results from Boomers leaving. The average retirement age in US was 62; it means the number of people who are not working is becoming larger. From 2010 the growth rate of labor force will fall dramatically from 12% to 2%. Projected labor force change by age shows huge hole in future workforce. What happens to work force if more and more employees are retiring with a low growth rate of work force? Definitely it results in a shrinking pool in workforce. Its a bad news to companies because they will suffer a lot if they cannot find the right person to fill the positions in time, especially when some skillful and experienced senior managers leave or retire from companies. For these reasons, organizational leaders must take proactive steps to plan for future talent needs at all levels and implement programs designed to ensure that the right people are available for the right jobs in the right places and at the right times to get the right results. The continuity of the organization over time requires a succession of persons to fill key positions. The best way to find talented individuals to fill roles in your organization is not the typical system of placing ads, making calls, and looking for individuals who might be unhappy in their current positions, and trying to do this during the two-week notice period of a departing employee is not going to help to find the best person for the position. (William J. Rothwell, 2010) Thats where succession planning comes in. Whats succession planning? Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key leadership positions in the company. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and skillful employees that are hopeful to undertake these roles as they become available. This process focuses on seeking the right person, not just the available person. Its built on the idea of recognizing the potential leaders in organization and developing them so that they are ready to move up when the opportunity arises. Its one of the best methods to promote recruitment and retention in organization. Although people often mix up replacement plans and succession planning, the latter goes beyond former planning because its focus is larger than one position or department. While often related to planning for senior executive replacements only, it is really broader than that can extend as far down the organization chart as managers want to go. It also differs from replacement planning because successors are considered by level on the organization chart. A talent pool is identified based on each level of management and a typical goal is to prepare as many successors as possible to be 80 percent ready for promotion to any position at the next level on the organization chart. The remaining 20 percent of development is provided when individuals have been promoted to higher level responsibility. Succession planning is usually based on the assumptions that: A goal is to identify a talent pool of many people who are willing to be considered for promotion and work to be developed for it. The future may not be like the past, and the competencies required at each level may be different in the future so that merely cloning past leaders is not appropriate. Development occurs primarily on the job rather than by off-the-job training experiences. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) Why succession planning matters? Some people question whether its worth to spend time and money on succession planning. They argue that, with many people losing their jobs and working below their skill level, it should be easy to find satisfied replacements for the reduced number of people who can afford to retire at a time that retirement funds with the stock market. But that thought is not true. The people who leave their work do not match perfectly to the people who will be replaced as retirements or job growth. For example, the job growth in health cares. How many workers leave from information technology can become accountants? The fact is that succession planning is needs whenever in good and bad situations. Organizations should consider the future; they should plan for change in the future. Competition for the talents is tend to be more and more intense, just rely on the external human resources will delay the development of organization. They should focus on the internal human resources planning to maximize the advantage of companys value. Succession planning is critical to the business because the high-potential employees will one day become the leaders of the Company. This is why they need to be provided with opportunities to learn widely in organizations. These candidates should also be trained to widen their experiences to look into the working environment so that they can get a good understand of what are they expected to be to remain successful. Another reason its important is the candidates recognized in the plan will eventually bear the responsibility for assuring the company is capable of meeting future challenges. These high potential candidates must be carefully selected and then provided training and development that gives them skills and competencies needed for tomorrows business environment.( Tom Bartridge,2005) It helps to improve employees commitment and retention, by given the opportunity to become high-potential leaders, employees will become more active in engaging the planning. To meet the career development expectations of existing employees, they will work harder to get the chance. The world is changing fast; the knowledge is exploding every day, so as the marketing organizations face. What is important today may become inferior next month. Organizations will be in trouble without plans for future change. To meet the responding flexibly to change, a succession plan is necessary. Succession planning does not belong to big companies only. Small business like family-owned firms also needs it. Succession planning is an important component of any business strategy process. Family-owned firms make 80% to 90% of all United States business, yet only 3% of all family businesses survive beyond the third generation. Succession planning will aid the business owners in preparing for the time when they arrive retire, addressing extreme matters such as illness or death, securing the survival of the business through the transition of ownership, maximizing the return of the retiring owners investment and minimizing tax burden at transfer. Succession planning process Now lets look at one of the most famous business leaders, Jack Welch, who started his working at General Electric in 1960. As he raised his position in the organization he displayed leadership qualities that distinguished him from his peers. What did Jack Welch think about succession planning? One of his most admired skills was the ability to develop his subordinates so there was always someone ready to take his place when Jack was offered a promotion. How successful was his strategy? In 1981 he became the CEO of General Electric and served in that position until he retired in 2000. Furthermore, in 1991, Jack Welch stated: From now on, choosing my successor is the most important decision Ill make. It occupies a considerable amount of thought almost every day. Thats a very strong statement for someone who owns the prospective and leadership competency to increase the value of General Electric from $13 billion to $410 billion dollars during his tenure. Its clear that succession planning and development of future leaders does not exist lonely. It needs to reflect the companys strategic goal. For any organizations to implement an effective succession plan, a number of key issues that need to be considered: The succession planning program must have the support and backing of the companys senior level management. Identify what skills the organization will need in 5, 10 or 15 years. Identify high-performers that are almost ready to step into those critical positions. Analyze the workforce and identify who will be eligible for retirement within the next Critical positions must be identified and included in the Companys succession planning program. Succession planning must be part of an integrated HR process that includes training, development and performance appraisal. A system for communicating succession planning information to managers must be established. Managers need to identify the responsibilities, skills and competencies that will be needed by their replacements. A systematic approach for identifying, nominating and selecting potential successors must be established. Background information on potential successors, such as education, experience, skills, appraisals and potential should be reviewed. The training and development requirements of potential successors need to be determined. The skills of potential successors must be developed through work experiences, job rotation, projects and other challenging assignments. A system for monitoring candidates development plan progress by senior management should be established. Succession planning must include a system for providing feedback and encouragement to potential successors. Succession planning is basically a numbers game that requires good organizational skills and the ability to pay attention to details. Finally, the succession plan must belong to the organization and not to the HR department in order to make sure it has the attention it deserves.( Tom Bartridge, 2005) Any succession planning will be organized to integrate all its components and emphasizes the internal development of existing employees in the organization. (Rothwell, 2005a) A succession planning starts from preparation. The first priority in the preparation is deciding members of succession planning team. This group will determine the scope of the entire project by formulating how many levels of management will be concluded. Here is an overview of the basic steps of the succession planning process: Preparation Get commitment Assess the organization. Determine key positions. Identify competencies for key positions. Identify and assess candidates. Create development plans. Measure, monitor, report, and revise. Preparation A succession planning starts from preparation. The first priority in the preparation is deciding members of succession planning team. This group will determine the scope of the entire project by formulating how many levels of management will be concluded. Get commitment No succession planning program can operate without managers and employees at all levels totally understanding why a succession program is needed. At the same time, executives, managers, supervisors and employees must clearly understand their role in the program. Organization should also link strategic and workforce planning decisions connect succession planning to the needs and interests of senior leaders. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) Assess the organization During this step, constitutors should assess current problems and practices or organization, whats situation around organization and analyze the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) of organization. Whats more, they will analyze present work requirements and individual performance to get overview of organization. Determine key positions. Decisions makers should analyze the gaps by determining current supply and anticipated demand. They should check whether the positions arrangement is reasonable and what modification should be done to make the operation more efficient. At the same time, future conditions should be considered, whether the organization needs some new positions to meet the changes in the future. Identify competencies for key positions. In this stage decision makers identify core competencies and technical competency requirements of those key positions, they align the organizations strategic objectives with the work and competencies need to realize those objectives. At the same time, they will identify the future work requirements and individual potential. The future will not necessarily be like the past. The organizations future requirements should be driven down to each level, job and function. The result should be expected future job descriptions and future competency models. Identify and assess candidates. Firstly, HR audits develop a pool of high potential candidates based on the requirements of positions, and then managers identify some high potential successors and their developmental needs. After observing their working for periods of time, their supervisors will evaluate those potentials. The candidates for promotion to higher level responsibilities should be considered against the background of the future. In other words, every individual who wants promotion is really working to be developed on an escalator because the competitive environment within which the organization performs is not static. Things are changing as individuals are being developed. It is not enough to suppose that successful performance in the past will make sure successful performance in the future. Instead, decision makers should find impersonal ways to determine how well potentials will perform at a future time or at a higher level of management. Create development plans To better help candidates improve themselves to make them qualified to the higher level positions; organizations should create development plans for them. This step focuses on closing developmental gaps found by previous step. To carry out this step successfully, managers should establish an individual development plan for each employee to narrow gaps between what the individual does now and what he or she must do successfully in the future to function at higher levels of responsibility. An individual development plan is like a learning contract. It is usually completed between an individual and supervisor. Candidates are inspired to take advantages of resources to help them build the competencies they need at higher levels of management. Resources may consist of training courses inside the organization, seminars or conferences outside the organization, internal job rotation experiences, and many other competency building efforts. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) Different plans apply to different level, job and function. Candidates should be given opportunities to express themselves. Not just tell them what to do, let them deal with problems by themselves to train them how to be a manager in the future. Measure, monitor, report, and revise The results of a succession planning program can be evaluated by measuring program success against the objectives established for the program in step B. By tracking selections from talent pools, listening to leader feedback on success of internal talent and internal hires, analyzing satisfaction surveys from customers, employees, and stakeholders and assessing response to changing requirements and needs. E. How succession planning works in hospitality Average turnover rate in hospitality industry ranges between 50-400% for employees and 25-200% for managers annually. Its pretty high when compared to other industries. For instance, in the electronics industry (well- known for its high turnover) the rate of turnover is only about 27%. High turnover rate is accompanied by high turnover cost; hotels have to spend a lot of money on recruiting new employees and managers, not to say the lose results from vacancies before the new candidates are selected. The profound changes that have occurred in the hospitality industry and the implications of these changes have affected the ways the hospitality industry hires, develops, and retains employees. It is critical for any hotels to pay attention on the aspect of hospitality human resources: managing the organizations human capital and retaining its professional employees. There are many departments in a hotel to satisfy different demands of customers. For example, front desk, food and wine, housekeeping and finance department they are all necessary to a hotel and any of them fail to operate properly will interrupt the integral organization. To avoid this kind of human resource crisis, succession planning is necessary to hospitality industry. A good succession planning in a hotel should develop different plans for different departments. The function and work of each department is distinctive, so plans makers should focus on each departments characteristic. When designing the talent pool for each department, decision makers should not forget the cross training. Cross training can provide hotels human resource backup to prepare for the peak season. Conclusion Succession planning is not something a good company can ignore because the consequences of not being prepared to replace key personnel will have a major impact on an organizations ability to achieve its goals and strategic targets. The succession planning process needs to be considered as part of the companys strategic planning process because it deals with projecting future changes by anticipating management vacancies and then determining how to meet these challenges. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) When it comes to hospitality people have to talk about the employees. Employees are the most important part of hotels operation. They have the strongest effects on customers who decide the success or failure of hotels. A succession planning is here to provide hotels with continuous talent pool to keep hotels run successfully and progressive. Succession planning should be approached with same conscientious objectives that one would benefit the management of any valuable asset. Retirement fund assets are invested in different vehicles depending upon an individuals appetite for risk. Investment yields are tracked. Investment strategies are modified when results do not meet expectations. Retirement fund managers are kept or fired based on portfolio results. Succession planning efforts should be managed similarly. Create a strict structure to gather assessment information, articulate goals, track progress and evaluate results. In this context, the people who should be at the top of your organization in the future will emerge as stars. (Richard Houston, 2007)

Issues of Mannerism Essay -- Essays Papers

Issues of Mannerism The movement in painting that is now referred to as Mannerism began in Italy around 1520, influenced artists throughout Europe, and lasted until the end of the 16th century. The word Mannerism originates from the Italian word maniera which translates into the English word style. The basis of Mannerism then is style; it’s a period of art where the focus was on grace and beauty. While preceding trends of Renaissance art looked to nature to find their style, working to perfect it, Mannerists manipulated nature creating a gross perfection of human form, idealizing forms to the point of abstraction. Definitions of Mannerist art as well as the reasons for its appearance as a movement are still contested today. For a definition of mannerism to have validity, it must offer a valid origination of the movement. Much is revealed when the reasons behind a certain artistic expression are clear. Until the 19th century, Mannerist art was considered by most to be perverse and capricious. It was considered simply an excessive use of a specific manner of which contained qualities that were strange and unjustified. It was thought that extravagance, a need for increased productivity, and a lack of artistic knowledge led to the Mannerist style. In the early part of the 20th century, these generalizations were considered unfair, and many new theories about the origins of Mannerism surfaced. Some theories suggest that artists were displaying a conscious deviance, painting against the rules of classical art, and rebelling against the High Renaissance and the ideal of naturalness. The spiritual unrest of the age is often considered the root of this deviant artistic behavior. John Shearman points out in Mannerism that the wars of the early 16th century created a period of economic and social disturbance creating the growth of Mannerist style. He says "most works of art are insulated in the mind of the artist even from his personal crises, joys and tragedies" (40). More reasonable, he says, are explanations of Mannerism in terms of sociological and religious influences. There was a new development in patronage during this period where works were commissioned for no other reason than to have a work made by a certain artist. Many times the subject, and/or the medium were to be decided upon by the artist. Rosso Fiorentino’s Desc... ...tle ‘Mannerism’ creates the illusion that it was a conscious movement like one of the 19th or 20th centuries. Mannerism didn’t have a focus, the artists weren’t working toward a common goal. The artists of Mannerism were influenced by all that came before them: antiquity, their predecessors and artistic peers, but Mannerists were most importantly looking toward the future and their own imaginations. Artists were for the first time were creating art for the sake of art. The goal of art was no longer intended completely as social or religious propaganda to be determined by the patron. Mannerist art was influenced by imagination and based on fantasy, and it was largely aimed at the enjoyment of an audience. Works Cited Tansey, Richard G. and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1996. Janson, H.W. and Anthony F. Janson. History of Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1997. Fenton, James. Introduction. Les Miserables. By Victor Hugo. New York: Dewynters, 1997. Waldman, Diane. Roy Lichtenstein. New York: Rizzoli International, 1993. Waldman, Diane. Roy Lichtenstein. Austria: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 1969.

Modern Western Thought :: essays research papers

Modern Western though has been shaped by emphasis on scientific thinking and reasoning from the time of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton. The scientific revolution gave birth to a new era of thought, in which observations were made to support an idea. This involved what man could prove through sense, not religion or superstition. Notable ancient Greek historians, philosophers and scientists, such as Thucydides, Socrates, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, laid down the seeds of modern Western thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An ancient Greek writer who demonstrated modern scientific objectivity was Thucydides. Over time, this type of scientific objectivity has become a valuable tool of modern Western thought. The vividness and detail of Thucydides’ description of the effects of the plague is striking. A doctor today would be very impressed by the accuracy and detailed description of the plague: â€Å"Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor was there any pallor: the skin was rather reddish and livid, breaking out into small pustules and ulcers.† This precise description of the plague would be comparable to any description written today. The scientific objectivity demonstrated by the ancient Greeks had a direct influence on our medical, and non-medical, description today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many ancient Greeks such as Socrates used logic, another invaluable tool of modern Western thought. Socrates, by asking simple questions, was able to draw answers from people that supported his argument. By thinking a problem through, step-by-step, Socrates was able to formulate answers to a problem or question. This laid down the foundation for modern logic. â€Å"Not at all, my dear Agathon. It is truth that you find impossible to withstand; there is never the slightest difficulty in withstanding Socrates.† This shows that Socrates merely saw himself as a guide to logic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle, one of the very first scientists, used evidence to support his claims. Today, any argument made must be supported by evidence. Any argument not supported by evidence is not accepted as fact. Aristotle’s use of evidence made his arguments strong and convincing, even if he was quite wrong. When Aristotle writes â€Å"Again, if the earth as a whole is capable of floating upon water, that must obviously be the case with any part of it. But observation shows that this is not the case. Any piece of earth goes to the bottom, the quicker the larger it is† he is able to prove his point by the use of evidence. The method in which Aristotle supported his arguments is constantly used today as it shows that the point one is arguing is true. Modern Western Thought :: essays research papers Modern Western though has been shaped by emphasis on scientific thinking and reasoning from the time of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton. The scientific revolution gave birth to a new era of thought, in which observations were made to support an idea. This involved what man could prove through sense, not religion or superstition. Notable ancient Greek historians, philosophers and scientists, such as Thucydides, Socrates, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, laid down the seeds of modern Western thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An ancient Greek writer who demonstrated modern scientific objectivity was Thucydides. Over time, this type of scientific objectivity has become a valuable tool of modern Western thought. The vividness and detail of Thucydides’ description of the effects of the plague is striking. A doctor today would be very impressed by the accuracy and detailed description of the plague: â€Å"Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor was there any pallor: the skin was rather reddish and livid, breaking out into small pustules and ulcers.† This precise description of the plague would be comparable to any description written today. The scientific objectivity demonstrated by the ancient Greeks had a direct influence on our medical, and non-medical, description today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many ancient Greeks such as Socrates used logic, another invaluable tool of modern Western thought. Socrates, by asking simple questions, was able to draw answers from people that supported his argument. By thinking a problem through, step-by-step, Socrates was able to formulate answers to a problem or question. This laid down the foundation for modern logic. â€Å"Not at all, my dear Agathon. It is truth that you find impossible to withstand; there is never the slightest difficulty in withstanding Socrates.† This shows that Socrates merely saw himself as a guide to logic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle, one of the very first scientists, used evidence to support his claims. Today, any argument made must be supported by evidence. Any argument not supported by evidence is not accepted as fact. Aristotle’s use of evidence made his arguments strong and convincing, even if he was quite wrong. When Aristotle writes â€Å"Again, if the earth as a whole is capable of floating upon water, that must obviously be the case with any part of it. But observation shows that this is not the case. Any piece of earth goes to the bottom, the quicker the larger it is† he is able to prove his point by the use of evidence. The method in which Aristotle supported his arguments is constantly used today as it shows that the point one is arguing is true.

college essay :: essays research papers

Not everything I learned, I learned in kindergarten nor in the classroom for that matter. As a senior in high school I’m not only 1ft taller but hopefully a more enlightened person. It is necessary to understand that I am not the same person who began as a freshman four short years ago. Although I learned a great deal inside the classroom, I have also garnered a wealth of knowledge far from the hallowed halls of my high school. My involvement in academics, school related clubs and work experience have instilled unique abilities and characteristics in me that have transformed me from a naà ¯ve freshman into a well rounded motivated young man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout my four years at Westwood High, I have taken advantage of the many clubs and organizations offered. My participation in these groups has allowed me to form new friendships with fellow students, teachers and people from the community. Starting in my sophomore year I joined the school newspaper, (Westwood Wire) and was able to showcase myself as a journalist. Although the stories were simplistic (â€Å"Food Fight results in Major Brawl†) they gave me a chance to play the role of a reporter and be a source of information and news for many of my peers. Another club that has been a big part of my high school career is the â€Å"Teen Mentors† group. On Friday nights I would act as a chaperone at the middle school dances. I had a responsibility to watch over younger students, provide them with an enjoyable and safe experience and most of all show them that I could be seen as a positive role model in their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the initial summer of my freshman year to this very day I have had a job. Beginning in my fourteenth year I started working at Roche Bros supermarket as a bag boy, cashier, grocery clerk and as a source of new ideas for management. I learned the basics of running the grocery business, having seen first hand how each department of the store had to stay below a budget and at the same time provide an unparalleled service to the customer. I was to see the challenges that my manager faced of creating a schedule by which every employee was happy with their hours. I also was able to see various forms of marketing and examples of how Roche Bros sold itself.

Philippines Cultural Assessment Essay

The primary language that business is conducted in the Philippines is English. This is a result of the American influenced era which began in 1898. One should not assume that just because English is the most commonly used language that both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication are conducted the same way that they are in America. The Philippines business environment is known to be highly personalized. The communication style of the Philippines has also been perceived as difficult to comprehend due to its diplomatic and complex language which is derived from its Asian roots. (http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Filipino-Business-Communication-Style.html) It is common in the Philippines, as well as most Asian countries, for people to have an extremely difficult time saying ‘no’ because they tend to try to avoid hurting others feelings. Saying ‘no’ to someone can also be viewed by others as confrontational and unfriendly. Because of this Filipino’s would rather say ‘yes’ even if they mean ‘no.’ (http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Filipino-Business-Communication-Style.html) Filipinos’ dialogue-oriented, rather emotional communication somewhat resembles Spanish, but is less forceful and exuberant. As a show of respect, Filipinos usually address people by their titles (e.g., Architect Cruz, Attorney Jose, Dr. Romero). Over time, and after a relationship is established, they may address business associate by their informal title or nickname. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4205562/National-Cultural-Profiles-Philippines.html) In the Filipino culture a pervasive smile can easily be interpreted as agreement or affirmation in what has just been discussed. That same smile can easily be used to hide embarrassment, aggravation on disagreement. Nonverbal signs of affirmation include the raising of an eyebrow and the jerking of the head upward. A common sign for â€Å"no† include the jerk of the head down. For example, if an individual says â€Å"yes† while pointing their head downward you can be fairly certain that they feel negatively about what you have been discussing. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4205562/National-Cultural-Profiles-Philippines.html) Although in most cultures it is common for both men and women to shake hands with one another when they are first introduced or when greeting each other, that is not the case in the Filipino culture. Any form of touching, especially men touching women is frowned upon by Filipinos. (http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=ph#cn-2) The Philippines are split into three different regions called, â€Å"Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.† Gender roles in the Philippines are found in school systems, dating, marriage, and especially their families. When Filipino’s are born they assume their gender role by their sex. Males get more respect for the most part because females take after their mothers and elder women to take less dominating roles, also being more feminine in the jobs they choose to hold. Men are categorized into the more dominating roles in society. Men are brought up to take after their fathers or the elder man in their life. They are defined as being more confident, accomplished, and well-rounded individuals. School systems are strict on students, making them look presentable, especially males. Males are required to have short hair and females must wear skirts down to their shins. Dressing inappropriately is not tolerated. Males and females got to the same school but they divide them into two separate parts of the school. Attending a college or university for the average person is highly unlikely because there is no financial aid available so only the wealthy go and receives the higher education. Education is very important to Filipinos and is stressed by their parents to have the best education possible to be successful. Format for names, the country being a predominant catholic, old folks follow the old traditional way of naming their children after the names of the saints. In Luzon, the largest island and where the capital sits, has a strong western influence, naming mostly patterned like the westerners. The country is patriarchal when it comes to family roles. The male or the fathers are always the head and of the household and the final word when it comes to domestic affair. There are regions, like in south Mindanao, the grand chief of the village is the eldest and the wealthiest of the clan where his power over other members of the clan is important even on domestic affairs. The female or the wife is expected to be the care taker of the household, including keeping up with the children. They do not have voicing power compared to the husband (Heinrich 2008) Dating among the Filipino’s is not usually done unless they are eighteen years old because education is most important. Even then when they start dating the male will pay for the female.

Anthropology interview

My uncle is the oldest son in his family. His name is Long Do and he is forty years old. He is a businessman and he owns the liquor store. Mr.. Long is a successful person in the family that everyone in the family admires him. He was born in Vietnam so he is Vietnamese. Mr.. Long came to America when he was twenty-one years old. His major was Business Administration and he went to De Anza College. He came to Northern California with his family and his siblings. HIS family and he was the first one that came to the United State.The reason they came here because they didn't want to live in Vietnam because the life over there was hard and deficient of all necessities. My uncle's father who is my grand father had to work for extremely hard and got poorly paid. His parents, my grandparents, decided to come here so that my uncle and his siblings could have a better life, better education to archive their goals easier. According to what my uncle said, † It was a difficult and tough tim e when I first come here. I didn't know any English and It was very hard for me to communicate with other people.Also he shared that he had to help his parents take care all the paperwork and take after his younger siblings since his siblings were very young back then. So he was the only one who was mature and knowledgeable enough to take care of the whole family. I can see that language is his first challenge that he has to overcome. Mr.. Long said that when they first come here they TLD have a lot of money so that everyone In the family had to work to make money. Mr.. Long had to work two Jobs and he had to go school at the same time. He started out with SSL class iris, then English class later on.He shared that it was a hard time when he first attended to college because at that time he didn't know any English and going to school was something that made him really scared of. He always nervous in his classes because he didn't understand what his teacher were saying and he totally lost In the class. At night, when he got home he always turned on the radio to listen to FM or AM, he tried to listen how American people talked and he learned from there. His parents and his siblings also had to go to the SSL classes as well because hey didn't know how to speak English at that time.He shared his tip to learn English that you should make friend with native speakers because you can learn very fast. His advice is also similar to what I did when I first came to America. I tried to make friend with native speaker so that I could learn English faster and it was really help me to Improve my English skill. HIS family and he also had to learn how to adapt to is freedom. Everyone has his or her own freedom in religion or politics. As time passed by, he gradually learned English very fast and he could speak and monomaniac with his teachers and friends in his classes more fluently.He says that the more difficulties that you go through in your life the more you become a stronge r and a better person and you will be successful in your life. They still keep in touch with people from Vietnam by phone and they go to Vietnam whenever they have a chance because they are now very busy with work. He said that he like talking to people from different ethic groups because he can learn new things from them. Even he used to suffer a hard time, he says that his life wouldn't be like this if his Emily and he stay in Vietnam.So being here is a better off for his family. They can earn money and help his relatives in Vietnam. The global process economic and politics have planed out in his family life. It was a wonderful time interviewing my uncle. I can see that he is a very successful man due mostly to his hardworking characteristics. I want to be like him and I have learned that there is nothing easy in life so I have to try hard in order to be successful like my uncle. The more you try the better off you will get later in your life.