This Emotional Life Summary

This video talked about how and why we need relationship with others through family, friend and the case of lovers. In the beginning of the video psychologist, Daniel Gilbert, states that successful relationship gives us happiness. Moreover it also led to our emotional well being. On the section of family, it focused on the attachment. Children have problem communicating and building relationship, in most of the time, are lack of the love. Especially from the mother or care givers. When the period of crying and learning the surroundings, they have learned that they were not being pay attention. Also there is no one to protect and comfort them. Oxytocin a hormone plays an important role in social relationship because it helps format the attachment. In other words, to form a close relationship such as friends and parents it is necessary to create that hormone. The experiment between adopted and natural mother-child had shown that natural mother-child’s oxytocin increased. However the adopted one didn’t. It also mentioned that it is not only the child that gets influenced by, but also the parents too. By experimenting where mothers’ brain work by seeing their child’s emotions, stated that the part of â€Å"need to pay attention† have worked actively. On the next section about the friend, it focused on communication. People gets stress when they feel lonely which would led to hart disease, diabetes, accidents, and suicide.

Biblical Worldview Essay Essay

We all have a set of values and beliefs that help shape the way we view the world. While many of us can share the same tools that shape our worldview; everyone’s is unique to themselves. Romans 1-8 provides valuable teaching regarding the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and culture. These 4 categories make up the majority of the world and life as we know it. As Christians, this passage in the Bible should hold a great influence on our worldview. I will outline what Romans 1-8 teaches us about each category and how that affects my personal view of the world. As Christians, we know that God created the universe and everything in it by simply speaking. Everything in His creation attests to Him and His glory. This allows people who may never actually hear about Christ to still be able to see Him through creation. There is a verse in Luke 19:40 that goes on to say that even the rocks will cry out if everyone is silent. Romans 1:20 says, â€Å"For since the crea tion of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.† Through the natural world, God has provided a way to show Himself to all mankind. When I am out in nature on a beautiful quiet day I can feel the Lord’s presence. When I am on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean watching the sun set, I can see the Lord. I am young and have not yet seen many of the natural wonders of this world. I have seen enough though to know that God is present throughout nature. I don’t understand how a person could look out on a beautiful scene of nature and not feel God. He truly does speak through the beauty of His creation. Our human identity is who we believe ourselves to be. Without God I know that I am a destitute and wicked creature. We are capable unspeakable evils. I have hope though through my redemption. I know that any good thing I do or obtain is not of myself but from God. God created us in His image so we can catch a glimpse of what He is truly like. However, as humans we are wicked and evil in heart. Nothing but the love of C hrist can save us. Romans 3:10-18 clearly lines just how unrighteous and devoid of hope we are within ourselves. This passage shows us our true human identity without Christ. We have hope though because we have been given Christ! Romans 8:26 tells us that Christ intercedes for us at the feet of God. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ once we accept Him!  (Romans 8:35) Relationships make up a huge part of our lives. The Bible has a lot to say about relationships and how to treat one another. Relationships make an enormous impact on our world view because we are influenced by the people in our lives. Romans 1:28-32 lists the evils things that we do to one another such as envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, and gossip. This is just a fraction of the sins that cause us to have damaged relationships with each other and ultimately God. How could you come before God and expect a good relationship if you have a broken relationship with someone in your life? Jesus teaches us to love one another and forgive over and over. When your heart is hardened towards another person, then you are u ltimately hurting your own relationship with God as well. The second chapter in Romans cautions us against judging others. We have to treat one another the way we would want to be treated; with kindness and mercy. We also have to be careful about what kind of people we have relationships with. If you surround yourself with evil people then you will be influenced to do evil. During the time that Paul was writing Romans, there was a religious hierarchy in place. The Pharisees were the leaders and aristocrats in the Jewish community. They were extremely strict and followed a huge list of rules. They were so caught up in their rules that they couldn’t open their hearts and minds to Jesus. Also at this time it was widely believed that only the Jewish community could be saved through following the rules and the Gentile population was doomed. Romans 3:23-25 teaches us that, â€Å"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.† Jesus death paved the way for everyone to be saved, not just the Jews! We learn that we are saved through faith and not by works. We can never earn our salvation. Today’s culture in America is so focused on material possessions and gaining more. We are caught up in our shiny toys and items much like the Pharisees were caught up in their rules. We have to stop getting caught up in things that don’t really matter and see what God is trying to use us for. We all have a purpose and a reason for being here. If you are not living your life to further God’s message than you are wasting it. Our culture today makes it so easy to forget what we are really supposed to be living for. As Christians we must be vigilant and not let the snares of this world snag our heart and divert it from our true calling. Everyone has their own unique  view of the world and reasoning for their views. Christians build their world view with the structure that the Bible has provided us. Paul writes about the natural world, our identity as people, how to treat others, and about the culture of the world. We are not perfect and can never hope to be but the grace of Jesus offers us salvation. Romans 8:12 reminds us that we have an obligation to live a life through the Spirit and not by the flesh. Every day we must work harder and strive for righteousness and a Christ-like attitude. Our worldview affects the way we live and can have an impact on all those around us. The better our worldview, the better our light will shine for Christ.

A New Look At Personal Identity Essay

A new look at personal identity Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his article, â€Å"A New Look at Personal Identity,† Michael Allen Fox, argues his opinion on the feisty historic debate about physical and psychological continuity views on personal identity (Fox, 2007). Hebrings in his view of the â€Å"self-developed by existential philosophy† as what makes a person. He does not invalidate the original views but says that the issue of what makes a person remains a task for philosophers to investigate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fox wants to handle the often tricky dilemma of personal identity that has been tackled by philosophers since time immemorial. He identifies some questions to solve; â€Å"Who am I?† and â€Å"Might I be a very different person in the future?† He begins by stating that according to most responses, the conclusion boils down to either the soul or the body. He says that one cannot find ‘you’ or ‘I’in the soul, but it is easy to associate it with something tangible like the body. He goes on to state the grounds for the belief of the first group; that we are souls and that we do not change. He counters it by introducing the belief that for something to exist it is imperative for to be able to locate in space and time. He then introduces the philosophers’ dominant stance on the subject that the soul is non-existent (Hamilton, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seeking to find out whether the philosophers are right, Fox looks at history and resolves that people either believe in physical or psychological continuity as what makes a person. He says that according to the former, someone never changes as they have had the same body since their birth. To support the argument, he recounts an ancient enigma called ‘The Ship of Theseus.’ He states that Theseus was the king and that gradually his whole ship’sparts got replacement so that no part of it remained as the first. He further says that this is the philosophers’ basis of their argument; that incremental replacement occurs on the gut, the epidermis, red blood cells, bone and muscles. He also introduces organ transplant to strengthen on their claim. He goes on to say that the cerebral and visual cortex never regenerate and concludes that the most important parts of us do not change in relation to the subject at hand. He al so introduces the concept of the DNA as another hurdle to the physical approach. He explains that as unique as the DNA is, it does not form part of all our body; only ten percent of the body DNA resides in our cells. He questions why philosophers have not ventured to use DNA as one of thebase of individual continuity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The decision point comes when Fox discredits the latter approach as ancient and introduces the view of the â€Å"self-developed by existential philosophy† as an alternative. He argues that â€Å"a self or person is what it does,† an activity, what he or she does daily, by their means of choices and actions. He calls it the ‘continuity of responsible action’(Fox, 2007). He concludes by saying the matter is one that remains one for philosophy to investigate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article tries to elucidate on the subject of what makes a person. However, Fox was unable to give a rigid conclusion and left the matter open to discussion. Although he elucidated on physical continuity, I think that he should not have discredited psychological continuity; additional explanation should have been made to let the reader decide for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is the author’s view the best alternative among the three?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Should philosophers continue their research on physical continuity? References Hamilton, A. (1995). A new look at personal identity. The Philosophical Quarterly, 332-349. Fox, M. A. (2007). A new look at personal identity. Philosophy Now, 62, 10-11. Source document

Fast-food outlets and poor health in America Essay

Fast-food outlets and poor health in America - Essay Example There has been an increase in the number of convenience and fast food stores across America. For this reason, many low income earners purchase their food from these stores as opposed to buying from grocery stores and supermarkets. This purchasing behavior has exposed millions of Americans to unhealthy foods. The number of obesity and other health related cases has been on the rise. This has sparked debate on whether these fast food stores should be blamed for this trend, or if the blame should lie squarely in the hands of the consumer. For instance, Brownlee, Cohen and Zinczenko argue that fast food outlets have played a big role in encouraging unhealthy consumption habits. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by arguing that fast food outlets have contributed to this problem significantly by encouraging and enticing consumers to buy from them. Fast-food outlets market their products to consumers, mainly children, foods that have health hazards without proper warnings and labels. In the essay by David Zinczenko, the author highlights how advertisements from fast-food outlets don’t come with warning labels. For example, an outlet may list its chicken salad as containing 150 calories, yet the dressing, almonds and noodles that come with it account for additional 470 calories. This argument clearly shows how these fast food outlets hide information from the consumers that would otherwise help the consumers make better choices.

Creativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creativity - Essay Example Morris 2006 gives a different definition of creativity when compared to the thoughts of the author of this paper. Morris suggests that the characteristics of creativity firstly involves ‘thinking or behaving imaginatively.’ Secondly, creativity is ‘imaginative’, thirdly, ‘something original’ must be the result of the process and fourthly, ‘the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective.’ Further, Morris adds additional elements to this definition. Creativity is also seen as the connection of body and mind in search of ‘new knowledge’ and includes a ‘risk’ factor in its outlook. (Pann Baltz, quoted in Morris 2006) If creativity is determined by one’s willingness to allow oneself to explore one’s inner workings then clearly some people are more ceative than others. Just like some leaders are born and some are made I believe that creativity within a particular individual can be nurtured to develop into an awesome resource. It is therefore dependent on the environment and the level of encouragement that one obtains that boosts creativity. Howard Gardner in his theory on multiple intelligences suggests that each individual can learn in different ways. Hence one can deduce that individuals can be creative in distinctive ways as well. Pablo Picasso claims that â€Å"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.† Children in particular are naturally creative. They are curious, imaginative, purposeful and appreciate beauty. Therefore there is an innate dimension of creativity deposited in the young at heart. In the same vein , however, children’s natural creativity can be stifled and destroyed by some adults who refuse to allow them to explore and demonstrate their inner self. We can encourage children to be creative by giving them the latitude they need to explore their inner being and their environment to

Driven to Explore (Portfolio#3) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Driven to Explore (Portfolio#3) - Essay Example Many of these artists fought failure but through persistence and different faith bases, they become popular and often, well known even. These artists used their spirituality in their works as their beliefs became intertwined with how they were able to express it. Spirituality can influence creativity. Some of these artists simply believe in a higher power, not necessarily assuming a specific religion. Many of them believe that a God of some sort gave them the power to create and it is their purpose, taking them on a journey of the unknown. People are driven to explore beyond what they know in their cultures and their own personal experiences influence their abilities to create. Oftentimes, artists are so deep and analytical, they need to seek a purpose in life. For them, they often seek an understanding and are embarking on an emotional desire for their reason. It is through embarking on their journey through spirituality that they find the calling in their lives which then comes out in the form of creation and artistic

Is David Hume's argument against William Paley here a strong one Essay

Is David Hume's argument against William Paley here a strong one - Essay Example From the evidence of inventors who developed new ideas, this argument is flawed because there would be no logical design that the inventors had encountered before designing their inventions. This indicates that Hume’s argument was based on ignorance; there was no way that he would know that new designs would be invented; designs that would negate his argument. Hume’s argument is also flawed because of the apparent contradictions present in the argument itself. A summary of the argument indicates that Hume believed that an individual should only believe that an object is made from design if the individual had previously encountered similar design. Therefore, the argument by Hume seems to indicate that an individual who had not encountered design should not attribute designs to the working of a designer. This argument means that Hume preempts the human mind; the argument tries to negate the working of the human mind in deducing the result of design. The other factor that indicates that Hume’s argument was a weak argument is in the design of the universe. Contrary to the biological argument presented by Hume, the universe is an infinite product of design. This means that any human being can attribute the design of the universe to some supreme deity, a fact that Hume tries to negate in his argument. The anthology that an individual has to have experienced design in order to recognize other instances of design would serve to negate the possibility of a supreme deity who gives humans deductive ability. Therefore, the argument by Hume can be considered weak because of its structural failures and the proposition. The fact there exists unique designs in the universe is also proof that Hume’s argument was not strong. This is because design is the product of the intellect, creativity, and innovativeness. Hume’s argument seems to propose that design is born of

LANGUAGE, POWER & IDENTITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LANGUAGE, POWER & IDENTITY - Essay Example Variants of such are all observed and spoken having only minor linguistic, social and ideological differences. However, countries having English as their first language, owe to protect and preserve it from foreign influences, displaying minor differences at large. Since the dominancy of English with the British World dominance in the 19th Century, the English Language not only progressed but became the language of International Business, Diplomacy and Science. Being the official Language of United Nations and International Olympics Committee, English seems to be the common medium of communication between countries, owing to its effectiveness as a global language. It is estimated to be spoken by 750 million people around the world as their first language. However, the public debate about the English Language’s notion of standards has come into view since the 1980’s. The concern had resulted in the devising of a National Curriculum for English. But the drive for national individuality and integrity has failed to achieve the target as arthrography of every language is dependent on its context, pronunciation and structure. Standard English Standard English is notoriously hard to define. The concept and notion of Standard English lacks reference and base. Standard English is associated with authority, discipline and traditional, moral and social order.   It is a form of a dialect, with no local base of reference as to where it is originally originated from (AGER, MUSKENS and WRIGHT, 1993). Historically, English emerged from the combination of Celtic Language of the Britain inhabitants, which was mixed with the language of the emigrating Angles, Saxons and the Jutes. Hence, it is often taken as the different combinations of the linguistic features. In correct or more conceptual sense, it is taken as a written per formative. Orthography, grammar and vocabulary are chiefly what matter, or they in fact can be the definition of Standard English as differe nt countries where English is chiefly used like U.S, U.K, New Zealand, Canada etc. all strive towards maintaining their international identity and so the variations in Standard English occur region wise in terms of pronunciation and context but the written grammar, vocabulary and orthography remains similar. Variations in Standard English’s notion The attitude towards Standard English and its identity is different to all. It differs on the ideological, social and linguistic differences or mindsets. The philosophy and anthropology of every language is based on its use, which in turn is influenced by the history, culture and traditions of the people using the language. Cultural and ideological mind frame influence lifestyle and so the dialect of the people living in a region or a community. Even in a country, national language spoken in different provinces is spoken in different pronunciations as regard to the cultural influence on the language. Similar is the case with Standar d English- there is no standard pronunciation. It is the identity badge of a social group and must be handled properly and with all due respect (FAIRCLOUGH, 2001) A local unit comprising of members of common locality and primary interaction develop Speech community, contributing to the social effects of a society on a language. Thus, English is the mosaic of small speech communities as there exists Texas Speech community for there are London and Bostonians, Harvard speech community fo

Seminar in Macroeconomic Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Seminar in Macroeconomic Theory - Assignment Example Fund raised will be used to cover the allocation the health sector that is a principal consumer of the federal budgetary provisions. Another strategy will involve the Congress amending the constitution to include a provision requiring the federal government to prepare a balanced budget. While trying to promote a more balanced budget through constitutional amendments, it is critical note that poorly crafted changes can trigger instances of economic instability. Any draft amendment should have an element of limited flexibility catering for emergency situations like a recession. As a measure, the federal government ought to encourage the establishment and registration of businesses in the USA. This will put the USA federal government in a better position to grows revenue to support its ever increasing expenditure. Homegrown companies should be encouraged to base their manufacturing firm within the states instead of operating their factories oversee. This will reduce the level of economic unemployment and the government will in turn reap in the form of more taxes. The federal government has an obligation of controlling to control its borrowing. Borrowing increases the government obligation in the form of the interest payable on these loans. The defense department and the intelligence department have been conveniently decreased measure to reduce the cost incurred in many operations conducted by these departments. The wars in Middle East and international missions are the cause of the high expenditures here; these can be reduced to manageable levels. Additionally there is a proposition that allows the government to repay the debt in an effort to reduce amounts paid periodically as interests on these loans. Observing the total amount payable towards settling the entire National Debt, it is evident that the accumulative interest is very high, and it siphons the nation’s resources and contributing to the greater budget deficit. Therefore, proposed that the

Ethics Game & Reflective Journal Essay Example for Free

Ethics Game Reflective Journal Essay This journal contains the reflection of the Ethics Game simulation assignment. The purpose of this paper is to describe the steps and process that I used to answer the ethical questions involved in two simulation games: The case of the troubled Teen and Policies and Politics. In addition I will also discuss how these concepts relate to my workplace. The case of the Troubled Teen: This case describes the case of an unmarried, 16 year old pregnant patient (RB) admitted to the labor and delivery, accompanied by her parents. Parents chose to limit medication citing personal reasons. The primary nurse (YN) is concerned that the situation may become critical for the patient and unborn baby. The nursing staff is also concerned that the parents may not understand the consequences of their action. The ethical issue in this case is how to ensure safe delivery of the baby and to provide adequate medical care to both mother and baby. The case of Policy and Politics: This case describes one of the ICU patients AT, who is unconscious for few days, was brought to the hospital by his domestic partner. YM, his partner was beside him in the ER but he was not allowed to be with the patient after transferring to ICU. The day supervisor CB prevented Yves from visiting AT. Her actions violated current hospital same sex domestic partner policy. The question her is if the rights of the patient and the significant others have been violated here. Decision making steps I used an organized process to make this ethical decision called the Baird Method, which consists of four steps. Step 1: Identify the issue in the ethical dilemma, and evaluate the evidence. I need to be attentive as to gather all data to determine which issue has to be resolved. Step 2: Identify the primary stakeholders. I have to be intelligent and identify the real issue in the case. Step 3: Use my knowledge, be reasonable, fair, and understand my duty, which focus on the equal rights and remember my role on the impact on stakeholders. Step 4: Develop a situation that has balance and meets the needs of all stakeholders and communicate the decision to everyone involved. Applying these steps to issue of the Troubled teen I gathered all the information from the patient’s chart, went over the care  plan, medical plan and received the bedside verbal report from the outgoing nurse. She was not given adequate pain medicine nor seen by the physician on call because she/he was attending an emergency elsewhere. The stakeholders in this situation are as follows: †¢RB, the patient †¢LB, RB’s unborn child †¢RB’s parents †¢Shift supervisor †¢YN, RN caring for RB †¢The Shareholders Applying these steps to the issue of Policy and Politics: First of all here, I have to identify the problem. There are two issues here. One is allowing the domestic partner to visit the patient and the second one is to make sure that the hospital staffs follow the policy of the hospital. The stakeholders are †¢AT, the ICU patient †¢YM, the domestic partner †¢Staff nurse, M †¢CB, the shift supervisor †¢AF, the director of nursing †¢The Shareholders Ethical Lens used that influenced decisions Lens used in Troubled Teen case: Using the rights and responsibility lens, I could identify my duties as to assure that the care of the pregnant teen is not compromised and for those who cannot speak for themselves. I want to ensure that there is a safe delivery of the mother and the baby is safe. Result lens considers focus on the results we want in our community and how it contributes to the greater good in our community and to greater number of people. I used the action that tilted towards sensibility because I honored the need in this situation to consider parental wishes and aftercare of mother and baby. In the first situation the rights and responsibility lens was first and foremost in my mind. My duty made me to assure that the care of the patient and her unborn baby was not in danger nor the care was compromised especially when someone can’t speak for themselves. I used the result lens to make the care plans and involve the parents in the care of  their child and grandchild with the help of chaplain. In the second situation, it focused on the system and allowed me to incorporate what is best for the system and community, however protecting the rights of both. Lens used in the Policies and Politics case: In this case the use of relationship lens and reputation lens was used. The relationship lens focuses on the processes that systems need an ethical organization. The ethical lens tries to protect the basic liberties of everyone and this situation the domestic partner is to be treated like any other person. However, the reputation lens focuses on assuring that the hospital protocols are consistently followed and in this situation the partner should be allowed to visit his other partner. How concepts relate to the workplace In my workplace I face difficult ethical decisions associated with patient care and the policies set forth by the care agencies. This simulation helped me to recognize my own personal values, such as equality, fairness, compassion, which influences my decision in various decisions. This game helped me to examine the decision making process when faced with the difficult situations and how to make the right decision during any dilemma. The process set up in our workplace might not be ethical one for that particular situation but in this scenarios they were not followed blindly, but the best option was picked to solve them. Identifying my personal values and gaining knowledge of the ethical lenses allowed me to minimize necessary conflict at work and deal directly with the situation. CONCLUSION Ethical issues at work place associated with the patient care can add stress and increased burden on the nurses. The ethical game simulation allowed me to identify the issues and guided me through a systematic approach to solve the dilemma. This exercise helped me to prepare for a situation which will help me to reduce stress and make a sound judgment. The lenses allowed me to gain knowledge and insight to solve the problems.

Social Class Is Form Of Social Stratification Sociology Essay

Social Class Is Form Of Social Stratification Sociology Essay Introduction: Social class is a form of social stratification which impacts on peoples lives either negatively or positively. It refers to wealth, education level, occupation and prestige of a particular group of people. Factors which are inter-connected include the gender, sexuality, race and abilities (McDowell et al., 2013). It is important that social class be understood in the context from which it originates, primarily due to factors which occur inter-connectedly as mentioned above. There are many concepts relating to social stratification, but for the purpose of this essay I will focus mainly on Karl Marxs conflict theory, supplemented by Max Webbers functionalist ideology. Similarly factors such as education and employment will be central in this essay. I believe that the acquisition of knowledge and prestige via employment plays an important role in defining an individuals lifestyle and subsequently their life chances. Body: It must be noted that most of the research done by Karl Marx was based on westernized capitalist societies and it is primarily due to this fact that his concept of conflict theory exists in an economic realm or context (Lenski, 2008). Marx demarcated class of people in terms of either lower, middle or upper class. In Manifesto of the Communist Party Marx refers to lower-class societies as the proletariat and the upper-class as the bourgeoisie. The proletariat are a class of people who do manual labour which requires no specific skill, or simply put, they are the working (blue-collar) section of society. The bourgeoisie employ the working class society in order to increase their capital (Mohandesi, 2013). It is interesting to note that the position an individual finds himself or herself relative to the above category, impacts on their life chances and thus their social class. According to Max Weber (Davidson, 2009) social class and a persons life chances are interdependent. In this se nse, the higher an individual is positioned in the social hierarchy (class) the better his or her life will be; the opposite occurs for those who are in a poorer position. Factors include becoming wealthier, increasing ones prestige, the acquisition of knowledge and the improvement of an individuals living conditions. These are known as social advancements or improvements. According to a research study by Jean Anyon (1980) educational opportunities vastly improved as the socio-economic conditions of a particular social group increased. Anyon (1980) in Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work found that schools were organised in a manner which reflects the social class of the families. Her results were derived from five schools which were broken down into working-class, middle-class, affluent professional and executive elite schools. Furthermore Anyon (1980) concludes that skills and knowledge which moves toward social power or prestige are obtainable to children from higher social groups but are inaccessible to the working class which are offered a practical curriculum. This study shows that the curriculum grooms children to fill an employment role suited to their social class or better put, so that the more challenging professions are occupied by the most skilled and talented individuals. In this sense, lower class schools educated individuals i n a manner which requires them to follow orders rather than use their own initiative and understanding of the work. The emphasis on individualism increases as the social class of the school increases. In my experience I concur with what Anyon has found because there exists numerous types of schools or institutions ranging from technical to managerial and professional. Examples are the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town College and The University of the Western Cape. Marx also suggests that institutions are used to oppress the subordinates of a society, this statement coupled with Anyons research, displays a rather frightful image. Institutionally people are being transformed and socialized, from a young age, to follow the layers of strata found in society. Education ultimately leads to employment which in turn culminates in the acquisition of wealth or material property. According to Max Weber, the ownership of physical assets, which is obtained by means of production, creates unique characteristics in terms of the individuals life chances (Shortell, 2012). Furthermore, Weber believes that the ownership of property is central to class differences and in this case there will always be a relationship between employee and employer or property renter and property owner. In our modernized capitalist society empowered by neoliberalism, emphasis is placed on the acquisition of wealth thereby stratifying society into upper-class rich and the lower-class poor inhabitants. In this sense one can improve ones social class by increasing wealth and also the ownership of property-making this an open societal system (opposed to the system of slavery). Employment is therefore an opportunity to achieve wealth and increase status, however, inequalities o ccur whereby a bread baker (regardless of his skill) has less chances to improve his conditions than the owner of the bakery. Functionalists (Marxism) would argue that economic disparity benefits the majority of society and is also an essential element for the operation of society as a whole (Lenski, 2008). Conclusion: In my opinion, I see employment as the second phase in a three phase process in light of an individuals life chances. The first phase being education and the last being a successful business owner or CEO. As mentioned above, the level of education provided to individuals varies according to their socio-economic standing. This is the crux of my argument mainly due to the manner in which institutions shape society in preparation for their pre-planned future i.e. external forces of which they have no control over. A false consciousness thus exists in the open capitalist society whereby the proletariat is made to believe that they have equal opportunities to improve their life chances, when in actual fact their original social class serves as a key which only opens a limited number of doorways to success. Those who are endowed with a higher social class are granted unlimited opportunities to all elements of success, prestige, wealth, knowledge and ultimately advantages to better their li fes chances.

The Impact Of The Olympics And Paralympics Tourism Essay

The Impact Of The Olympics And Paralympics Tourism Essay The aim of this essay is to identify the impact of the Olympics and Paralympics on tourism in London, illustrating environmental, economical and social effects. Firstly, the essay will assert how the Olympics affected the environment, even though in 2005 London engaged to stage the  ¿Ã‚ ½greenest games ¿Ã‚ ½ in history. Moreover, the influence of the games upon the economy will be underlined, defining both, positive and negative aspects regarding the host of the Olympics. Furthermore, the social effects of the 2012 Olympic Games will be examined, emphasizing the evolution of not only East London area and the main tourist attractions during the summer of 2012, but of the entire city. This essay will argue that the Olympics and Paralympics had both positive and negative aspects, having an important influence upon London and causing changes in economy, society and environment. London ¿Ã‚ ½s 2012 Olympics and Paralympics had a strong impact against the environment. The environment protection played one of the decisive parts of London ¿Ã‚ ½s bid for the games, London planning since July 2005 to stage  ¿Ã‚ ½the greenest games in history ¿Ã‚ ½. The main concept of the games was  ¿Ã‚ ½One Planet Olympics ¿Ã‚ ½, London concentrating on minimising the carbon emissions, on biodiversity, waste and advertising the protection of the environment against pollution. First of all, for the low carbon emissions, London planned to reduce the venues construction, using the existing legacy as the official website of the Olympics stated Furthermore, the new venues built, the Olympic Stadium, the Velodrome and the Aquatics Centre were energy-efficient, created to be sustainable as far as possible. In addition to reduce the carbon emissions  ¿Ã‚ ½footprint ¿Ã‚ ½, London promoted public transport, offering one day travel pass to everyone who bought a ticket for the games and also tried to instigate people to go to the Olympics cycling or walking with the aid of the  ¿Ã‚ ½Active Travel programme ¿Ã‚ ½ as it was written in The Independent newspaper: The environment impact was significant, even though all the measures were taken to host completely sustainable games. Thereby, the initial target of the planning committee of London Olympics was to use only renewable energy to minimise the carbon emissions. Even if the original purpose was to stage the most sustainable games, they were not entirely sustainable, though the 2012 Olympics had certainly a considerable less impact against the environment than any other Olympic Games in the history. The wind tunnels were also an important plan of the committee, helping to supply approximately 20% of the energy demanded for the games, but eventually this measure was not taken. The results of the target were harsh criticised by Darren Johnson, one of the members of London Assembly Green Party who stated in the BBC news: Even if in great measure the Olympics affected London ¿Ã‚ ½s environment, they had positive effects too, causing important changes in the environment. The most significant positive change that happened was the waterways dredging. They invested in a multi-million pound programme for dredging the waterways around the Olympic Park, which helped to develop the wildlife, but also improved the water quality. The dredging programme helped to remove tonnes of garbage, as the study  ¿Ã‚ ½From Brown to Green  ¿Ã‚ ½ of the Olympic Delivery Authority concluded Moreover, another well known project, which helped to improve the environment was  ¿Ã‚ ½Green Clean-up ¿Ã‚ ½, which cleaned a huge area around the Olympic Park. Hundreds of thousands of soil were purified by  ¿Ã‚ ½The soil Hospital ¿Ã‚ ½ cleaning it from contaminants and transforming it into material which could be re-used. Economy has likewise suffered many changes, 2012 Olympics and Paralympics having a huge impact upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s economy. One of the most important impact that the games had on London economy was creating new jobs. It was announced by the government that per total, approximately 30.000 new jobs will be created from 2009 to 2012. An essential change that helped boosting the economy was building the new shopping Center, Westfield Stratford City next to Olympic Park. By opening a new shopping centre in such a poor area like Stratford provided thousands of new jobs, but also transformed one of the poorest areas into a main attraction zone for tourists as Mr. Johnson declared for BBC news: Even if there were plenty of positive changes upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s 2012 economy, negative aspects were visible too. Furthermore, another impact of the games was the regeneration of Stratford area and the surroundings. The London Development Agency ¿Ã‚ ½s target besides regenerating was to develop this zone for 30 years after the Olympics. Moreover, thousands of new affordable houses were built around the Olympic Park as it is stated in a report made by British Library Although there were plenty of positive changes upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s 2012 economy, negative aspects were visible too. One of the negative impacts is that the economy grew only by 1% when everyone expected it to grow much more than it did. The hospitality industry presumed this summer will be the most prosperous because of the mega event, but in fact, it was proved to be an unpleasant surprise and most of the hotels were empty as one hotelier declared for Daily Mail newspaper: Also, The British Museum has reported a considerable decrease in the number of visitors, in comparison with the past years, London being described as a  ¿Ã‚ ½ghost town ¿Ã‚ ½ this time of the year. Besides hospitality industry, which has not gained as much as it was expected to, also the taxi business suffered a great loss because the demand for cabs decreased by about 20-40% as the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers, Steve McNamara Association declared in The Independent newspaper. London ¿Ã‚ ½s 2012 Olympics and Paralympics had likewise a huge impact upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s social life. The decision of hosting the 2012 Olympics had mostly positive effects upon London. First of all, hosting the games stimulated people to discover more of London ¿Ã‚ ½s national treasures such as museums, monuments and inform tourists about the unique places that London has to offer. Moreover, another social change that took place was encouraging people to take part in more cultural programmes and activities and inform the international audience about the culture of Great Britain as it was stated in Meta-Evaluation of the Impacts and Legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games report. Also, another positive aspect of staging the Olympics is referring to social actions and volunteering. Analyses showed an increase in the volunteering and community activities, people being encouraged to participate in volunteering programmes co-operating to help developing the society, focusing on the preparations for the most waited event, London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Another positive change upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s social life would be that Olympics will enhance and support sports activities and will invest in facilities to encourage people take part in sports activities for a healthier life. One of the negative impacts against London ¿Ã‚ ½s social life was the fact that the city became very crowded because tourists from all over the world came to London this summer to attend the mega event. Furthermore, another negative aspect was that the quantity of litter increased taking into consideration that the number of tourists increased that much and nevertheless, hosting the games increased also the quantity of pollution. Another negative aspect would be the fact that many buildings such as schools and campuses were demolished to build instead of them the venues for the Olympic Games and people were forced to move from the Olympic Park area. In conclusion, 2012 Olympics and Paralympics had a significant impact on London ¿Ã‚ ½s tourism. Since 2005, London ¿Ã‚ ½s tourism experienced three phases. Firstly, after July 2005 when United Kingdom won the bid to host the Olympics in 2012, tourism in London increased, visitor coming to see the hosting city of the 2012 Olympic Games. Secondly, the most important phase, during the Olympics, when millions of tourists came to London to attend the most waited event for the United Kingdom, which boosted the industry of tourism in London. Besides amplifying the tourism industry, the Olympics had also a substantial effect upon the economy, the society and the environment. The statistics reported that after the Olympics the economy grew by 1% percent, but also the social and environmental impacts were notable because hosting the games led to regenerate and develop one of the poorest areas of London and transformed it into a main attraction zone for visitors. The last phase of the Olymp ics impact upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s tourism represents the period after hosting the games. Although the benefits of hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were not as significant as everyone thought, they had a huge impact upon London ¿Ã‚ ½s tourism, remaining known as  ¿Ã‚ ½the greenest games ¿Ã‚ ½ in history.

normandy :: essays research papers

A Day in June: The Invasion Of Normandy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Green water splashes aboard the small wooden landing craft soaking the men inside with cold salt water. The nearing of exploding shells sends fright and adrenaline pumping through their veins. As the beach draws closer officers begin to bark out orders over the sound of gun fire. The landing craft stops with a jolt and the loading ramp slams down on the wet sand. Bullets come whizzing by cutting down the first three rows of soldiers. The remaining men jump over the sides and plummet into the murky water, hoping to get ashore alive. The invasion of Normandy could be the turning point of the war in favor of the Allies or it could be the rise of Nazi Germany and the beginning of a fascist era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 5, 1944: the Buildup   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Around 3:30 a.m. General Dwight D. Eisenhower walked into his headquarters in a mansion on the southern coast of England. In a few short moments he would have to make one of the most influential decisions of World War II. Should the Allied forces invade Nazi occupied France at Normandy or not? He consulted with his fellow officers on the matter, and after ten minutes of pacing around the room he gave the go ahead. Within hours an armada of 5,000 Allied ships was making its way toward Normandy France. Along with this armada the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions were up in the air ready to be dropped behind enemy lines. Little did they know the two divisions would loose up to seventy percent of their men and be dropped as far as ten mile away from their drop zones. As was part of the plans U.S. and British bombers were to go ahead and drop bombs on key targets, but most of the bombs missed or did little damage to the concrete block houses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After this the two airborne divisions would go and be dropped behind German lines to help out the forces on the beach, this help never came. Then Rangers and other troops would storm ashore and take the beaches. In the invasion of Normandy some 150,000 troops landed on the beaches. The objectives of these men was to take the five Normandy beach heads. The beaches Utah, Gold, Sword, and Juneau were all taken by the British and Canadian troops. The biggest and most heavily armed beach, Omaha, was invaded by U.

Columbine Essay -- essays papers

Columbine The tragedy at Columbine High School is something that will be remembered and talked about for many years to come. People from across the nation have all heard about this event. But there are still a couple questions that people have. For instance who’s to blame? The kids alone, the parents for how they brought the children up, or even actually the students at Columbine? Most say that the parents are to blame, but who actually knows? In my opinion the only two people that can actually answer this question truthfully are both dead. Everyone wants answers. Did the kids have help? Who was it? Who sold them the weapons and why? Why did they do this? How could they do this? I had a class about the last question. Who could actually go into a room and commit a crime of massacre in a school of people that you know and have grown up with? Most of our class thought that they couldn’t ever get enough anger to do anything even remotely as bad, but when you actually think about it, if you had no friends and where made fun of all the time. It looked like your parents, teachers, and even all your own piers where against you. I think anyone could snap and maybe even do something as drastic as this (Why at Columbine High). Did the boys, Dylan Klebold, 17, and Eric Harris, 18, have any help doing this crime. As of yet no one has true evidence that proves they did except they did find who sold them the weapons. Police found around thirty small bombs and one twenty-pound propane bomb in the school, enough explosives to blow the school into almost nothing. For this reason people believe that the boys either had to have help or they had visited the school many times to plan this assault. No one talking though and no proof has been found. Their not only looking for information from someone that could point to someone that had helped they’re also looking for someone that had known that this was going to happen, so that they may find the answers to so many questions (The Colorado Shooting: Who Helped). Besides many bombs the police had also found a horrible suicide note. â€Å"Your children who have ridiculed me, who have chosen not to accept me, who have treated me like I am not worth their time are dead. THEY ARE (expletive) DEAD. I may have taken their lives and my own - but it was your doing. Teachers, parents, LET THIS MASSACRE BE ON YOUR SHOULDERS UNTIL ... ...no one except investigators and policemen in the school the police finally let them in. Everyone had something to get or look at, since the kids all had to leave their book bags in the school. A lot of the kids despised having to go back to school where many of their friends were killed or even injured (A Sad Homecoming at Columbine High). As of now in the little town of Littleton, the people are decided rather or not to destroy the old library and build a new one, for over three million dollars. They see the library as a horrible memory since ten of the students were killed and that’s where the boys committed suicide (Library Approval Delayed). This entire event got worse and worse as I read into it. Before now I never knew what was written in the suicide notes that they had written, but now that I do it’s really unbelievable that a human could think up such a thing and actually do it. It’s one thing to think about doing it, but strictly another going throug h with something so gruesome. I believe all of us feel left out sometimes, or maybe just seeing everything go wrong from them and that everyone’s against them, but I don’t see it in anyone to take that hated to these extremes.

Causes of Russian Revolution

Introduction: Since revolutions are complex social and political upheavals, historians who write about them are bound to differ on the most basic questions–causes, revolutionary aims, impact on the society, political outcome, and even the time span of the revolution itself. In the case of the Russian Revolution, the starting-point presents no problem: almost everyone takes it to be the â€Å"February Revolution† of 1917, which led to the abdication of Nicholas II and the formation of the Provisional Government. But when did  the Russian Revolution  end? Was it all over by October 1917, when the Bolsheviks took power?Or did the end of the Revolution come with the Bolsheviks' victory in the Civil War in 1920? Was Stalin's â€Å"revolution from above† part of the Russian Revolution? Or should we take the view that the Revolution continued throughout the lifetime of the Soviet state? Russian Revolution, one of the major events that shaped world's future, overnigh t destroyed the existing society and replaced it with world's most radical social experiment ever seen. Although Russian Revolution is usually acknowledged as one revolution, it in fact consists of two different revolutions.The second one is called the Bolshevik Revolution. Causes of Russian Revolution: †¢ Dissatisfaction with Existing Conditions: The conditions in Russia were not optimistic. Not only was food scarce, the people were forced to pay heavy taxes and the gap between the peasants and the nobles was widening every day. Some people were also dissatisfied with the Tsar's autocratic rule and wanted him out to be replaced with a more democratic rule. Some felt that other powers were progressing faster than they were and that the Tsar should adopt some of their thinking.Moreover, of course, there were the communists, like the two groups, the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. †¢ Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War: Russia took on Japan in 1904, when Japan competed with them for Manchuria and Korea. The Russians were optimistic; as they were sure, their vast superiority of numbers would easily defeat the tiny Japan. But this was not to be. Japan, with their advanced technology destroyed the Russian Army, armed with their â€Å"primitive† weapons as compared to the Asians. This defeat was a great humiliation for Russia.The people lost confidence in the Tsar and the military. Russia, all along priding itself on military excellence, suddenly defeated by Japan. †¢ Bloody Sunday: On Sunday, 22nd January 1905, more than 200 000 workers, led by a priest of the church by the name of Father Gapon, took part in a peaceful demonstration in St. Petersburg (later known as Petrograd, and then Leningrad). They proceeded to the Winter Palace to present a petition to the Tsar regarding better working conditions, medical benefits and more freedom. They also wanted a parliament, or a Duma, to represent their views.The unarmed demonstrators were shot at by the Tsar's troops. There were many outbursts after that. Troops mutinied, peasants rose up and strikes emerged, all demanding that the Tsar create a Duma and more freedom. In the October Manifesto, the Tsar decided to form a Duma and allow more freedom of speech. This was the Tsar's real chance to improve people's lives by implementing reforms and increasing work condition standards. He could have employed the Duma well to gain him support and yet keep the people happy at the same time. Instead, he made a big mess out of everything.There were four Dumas within the span of 1906 and 1917, and the first three were changed due to the Tsar's selfishness and hunger for power. All four Dumas were powerless and did not really represent the people at all. †¢ Rasputin: So who IS Rasputin? Well, the story starts off with Alexis, Tsar Nicholas II's son. He suffered from haemophilia, where his blood was unable to clot after bleeding due to a lack of platelets in the blood. Rasputin cl aimed to be a holy monk from the remote wastelands of Siberia, and was able to use his â€Å"supernatural healing powers† to heal Alexis.Granted, Rasputin could ease some of Alexis' pain, but most of what he did seemed a scam. The Tsarina (the Tsar's wife) doted on her son and thus naturally treated the monk better. Rasputin abused his authority and replaced many ministers with his own family and friends, regardless of whether the previous ministers were good. Some of his decision in the country's administration were also foolish and led to many problems. This naturally led to people disliking Rasputin severely and thus blaming the Tsar for his trust in this incompetent person. †¢ World War I:This can be considered as one of the more important reasons for the revolution. Russia was, as we know, one of the most major powers in the world at that time. Up against a Germany that was being attacked from all sides, Russia expected a quick and decisive victory. In actual fact, Russia suffered a series of humiliating defeats. Tsar Nicholas II then decided to take matters into his own hands and take over as Commander in Chief. He went up to the battlefront to direct the battle, in the hope that his â€Å"brilliant tactics,† â€Å"marvellous manoeuvring† and â€Å"royal presence† would spur the army to victory.Sadly, this was not to be as his lack of military experience and inferior expertise devastated the Russian Army entirely, with the blame left on his shoulders. News of the large casualties and disappointing results of the campaign led to the people blaming the Tsar and losing even more trust in him as the weeks went by. When the Tsar was at the front, the Tsarina Alexandra was in charge of matters back in the capital. Under the influence of Rasputin (again), the Tsarina made many new changes to the administration and plunged the country into further crisis.Furthermore, the Tsarina was a German by birth, and incurred many people's w rath by doing so. The war effort was hampered greatly by many constant problems. These included shortages of ammunition and other supplies, an inefficient transportation and distributing system, incompetent military leadership, low morale and desertions, and high land losses and casualty rates. The war was financed through borrowing and printing money instead of raising taxes, as they felt that doing so would cause objections from the already-unhappy people.Wages did not keep pace with inflation, and Ukraine, the largest corn-producing area, was lost in the war. The inefficient railway system was unable to distribute food efficiently. Most of the young men went to fight for the army, leaving the women and elderly to do the work on farms. Additionally, corn prices were fixed, but clothes prices were rising. Many peasants had to go into factories to work. Lousy living conditions made things even worse. Course of Russian Revolution: †¢ It all sparked of when the government held ta lks with some sea-workers.The workers were asking for better work conditions and pay. However, the talks failed and the workers mutinied. †¢ Furthermore, a few days ago it was International Women's Day, where many women gathered to protest against the food scarcity facing them in Russia. †¢ On the day of the revolution itself, many people went on strikes and riots, effectively paralysing more than half of Petrograd. †¢ Soldiers, too, fought half-heartedly as they believed that the government was ineffective. †¢ The people clamoured for a change in the administration, which the Tsar refused to give.Most of the soldiers then joined the strikes, with only a handful of patrols still remaining loyal to the Tsar. †¢ The Duma, desperate for peace and change, forced the Tsar to make a decision immediately – change the administration or pass on power. The Tsar decided to abdicate in favour of his brother, Grand Duke Michael. The Grand Duke refused the throne, and the Duma formed a democratic Provisional Government on a temporary basis, thus ending the reign of the Romanov monarchy. Causes of Bolshevik Revolution: †¢ Failure of the Provisional Government:The Provisional Government was only a temporary government meant to take care of the empire until it could hold elections for a Constituent Assembly which would draw up a constitution for Russia. However, it was not confident enough of itself to implement mass reforms and such, as it was not elected, but self-appointed and temporary. After the revolution, many people expected democracy and an elected parliament. However, the Provisional Government delayed the elections and this lost them a lot of support. They claimed that so many people were away fighting that it was not possible to hold elections.While this was going on, so was the war. While the war-weary people wanted the war to end, the Provisional Government felt that victory would boost morale. However, more defeats meant that hundreds of soldiers deserted and more support lost. The people wanted many reforms, most importantly land reforms, as the majority of the population – the peasants, wanted the lands of the aristocrats. However, the reluctant and wary government, as mentioned earlier, did not want to do so in order to consolidate their position first.The government also inherited the problems of the Tsar's, as they had to face inflation and food shortages. The government was also humiliated many times by their own inability to deal with problems. In the cities, workers formed groups called the Petrograd Soviet, a form of workers' union. The Petrograd Soviet called upon all soldiers to obey them, and thus the government became reliant on them. This can be seen in the example of the Kornilov incident, where the rogue commander-in-chief Kornilov turned on the government with his troops.The government had to turn to the Petrograd Soviet for help, and they promptly replied with their own forces, known as the Red Guard, by driving away Kornilov and his troops quickly. †¢ The Appeal of the Bolshevik Party: The Bolsheviks were one of the communist parties in Russia at that time. Their leader was a man known as Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, and was a great fan of Marx's. He had been influenced by Marx's socialist writings and wished to transform Russia into the ideal communist state. He was originally exiled from Russia during monarchical reign, but returned to Russia in April 1917.At this time, the Provisional Government had freed political prisoners and loosened up their hold on the press. The Okhrana was also disbanded. All this made it easier for Lenin to carry out his revolutionary activities. He was able to organise the party better with party communities all over Russia and in the army. At the same time, Lenin found a talent in a person called Leon Trotsky. Trotsky used to be on the side of the Mensheviks, another communist group but was more on the side of taking things s lower and not having a revolution so early. Trotsky however opposed this view and joined the Bolsheviks instead.Lenin found that Trotsky was highly capable, both in speaking and in military expertise. He entrusted Trotsky with the job of organising the Bolshevik troops, the Red Army. He also found some qualities in a man called Joseph Stalin. Although less capable than Trotsky in speaking, he was reliable and not so flamboyant. Stalin took charge of the party newspaper,  Pravda (Truth), which spread Bolshevik propaganda and news. Lenin often made speeches to the people. He told them about his ideas for Russia, encapsulated in three basic points: â€Å"Peace, Bread and Land. Not only that, he also opposed the government violently and wanted the immediate transfer of power to the Bolsheviks. This, and the Bolshevik slogan, made them so appealing that they gained power so rapidly and the government's hold on Russia began to slide. The slogan of â€Å"Peace† was probably the m ost attractive offer to the Russian people. Almost everybody wanted the war to stop, as it had dragged on for too long. The devastated economy and dwindling food supplies were all caused by the war, and people wished to return to their lives, just as before the war.Lenin knew this and aptly used this as a slogan for his campaign. Being the only party which constantly opposed the continuation of the war, the Bolsheviks attracted many supporters. The â€Å"Bread† problem was not being met by the government, but the Bolsheviks promised that they would deal with it. Lenin promised to provide the people with sufficient food, and the starving population turned to him for help. â€Å"Land† was another point well handled by Lenin. Most peasants were furious with the government and the landowners for not giving the peasants a chance to earn their own money with their own land.Lenin, however, in accordance with the communist ideology, promised that the landowners' property would be split up and distributed equally, naturally attracting mass support from the majority of the population. As Lenin's support grew, and membership increased tenfold in 8 months, so did dissatisfaction with the government. In July, during a period known as the â€Å"July Days,† a political crisis erupted as soldiers in Petrograd refused to go to the front and sailors joined the workers in anti-government demonstrations. These people were mostly Bolshevik supporters, and these riots were no doubt sparked off by party instigators.However, they were delivered a crushing defeat when the government managed to suppress the demonstrations and arrested a few leading Bolsheviks. Lenin himself was shot twice in the chest from close range, but survived to escape to Finland. However, this event goes to show that the Bolsheviks were gaining a lot of support and would soon be able to take power. Course of Bolshevik Revolution: †¢ Trotsky did the detailed organisation of the Bolshevik revolution. He planned very systematically the seizure of important government buildings and strategic locations by the Red Army. The government knew very well that a revolution was being planned, but were so inefficient and disorganised that they could do nothing about it. †¢ In the end, Lenin returned to Russia on the 23rd of October and thus, the Bolshevik Revolution began. †¢ Trotsky and the Red Army began by getting the support of the Petrograd garrison, and together they seized important railway stations, the telephone exchange and bridges. †¢ They met with no resistance all the way from the Smolny Institute where the Bolshevik headquarters was, to the Winter Palace. †¢ There, the few remaining loyal troops were defending the Palace bravely. However, their resistance collapsed quickly as the  Aurora  fired warning shots (some people say its guns were too pathetic to even reach the walls of the Palace). †¢ Government members were arrested and the h ead, Alexander Kerensky, escaped. †¢ By the 26th of that month, the Bolsheviks had taken Petrograd. After another month, they controlled Russia. The reason why the Bolsheviks were so successful was because other groups like the Social Revolutionaries and the Mensheviks were hesitant in leading a revolution after February. They were willing to work together with the Provisional Government for the good of the people.The Bolsheviks, branding them as traitors, eventually used this cooperative mentality against them. Not only that, they also supported the government in their continuation of the war, and this worked against them too. All this brought the Bolsheviks support from many workers and soldiers in Moscow and Petrograd. However, the Bolsheviks did not have the full support of ALL people in Russia. It was Lenin's and the Bolshevik's task to extend and maintain their control over the vast empire they had inherited. Conclusion: When there is proliferation of crime, poverty and m ass discrimination, people of the nation rebel.Although the people of Russia didn't have a say in the political issues, they didn't protest. However, once they became deprived of their economical rights, along with the assiduous wars, their wrath grew. It grew to such an extend that it overthrew the monarch of a dynasty that has been ruling for over 300 yrs. But Russian Revolution is an classic example that people have the supreme power for the Russians overthrew the administration of the nation, not once; but two times in a span of 3 yrs (although the suffering had been since 19th century). Bibliography/ Acknowledgements: †¢ Google Images http://www. factmonster. com/encyclopedia/history/russian-revolution-causes. html †¢ http://www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/russia/longtermcausesrev1. shtml †¢ http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20110317174148AA2efvO †¢ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Russian_Revolution †¢ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bolshevik †¢ http://europeanhistory. about. com/od/russiaandukraine/a/Causes-Of-The-Russian-Revolution. htm †¢ http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=2WxNQLr2dKA †¢ http://history1900s. about. com/od/Russian-Revolution/a/Russian-Revolution-Timeline. htm

Food safety and sanitation Essay

Purpose of this manual This is an example of a Food Safety Manual that has been developed to assist your learning of HACCP-based food safety programs. The development of food safety programs based on the principles of the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system is the most effective way of ensuring food safety. This manual is intended to be a very general guide for HACCP-based food safety programs and will show you how all the parts of the food safety program come together. This manual is an example of a HACCP-based food safety program for food service processes that include: cook serve cook chill reheat serve (not extended shelf life cook chill). We have taken every effort to ensure that the sample guidelines in this manual meet the minimum standard for food safety for the processes described. However, when using these guidelines you need to undertake your own research to be assured that you have met current food safety standards and industry codes for the operations undertaken by the business for which you work. Web sites that contain information on HACCP-based food safety programs include: Food Standards Australia New Zealand has information on the proposed food safety standard: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au Department of Health, Victoria, Australia has food safety programs: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/ The NSW Food Authority has some good information: http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/ Department of Health, Victoria, Australia, Foodsmart website http://www.foodsmart.vic.gov.au/FoodSmartWeb/ How to use this manual This manual is divided into six sections: Section 1: Manual Introduction Section 2: Standard Operating Procedures Section 3: Process Control Using HACCP Section 4: Work Instructions Section 5: Monitoring Forms for Supervisors Section 6: Check Sheets for Staff Each section of the manual starts with an explanation of the purpose of the guidelines or information found within that section. At risk persons A number of risk groups vulnerable to food-borne pathogens, have been identified. At risk persons include: the sick, and people with a weak immune system frail elderly infants and babies in hospital pregnant women. If you are serving food to at risk persons then you will need to check your State or Territory food legislation. If the legislation includes a code of practice to address the issue of pathogenic contamination, then you need to develop strategies within your food safety program to include this code. Definitions AQIS Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Audit An independent check of a food safety system to show that procedures are being followed and that the system achieves its aims. Calibrate A check that measuring equipment is working, eg thermometers. Control measure A measure taken to control a food safety hazard, eg time and temperature limits. Control Point (CP) A point in the food production process at which control measures are advisable. However, loss of control may not lead to an unacceptable health risk. This process may be monitored. Core product temperature The internal temperature of a product. It is taken at the thickest point. Corrective action Corrective action is the set of procedures to be followed when a deviation occurs in the production process, for example when the internal temperature of cooked roast chicken has not reached 75Â ºC, the corrective action is to return it to the oven and bring up to temperature. Critical Control Point (CCP) A point in the food production process at which loss of control may result in an unacceptable health risk. This process must be monitored. Critical limit The minimum standard (of the control measure) that has to be met to control the hazard, eg cooking to 75ï‚ °C. Cross-contamination The transferring of contaminants from one source to foods. Egg based products All foods consisting predominantly of, or thickened with, eggs. Food handling Basic handling and inspection, preparation, cooking, cooling, processing, display, packaging, storage and transportation. Food safety control method Methods and procedures used in the workplace to control food safety hazards include both support programs and specific hazard control limits or requirements. Typical examples of support programs include product recall, cleaning schedules, pest control programs, personal hygiene practices, calibration procedures and related operating procedures. Food Safety Manual The key document for a food safety program. It demonstrates how processes are analysed to identify potential hazards and how each potential hazard may be controlled. It contains all the food safety instructions for staff, suppliers and contractors and details the responsibilities of all workers to ensure that food safety is maintained. HACCP HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. HACCP is a system that identifies hazards, and then implements controls and management systems to ensure the food product is safe for consumers. HACCP can be applied to any food service operation. Hazard A biological, chemical or physical risk that may cause a food to become unsafe. Impervious Refers to a type of surface that does not allow fluid to pass into it. Non-hazardous foods Foods that do not normally support the growth of food-poisoning bacteria, such as: fruit vegetables unfilled cakes and pastries dry stores, eg flour, sugar, rice etc. Policy Amendment Register A register where changes to the food safety program are recorded. Potentially hazardous foods Foods that are capable of supporting the growth of food-poisoning bacteria: meat fish chicken smallgoods milk milk products cream eggs — out of their shell cooked rice cooked pasta soy bean products salads. Ready to cook hazardous foods Foods that require cooking and are capable of supporting the growth of food-poisoning bacteria: meat chicken fish. Ready to serve hazardous foods Foods that do not require cooking and are capable of supporting the growth of food-poisoning bacteria: meat (for raw meat dishes) fish (for raw fish dishes) smallgoods milk milk products cream eggs — out of their shell cooked rice cooked pasta unpasteurised fruit juice soy bean products salads. Sanitise To eliminate or reduce micro-organisms to a safe level. Sample policy amendment register This register is used to note any amendments, updates or improvements made to the Food Safety Manual. The Manager has responsibility for maintaining this register and communicating these changes to staff. Amendments Register No. Date Subject Page No. Approval Comments Our commitment to food safety Most Food Safety Manuals start with a statement of the organisational philosophy and responsibilities to food safety as well as identification of the members of the HACCP team. Consider this example: This business firmly believes in providing its customers and staff with a safe food product. This business wholly accepts its legal duty to comply with the National Food Safety Standards and all related legislation. We expect all suppliers to also have this philosophy. Our staff members are expected to abide by the policy and all procedures and codes of practice set down by the management. It expects that they will make every effort to maintain all written procedures. It is the aim of our business to operate all food production and food service with due diligence which is regarded as a top priority. Name of Business ____________________________________ Signed______________________________ (Proprietor/Owner/Manager) Date _________________ Organisation responsibilities and duties The owner will: be responsible for implementation, control, monitoring and review of this policy ensure that all staff are trained in the food handling techniques and the requirements of food safety be qualified to implement and review the Food Safety Policy regulations and practices ensure that all records and systems in relation to food safety are maintained and filed. The manager will: be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and control of food safety ensure that all records and systems in relation to food safety are maintained ensure that staff will follow all personal hygiene rules ensure that all work areas are kept clean and free from pests ensure that all staff are trained in the food handling techniques and the requirements of the food safety policy be qualified to implement and review the food handling techniques and the requirements of the food safety policy. All kitchen staff will: be responsible for food safety in the kitchen, preparation and storage areas be qualified to implement the food handling techniques and the requirements of the food safety policy complete all records and systems in relation to food safety in the kitchen, preparation, receiving and storage areas as directed abide by all personal hygiene rules report incidents that impact on the quality of food, to the manager (eg sightings of pests, malfunctioning or defective appliances, etc) keep all work areas clean and free from pests be trained in food handling techniques and the requirements of the food safety policy report to the manager if they are suffering from any communicable disease. Other staff (eg assistants, bartenders, waiters, cleaners) will: be responsible for food safety during service abide by the Food Safety Policy regulations and practices abide by all personal hygiene rules keep work areas and equipment clean report incidents that impact on the quality of food, to the manager (eg sightings of pests, malfunctioning or defective appliances, etc) report to their supervisor if they are suffering from any communicable disease. The HACCP team The following staff members are responsible for the implementation of the HACCP-based food safety program at this business: (This information is provided as a guide only). The owner (in conjunction with the manager) will coordinate the development of the food safety program. The manager will coordinate the development of the food safety program. Staff representatives (ideally one from each section, eg kitchen, bar, wash up, store, cleaning) will play an important role in the team by advising on operation issues related to the food safety program. External expertise, eg consultant, food technologist or microbiologist, qualified in their field and in the principles of HACCP-based food safety programs will play an important role in the team by advising on issues related to the food safety program. Note: The size of the team will vary, depending on the size of the business. Where the food establishment is small, the proprietor or manager may undertake all of the above roles and be solely responsible for the coordination and implementation of HACCP. These persons will combine their skills and undertake training to: identify potential hazards associated with all aspects of food and beverage preparation assign levels of severity of risk based on previous experience recommend controls, specifications and procedures for monitoring and verification in line with the Australian standards and government regulations recommend appropriate corrective actions, including training for all staff, when deviations occur be familiar with, or be able to research, all relevant legislation/technical information related to the food safety plan.

Love in the Time Essay

The actions of human nature with regards to sexual drive and concepts of love are not easily explained using only conventional conceptual studies such as Evolutionary Sociology. For instance it is some how difficult to explain human behaviors such as celibacy, homosexuality, and adoption from these aspects. However, the evolutionary process is used to describe how humans came into being by a process of change over a substantial period of time. In this case, some human actions is viewed as direct results of certain behavioral evolution, which makes use of thorough studies of other primates and many other animals in the animal kingdom, with the aim of discovering linking keys to unlock some behaviors. On the other hand, some of the strongest concepts can be linked to Evolutionary Sociobiology where the evolutionary past of humans is a vital tool for the explanation of their present actions. Additionally, all concepts that humans act upon, not easily explained with evolution in today’s world, can be shown to be results of the interactions of an information pattern, held in each individual’s memory and which is capable of being passed to that of another individual. Thus, these ideas can be stored biochemically in human brains, but also can be transmitted in visually or orally, in writing, music, or TV for example. These facts are fundamental to the views of this paper, which is a stringent account aimed at exposing the influences of two seemingly dicey elements of human interactions, namely; love and lust. This paper presents its views with vital emphasis on the lessons inherent in two of Scott Fitzgerald’s publications; that is ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Offshore Pirate’, as well as other vital resources which were consulted during this research. Introduction. Love can be defined as a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection. It can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, including pleasure (for example, one can be in love with a substance such as fashion, life style, car and so on) and in interpersonal attraction (such as falling in love with someone). The circumstance in which one falls in love with a particular entity can some times be strange. An instance of this is found in the fiction story ‘The Offshore Pirate’, in which one the characters (Ardita) fell in love with a stranger whom she met under an unforeseen circumstance, thus she didn’t hesitate to confess her feeling to him (Fitzgerald 29). Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn’t love. As a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like), love is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is commonly contrasted with friendship, although other definitions of the word love may be applied to close friendships in certain contexts. On the other hand, lust is a shallow type of love known as Eros. Recent critics have tended to prefer desire or Eros over love not only because of the latter word’s association with sentiment but also because an earlier generation of Shakespeare scholars identified it with a state in which characters rise above the trammeling conditions of social, political, and economic relations (Schalkwyk 76). Thus, Lust is merely a variation of consciousness’s project to become its own foundation, a project that necessarily fails. How Can Love Be Identified? Love between humans can be identified in many ways, but the most common way is that it connotes a sense of steady friendship and faithfulness as well as the spirit of forgiveness even in the face of faithfulness. Just like the couple (Tom and Daisy) in Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ forgave each other’s flaws. Love is a subset of desires of which sexual acts such as kissing is an integral part. So it is not strange for one to develop such desires at first sight of what he or she wants or would love to have. Thus, the case of the nineteen year old ‘Ardita’ expressing her feelings for the young stranger she met (Fitzgerald 30). Love tends to bring together things that would naturally be in diversity, forcing these to rather identify what they have in common (Fitzgerald 23). Hence, it is a gateway to romantic relationships. A romantic relationship is an important part of many people’s lives, but not the whole. Balance is about understanding where your relationship fits into the life you have. A person who’s working 80 hours a week may genuinely not have time or energy for any kind of relationship at all. A person who’s raising children must consider their needs as well as his or her own. Emotional honesty (starting with that first time you confess love) isn’t achieved simply or quickly. It takes work, work that will go on for the rest of your relationship, both with yourself and with your partner. It also brings deep rewards in the form of closeness and trust. Signs of healthy relationships include being open to change, to the process of facing and accepting uncomfortable emotions. More than any other part of a relationship, the work of emotional honesty is founded in love. It takes a leap of faith to drop your defenses and trust your partner with the feelings, thoughts, dreams, ideas and words that are most essentially yours. Human Actions mentored by Love. Responsibility; this act includes having the time to devote to the physical capacity to carry out certain tasks. This requires a lot of time and sacrifice from all parties involved. Time, more often than not, is something that gets in the way of being able to devote oneself. Commitment; this involves boycotting all nefarious acts such as unfaithfulness, which tends to breach the contract instituted by love. Achieving Goals; this includes the ultimate goal of mastering the art of love as well as all the stepping stones along the way. Staying focused on the present is important, yet without an idea of where one is heading it’s easy to get lost. Confidence; love serves as an instrument that bestows confidence among it participants Patience; hand-in-hand with confidence, patience is needed to persevere through the low points. If martial arts were easy, everyone would do it. The same goes for love. Truly opening yourself to another, being vulnerable, and accepting the other unconditionally takes a lot of effort. It is a common misconception that â€Å"love should just come naturally. † Persistence; working closely with confidence, persistence requires having faith in the process of learning. That even though you don’t get it all now, if you keep at it, eventually you will. Action that Depicts Lust. Lust is a physical emotion that humans act upon in the heat of the moment. Yet few would fall in love with someone who didn’t turn them on, and that can lead to problems. Here are some tips to identify lust; †¢ If one only want to be with another person just to have sex, it’s lust. †¢ If one tries to describe his or her friend and can only talk about physical appearance and body parts, that’s lust. †¢ If a person doesn’t call or converse with the other party except when he or she wants physical pleasure, that’s lust. †¢ If one lies to someone in order to get into bed with him or her, that’s lust. It’s possible for an affair based purely on lust to develop into a healthy relationship based on love, but it doesn’t occur often. You may be better off spending your time with someone who sees and appreciates you with clothes on. Conclusion. Real love exists between equals. Neither partner is considered inferior or superior, though different roles may be assumed. One party’s wants, needs and fears are no more or less important, though they may at times be more or less urgent, than those of the second party. Both deserve time, energy, and resources. In summary it is important to note that humans are all animals being controlled by a conscience in one form or another. Its hard to have any proof of what it is actually. However, it is some form of a soul or divine presence or just a series of memes that have dominance in our minds taking over some of our functions to insure that the meme itself is able to survive as long as possible and to reproduce itself, spreading to other minds and trying controlling them in much the same way, truly acting like a virus for the computer that is our brain. Thus, memetics may basically provide a partial answer to how love or lust mentors our behaviors, just as evolutionary sociobiology, but do these two concepts complete the picture of human behavior? Maybe there is a part to us that is non-material a spirit or such that instead of being memetics controlling us, it controls us and memetics influences that. Something has to select the memes, decide between them and there maybe something beyond our comprehension to explain this. Works Cited John Armstrong, Conditions of Love: The philosophy of Intimacy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera . New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. Diane Ackerman, A. Natural History of Love . New York: Random House, 1994. Fitzgerald, Scott F. The Offshore Pirate. Kessinger Publishing,2007. Fitzgerald, Scott F. The Great Gatsby. Schalkwyk, David. â€Å"Love and Service in Twelfth Night and the Sonnets. †Byline56(2005) p76.

Cultural Issues of Human Resource Management

International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 45 Carrying Cultural Baggage: the contribution of socio-cultural anthropology to cross-cultural coaching Barbara St Claire-Ostwald, CINCRA International Coaching & Training Consultancy, UK Email Contact: [email  protected] com Abstract This study examines the cultural awareness of professionals working in organisations.Given the multicultural nature of today’s workforce, it is becoming increasingly important for companies and coaches alike to take into account how cross-cultural differences may affect daily working practices. The study draws on a review of current research into cultural dimensions and looks at the complex relationship between personality and culture – our ‘cultural baggage’. In order to explore the opinions and cultural awareness of participants, a questionnaire was developed.The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify themes and orientatio ns to cross-cultural issues in terms not only of communality but also of paradoxes. The results highlighted a high level of recognition of cultural dilemmas and a perceived need and willingness to address and reconcile them. However, the diversity of opinions about the potential benefits of specific methods of addressing cultural dilemmas suggested considerable uncertainly about dealing with cross cultural issues.Key Words: Cross-cultural, cultural baggage, cultural dimensions, coaching, mentoring, socio-cultural anthropology Introduction The aim of this paper is to report on the results of a study designed to explore the emerging discipline of cross-cultural coaching (Rosinski 2003) and to establish the levels of awareness about, and attitudes to cross-cultural issues; the patterns and/or relationships between awareness, attitudes and cultural dimensions among businesses and business consultants, coaches, mentors and coaching/mentoring organisations.I began this study from the pers pective that while there has been some research into mentoring and coaching, there appeared to be little that focussed specifically on cross-cultural influences. In my review of the available literature, it became increasingly clear that the integration of a cultural perspective into coaching was very much at the ‘pioneering’ stage. The main aims of this study were to try and establish levels of awareness bout, and attitudes to cross-cultural issues; and to study the patterns and/or relationships between awareness, attitudes and the cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede and Trompenaars and HampdenTurner among businesses and business consultants, and coaching organisations. Cross-cultural coaching addresses the way in which cultural differences affect the daily lives of people, and raises awareness of cultural differences and the effect they can have on the process of managing others and doing business in general.In today’s global economy organisations underst and that to sustain successful and resilient businesses and to keep their competitive edge, they must develop employees who understand their global business, and employ people with global skills. Rosinski (2003) and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) have developed pioneering work in cross-cultural competencies and coaching methods. At a fundamental level, their International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 46 work has been based on the works of socio-cultural anthropologists Hofstede (1980) and Schwartz (1994).Their contribution in overcoming cultural miscommunication, tension and conflict, including the perils of stereotyping and ‘mono-culturalism’, has helped to formulate and explore the hypothesis of this study. Cultural baggage: a by-product of cultural systems Socio-anthropological thinking is based on the premise that all humans are born with the same basic physical characteristics, but depending on where they g row up, each individual is exposed to different climates, foods, languages, religious beliefs etc.Therefore, ‘are we really self-made or did our parents, teachers, families and friends have a hand in it? ’ (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997, p. 54). Thus, one could argue that the socioanthropological perspective on culture takes a holistic view, describing culture as a pattern of learned and shared behaviours of people and/or groups consisting of belief systems and languages; and of social relationships be they personal, organisational, or institutional. (Hall, 1963; Hall and Hall, 1987; Hofstede, 1980; Kondo, 1990; Levi-Strauss, 1966; Schwartz, 1994).Therefore, at a fundamental level, it could be argued that culture is a representation of a complete way of life of a people who share the same attitudes, values and practices. Csikszentmihalyi (1997, p. 7) makes the distinction of ‘identity’ by using snowflakes as a metaphor: â€Å"They look identical as they fall, but taking a closer look, we soon discover that they are not identical†. Hence, he argues, rather than seeing identity as a single unitary self, perhaps cultural identity should be viewed as being multi-faceted, i. e. cknowledging that people have a number of selves or identities depending on context and setting. For example, the biggest barrier individuals and/or employees encounter is not necessarily that they come from different parts of the world, or that they speak a different language or even occupy a different physical space, it is the baggage they carry in their own cultural suitcases which needs to be explored. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner maintain that what people expect depends on where they come from, and the meanings they give to what they have or are experiencing.They argue that â€Å"expectations occur on many different levels, from concrete, explicit level to implicit and subconscious ones† (1997, p. 21). Furthermore, they describe culture a s consisting of various layers: †¦The outer layers are the products and artefacts that symbolise the deeper, more basic values and assumptions about life. The different layers are not independent from one another, but are complementary [†¦]. The shared meanings that are the core of the culture are man-made; are incorporated into people within a culture yet transcend the people in culture. (1997, p. 7) Cross-cultural dilemmas Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner argue that â€Å"Every culture distinguishes itself from others by the specific solutions it chooses to certain problems which reveal themselves as dilemmas† (p. 8); to this end, they have incorporated best management theories into their own analysis of the task of managing across cultures. These theories were realized by using a participant questionnaire profiler, which was based on their Seven Dimensions of Culture model and by incorporating Trompenaars and Woolliams framework for managing change across cultures. Similarly, Rosinski points out the dangers of our assumptions and beliefs systems when working with coachees from varying origins and backgrounds. He argues that by providing a framework for integrating coaching and cultural perspectives, i. e. examining numerous International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 47 cultural orientations, styles and approaches to coaching, the development of a cross-cultural mindset will be facilitated.For example, he writes: Our identity could be viewed as this personal and dynamic synthesis of multiple cultures. Our behaviour will typically vary depending on the group we happen to be associated with [. †¦]. The fact that our behaviours depend in part on the particular cultural context further justifies the need for coaches to integrate the cultural perspective into their practice. In some cases the obstacle to someone’s progress may be cultural rather than psychological, thus calling for a di fferent coaching dialogue. p. 1) Furthermore, he maintains that cultural awareness is more than just realizing another culture is different from our own; it is also about learning to value that other culture. He argues that culture is behind our behaviour, and often without our realization. It can influence how close we stand, how loud we speak, how we deal with conflict and as a result, by failing to understand how culture impacts our needs and preferences, culture can often lead us to misinterpret behaviour.Methodology As the research was exploratory, I focussed the design on two main aspects: the initial review of literature which drew on a broad array of coaching and socio-anthropological theories and studies, and the less extensive, but nevertheless in-depth cross-cultural coaching work of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997), and Rosinski (2003). In turn, this provided the basis for the primary research, which took the form of a questionnaire which was sent to a small expert survey sample to identify cross-cultural themes and patterns.To ensure that survey participants had some recognizable expertise on the subject under investigation, I adopted the model in (Fig. 1) below. On the one hand, I was attempting to quantify levels of awareness of cross-cultural issues, as well as to explore the accompanying opinions, beliefs and assumptions, and how they relate to the dimensions of culture. I was also trying to make sure that the survey respondents would have an interest in this particular area of study. Fig. Survey Sample and Questionnaire Model Corporate/Business Consultants Awareness Opinions Coaching Organisations The survey sample was not only limited in size, but also in terms of the geographical make-up of the participants, who were mostly from the U. K. with the rest from continental Europe. By International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 48 extension it would be difficult to generalise from the resul ts, however, this was not the intention of the study.While gender could also be a factor which might influence attitudes and responses, the exploratory nature of the study precluded it from being a controlled variable at this point, although this issue could form the basis for further research. The purpose of the initial questionnaire was to elicit the opinions of the survey participants in order to identify themes and orientations to cross-cultural issues, in terms of communality as well as potential paradoxes.It was also intended to see how these opinions and orientations fitted with responses to questions about the various cultural dimensions identified and developed by Hofstede and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner. The questionnaire was therefore divided into two parts. The first section addressed the opinions about attitudes, values and behaviours pertaining to culture in general, cultural dilemmas and, to crosscultural coaching and training specifically.I also decided to use a n umber of similar questions to check for inconsistencies in responses, which might indicate either a paradox in terms of opinions, possibly a conflict between a ‘norm’ and a given individual’s personal view, or could reflect a lack of appreciation for, or indeed indifference to, a given issue. The second section of the questionnaire was constructed on the basis of Hofstede’s and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s cultural dimensions, and sought to elicit culture-specific values, beliefs and assumptions which could influence cross-cultural interaction within a professional environment.Results, discussions and recommendations In analyzing the responses to the questionnaire, it was evident that there was a high level of recognition of the importance of cross-cultural issues, and the need to address and reconcile them. However it was very difficult to define or quantify levels of cultural awareness, which was to some extent unsurprising given the complexit y of the issues involved. But as I outlined in the methodology, a major objective was also to explore the quality of awareness and understanding of cultural dilemmas and dimensions.In this respect, the first section of the questionnaire (on attitudes to culture and potential cross-cultural training solutions) was very instructive in terms of perceptions about the relationship between culture and personality. In my opinion, the most notable contrast was that there was considerably greater agreement that culture shapes the personality and a lot more uncertainty about how the individual shapes culture. This impression was further reinforced by the general agreement that managers from different cultures do not necessarily find it easy to adapt their behaviour to fit the different needs of another culture.From a coaching perspective, it suggests some attention needs to be paid to how an individual perceives and relates to his/her culture. For example, there is a clear difference between seeing culture as providing a framework for social interaction, which is constantly evolving, and on the other hand perceiving culture as providing a set of social constraints. In either case, there may be some elements of our culture, which at an individual level are considered to be important in our everyday lives, while there are others which may be difficult to accept, which could be sources of tension with other members of our culture.Given that such perceptions may be operating partly at a subconscious level, this may not be easy to establish. But they appear to me to be a significant element in the process of gaining a better understanding of our cultural baggage, i. e. in how we synthesize the myriad of cultural groupings to which we are exposed on a daily basis. There was greater diversity of opinion about the benefits of specific cross-cultural training solutions, and when, where and how they might be applied.The initial conclusion that can be drawn is this shows that the process of integrating the cross-cultural domain into both business and coaching practice is still at an early stage of development. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 49 As far as improving the general awareness and understanding of the benefits of cross-cultural training, three sets of responses in the first section seem to me to define some of the issues that need to be addressed.Firstly the fact that half of the respondents believed that cultural issues within organisations are dealt with only if they relate to behavioural issues is indicative of a certain level of resistance to dealing with these issues, which may be due to an appreciation of the complexity of such issues. On the other hand, if cultural issues in some organisations are only addressed when there is a behavioural conflict, then this will tend to cast them in a negative light.Hence it does lead to the conclusion that some organisations are not sufficientl y aware that ignoring and playing down cultural differences, as well as evaluating them negatively, is a major contributor to miscommunication, misunderstanding and conflict. Secondly, while coaches largely agreed that business managers recognise that diversity training should now include cross-cultural training for employees sent on global assignments, the business organisation responses were much divided.This leads me to conclude that some businesses are either unaware, or possibly not persuaded of the benefits of this specific approach. Nevertheless this set of responses, and the fact that none of the respondents disagreed that incorporating the dilemmas deriving from the differences in cultural dimensions help organisations to integrate their cultural orientations suggests that the key area of uncertainty among businesses and coaches is the method and/or models of integrating cultural dilemmas.The point that this suggests to me is, that before any attempt is made to develop the skills necessary to negotiate the differences between cultures, a greater awareness of how we negotiate difference in our own culture is required. This is to say we need to be more consciously and self-critically aware of the assumptions that underlie our habitual responses and modes of interaction, in other words our cultural baggage. In principal this is already the main focus of traditional coaching and mentoring.But I believe considerably more research needs to be conducted into how these methods and skills can be developed to take account of and integrate cross-cultural issues and dilemmas. From national to cross-cultural perspectives Cross-cultural research has largely focused on national differences because it is much easier to establish a person’s nationality, than to identify him/her as belonging to another type of cultural grouping, be that regional, professional, political, economic or social.The most frequently cited reason is that a given individual will be a mem ber of numerous forms of socalled sub-cultures or higher level cultures (e. g. European), which in effect rules them out as unique independent variables. But I believe that without exercising some control for the effect of these ‘other’ cultural variables, it is difficult to be sure that attributing a given behaviour, belief, value or attitude expressed by an individual to national cultural influences is theoretically or empirically valid.For example, even at a national level, there has to be particular care to acknowledge the difference between ethnically diverse nations such as Canada or Malaysia; ethnically and/or religiously divided nations such as Belgium or the former Yugoslavia, or relatively homogeneous nations such as Japan or Korea, let alone very complex national cultures such as China or India. In essence, this does nothing more than acknowledge that socio-cultural anthropology is the study of the dilemmas and problems of differences and similarities not onl y between, but also within societies.In the specific context of this study, one of the most interesting aspects of the responses to the second section of the questionnaire on cultural dimensions was the differences in opinions both within and between coaches and business organisations. My original intention in including a section on cultural dimensions was to explore the relationship between these responses and those on the first section of the questionnaire. But the differences of opinions between the two sets of respondents on ‘universalism vs. particularism’ and ‘individualism vs. ommunitarianism’ (Fig. 6) suggested to me that I had to consider whether these opinions in some way reflected values that were influenced by the differing needs and requirements of the corporate and coaching environments. I cannot conclude whether this was the key influence International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 50 on thes e responses. However I do think this emphasizes that it is tenuous to assume that the responses to such value dimensions questionnaires can be ascribed largely to national culture.I also believe that the way that corporate and professional culture influences our habits and values requires a great deal more in-depth research. For example, it might be interesting to establish whether there are differences in the responses to a cultural dimensions questionnaire between professional groups, e. g. doctors, police officers, computer programmers, sports professionals, etc. , and how these compare to national differences. However, it also has to be acknowledged that the difficulty of drawing any definite conclusions about key influences is clearly a limitation to the use of questionnaires in general.This does suggest it would have been preferable to be able to expand and explore the data that was generated by the questionnaires via follow-up interviews. But, as discussed in the methodology, this would have required a lot more time and resources than were available to me in this study. Nevertheless analyzing the results in relation to the problem of ignoring and playing down the importance of cultural differences also suggested that the questionnaire design needed refinement.Specifically, I was unable to deduce or make any assumptions about what level of importance each respondent attached to each of the dimensions. A system of ranking the various value dimensions is not a new concept or methodology, in that it is very similar to the two ‘basic bipolar’ dimensions of ‘openness to change vs. conservation’ and ‘selfenhancement vs. self transcendence’ that are incorporated as higher dimensions in the Schwartz Value Inventory (Fig. 4).But more importantly I think that more research into developing a system of ranking the value dimensions would not only help to identify those value dimensions, which may be ignored, downplayed or even n egatively evaluated, but also provide a potentially very useful tool for integrating the cross-cultural dimension into traditional coaching and mentoring practices. Conclusion From this specific perspective, a focus on quantifying how national cultures differ along the various value dimensions that have been identified does run some risk of contributing to the formation of cultural stereotypes, which have little or no predictive value.This is why greater emphasis needs to be placed on understanding our own ‘cultural baggage’ from a coaching perspective, particularly on the dynamic processes of the way in which our own culture has, and is evolving. The building blocks of improving cultural awareness and developing cross-cultural skills therefore have much in common with the key skills associated with building rapport as a coach or mentor. For the coach or business organisation, it is therefore about understanding the processes involved with the different ways in which we negotiate social interaction, and the elements of the various models of culture.These range from the apparently simple distinction between the visible and invisible level of values (Fig. 1) to the complexity of Schwartz’s ‘Theoretical model of relations among motivational value types and two basic bipolar value dimensions’ (Fig. 4). It is about raising our awareness of what is subconscious and invisible up to a conscious and visible level; and from there we can develop the skills necessary to negotiate ways of interacting with others whose values, attitudes and habits, or indeed in contexts are unfamiliar to us.I believe that if this is to be achieved, coaching and cross-cultural research needs to transcend the limitations of a focus on national culture. It needs to acknowledge that cultural identity should be viewed as being multi-faceted, and that people have a number of selves or identities depending on context and setting. The work of Schwartz, Hofstede and Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner has provided very valuable insight into the cultural dimensions, which help to identify the way in which values differ between national cultures.However, they would also be the first to acknowledge that International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 51 national cultures are in a constant state of change, and this in turn dictates the need to evolve their questionnaires, re-analyze the accompanying databases of results, and amend and redefine their models accordingly. But perhaps the key aspect for further research is to develop methods that place a greater emphasis on the processes though which culture changes.In other words how human actions and practices change, and new meanings evolve in response to changes to social contexts. By this I mean for example: the impact of increased migration (whether voluntary, or in response to political or economic factors), or the proliferation of new forms of communicati on like the internet, not only on working environments, but on the myriad ways in which we organize our social lives. The point being that this should help to move research and practice from a focus on more abstract concepts such as values, to the ways in which culture is produced and negotiated.Consequently, as Rosinski (2003, p. xviii) said, ‘intercultural professionals will be better equipped to fulfil their commitment to extend people’s worldviews, bridge cultural gaps, and enable successful work across cultures’. References Clutterbuck, D. 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(2000), The Mentor’s Guide – Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Zeus, P. & Skiffington, S. 2002), The Coaching at Work Toolkit – A Complete Guide to Techniques and Practices, Australia: McGraw-Hill Barbara StClaire-Ostwald is an international coach and freelance consultant who specialises in cross-cultural awareness and developing successful and effective communication skills for global managers and teams. Barbara grew up in the United Kingdom as a Polish/British dual national. Prior to setting up her coaching practice CINCRA, she lived and worked in the UK, Continental Europe and North Africa for over 30 years; working for multinationals in the private, public and not for profit sectors.Barbara is a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and until recently, Chair of the EMCC European Conference Committee. She is also a member of the British Psychological Society, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, British Sociological Association and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR). She is tri-lingual (Polish, English, French) and she is able to converse in Dutch, German, Czech and Slovak.