Wednesday, October 30, 2019
High School Drinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
High School Drinking - Research Paper Example The problems discussed here range from road accidents, academic problems, substance use, delinquency, employment problems in future, date rape, and family problems. It is evident that consumption of alcohol affects the lives of students in various ways and reduces their academic achievement through various mechanisms. The first issue is the impact of alcohol on brain. The short term bad effects of alcohol range from difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, and impaired memory. For students, the most important point is the impairment in memory caused by alcohol. It is reported in a study (cited in National Institute on Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism) among 772 college undergraduates that 51% students who drink feel blacking out and being not able to remember the things they did at some point in their lives. In addition to this loss of memory that will have a huge impact on the academic performance, there is the finding that alcohol can damage the brain areas responsible for learning and memory, verbal skills, and visual-spatial cognition.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Discussing The Role Of Language And Reason In History Philosophy Essay
Discussing The Role Of Language And Reason In History Philosophy Essay Language like reason is one of the most important ways of knowing to mankind. Human beings have benefited greatly through language by means of communicating and understanding each other as we read history. Could language as a way of knowing bring us the most suitable type of language? What is language without reason? I treat these as my knowledge issues and will try to bring my aspect and conclusion on the situation. Distinguishing between a terrorist or a freedom fighter can be biased, that biasness is the type of reason that affected you there and then. Language in history Some might say History is the study of the past. The role of language in history is fairly abundant. Many linguists believe that language have a common ancestry, but we still do not know whether language has come from one source, but students of history know from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus that Phrygian is the first coherent language in the history of mankind. It is believed that early humans probably had a communication system similar to animals to contact each other and used body language and calls of various types, but speech did not develop until the human brain evolved enough to enable us to convey ideas to each other. History is not a record of everything that has happened in the past, history is merely catches the main gist of what supposedly happened in the past. So we can wonder, Could language bring out the most accurate form of history? We can deduce that, if suitable and open minded recorders were the ones that cement history for us, then why should we wonder. But without language as a way of knowing, problems arise and perception would play a dominant role, as being a multifarious way of knowing, many conclusion could deduce on a claim. But without language, reason would not erupt into a form that would proportionally justify perception in the given case above, debates, arguments, justifications, treaties, deals and agreements would not take place as the way we perceive it today. So it would be foolish to think that history would be relevant without language and reason, reasoning is always present and helps us understand in a coherent fashion. Though, problems are that language, alone, can be confusing and can easily be edited in our views, propaganda during the Russian revolution lead people to a perception, that perception manifested into reason and thought/expressions of the socio-economic classes during then were heard. History has may sources but as the past does not exist, it is difficult to accurately find out about history. For example, if we have evidence such as Stonehenge or the Rosetta stone are parts of our history and we can know to some extent about those periods in our history. But objectivity and accuracy in understanding history are to my mind the real questions which are to be looked at seriously. Historians distinguish primary and secondary sources of information. A primary source is written by a person who was there at the time, while the secondary source is a second hand account of the event. For example, what Socrates wrote and Plato were writing as primary sources, while others who developed on their ideas. Biases can be created by even eyewitness accounts as a person can exaggerate or use weak language to explain the incident, he may also have a social bias and describe history in a manner that he likes. In Greek times or when Aztec warriors ruled, we know little about how Greek slaves or peasants lived or how tribal societies carried out their daily lives, even though we have written history about those times. History can be deliberately changed when primary sources are manipulated by interest groups, this brings me to another knowledge issue, Can we trust History? The Russians and Chinese history has been changed by the state and the primary sources of changed. By changing they have used the new history created by them as propaganda to rule their people. I believe that history is just a monument. A monument of many things, the holocaust was a monument of the horrors that mustnt be repeated again. History is a secondary source (established data), it is not easy to say that all hundred percent of history is true, it is not my call. History also creates hindsight bias as events in our own life when seen later makes us question about the mistake we made. To a certain extent, this also distorts history. Bias and language can be a subject bias, confirmation bias or a national bias. Can language describe historical events in a language that is neutral? To better understand language, many theories have been developed like, the definition theory, denotation theory and Image theory. These theories segment our way of communicating into partitions, each representing a certain situation that is directly proportional to language. Briefly, the definition theory is based on finding the meaning of words from a dictionary. A problem to this type of language is that some words are very difficult to define properly and are highly multifarious. On the other hand, the Denotation theory tells us how to separate words that have meaning and words that have no meaning. Last but not least the image theory explains that any word is a mental image in our mind that stands in the mind. Language is complex. It shows us our social reality and no two languages can show the same social reality, that is what the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis states. Languages create different trends in our social reality. In the age of technology and how it is rapidly growing, it becomes a bit overwhelming. Language creates barriers but also creates entries. When I read about news in magazines, in news paper or TV, the same issue can be shown in many different ways. Politics especially, I as a teenager and a member of the future generation of this world; reading politics of the Middle East, the Kashmir problem or the Afghan war can mean many things when read in English or Urdu. It all ends up to your social reality and your reason with a clear view on society itself. Language causes confusion and this confusion conveys specific thoughts, these thought s are planted on the different views in the world today. These views, even with so much knowledge and theories, leads to hatred and misunderstandings, thus leading to wars and bloodshed or could lead to a world that would represent something that would be found in The Beatles lyrics. Language provi des accuracy in life, definitions of words and phrases like war on terror, fanatics, collateral damage means differently to the different social reality (rule governed by language) and are contested in various forms and has been, previously in the future. To an extent history has affected me in some ways, views on society today and the changing trends of mentioned above I also agree that language and reason plays a big role in the history we know today. Reason and history as a way of knowing Reason is segmented into one of the four ways of knowing for a very good reason. We know that reason is a difficult word to define, because it is based on various premises, basis on which various conclusions are drawn. Reason is like a knife, which has two edges and both sides can cut equally well as both knife edges are sharp. We also know that reason cannot be used in every situation, especially in our private lives, where emotion also plays an important a role, which cannot be defined by reason alone. Sometimes reason can be balanced with emotion and sometimes it cannot be balanced. There are three kinds of reasoning: Deductive reasoning Inductive reasoning Informal reasoning deductive reasoning is based on syllogism which states two premises (logical arguments) and a conclusion is then drawn. But we know all truth is not valid, if the argument is true or false, the conclusion can be true or false and may not be valid. Therefore, this argument is built on incorrect logic and the syllogism is false. We can conclude that arriving at the right conclusion our argument is dependent on the truth or falsity of the premises (logic) it contains. Deductive logic must be handled with care to arrive at the correct conclusion. Inductive logic is the opposite of deductive logic and is based on from the particular to the general. Inductive reasoning can be explained by an example: I am born from my mother. We can conclude that human beings are born from females, because all statistical evidence leads us to this conclusion. This example can be called inductive inference (conclusion). All languages are based on inductive generalizations, for example, teacher, dog or table can be classified into general classes and then labeled. From languages we inherit history of human thought about how the world is organized. Most sciences use inductive reasoning to formulate laws and theories. For example, if carbon-dioxide causes green house effect, therefore carbon-dioxide emitted by any form will lead to ozone reduction in the atmosphere. Scientists use this type of logic to explain reasoning and reach conclusions. -Informal reasoning- Informal reasoning is based after this, therefore accounted of this, it means that because one thing B follows another thing A, then A must be a cause of B. For example, more murders are committed in hot weather; it means that weather is the only factor that affects increase in murder. Informal reasoning is based on co-relation in two things and can be correct or incorrect if the premise is valid. While the three types of reasoning cannot answer all questions relating to knowledge, they do provide us a basis on which we can understand our world and ourselves better but one way of reasoning is not sufficient to define all things in a logical manner. Our reasoning is also affected by circular reasoning, false analogy, loaded questions and many other biases. Bad reasoning is based on four main reasons: Reason gives man the greatest ability to understand and predicts things related to him with certainty. This gives that specific kind of coherency that exists in the world today. We see, thus we reason Timothy Rath. History is rooted with reason, it regards human nature and the human intellect that goes hand in hand. What really shapes History are the winners. The people in charge. They get to have their stories told, they get to decide what goes to the public and what doesnt. Imagine if Germany had won the second world war. Our view of the holocaust would be much different wouldnt it? Maybe the general populace may not have even been told of their existance. And if we take a look at Stalin and his attempts to remove people from history (altering photos, deleting records of existance), we can see that the people up there have the power to feed us whatever they want. And that was back then, when there was no photoshop. Just imagine the technology they have in their hands today. And that is why there are countries that are so suspicious of others learning of their past, that they do anything to keep them quiet, going as far as to kill them. As a more recent example, does anyone know of Andijon? I wouldnt be surprised if you didnt, partially because it is in Uzbekistan and to be honest i didnt know that was a country until i got off a plane one day and ended up living there. To be fair, i was about 11 and my knowledge of the geography was kind of limited. Anyways, the Andijon massacres (sometime in 2006) have been described by the UN to be possibly the greatest massacre since Tienanmen square. So why havent you heard of it? Because the government of Uzbekistan are brilliant at keeping people out and censoring things. Even killed a journalist that fled to another country after writing an article criticizing them. Im honestly kind of scared to write about this.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Polygamy in America Today :: Marriage Mormon
Polygamy is a common, well-buried secret that is often hard to leave and still exists throughout the country today. The Encyclopedia Americana defines polygamy as the form of marriage that permits a person to have more than one husband or wife (Encyclopedia Americana). It has been known to exist at various times in certain societies. Polygamy is more common that most people realize. In the Paper ââ¬Å"Polygamy and Same Sex Marriage,â⬠David Chambers states ââ¬Å"that in the history of the country, by far the most significant and widespread practice of polygamy occurred among the Mormons during the later half of the 19th century.â⬠the Mormons believe that plural marriage is biblical and approved of by God. In the New Testament, it was never deemed to be immoral or even inferior in any way to monogamous onions. More Americans are practicing polygamy than one might think. Even more interesting, more than half of nonindustrialized societies still permits it. For both married men and women, sexual relationships outside of the marriage are regarded as deeply sinful. Polygamy is a way around this. It is not a sin to sleep with your wife. It is understood that any Christian should not have more than one marriage registered with the state. Such actions would surely violate tax codes and many other legal situations. Many do believe, however, that all United States laws, which make registered plural marriage illegal, are unconstitutional and should be repealed. Carmen Thompson, former polygamist and author of ââ¬Å"Memories of a Plural wife,â⬠wrote ââ¬Å"that because plural marriage is against the law, those that still embrace it have, for decades, kept their practice well hidden.â⬠According to Andrew Murr in his article, ââ¬Å"Secrets in the desert,â⬠ââ¬Å"Utah banned polygamy as a precondition of statehood in 1890, but the practice of taking multiple wives has never disappeared (1).â⬠Thompson wrote that there is an estimated 30,000 polygamists living in the states of Utah, and an equal number scattered around the rest of the United states (118). With so many involved in this lucid crime it is only a matter of time before those who are trying to stay hidden are
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Islamic Banking Essay
Islamic Banking is interest free banking, in which there is no fixed rate of return. Islamic banking is the banking system which is run in accordance with the Islamic laws and the Shari aââ¬â¢ board; that guides the institutions. This Shari aââ¬â¢ board authorizes the products that whether these are Shari aââ¬â¢ compliant or not. Islamic banking is the banking that is guided by Islamic law (Shari aââ¬â¢) principles and guided by Islamic economics. In particular, Islamic law prohibits usury, the collection and payment of interest, also commonly called Riba in Islamic discourseâ⬠. Islamic banking also finds its roots in Islamic finance and all type of transactions are interest free of risk sharing. The interest is probihited in Islamic ways of banking as it is also obvious from Quran. In Quran, in Sura Al-Iman, Allah said that; ââ¬Å"O you who believe! Do not devour Riba multiplying it over and keep your duty to Allah that you may prosperâ⬠(3:130). Same kind of prohibition regard fixed interest is also lead in sura Al-Rum(39), Al-Nisa (160-161) and Al-Baqarah (275-281) of Quran. Riba and Gharar are illegal under Islamic law. Riba refers to fixed rate of interest. Gharar refers to fixed rate of interest. Gharar refers to speculation. Islamic banking shows dramatic improvements and developments in Pakistan. Islamic banking is taken as national policy and it is supported but there exist dual banking structure in the Muslim countries. Mostly the banks of conventional system are also opening their separate Islamic banking divisions and branches. The expectation of increase in growth of networking of Islamic banking system is increasing. The Islamic banking has increased in terms of branches, deposits, capital funds, sources. The ratio of income to expenses is high which indicates increasing profitability of the sector. Riba in Hadith ââ¬Å"Every loan that derives a benefit (to the creditor) is ribaâ⬠. (Hazrat Ali Radi-AllahuAnhu). Abu said al Khudri Radi-AllahuAnhu narrated that Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him) said: ââ¬Å"Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt, like for like, payment made hand by hand. If anyone gives more or asks for more, he has dealt in Riba. The receiver and giver are equally guilty. If the creditor received a goat as mortgage from the debtor, the creditor may use its milk to the extent he has spent in providing fodder to the goat. However, if the milk is more than the price of the fodder, the excess is riba. ââ¬Å"Usmani, para 99). For Usamah ibn Zayd : ââ¬Å"There is no riba except in nasiââ¬â¢ah (waiting). ââ¬Å"Bukhari, Kitab al-Buyu, Bab Bay al-dinari bi al-dinar nasaââ¬â¢an, ( : 386); also Muslim and Musnad Ahmad). There is no riba in hand-to-hand (spot) transactions. â⬠(Muslim, Kitab al-Musaqat, Bab bayââ¬â¢I al-taââ¬â¢ami mithlan bi mithin; also in Nasaââ¬â¢i). What is the significance of Islamic Banking in a post recession world? Islamic banking is gaining popularity in emerging markets after helping some financial institutions avoid the worst of the economic meltdown. Islamic banks have been less affected than many conventional banks in the current global recession. This is mainly because unlike conventional banks, the Islamic banks have not been exposed to losses from investment in toxic assets nor have they been dependent on wholesale funds since these practices are not in accordance with the principles set out in the Sharia Law. Moreover, recent years have already indicated that there is an interest in Islamic banking beyond Islamic investors. The UK is one of the leading centres for Islamic banking in the world, yet only 5% of its population is Muslim. And lastly, governments and regulators in a variety of countries have already recognized the importance of Islamic banking as a feasible alternative to conventional banking. The global recession brought about by the collapse in credit supply saw many of the globally accepted models of investment disappeared almost overnight with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. It is well accepted that the credit crunch was essentially caused by gambling and inadequate regulation. The radical change in the investment dynamics of the market and a clear question of the morality of the investment industry signify a clear turning point in the development of regional and global investment markets. That will provide new boost to the already burgeoning Islamic private equity and venture capital industries. Thus, surely a system in which gambling is banned, where everything must be backed by tangible assets should be significant in a post recession world. In this era of scarred savers and investors, everyone shall move their money over to this low-risk system. A post-crisis market is more realistic and searches for an ethically based approach to investment. The new investment markets, after the crash, will see a growing demand for a far more partnership approach to private equity and venture capital investment. In private equity, the investor shares both the risks and the rewards, which replicates the basic principles of Islamic investment. Even before the full attack of the global downturn, the characteristics of Islamic private equity and venture capital ensured the sectors enjoyed increasing attention from regional and global investors. The merger of companies, as a means of meeting the operational and strategic challenges of the economic downturn, will show a growing demand for a far more partnership approach to private equity and venture capital investment. Islamic investment should be made on the basis of partnership and investment also to be made in largely infrastructure-orientated projects, such as transport, energy, healthcare and education, as these sectors not only offer asset backed investment but also long term investment into societies. Thus, in the post recession world, where the market and society is demanding that the investment industry provide a responsible form of investment, Islamic private equity and venture capital are both ideally suited to meet this demand.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Life and Contribution of Barkha Dutt Essay
Barkha Dutt was born in India on 18th December 1971 and is a noted TV journalist in India and at present is working for the NDTV. She was born to S. P. Dutt and Prabha Dutt. While her father was an official in Air India, her mother was a Chief of Bureau of the Hindustan Times for quite some time. She had her childhood days in New Delhi and New York. Barkha is indebted for her journalism skills to her mother, Prabha, a pioneer among women journalists in India. But Prabha Dutt died in 1984, when she was in her prime, due to a brain hemorrhage. At that time Barkha was just thirteen. She had her education from the Modern School, New Delhi. This was followed by her graduation in English Literature from St. Stephenââ¬â¢s College, New Delhi. After this, she did her Masterââ¬â¢s Degree in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia Islamiaââ¬â¢s Mass Communication Research Center New Delhi. That was the time NDTV was just about starting and Barkha took up a job with the channel. ââ¬Å"There was no looking back after that,â⬠she says. She was a 1997 winner of the Inlaks Scholarship, which sends six Indians abroad annually for graduate work. Barkha took two years off from work and got a masterââ¬â¢s in journalism from University of Columbiaââ¬â¢s Graduate School of Journalism, New York. Meeting Barkha, one thinks she is indeed her motherââ¬â¢s daughter. Her motherââ¬â¢s story of war reporting begins years before Barkha was born. At the time of the Indo-Pak war in 1965, Prabha Behl, a bright young reporter with the Hindustan Times, sought permission to cover the war for her newspaper. Those were the subdued sixties and women were still struggling hard to make a place for themselves in a manââ¬â¢s world. The editor said a firm ââ¬Å"Noâ⬠to Prabha. We donââ¬â¢t send women reporters to the war front. â⬠But Prabha was a competent reporter and she found a way out for herself. She took leave from office and went to stay with her grandparents in Amritsar. Recounting this, Barkha says: ââ¬Å"There, she made contacts and went to the front on her own. She started sending news dispatches from there. And these were so good that the newspaper had no choice but to use them. â⬠There is pride in the daughterââ¬â¢s voice as she tells this. Barkha became a familiar face and the best-known journalist as she was bringing live action home to the living rooms. She was also the first Indian woman journalist to be reporting thus as shells flew past and bullets were being fired. The iconic stature this dare bestowed upon her could have been a heady cocktail and someone more vulnerable to success would have been a part of the Capitalââ¬â¢s party circuit with her mug every other day among the Page Three celebrities. Barkha Dutt ââ¬â Reporting from Kargil It was Barkha Duttââ¬â¢s frontline reporting of the Kargil conflict in 1999 that made her a household name. From that time the focus of her work has been conflict reporting, covering areas ranging from Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. She is at present the Managing Editor of NDTV 24Ãâ"7, Indiaââ¬â¢s premiere satellite television network, and also the host of ââ¬Å"We the Peopleâ⬠, every week. By this age she has become one of the most influential journalists in the country. Her work has won her over twenty international and national awards, including the Commonwealth Broadcasters Award, 2002, the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award from the World Economic Forum in 2001, and the Broadcast Journalist of the Year award from the Indian Express, in 2005. She also writes a weekly column for The Hindustan Times and The Khaleej Times. However, Kargil has not been the be-all and end-all of this young lady with a nose for news. The Kashmir story has been very close to her heart for that was a place she visited again and again for follow-ups. Barkha says: ââ¬Å"Reporting on Kashmir too is not easy. If you empathize with the Army, you are called a government stooge and if you see the human side of militants, you are labeled anti-national. But a friend told me that if all sides start labeling you then you could be sure that you are doing your work impartially. And that is precisely what happened to me in Kashmir. During the Gujarat riots, Barkha covered the area from Godhra to Baroda at length, following rape victims and others. She recounts a sad incident of those times: ââ¬Å"I saw the helplessness of the people of a particular community. My cameraman Ajmal Jami and I (we have always worked together) were driving down and the mobs stopped our car. I do not believe in religious identity but I had to say that I was a Hindu and invent a Hindu name for Ajmal. â⬠In 2008, the Indian government awarded Dutt the Padma Shri, a civilian honor, for her coverage of the 2004 Tsunami. Barkha also received the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association award for Journalist of the Year, 2007. Her Sunday talk show has won the most awards out of any show on Indian television, winning the Indian Television Academy award for Best Talk Show five years in a row. In 2008, Dutt received the Indian News Broadcasting Award for the Most Intelligent News Show Host. She has twice been named on the list of 100 ââ¬Å"Global Leaders of Tomorrowâ⬠compiled by the World Economic Forum (2001, 2008). She has also received Society Magazine Young Achievers Award. In 2010 she was appointed as a member of Indiaââ¬â¢s National Integration Council. She was also Asia Society Fellow in 2006 and serves on the International Advisory Council of the Asia Society. Moreover, Barkha Dutt has been portrayed in the film Lakshya, directed by Farhan Akhtar. She was the model for the principal protagonist in the ââ¬Å"The Peddler of Soapsâ⬠, a political novel by writer-activist Anand Kurian. In recent times, the role played by Rani Mukherjee in the film No One Killed Jessica is loosely based on her. Barkha Dutt getting Padma Shri from President Patil In November 2010, OPEN magazine carried a story which reported transcripts of some of the telephone conversations of Nira Radia with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, many of whom have denied the allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced that they have 5,851 recordings of phone conversations by Radia, some of which outline Radiaââ¬â¢s attempts to broker deals in relation to the 2G spectrum sale. In one of the tapes Barkha Dutt assures Radia of getting Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress general secretary, to talk to Karunanidhi to get the portfolios in the Union cabinet fixed. Dutt denied acting on any promise to pass on messages to the Congress. In a subsequent tape, Nira Radia is heard saying ââ¬ËBarkha has got Congress (political party) to issue a statementââ¬â¢. Dutt denies the allegations. Barkha has quite a few other interests too. She is an outdoor girl who likes swimming and of late she has been doing horse riding too. She had a dream of making documentaries and writing, ââ¬Å"I feel the time for these things will come now when I slow down and leave spot reporting for the younger lot. I love reading fiction and read a lot of it. Maybe I will also some day try writing fiction. â⬠She says this with the conviction of one who has done her job well and would now like to move on and not hold onto what brought her glory. Barkha Duttââ¬â¢s married life is not disclosed yet in the media. Barkha Dutt personal life is a mystery to her followers. About marriage, she says, ââ¬Å"Well, I could say that I have not come across the right person yet. â⬠After knowing that Preeti loves Hrithik in film Lakshaya, Rani does has boyfriend in No one killed Jessica but Barkha marriage is still a hidden.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The HRM Department
The HRM Department Introduction Globalisation, technological innovation, expansion of multinational firms, demographic shift in labour market, capital, and increased global competition among firms are phenomena that have transformed HRM practices and policies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The HRM Department specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These factors become complex to multinational firms as they consider other factors related to local and country context. Thus, the focus shifts to cultural variables, labour market factors, regulatory factors, the structure of the industry, human resource skills, experiences, and willingness to work as expatriates. These factors may hinder or facilitate effective roles of HRM department in implementing strategic direction for the multinational firm. Thus, the firm must be: Globally competitive Responsive to local needs Efficient in operation Flexible and adaptable Encourage learning and knowledge transfer between the parent company and the local subsidiary Therefore, the HRM department must facilitate flexible work practices and encourage employeesââ¬â¢ commitment to the organisation in order to enhance effective adaptation of the local subsidiary with the parent company. Multinational organisations face several challenges that influence HRM in the global perspective (Marchington and Grugulis, 2000, p. 1104). This implies that there is a need for integration of various practices and policies in order to ensure effective adaptation and management of human resources in the new subsidiary. HRM remains crucial for success of multinational organisations. Past studies in multinational organisations have raised significant issues, which multinational companies must address. First, there is an increasing need to find suitable models and frameworks, which can address various issues affecting the global management of human resources.Advertising Looking for essay on busine ss economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Second, there is also a need to develop a systematic model that recognises existing variations in international human resource practices and policies. Third, the global HRM should rely on theoretical viewpoints for predicting and explaining various characteristics of employees across the globe. In this research, a focus is on how the HRM department can change its policies and practices in order to accommodate a new subsidiary in a different location. The focus on a multinational organisation also highlights international human resource management (IHRM) and strategic human resource management (SHRM) (Scullion and Starkey, 2000, p. 1061). This broad focus provides opportunities of making recommendations and suggestions for further studies. Research Methodology Purpose of the Study Theories have emerged in the past few decades as attempts to provide theoretical foundations for HRM practices and policies across global borders. The main purpose of this paper is to identity HRM strategies that a multinational firm can apply in Britain after a takeover of a local insurance firm in London. Thus, we pay close attention to differences and uniqueness of the local subsidiary. The essay also explores how the multinational firm can apply its influence from the head office to the local firm. In this context, we highlight how such actions can influence strategies, implementation, and performance of the multinational firm in the local context. Methods This research makes use of existing literature in the field of HRM across national borders. In this context, the research focuses on best practices in the field of HRM, which multinational firms have applied for effective incorporation of strategic HRM functions in the multinational firm.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The HRM Department specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The research reviews both theoretical and empirical studies, which account for various factors affecting HRM in multinational, such as costs, skills, recruitment, labour mobility, retention, rewards and compensation, and transfer among other factors (Vaiman, Scullion and Collings, 2012, p. 925). Given this approach, we can understand why HRM strategies and practices in the local firms differ significantly with practices and strategies in multinational firms. The research makes use of existing studies from various parts of the world in order to show that every local firm may require a different approach to global HRM strategies rather than the standard approach of the parent company. Thus, it is imperative for the HRM department of the multinational organisation to consider the best local practices and align them with the best HRM practices form the parent company. Literature Review HRM Model for a Multinational Firm There are different views regarding HRM models for mu ltinational firms. Therefore, the research focuses on the Schuler and other authorsââ¬â¢ model in order to provide a clear perspective of what a multinational firm is. This definition states that: ââ¬Å"Any enterprise that carries out transactions in or between two sovereign entities, operating under a system of decision-making that permits influence over resources and capabilities, where the transactions are subject to influence by factors exogenous to the home country environment of the enterpriseâ⬠(Schuler, Dowling and De Cieri, 1993, p. 717). It provides a basis to show that a global HRM involves many aspects of HRM than a domestic HRM (Dowling, Welch and Schuler, 1999, p. 89). Thus, HRM departments must develop policies and practices, and administer those policies and practices across many countries. The HRM department must recognise that every country has its own legal, cultural, social, economic, historical, and political attributes. After the takeover of Brit Insur ance with Apollo Global Management, the HR policies and practices have to change in order to reflect the multinational status of the company. Thus, Brit Insurance policies and practices should reflect various aspects of HRM planning such as staffing, repatriation, performance appraisal, training and development, and compensation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The HRM policies and practices have been the focus on many studies. However, some studies have limited research to domestic spheres. However, globalisation and the emergence of multinational firms have changed HRM practices and introduced the concept of international human resource management (IHRM). Human Resource Planning The HR department at Brit Insurance must address human resource planning in order to reflect multinational features of Apollo Global Management. This is a wide practice that covers staffing, appraisal, and compensation practices in the company. Thus, IHRM must provide a comprehensive way of addressing the HRM in response to the multinational status of the company, the stage of the company growth, competitive strategies, the global structure, and the stage of organisational growth globally (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1998, p. 204). Some of the practices the HRM should consider are identification of crucial factors, which are significant for merger, planning career grow th, creating and maintaining career development systems. In addition, the HRM department must also play a strategic role in the formulation of organisational strategic objectives (Mathis and Jackson, 2011, p. 524). The HRM department must also manage organisational dynamic, which result from decentralisation in business units as the organisation strives to reflect both global and regional characteristics (Stone, 2010, p. 344). The HRM department must also ensure that employees have meaningful duties when appropriate in order to ensure maximum utilisation of human resources both internationally and locally. Wong also focused on ten areas in which the HRM department should address in multinational organisations (Wong, 2000, pp. 72-74). These include the following: Selection of candidates Assignment and cost planning Preparation of terms and conditions of employeesââ¬â¢ contracts Processing of employeesââ¬â¢ relocation and management of vendor Cultural and language orientation o r training Tax administration Compensation management and payroll processing Career guidance and planning Handling spouse and dependantsââ¬â¢ issues Immigration affairs Integrating and promoting these issues to reflect global characteristics have challenged many HRM departments (Evans, 1986, p. 105). This research shall focus on four issues the HRM department at Brits Insurance must address after the takeover. Human Resources Management Approaches Staffing remains a significant activity that the HRM department of a multinational organisation must consider carefully for success of the firm. Harvey and fellow authors noted that the HRM department must coordinate and control all their human resources across the globe (Harvey, Novicevic and Speirer, 2000, p. 381). In the past, organisations used to send senior executives from the head office to ensure that the local company implemented all HR policies and maintained procedures as provided in the organisational HR policies (Brewster and Scullion, 1997, p. 72). Scholars have concurred that the HRM department must separate various HRM practices in various subsidiaries across the globe. However, as costs of running such practices increase, it is fundamental for the organisation to use staff in the host country to fulfil these needs (Black et al, 1999, p. 178). Apollo Global Management has its head office in the US. According to Schuler, Budhwar, and Florkowski, the US multinational companies use their employees as expatriates in global subsidiaries to take management positions for several reasons (Schuler, Budhwar, and Florkowski, 2002, p. 41). Protect the interest of organisation Enhance global perspectives Offer functional perspectives Enhance global knowledge Develop local talent through expatriatesââ¬â¢ training Aid career planning Manage new ventures However, Apollo Global Management also has concerns regarding the best approach for selecting expatriates for foreign assignment. Glinow and Milliman noted that many multinational corporations of the US had trouble in overseas operation. They attributed these difficulties partially to ineffective application of IHRM principles. They applied a product life cycle (PLC) approach and proposed ââ¬Å"a two-step contingency model of the strategic and operational levels of MNCsâ⬠(Glinow and Milliman, 2009, p. 4). These researchers discussed effective IHRM practices based on certain characteristics and needs of multinational organisations in a given environment. Glinow and Milliman approached IHRM by using the PLC and contingency model in order to develop effective IHRM practices, which the US firms could apply overseas in order to create effective cross-cultural managerial system applicable at every stage of production (Smith, 1992, p. 39). This shall finally create a global system that will be necessary for a competitive and dynamic global business environment. The US multinational organisations operate in a highly dynamic and competit ive global market. Therefore, there is a need for adaptation in several aspects of the organisation, especially HRM practices. The two-step contingency model highlights how the US firms can ââ¬Å"adapt every stage of operation through effective HRM practicesâ⬠(Glinow and Milliman, 2009, p. 21). The two-step contingency model looks at strategic phase where international PLC has effects on both environmental and organisational factors of the firm. As a result, these factors affect their strategies. Therefore, the management team and HR department have to transform organisational business plan to strategic HRM objectives. They identified both short-term and long-term strategic IHRM objectives as ââ¬Å"planning, cost versus development and the need for integration and differentiationâ⬠(Glinow and Milliman, 2009, p. 23). On the other hand, the modelââ¬â¢s operational phase focused on ââ¬Å"converting strategic HRM objectives into specific decisionsâ⬠(Glinow and Mi lliman, 2009, p. 24). They relied on the study of Tung when developing operational phase criteria that involved ââ¬Å"nature of job or task, how different the host countrys culture is, the ability of the expatriate to adapt, spouse and family considerations, consideration of the host country nationals and the need for longer term developments of expatriatesâ⬠(Glinow and Milliman, 2009, p. 31). On this note, Schuler, Budhwar, and Florkowski also observe that it is necessary to consider the following factors among multinational firms. Acceptance of foreign assignment Foreign language Spouse and family support Ability to adjust overseas lifestyle Technical and cultural competence Team spirit Glinow and Milliman noted that it was necessary for a global firm to conduct ââ¬Å"continuous assessment of different IHRM practices and change them based on prevailing conditionsâ⬠(Glinow and Milliman, 2009, p. 35). Glinow and Milliman show that adopting this model may be difficult . However, it is necessary for reducing problems that senior management and executives of global firms experience when they start overseas operation. They argue that it is best if only highly qualified employees go overseas in order to create interest in the company. This strategy shall result into ââ¬Å"international thinking and organisational culture that values international assignmentsâ⬠(Glinow and Milliman, 2009, p. 35). Caligiuri and Stroh looked at the connection between the global management practices of multinational firms and the result of IHRM practices from 46 companies. They examined four global strategies, which included ethnocentric, regiocentric, polycentric and geocentric (Caligiuri and Stroh, 1995, p. 1). They concluded that HR practices, such as recruitment, selection, and socialization or cultural, were different due to global strategies of a firm. Specifically, they found significant differences between ethnocentric and geocentric companies. They also ob served that these two factors influenced the success of multinational firms based on profit margins, returns on capital, sales volumes, and returns on equity. They concluded that multinational firms operating under ethnocentric strategies had low-levels of success than other firms deploying other three approaches. Therefore, they noted that it was necessary for multinational organisations to incorporate local responses into their global strategies. Firms tended to align their global strategies with practices, which showed consistency with the overall organisational strategies in order to maintain competitive advantage (Wright and McMahan, 1992, p. 7; Daft, 2010, p. 298; Miner, 2005, p. 126). Caligiuri and Stroh asked HR executives to explain to what extent their firms preferred to maintain their headquartersââ¬â¢ cultures in their global subsidiaries. They noted that ethnocentric multinational firms had significant differences from regiocentric, polycentric, and geocentric firms. Ethnocentric firms believed that promoting the culture of the head office was a form of strategic control. Conversely, the other three types of firms did not have much difference among themselves as they favoured local integration. According to Caligiuri and Stroh, controls from the head offices reduce the extent of multinational firmsââ¬â¢ involvement in local activities. Caligiuri and Stroh noted that multinational firms should conduct global recruitment in order to attract the best talents, promote global adaptation and orientation of the firm. They also observed that regiocentric, polycentric, and geocentric firms had flexible processes. They observed that cultural diversity and foreign laws had significant control over selection processes. They also proposed further studies with large sample to analyse the influence of foreign countriesââ¬â¢ legal, political, and cultural constraints on selection processes among multinational firms. These authors argue that multinational companies, which promote ethnocentric ideologies in foreign countries, should re-examine their approaches and replace them with local strategies because ââ¬Å"the parent company may not always be rightâ⬠(Caligiuri and Stroh, 1995, p. 13). Caligiuri and Stroh conclude that such re-examination can help an organisation recognize that there are other culturally diverse and right ways of running a business. Mahmood investigated effects of ââ¬Å"corporate strategies, structures, and international policy orientations on subsidiaries HRM practicesâ⬠(Mahmood, 2009, p. 1). He specifically focused on recruitment and selection practices of global firms in their subsidiaries. He used four European organisations conducting business in Bangladesh and discovered that multinational firmsââ¬â¢ HRM practices relied on ââ¬Å"the changing nature of strategies, structures and HQââ¬â¢s policy orientation towards the subsidiariesâ⬠(Mahmood, 2009, p. 1). Mahmood concluded that st andardization processes in subsidiaries do not always depend on decisions of the parent companies, but rather on capabilities and importance of the subsidiary influences on the parent companyââ¬â¢s decisions on standardization of HRM practices. Mahmood notes that multinational firms have significant influences on subsidiaries. Attitude of the parent company on the subsidiary influences HRM practices and employees mobility across various subsidiaries. He notes that employee mobility among subsidiaries helps subsidiaries to acquire various skills from training of highly qualified employees. Some international firms considered employee mobility during selection and recruitment processes of managerial teams as it had significant effects on employeesââ¬â¢ placement and assignment both on the long-term and short-term basis (Mello, 2010, p. 238). This study also noted that multinational firms had challenges in Bangladesh where HRM practices were chaotic and disorganised. As a result, most multinational firms had to apply their parent companiesââ¬â¢ HRM practices in their local subsidiaries due to lack of HRM practices in their local contexts. However, the relationship between the subsidiary and the head office, operational issues, and host country societal activities influenced HRM practices at the local level. Mahmood concluded that activities of the parent company and globalisation of the subsidiary influenced the HRM practices and development of standardized practices at the local level. Mahmood noted that globalisation (internationalisation) processes of the subsidiary followed a sequential pattern with stages. Therefore, it is necessary for multinational organisations to have various HRM practices for different subsidiaries across the globe. Therefore, it is important for multinational firms to align their corporate structures, strategies, IHRM practices, and policies. This study presented two observations. First, subsidiaries have capabilities of earni ng reputations from their head offices based on their performances. Second, in some cases, the head office may trust some elements of responsibilities to subsidiaries due restructuring of the firm. Plessis and Huntley examined IHRM within the context of South Africa and noted that employees had diverse backgrounds and experiences (Plessis and Huntley, 2009, p. 413). They concentrated on challenges, which emerged in firms due to diverse composition of employees from different parts of the globe. These researchers argued that HR activities in multinational corporations were complex than in domestic firms as HR departments had to deal with cultural issues, pay issues, laws of the host country, working conditions of the workforce, and aligning HR practices throughout the global subsidiaries of the company. Plessis and Huntley developed a model applicable in the context of South Africa MNCs during ââ¬Å"the transitional stage, from domestic local to international globalâ⬠(Plessis and Huntley, 2009, p. 413). This model can act as a guideline for HR departments for ââ¬Å"coordination and integration of leadership skills, procedures, policies, training, policies, and structures within the domestic and international firms of South Africaâ⬠(Plessis and Huntley, 2009, p. 420). The model consists of ââ¬Å"HR manager, production manager, service centre and business managersâ⬠(Plessis and Huntley, 2009, p. 420). However, they also pointed out that the model was flexible and not restricted to these four areas as firms could adjust it to fit their needs as required. This model puts emphasis on the importance of HRMââ¬â¢s functions in developing policies, strategies, and procedures necessary for participation in the global economy. They note the importance of ââ¬Å"aligning HRââ¬â¢s strategies to those of the organisationâ⬠(Plessis and Huntley, 2009, p. 413). This model also posits that multinational firms should standardize various aspects of human resources management in order to achieve fairness within organisations. Graham and Trevor observed that such strategies are good, but organisations must use them within the context of a specific multinational firm (Graham and Trevor, 2000, p. 136). The authors challenge HR managers of South African multinational organisations to understand ââ¬Å"their employeesââ¬â¢ cultural norms, pay and working conditions expectations before designing any program and set up conditionsâ⬠(Plessis and Huntley, 2009, p. 423). Domestic and international HRM practices differ. The latter is more complex than domestic HRM. Therefore, it is necessary for HRM departments to consider various aspects HRM practices so that they can develop the best relationships with employees from diverse backgrounds and cultural orientations. Therefore, they explored the suitability of a ââ¬Ëglobal integration strategyââ¬â¢ of Milkovich and Bloom 1998. They focused on how HRM department could apply it in todayââ¬â¢s global firms (Milkovich and Bloom, 1998, p. 15). Retention Plan Both the parent company and the subsidiary must create a retention plan in order to address cases of potential turnover and ensure that the multinational firm sustains its workforce. The aim of the plan is to retain industrious and engaged employees. The HRM department must provide exit surveys or interviews in order to determine causes of turnover, what employees like, what they do not like, and what they wish to change about the firm. The HR department must coordinate with line managers in order to develop the plan. This is because managers allocate roles, targets, and responsibilities that challenge workforce. The manager must be responsible for retention because of job challenges they assign employees. The HRM department must hold managers accountable and provide incentives for high retention of desired employees. The firm must have retention measures to prevent turnover of desired employees, whic h include intangible and intangible strategies as follow: Professional mentoring, training, and development On-the-job training Bonus payment and perks Telecommuting Flexible work schedule Reimbursement or education assistance The company must put these strategies into action. However, it is necessary for the HRM department to protect the company through a retention agreement. This ensures that the employee serves the firm for a specific period before leaving. Conclusion The HRM department must extend to strategic needs of the organisation in order to achieve both goals of the organisation and those of employees. This study demonstrates that there are differences, which exist between domestic HRM and global HRM practices and policies. Staffing of a multinational firm remains a source of major concerns for the HRM department. This requires employees with various skills, experiences, and other attributes (Gratton, Hope-Hailey, Stiles and Truss, 1999, p. 17). The HRM department must coordinate and control these practices to reflect global characteristics of the company. Compensation and rewards also differ between expatriates and local employees. However, some scholars call for a fair compensation system across the multinational firm (Giammalvo, 2005, p. 18). Compensation and rewards must also take into performance of employees. Dowling, Welch, and Schuler insist that the HRM department must appraise performance of all employees including expatriates in order to promote fairness in the organisation. Another area entails the creation of synergy and teamwork among workers of diverse cultural backgrounds. However, scholars note that multinational firms should avoid ethnocentric tendencies in order to identify ability and benefits of cultural synergies in the organisation. Repatriation of employees also presents significant challenges to HRM department (Mendenhall and Stahl, 2000, p. 251). Studies have focused on activities and qualities of the repatriation as key factors in defining careers. Some scholars have expressed concerns with the turnover of expatriates after returning home from overseas duties (Cappelli, 2008, p. 56). Finally, training and development of employees in multinational organisations should serve as a tool of developing employees and promoting coordination of diverse aspects of a multinational firm (Li and Scullion, 2010, p. 190). A lack of proper training has led to failure of many expatriates abroad. Thus, training and development initiatives are fundamental practices for strategic goals of the organisation and employees. The HRM department must also account for labour relations in the US and the UK. For instance, the HRM department must focus on employeesââ¬â¢ deployment especially in managerial roles. This also focuses on areas of legal, political, and historical characteristics of the country. The HRM must align legal requirements with the labour laws and employeesââ¬â¢ rights, particularly with attention to co mpensation, holidays, benefits, legally established insurance standards, and bargains or individual benefits. Given these challenges, adhocracy in HRM practices and policies may be a suitable starting point for a multinational firm in a foreign land. However, it is difficult to predict the outcome of such an approach. Reference List Bartlett, A and Ghoshal, S 1998, Managing Across Borders: The Transnational Solution, 2nd edn, Random House, London. Black, S, Gregersen, B, Mendenhall, M and Stroh, K 1999, Globalizing People through International Assignments, Addison Wesley, Reading, MA. Brewster, C and Scullion, H 1997, ââ¬ËA review and agenda for expatriate HRMââ¬â¢, Human Resource Management Journal, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 32ââ¬â41. Caligiuri, P and Linda S 1995, ââ¬ËMultinational corporation management strategies and international human resources practices : bringing IHRM to the bottom lineââ¬â¢, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1-14. Cappelli, P 2008, Talent on Demand: Managing Talent in an Age of Uncertainty, Harvard Business Press, Boston, MA. Daft, R 2010, Organization Theory and Design, 10th edn, South Western College, Cincinnati, Ohio. Dowling, J, Welch, E and Schuler, R 1999, International Dimensions of Human Resource Management, 3rd edn, South-Western College Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio. Evans, P 1986, ââ¬ËThe context of strategic human resource management policy in complex firmsââ¬â¢, Management Forum, vol. 6, pp. 105ââ¬â107. Giammalvo, D 2005, ââ¬ËDeveloping an Equitable and Fair Compensation Scheme for Multi-National Project Teamsââ¬â¢, Cost Engineering, vol. 47, no. 12, pp. 18-23. Glinow, M and John M 2009, ââ¬ËDeveloping Strategic International Human Resource Management: Prescriptions for MNC Successââ¬â¢, CEO Publication, vol. 90, no. 166, pp. 1-38. Graham, E and Trevor, C 2000, ââ¬ËManaging New pay program introductions to enhance the competitiveness of multination al corporationsââ¬â¢, Competitiveness Review, vol. 101, pp. 136. Gratton, L, Hope-Hailey, V, Stiles, P And Truss, C 1999, Linking individual performance to business strategy: The people process modelââ¬â¢, Human Resource Management, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 17-31. Harvey, M, Novicevic, M and Speirer, C 2000, ââ¬ËAn innovative global management-staffing system: a competency-based perspective. Human Resource Management, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 381ââ¬â394. Li, S and Scullion, H 2010, ââ¬ËDeveloping the local competence of expatriate managers for emerging markets: a knowledge based approachââ¬â¢, Journal of World Business, vol. 45 no. 2, pp. 190-196. Mahmood, M 2009, ââ¬ËStrategy, Structure And HRM Practices In Multinational Subsidiaries: European MNCs in a Developing Country Contextââ¬â¢, Bang College of Business: Economics and Strategic Research , vol. 1, pp. 1-20. Marchington, M and Grugulis, I 2000, ââ¬ËBest practice human resource management: perfect opportunity or dangerous illusionââ¬â¢, International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 1104ââ¬â24. Mathis, R and Jackson, H 2011, Human Resource Management, 13th edn, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, OH. Mello, J 2010, Strategic Human Resource Management, 3rd edn, South-Western Cengage Learning, San Fransisco. Mendenhall, M and Stahl, K 2000, ââ¬ËExpatriate training and development: where do we go from here?ââ¬â¢, Human Resource Management, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 251-256. Milkovich, T and Bloom, M 1998, ââ¬ËRethinking international compensationââ¬â¢, Compensation and Benefits Review, vol. 30, no. 1, pp.15-23. Miner, J 2005, Organizational behavior I: Essential theories of motivation and leadership, M.E. Sharpe, New York. Plessis, A and Huntley, K 2009, ââ¬ËChallenges in A Globalised Context For International Human Resource Managers in South African Organisationsââ¬â¢, International Review of Business Research Papers, vol. 5 no. 1, pp. 413-427. Schuler, R, Budhwar, P and Florkowski, G 2002, ââ¬ËInternational human resource management: review and critiqueââ¬â¢, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 41ââ¬â70. Schuler, S, Dowling, J and De Cieri, H 1993, ââ¬ËAn integrative framework of strategic international human resource managementââ¬â¢, International journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 4, pp. 717ââ¬â764. Scullion, H and Starkey, K 2000, ââ¬ËIn Search of the Changing Role of the Corporate Human Resource Function in the International Firmââ¬â¢, International Journal of HRM, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 1061-1081. Smith, B 1992, ââ¬ËOrganisational Behaviour and National Culturesââ¬â¢, British Journal of Management, vol. 3, pp. 39-51. Stone, R 2010, Human Resource Management, 7th edn, John Wiley Sons, Australia. Vaiman, V, Scullion, H and Collings, D 2012, ââ¬ËTalent management decision makingââ¬â¢, Management Decision, vol. 50, no. 5, pp. 925-941. Wong, N 2000, ââ¬ËMark your calender! Important tasks for international HR workforceââ¬â¢, Costa Mesa, vol. 79, no. 4, pp. 72ââ¬â74. Wright, P and McMahan, G 1992, ââ¬ËTheoretical perspectives for strategic human resource managementââ¬â¢, Journal of Management, vol. 18, no. 295, pp. 1-16.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Critiquing the diary of Jules Renard essays
Critiquing the diary of Jules Renard essays Jules Renard seems to have had a pretty full life. He grew up with a distant father, "His father stopped talking to his wife after Jules was born...remained largly indifferent to his son..." His mother appears to bit quite an eccentric, "a bigot...a compulsive talker and fibber." But it seems later in life, he was happy. This section seems to be written near his wedding day; "If I were a bird, I would sleep only in the clouds." It seems to me, Jules is expressing a feeling of great happiness. But then it almost seems that he slips out of that excitment. Jules had a great anger against "hypocrocy and sham". "We no longer know what love is. The thing itself is lost, drowned in a verbal deluge." It would appear to me that he is trying to say how sometimes people pervert situations. He felt that love had become just another unimportant expression, easy come, easy go. It is taken for granted. " A boy from an orphan asylum....receives 120 francs for fifteen months. I am thoughtless enough to say it is not much...he says with pride: '...you get your washing done, and a pair of shoes.' " This young man didn't take anything for granted. What others saw as not enough, he saw as more than enough. I think Jules was trying to convey his gratitude for what he had. Hw was elected Mayor of his home town in 1904 and had become a successful author. Through all of this, he never seemed to lose his appreciation of it all, of even being alive. "...all my forced parodixes, my hatred of the conventional, my contempt for the commonplace, do not prevent me from turning soft on the first day of spring..." This is my favorite, "I cannot look at the leaf of a tree without being crushed by the universe." That line seems to say that regardless of whether it's a leaf, or the entire universe, they are both of greatness. They are both significant. It is obvious that Jules was an extremely greatful man for all he had been blessed with, and tried to appeal to others...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Factors that Limit School Effectiveness
Factors that Limit School Effectiveness Districts, schools, administrators, and teachers are continuously in the spotlight and rightfully so. Educating our youth is an essential part of our national infrastructure. Education has such a profound impact on society as a whole that those responsible for educating should receive extra attention. These people should be celebrated and championed for their efforts. However, the reality is that education as a whole is looked down upon and often mocked. There are so many factors beyond any one personââ¬â¢s control that can strip school effectiveness. The truth is that the majority of teachers and administrators do the best they can with what they are given. Each school is different. There are schools that unquestionably have more limiting factors than others when it comes to the overall effectiveness. There are several factors that many schools deal with on a daily basis that strip school effectiveness. Some of these factors can be controlled, but all will likely never entirely go away. Poor Attendance Attendance matters. A teacher cannot possibly do their job if a student is not there. While a student can do the makeup work, it is likely that they learn less than they would have by being there for the original instruction. Absences add up quickly. A student who misses an average of ten school days a year will have missed an entire school year by the time they graduate high school. Poor attendance severely limits a both a teacherââ¬â¢s overall effectiveness and a studentââ¬â¢s learning potential. Poor attendance plagues schools across the country. Excessive Tardiness/Leaving Early Excessive tardiness can be hard to get under control. For elementary and junior high/middle school students, it is difficult to hold them accountable when it their parentââ¬â¢s responsibility to get them to school on time. Junior high/middle school and high school students who have transition time between classes have multiple opportunities to be tardy each day. All of this time can quickly add up. It minimizes effectiveness in two ways. First a student who is routinely tardy misses a lot of class when you add up all that time. It also disrupts the teacher and student each time a student comes in tardy. Students who routinely leave early also minimize the effectiveness in the same way. Many parents believe that teachers do not teach the first fifteen minutes of the day and the last fifteen minutes of the day. However, all of this time adds up, and it will have an impact on that student. Schools have a set start time and a set end time. They expect their teachers to be teaching, and their students to be learning from the first bell until the last bell. Parents and students who do not respect that help strip school effectiveness. Student Discipline Dealing with discipline issues is a fact of life for teachers and administrators for every school. Each school faces different types and levels of discipline issues. However, the fact remains that all discipline issues disrupt the flow of a class and take valuable class time away for all students involved. Each time a student is sent to the principalââ¬â¢s office it takes away from learning time. This interruption in learning increases in cases where suspension is warranted. Student discipline issues occur on a daily basis. These continual disruptions do limit a schoolââ¬â¢s effectiveness. Schools can create policies that are rigid and strict, but they will likely never be able to eliminate discipline issues altogether. Lack of Parental Support Teachers will tell you that those students whose parents attend every parent teacher conference are often the ones whom they do not need to see. This is one small correlation between parental involvement and student success. Those parents who believe in education, push their kids at home, and support their childââ¬â¢s teacher give their child a better opportunity to succeed academically. If schools had 100% of parents who did those three things listed above, we would see a surge in academic success in schools across the country. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many children in our schools today. Many parents do not value education, do not do anything with their child at home, and only send them to school because they have to or because they view it as free baby sitting. Lack of Student Motivation Give a teacher a group of motivated students and you have a group of students in which the academic sky is the limit. Unfortunately, many students these days are not motivated to go to school to learn. Their motivation to go to school comes from being at school because they have to, participating in extra-curricular activities, or hanging out with their friends. Learning should be the number one motivation for all students, but it is rare when a student goes to school primarily for that purpose. Poor Public Perception The school used to be the focal point of every community. Teachers were respected and looked at to be pillars of society. Today there is a negative stigma associated with schools and teachers. This public perception has an impact on the job that a school can do. When people and the community talk negatively about a school, administrator, or teacher it undermines their authority and makes them less effective. Communities that support their school wholeheartedly have schools that are more effective. Those communities who do not provide support will have schools that are less effective than they could be. Lack of Funding Money is a crucial aspect when it comes to school success. Money affects key issues including class size, programs offered, curriculum, technology, professional development, etc. Each of these can have a profound effect on student success. When there are educational budget cuts, the quality of education each child receives will be affected. These budget cuts limit a schoolââ¬â¢s effectiveness. It does require a significant monetary investment to adequately educate our students. If cuts are made teachers and schools will figure a way out to make do with what they have, but their effectiveness will be influenced in some way by those cuts. Too Much Testing The overemphasis of standardized testing is limiting schools in their approach to education. Teachers have been forced to teach to the tests. This has led to a lack of creativity, an inability to implement activities which address real life issues, and has taken authentic learning experiences away in virtually every classroom. Due to the high stakes associated with these assessments teachers and students believe all their time should be devoted to preparing and taking tests. This has had a negative impact on school effectiveness and is an issue that schools will find it difficult to overcome. Lack of Respect Education used to be a well respected profession. That respect has increasingly disappeared. Parents no longer take a teachers word on a matter that occurred in class. They talk terribly about their childââ¬â¢s teacher at home. Students do not listen to teachers in class. They can be argumentative, rude, and discourteous. Some of the blame in a case like this falls on the teacher, but students should have been raised to be respectful to adults in all cases. A lack of respect undermines a teacherââ¬â¢s authority, minimizing, and often zeroing out their effectiveness in the classroom. Bad Teachers A bad teacher and particularly a group of incompetent teachers can derail a schoolââ¬â¢s effectiveness quickly. Every student who has a poor teacher has the potential to fall behind academically. This problem has a trickle down effect in that it makes the next teacherââ¬â¢s job that much harder. Like any other profession there are those who should not have chosen teaching as a career. They simply are not cut out to do it. It is essential that administrators make quality hires, evaluate teachers thoroughly, and remove teachers quickly which do not live up to the schoolââ¬â¢s expectations.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Catering as a Stand-Alone Business Research Proposal
Catering as a Stand-Alone Business - Research Proposal Example In starting up a business, there is always the need to get to carry out a very comprehensive research on the various industries. Indeed, it is the research that may help in coming up with the best choice from the array of options that may be at stake. Once on settles on a specific industry, they still have to dig deep on the various tricks and crucial steps to making it in the industry. After an analysis of the available avenues for the choice of business, this is an already established, though small, catering company. In carrying out the research, the analysis of the trends in the industry will be taken into consideration. This will come in terms of the positioning of the company within the market, its key rivals and the possible areas that seem of great threat to the company. This will also help in the formulation of the best strategies by the company so that it may raise its market share. The chosen business is in the catering industry. Catering: as a process, is defined as the provision of beverages and foodstuffs for events. As a business, it deals with the provision of food services from and at various locations (Jacob 2013, 7). Unlike hotels, catering services are mobile; hence, the advantage over hotels in the food industry. The catering process comes in many forms (The Mirror 2011, 9). For the mobile catering, the food is mainly served from vehicles, trucks or carts that are designed for serving food. Catering comes in a full range of events, such as; business meetings, exhibitions, conferences, weddings, special events and other social occasions. The caterers, as well as their staff, form a very crucial part of the foodservice industry. The services provided are dependent on the event. These include; cooking and delivery of food to s remote location, cooking, food delivery, and service, or a full range of the service.Ã
Friday, October 18, 2019
Measuring the reactions of the enzymes catecholase in different levels Lab Report
Measuring the reactions of the enzymes catecholase in different levels of pH in different tempereture - Lab Report Example Temperature rise of about 10oC normally doubles or triples the rate of enzymatic reactions. However beyond the optimum temperature the enzyme activity decreases. If catecholase activity is minimally affected at different temperatures and pH then it can be hypothesized that it has a large range of optimal activity. The aim of this experiment was to test the effect of temperature and pH on the enzymatic activity of catecholase. The effect of catecholase enyme at different temperatures, 0 and 37oC were tested at different levels of pH 2, 4, 7 and 12. Three tubes for each pH were set up and labelled A, B and C. To three tubes in each pH 3ml of the pH solution was added and 2ml of banana extract (substrate). To two tubes 1ml of the enzyme (potato extract) was added while the third tube the enzyme was not added and acted as the control. The test tubes were then shaken and put in the appropriate temperature and the optical density measured after three minutes. The reaction rate was the highest at all temperatures at pH 7. At room temperature the reaction rate was the highest in the tube without the enzyme. pH 4 and 12 had the lowest reaction rates at all temperatures. The reaction rates were highest between 0oC and room temperature in the presence of catecholase and lowest at 0oC without the enzyme. Catechol oxidase (catecholase) is a polyphenol oxidase enzyme present in many plants (Aniszewski et al. 2008). It is responsible for catalysing the reaction between oxygen and hydroxylated benzenes leading to the production of quinines and water. The enzyme mediated reaction rate was the highest at physiological pH and at temperatures between zero and room temperature. This shows that the enzyme has a large range of optimal temperatures. However, it has a narrow range of optimal pH. The narrow pH range during which catecholase activity was the highest is due to the effect of pH on the redox
Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1
Strategic management - Essay Example This is because every finite extensive form game contains at least a sub-game perfect equilibrium. For example, by applying backward induction it can be proved that the strategy combination comprising of the Nash-equilibrium contours of all sub-games is apparently sub-game perfect. c) Yes, after iterated elimination of dominated strategies in two player games and only one strategy survives, then the strategy combination must be a Nash-equilibrium. This is because the strategies match up to rationalizable strategies. Indeed, no pure strategy that is persistently strongly dominated can comprise of a Nash-equilibrium. Non-recursively weakly dominated strategies can comprise of a Nash-equilibrium and so the iterated elimination may remove one or more Nash equilibria. It can then be shown that one Nash-equilibrium will survive the iterated elimination of weakly dominated strategies. Question two a) Extensive form of the game Rating profits on a scale of 100 for best, payoff for the incumb ent are 100 if the entrant fails to enter, 50 if he enters and shares the market and 0 if he enters and the incumbent starts a price war. The entrant payoffs are 0 if he does not enter, 40 (profit ââ¬â entry cost) if he enters and -10 if there is a price war. The game can be presented in an extensive form as illustrated below: War (-10, 0) Enter No (40, 50) No (0, 100) In the figure, the entrantââ¬â¢s choice is indicated at node 1 and the incumbentââ¬â¢s choice is indicated at node 2. The numbers at the right side indicates the payoffs with entrantââ¬â¢s payoff first. Therefore, the entrant will need to think strategically or to anticipate how the incumbent responds if he decides to enter. Normal form of the game In normal form of the game incumbent strategies are contingent strategies: If the entrant enters then accommodate and if he enters then initiate price war. The entrantââ¬â¢s strategies are enter and do not enter. The game in normal form is indicated below: I ncumbent If the entrant enters, then accommodate: if the entrant does not enter, continue with the usual business If the entrant enters, then initiate prices war; if the entrant does not enter continues with the usual business. Entrant Enter 40, 50 -10, 0 Do not 0,100 0,100 b) Pure strategy Nash equilibrium Incumbent If the entrant enters, then accommodate: if the entrant does not enter, continue with the usual business If the entrant enters, then initiate prices war; if the entrant does not enter continues with the usual business. Entrant Enter 40, 50 -10, 0 Do not 0,100 0,100 Enter and accommodate is a pure-strategy Nash equilibrium. c) The sub-game perfect outcome is the Nash equilibrium in the simultaneous move game, which is (no entry, business as usual). Question three Due to Nash equilibrium, pricing strategies that appear to be super-competitive can in fact be anticompetitive. The market strategies for all players respond to the Nash equilibrium. This is best explained by an example. Suppose that the monopoly price for gaming consoles is $200. Now suppose firm A advertises that if a consumer buys a console from him at $200 and discovers that he/she can buy it cheaper at B, A will refund the full purchase price. Again suppose that B does the same thing. It can then be shown that it is Nash for both firms to charge $200. Question four Glaxo and EMI developed important innovations in the 70s, but succeeded
Personnel Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Personnel Economics - Essay Example One of the key concerns in this context is related with selecting and subsequently, assigning appropriate individual staff members with responsibilities to deliver better education to the students. The other concern in this regard has been the stimulation of adequate mechanisms in order to develop the ultimate potentials in students (Neal, 2011). Emphasising the present performance of the personnel economics framework as applied in the modern educational institutions, the discussion hereunder intends to briefly highlight the impact of teacher quality on educational outcomes. Moreover, the discussion focused on addressing the impacts of teachersââ¬â¢ compensation contracts on their performances or educational outcomes. Background of the Problem Arguments in various studies have signified that the professional qualities of a teacher are of paramount importance to ensure the success of a student (Hasnain & et. al., 2012; Leigh, 2012; Neal, 2011; Lazear, 2003). However, the recently o bserved changes in the global economy can be observed to have created various problems relating to teachersââ¬â¢ aptitude and their capabilities. ... As from the preceding few generations, it has been viewed that the personnel policies practiced by the public school systems often create link between teachersââ¬â¢ retention and their respective performances inappropriately; therefore, hindering the effectiveness of the entire education system to a substantial extent. However, in various scenarios, scholars have been evidently advocated that the existing tenure decision along with retention practices often involve inefficient attributes of personnel policies, which altogether affects the educational system efficiency (Neal, 2011). Nevertheless, the organisational system that tends to measure teachersââ¬â¢ performances creating a linkage with retention or tenure decision is not widely followed by the modern educational institutions, which eventually generates various potential issues within the system (Neal, 2011). From the observation of various studies, weak retention and promotion processes in the educational system tend to reduce the aptitude and the capability of the teachers in delivering quality education. In relation to the present educational settings, the personnel economic policies have also been identified with significant deficiencies associated with the interrelation between the performance of the teachers and their existing salary structure. Moreover, the educational institutions have further been identified to reduce cost of their services through lower salary structure of the teaching professionals owing to easy availability of competent teachers (Leigh, 2012). Although the incentive plans designed for the teachers in the educational system often play a decisive role in improving their quality, it
Thursday, October 17, 2019
To what extent do you believe that the RIPA 2000 balances Respect for Essay
To what extent do you believe that the RIPA 2000 balances Respect for Private Life with a Need to Protect the Public - Essay Example It is argued that the balance is in favour of protection of the public. The Right to Privacy In order to determine the extent to which the tensions between protection of the public and protection of the right to privacy are balanced in the context of online communications via RIPA, it is first necessary to analyse the legal framework relative to the right to privacy. ... However, where those exceptions exist such as the protection of the public or the prevention of crime, interference in the individualââ¬â¢s right to privacy must be according to law. In this regard, the European Court of Human Rights (EHR) ruled that any such laws or regulatory regime must be clear enough so that average citizens is aware that he or she does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the circumstances allowing state interference in private life.6 Obviously where an individual engages in certain activities in public, there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy.7 Obviously online communications are activities conducted in public and thus there should be no reasonable expectation of privacy, thus no breach of Article 8(1).8 Even so, the European Court of Human Rights has held that the mere fact that activities are conducted in public does not automatically mean that there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy.9 It therefore follows that if an activit y is conducted in public and there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, the protection of privacy as provided for under Article 8 of the ECHR will arise. Online communications can be regarded as public activities but can raise complex questions as to whether or not there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. For example, posting in a public forum online or blogging are probably as public as an individual carrying a ââ¬Å"bannerâ⬠in public can reasonably expect for it to be read by almost anyone.10 Complicating matters for online communications relative to a reasonable expectation of privacy, online users often have several tools available to them for ââ¬Å"restricting access.â⬠11 On the other hands, there are instances in online communications where the user obviously has a
Analyzing Different Sources of Recruitment Assignment
Analyzing Different Sources of Recruitment - Assignment Example Some of the most widely used sources of recruitment include both internal and external sources. The internal sources include internal company database, employee reference s. The external sources of recruitment include internet/ online mediums, Employment agencies, educational institutions, job fairs and ads in print media. This section of the study looks to provide a comparative analysis of all the sources (Bhattacharya, 2009, p. 225). Some of the major advantages of using internal sources are: The overall morale of the employees are quite high, The Company can assess the attitude towards work as well as ability due to prior work actions. The internal recruiting sources are much less costly than the external sources. Internal recruiting can work as a motivating force for good performances by the existing employees. The process of internal recruiting usually aids the succession planning process, future promotions as well as career development. The firm can actually hire people at the entry level and then move those employees up the ladder based on experience and performance. This will help the company to retain employees and save cost. There are some disadvantages of internal recruitment also. The inbreeding of employees may lead to a less diverse workforce. People not getting promotions may experience a low degree of morale; some may actually indulge in a political tug of war. Most of the time developmental progra ms are required to transfer employees into a supervisory role. Managers may resist employees being promoted to other departments. Employment agencies are organizations that bridge the gap between employers and employees. Such agencies provide advantages to employees as well as employers. Employees can have look at offers that are not advertised, reduces the cost and time involved in sending CV to the employers. It provides a lot more choices of companies and industries to the employers.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
To what extent do you believe that the RIPA 2000 balances Respect for Essay
To what extent do you believe that the RIPA 2000 balances Respect for Private Life with a Need to Protect the Public - Essay Example It is argued that the balance is in favour of protection of the public. The Right to Privacy In order to determine the extent to which the tensions between protection of the public and protection of the right to privacy are balanced in the context of online communications via RIPA, it is first necessary to analyse the legal framework relative to the right to privacy. ... However, where those exceptions exist such as the protection of the public or the prevention of crime, interference in the individualââ¬â¢s right to privacy must be according to law. In this regard, the European Court of Human Rights (EHR) ruled that any such laws or regulatory regime must be clear enough so that average citizens is aware that he or she does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the circumstances allowing state interference in private life.6 Obviously where an individual engages in certain activities in public, there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy.7 Obviously online communications are activities conducted in public and thus there should be no reasonable expectation of privacy, thus no breach of Article 8(1).8 Even so, the European Court of Human Rights has held that the mere fact that activities are conducted in public does not automatically mean that there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy.9 It therefore follows that if an activit y is conducted in public and there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, the protection of privacy as provided for under Article 8 of the ECHR will arise. Online communications can be regarded as public activities but can raise complex questions as to whether or not there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. For example, posting in a public forum online or blogging are probably as public as an individual carrying a ââ¬Å"bannerâ⬠in public can reasonably expect for it to be read by almost anyone.10 Complicating matters for online communications relative to a reasonable expectation of privacy, online users often have several tools available to them for ââ¬Å"restricting access.â⬠11 On the other hands, there are instances in online communications where the user obviously has a
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The diffusion of germ theory in the 19th Century Essay
The diffusion of germ theory in the 19th Century - Essay Example But Germ Theory proposed a amazing statement that the interactions with microorganisms would help us to get rid of certain diseases. ââ¬Å"Germ Theory was developed in a social, cultural, and economic milieu increasingly centered on the values of mass production, mass consumption, standardization, and efficiency, all of which were compatible with Germ Theory science and popularization.â⬠(Historical views of diseases and epidemics: Germ Theory, 2010). The important microbiologists in the history are Ignaz, Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Dmitri and Alexander Fleming. This outline needs to consider that Germ theory can be defined by way of taking three statements together and they are ââ¬Å"Germ theory states that a disease causing microorganism should be present in animals infected by disease and not in health animals. Germ theory states that a disease causing microorganism should be present in healthy animals and not in infected animals. Germ theory states that a disease causing microorganism should be destroyed. Germ theory states that a disease causing microorganism cannot be destroyed.â⬠(Besty 2005, p.20). There is a historical significance in developing the Germ theory. The entire world was affected by Black Death, plague and leprosy. There was no knowledge about the cause of the diseases. This kind of miseries in life make scientists think about cause of the disease and it resulted in the discovery of germ theory. With the invention of microscope the scientists started to focus on the minute part of a thing. So also the physicians began to conduct researches to discover the root cause of the disease. Looking through microscope the physicians identified the smallest microorganisms which is the cause of certain diseases. The life of the people became very difficult with the sporadic nature of various diseases. Small pox, leprosy, tuberculosis, cholera, plague
Monday, October 14, 2019
Cultural Aspects In British Culture Cultural Studies Essay
Cultural Aspects In British Culture Cultural Studies Essay Since the 1950s Britain has gone through an intense period of accelerated social and cultural transitions. These changes come from the results of the disintegration of the British Empire, the expansion of the Commonwealth and the movement of people from various nationalities, languages and cultures. These phenomena have supported the progressive globalization of life and conceived a multi-ethnic and multicultural society, with a strong plurality of identities and heritages. One of the most driving motions through this period has been the womens movement. Their entrance into the labour market and their growing autonomy has designed fundamental changes in their role in society and their relations with men. Similarly, the emergence of youth as an identifiable group with a very different lifestyle to members of older generations, has contributed substantially to the changing social and cultural profile of the country. The younger generation has a more equality view of the role of women in society. The Hofstede analysis for Britain reports strong feelings towards individualism and masculinity. On the other hand, the power distance and uncertainty avoidance are ranked considerably low. Long-term orientation ranks the lowest. This study indicates potential change that Britain is willing to achieve rapidly with the new generations. Men and women mix freely, with independent relationships to one another. In the football club girls are all very open, they can get in touch with strangers very easily, undress without any shame. And Jess behaves on the contrary. The most vivid example of the British youths independence is the fact that parents cant interfere in Juless private life, even when it deals with her sexual orientation. According to Halls scale of levels of cultures, British culture is a low level context culture because the messages are clear and the words carry most of the information in most communication (for example, when the coach sees that Jess has problems with her parents because of football, he goes there and tells them about his opinion, without any rituals, very directly). More interpersonal connections of shorter duration exist in Britain. Even choosing football in this movie seems to refl ect the low level context British culture is experiencing. Football is one of the most rule and goal-oriented, strictly defined and team playing games (where each has its own job). According to Halls cultural theories, British culture seems to be the mix of the past-oriented and future-oriented cultures. Old generation is still trying not to lose traditions, they are still very conservative but the younger people are much more future-oriented, as it is very obvious from Bend it like Beckham. In conclusion, British culture is definitely an individualistic one, due to its high level of individual independence, goals and concept of individuality over group goals. Individuals have universal communication and equal attitude to everyone, in the family and in everyday life where men and women enjoy equal rights. Its also a feminine culture with several specific features of male culture. British culture is a low level context one where people play by external rules, they have separation of time, space, activities, relationships; more interpersonal connections of shorter duration; almost everything is task-centered (decision and activities focus around what needs to be done, division of responsibilities) and so on. Indian culture Indias history has forged its culture. Its particular geography and the assimilation of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbors have been shaping the country, as well as maintaining its ancient heritages, from the Indus Valley Civilization onward. India enjoys a great diversity of practices, languages, customs, and traditions, which are the results of a unique and particular cultural blend over the past five millennia. The family plays an important role in teaching and transmitting values and traditions. The respect for elders is a major component in Indian culture. They represent the familial driving force and pass on the Indian culture within us. India is a high contest culture with close connections between people, less verbally explicit, more indirect verbal interaction, less written and formal communication and more relationship focused. The respect to one another is also a strong pillar. Power Distance score for India is synonymous with high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This situation is at some point accepted by the population as a cultural norm. In contrast, people tend to promote interdependent relationship with each other as collectivistic cultures do, by embracing interdependence, family security, social hierarchies, cooperation, and low levels of competition. Indian scores a long term orientation dimension, which is indicative of a perseverant and parsimonious culture. It is also oriented toward masculinity, which reinforces a greater gap between values of men and women. India scores low towards the uncertainty avoidance dimension, which indicates a culture more open to unstructured ideas and situations, as well as fewer rules and regulations towards. The head of the Indians family is male oriented, the father or husband. We can see here male culture, but also with some elements of female culture. The woman in Indian culture is a symbol of house. Jesss mother shows us how real Indian wife has to behave, as mother and housewife. Her main goal is to give her daughters all knowledge that she knows. Communication style The Indian culture is oriented toward collectivism and group goals. Their pillar is traditional house holding and the family. We can see that Jess has a huge amount of relatives who really are happy with her sisters wedding. We can see with Jess sisters wedding the role and active participation the family plays in Indian culture. We can see also that the status is very important for Indians. In the episode Jesss coach comes to talk to her family about football trainings. Jesss father was telling his attitude to football and to problems that he had many years ago because of the football, at the same time Jess interrupted him and tried to say some her own opinions, but it was prohibited because father is the head of the family. So Jesss mother made the reprimand: It is your father, you cant talk while your father is talking. This moment shows us the respect and the importance of the status. Attitude to other cultures Strong differences and reluctances exist between the Indian and other cultures. Indians are conservative and dont attempt to mix culturally. Jess sisters wedding shows the Indian reluctance to include other culture in their traditional ceremony. Jesss mother teaches her daughters to married Indians sharing the same values, culture and traditions. Jess will find all along the movie to evolve from those cultural practices with her relationship with her coach. British Asian Culture In the previous parts, we discussed two main cultures English and Indian. Both of the cultures have strong traditions and deep values which people are trying to keep alive today. It is not easy as everything is changing. But even harder it is for Jess who tries to honour her father Indian roots but at the same time wants to be fully accepted in the English society. This trend is called the new British Asian generation. The term British Asian is used to denote a person of South Asian ancestry or origin, who was born in or was an immigrant to the United Kingdom. Britain has a large Southern Asian population due to British India once being the most populous portion of the former British Empire. That is shown as well in the movie where Jess parents want that she attends university and gets good education as doctor. They have no problems with seeing themselves as British. Mainly they are not accepted as British from the point of old people from Britain. But at the same time they say that they do not even want to be accepted. Their first language is really English. The most important thing they have been brought up there. In addition, the young people see their way of life as different from life in India as well as from their parents. New British Asian generation do not think of gender identity. That is also the biggest issue in Bend it Like Beckham, where Jess is eager to play football. In India that is only men job. Even though Indians might have lived all their lives in Britain the differences are remaining. High expectation of loyalty to strong family is common theme among British Asians. It is seen as the biggest culture differences between Asian and English values. Basi cally if you have grown up in England, there is no family unit which at the same time is totally different for Asian families where you reflect on your family. Individualism versus family values is a dichotomy difficult to reconcile. If you are judged by who is your family or your family is judged by your actions, what do they do then, when they do not want to become doctors, lawyers or just want to smoke weed (very popular thing in UK). That is where the youth of British Asian struggle. For some it even results in exclusion from the family structures because they refuse to accept collectivism pressure. The other issue in British Asian society is marriage. Still most of traditional families want arranged marriages and assessed that those arranged marriages are quite misconceived. An arranged marriage is not a forced marriage. Religion is another British Asian issue. Even though they have grew up with very religious background the 2nd generation is more questioning and searching. They are trying to adapt it by keeping some of its values and foundations to a more modern approach. Also, the new language Asian and English form should not be seen as a mixing of heritages, but as the creation of a potential new heritage. England is a multicultural society, not a multitude of cultures living together and separately from each other. This young generation is redefining their values and reinterpreting what it is to be British. They are not British Asians. Not even British Caribbean or Caucasian. They are second generation and want to make their own mark. This attitude can be seen in the movie where Jess is bright example of British Asian representative. She proves that at the end it is possible to make happy every part of society and be happy herself. She and her British Asian friends show that they are creating their own culture from adapting their strong family values and involving their new sides of English culture. They are taking the most important element they need from both of the cultures. The Movie Genre and Structure The film combines different genres: sports movie, Coming-of-Age, music clip, but primarily British comedy and Bollywood film. These so-called Bollywood films follow the formal and substantive traditions. A key issue is the preservation of the tradition. The older family members embody the forces of tradition. As an important event, there is often an opulent and glamouros wedding-scene. Music and dance in Bollywood films push the emotions of the characters. They are also the moral censorship, because they help to disguise the love scenes. The British comedy derives its humor from the surreality of everyday life and works with a lot of wit and quick word dialogues. Many protagonists are coming from the working class and middle class, discussed their everyday problems in heavily story-line-orientated stories. Bend it like Beckham juggle with both narrative: Thematically it refers to one of the classic Bollywood themes, the conflict between tradition and modern world. The wedding in the movie is the culmination depicted, but equivalent to the other peak, the football final. This shows the film tradition and modern life with the same weighting. Again, the parents embody the classic values, the father does, however, a conversion and finally supports the willingness of change of the daughter. The conquest of a male-domain Football in Europe is the undisputed leader sport millions of people are excited about. This is true at least for the male version. Although there are now more and more female players, the womens football is not in the same form and will be hardly recognized. In the film, this conservative attitude is represented by the mothers. Jules mother is convinced that playing football diminishes the chances of their daughter in the marriage market. As there is a conversation between Jess and Jules, she even feared that the two are lesbian. Jess mother thinks that sports clothes are improper and would prefer that her daughter learn how to prepare Indian dishes. The mothers are trying to stop their daughters from playing football symbolized in the release of Jess, who sees her female family members in the wall during a freekick. Mixed Culture appearing in the movie Jesminder Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) is deeply admiring of the professional skills David Beckham exposes as a Manchester United star. Nobody can bend it like Beckham is her leitmotiv motivation. She is in a total discordance with her parents vision of her future, and her older sisters path traditionally engaged to marry within weeks. While schooling other girls, she explains that Indian girls arent supposed to play football, and is replied that Thats a bit backwards, by one of her teammates. Jess finally justifies that Its just culture, thats all. She is navigating from cultures all along the movie, looking for emotional stability, a sense of belonging and great ambitions to fulfil. The movie successfully shakes all those expectations and their challenges by shaping Jess experience. The film follows its two main characters by developing a strong panel of contrasts and similarities, exploring the divergences in their respective backgrounds, and most importantly, the ways they will achieve this absorption of traditions taught by their environment with the mix of other cultures and changing times. Through crisis and conflicts, the movie finally brings a disparate epilogue that crosscuts between a final football match and Jess sister traditional wedding. This picture shows the divergent clash of these cultures that finally converge responsively to one another in a universal approach. Music In the film the producer mixes Indian and Western pop music. The Indian music accentuated the conservative or traditional areas of life, the western represent the New Age. When Jess and Jules are shopping for the first time and having a beer in a pub, Mel C. sings Independence Day. The trip to Hamburg is musically connected with the group Blondie Your hair looks beautiful. Indian music is essential in the Hindu celebrations, but also when Jess is forced to do the kitchen work by her mother, one can hear the Indian way of music. During the parallel-creation of the wedding and the final game, first Indian and later English music is used for those scenes. The goal kick and the enthusiastic viewers are accompanied with a piece from Puccinis opera Turandot background. The movie and the cultural aspect all together Jessà ´ situation based on her relationship to her family Bend it like Beckham picks a topic, which is relevant for adolescents, regardless of their cultural context. It is about the creation of self-determination and the own conceptions of life, independent from external expectations, and thus linked to questions of identity and personal values. For Jess, that leads to a special conflict, because her culture traditionally admits less freedom. From a dramaturgical perspective, it allows to enhance the universal conflict. Through the culture movement the film tells about, the understanding and tolerance for differences in other cultures are encouraged. Seemingly effortlessly the film combines conflicts, which are characterized by the close social contact of cultural values and role models, which went through strong developments in European societies over the past decades. Jess situation according her future and the realisation of her life-concept On the one hand, Jess embodies the whole dilemma of the so-called second generation, as one can see in all European countries in which the children of emigrants were born. They are linguistically and culturally much closer to the culture of occident. However they are still in contact with the original homeland and the traditions of their parents generation. For this generation it is necessary to make pioneering work, to prevent prejudices on both sides, as Jess practiced in the movie. Jess accepted the cultural values of her parents lives and also the traditional religious wedding ceremony of her sister Pinky. At the same time, Jess asks for respect to her lifestyle, but it is quite clear that her mother can never really understand, what kind of life she is trying to live. Jess has reached the allowance to play football and the relationship with her coach Joe, is the next cultural barrier that she will need to overcome.
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