Child Labor and Sweatshops

Child Labor and Sweatshops â€Å"We must ensure that while eliminating child labor in the export industry, we are also eliminating their labor from the informal sector, which is more invisible to public scrutiny- and thus leaves the children more open to abuse and exploitation. † (â€Å"Carol Bellamy†). The topic of child labor is a global phenomenon that has millions of people heartbroken, held captive, and pleased with the work it has fulfilled. It has been around for countless years and is still occurring today. Usually, no awareness is brought to child labor. Some people just see it as a way of living.Although there are many laws against child labor, all that is physically done are three or four sentence articles in the newspaper about how it’s banned. Owners of sweatshops and billion dollar companies do not see the suffering they are putting infant workers through. Child labor negatively impacts individuals, society, and the economy due to the large producti vity and cheap labor. Although child labor does not have a select year when it began, some might say it began at the dawn of men. Children have been worked since the beginning of time and may never end in some countries due to rulers, money issues, and beliefs.In the early 1800's, machines were starting to replace hand labor for making most manufactured items. Everywhere from Asia to North America, factories began to increase. Children began operating the power-driven machines. Mostly because children were easier and cheaper to hire than adults. Growing into the mid-1800's, child labor became a major social issue. Children have always worked. But factories needed them more than before. Working in a factory is no walk in the park, especially for a child. A child with a factory job could easily work 12 to 18 hours a day. They could work seven days a week just to earn a dollar (â€Å"Herumin 38†).Children as early as seven years old would be forced to tend machines in spinning m ills or carry heavy loads all day. The working children had no time to play or receive and education (â€Å"Herumin 41†). Under all the harsh conditions in the factories, children often became ill. Illnesses that occurred during these time periods because of child labor included: HIV/AIDS, starvation, small pox, anemia, the flu, a cold that escalated, and thousands of other reasons. Hence, significant populations of children were dying. Most of the children who were involved in child labor came from poor families.By 1810, about 200,000,000 school age children were working 50-70 hours a week. Sometimes, parents could not afford to keep up will all the expenses children came with, so, they turned them over to a factory owner or different family. These families had no mercy; they could have 11 year old boys working for 60 hours for dollars a day. Under these circumstances, children were ordered under strict rules and had to obey all the orders given to them. Finally, people saw the cruelty that was occurring. Petitions began, companies shut down, and people started adopting the children that were going through that pain. The English writer Charles Dickens helped publicize the evils of child labor with his novel Oliver Twist. Britain was first to pass laws regulating child labor† (â€Å"History of Child Labor†). Therefore, Britain recognized the cruelty. Overtime a series of laws shortened working hours, improved the conditions, and raised the age children could work (â€Å"History of Child Labor†). People started to get a sense of mind and child labor began to dim down in Europe. In the United States it took many years to outlaw child labor. By 1899, a total of 28 states started ruling against child labor. American children worked in large numbers in mines, glass factories, textiles, agriculture, canneries, home industries, and as newsboys, messengers, bootblacks, and peddlers† (â€Å"Child Labor in U. S History†). Organiza tions such as the National Consumers League and the National Child Labor Committee worked to end child labor. They started to provide free education options around the country. â€Å"The New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics and other workingmen resolve that ‘Children should not be allowed to labor in the factories from morning till night, without any time for healthy recreation and mental culture,’ for it ‘endangers their . . well-being and health’ (â€Å"Child Labor in U. S History). Most people know about child labor, although no one will ever know the pain and suffering better than the victims of child labor. The interviews child laborers talk in can crush hearts. Children in our very own country go through that every day. â€Å"A nine year old girl toils under the hot sun making bricks from morning until night, seven days a week. Trafficked with her family from Bihar†¦ India. She lives in terrible conditions† (â€Å"Sweatshops an d Child Labor†). These heartbreak and heinous acts happen to children every day.Nevertheless, today these children are more likely than not brought to awareness. Nike has been accused of child labor and this has been an ongoing deal for many years. One accusation about Nike is their soccer balls, which are made in Pakistan by child laborers. While Pakistan has laws against child labor and slavery, the Pakistani government has done nothing about this (â€Å"Child labor and sweatshops 17†). Another accusation about Nike is, â€Å"Nike founder Philip H. Knight pays child workers in Indonesia about $2. 20 a day while his own stock in Nike is worth 4. 5 billion dollars† (â€Å"Child Labor and Sweatshops 17†).Under these circumstances, Nike has been questioned by the public and judged. Walt Disney's company has also been accused of supporting child labor overseas. Their workers are in vile conditions, diminishing their basic rights, and exploiting their innocenc e. As one of the most least responsive companies, Disney takes the lead. â€Å"Disney, which makes children clothes. The billion dollar companies depend on workers in Haiti who make 28 cents an hour† (â€Å"Child Labor and Sweatshops 18†). While providing cheap labor, the children are defenseless against the torture they endure.Disney workers in Haiti stitch Aladdin t-shirts. In Vietnam, girls work for 17 cents, seven days a week making toys. In china, young boys and girls make Disney story books. Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner, makes $102,000 per hour. Since this is true Walt Disney’s company has been looked at in a different sort of light by millions. Many organizations today take a stand against child labor. â€Å"The International Initiative on Exploitative Child Labor (IIECL), also commonly known as the International Initiative to End Child Labor, is a US-based, not-for-profit [US IRS approved 501 (c) (3)] organization, founded n 1998 and inc orporated in 1999, that conducts and/or provides education, training, technical assistance, capacity building, research, social accountability auditing, resources, program planning and design, and monitoring and evaluation services to public and private sector, non-governmental organizations, and international research and development institutions that seek to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the United States and around the world† (â€Å"About IIECL†). Their initiative is to eliminate the vilest forms of child labor all around the world and they are working on that today.An impact to stop child labor would be â€Å"Rugmark†. Society is recommending â€Å"Rugmark† which is a company that makes hand woven carpets. Rugmark guarantees the use of child labor free rugs. Its fight against child labor has already created a worldwide point; we can have a carpet company, or any company, and not slave at children all day to create these magnificent carpet s. Another current organization working to abolish child labor is the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO estimates that about 215 million children around the world toil in child labor today.Of these, more than half work in hazardous conditions. (â€Å"Shining a Light†¦ †). More than 60 percent of this child labor is forced. People across the globe understand that forcing child labor is against human rights. Most agree children should not be in positions where their stability is at risk. To stop this, the ILO goes to countries and helps the children in need. â€Å"Reporting is only one of the vital tools we use to protect workers worldwide. Since 1995, the Department of Labor has funded more than 250 projects in over 90 countries, which have benefited almost 1. million children worldwide. These efforts remove children from exploitative labor and provide them with education and other services† (â€Å"Shining a Light†¦ †) Today, every state i n America and the federal government has laws against child labor. These laws have cured millions of hopeless children lives. We are one of the many few countries who have this law and take action for it. Nearly sixty percent of Ethiopian children are put to work, earning about a dollar a month. In Pakistan, children continue to be used as slaves. Most of the labor offences occur in the nation's Punjab province, which is a global supplier of stitched rugs, musical instruments and sports equipment† (â€Å"Child Labor is Making†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Thus, this proves many countries today do not recognize child labor as severely as they do in the United States. Lastly, the worst country in the world where child labor is one hundred percent present is Myanmar (Burma). Forty percent of the country’s children never enroll in school. The Burmese army recruits start at age twelve.Children who don’t join the army are forced into child labor. All these heinous acts are what orga nizations like the ILO are trying to abolish, but the countries government, is letting this happen. Since this is true and it has been going about for hundreds of years, the chances are slim to none that the government in Myanmar will change. Child labor until recently has not been recognized as a global issue. Developing countries continued, as they had for centuries, not giving a care who or how imported goods were made.The practice of child labor left children neglected, abused, and starved. The children’s bosses would not care if they did not eat for hours for days. When children as young as five years old are abducted and thrown into this slavery, they usually do not escape the poverty among them. This is why socially, the ILO and other organizations realized this truth and are working to help children every day. Economically, companies such as Rugmark guarantee a hand woven rug that is one hundred percent not made from children.The victims themselves can only be brought out of the darkness of child labor and share their stories so one day this nation will be child labor free. Works Cited Child Labor Facts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . Child Labor in US History. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. . Child Labor Is Making a Disturbing Resurgence around the World. Luke McKenna, 6 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.

The History and Evolution of the European Common Agricultural Policy

The years immediately following the Second World War, Europe was marked with food shortages, a situation that needed immediate and lasting action. The food supply must and will be secured, and agricultural production within the region revitalized. This necessity would then prompt the beginnings of a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).The beginnings of CAPThe Cap has its roots in the signing of one of the Treaties of Rome[1] in 25 March 1957, which established the European Economic Community[2] (EEC). Article 38.4 of theTreaty Establishing the European Community refers specifically to the creation of a common agricultural policy among Member States that would accompany the implementation of a common market for agricultural products (3). Article 39 then presents the objectives of a common agricultural policy:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to increase agricultural productivity;2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to ensure a fair standard of living;3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to stabilize markets;4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      to assure availability of supplies;5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to ensure that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices. (3)The Stresa Conference[3] in July 1958 established the three key principles of the CAP namely: market unity (for free movement of agricultural products within the EU), financial solidarity (a communal treasury finances all of CAP’s expenses), and community preference (European products were to be given priority over products from outside the region) (Delayen 1). Finally, the year 1962 marked the CAP’s coming into force.The CAP started with the short-term goal of addressing the food supply problem by providing subsidies and granting high prices to farmers to produce more. There is a clear link between production and subsidy: the more farmers produce, the more they will earn.Aside from subsidies, the CAP also provided for financial assistance aimed at the development of farming: funds were directed towards farm management and enlargement, and acq uisition and management of proper and up-to-date technological skills.Moreover, the CAP created practical measures like aid for early retirement (to provide avenues for the next generation of farmers), assistance for training and development, and financial incentives for the less favored areas[4] (LFA).Farmers working in less favored areas are given compensation for income loses that they incur. (Rural development in the European Union 5) By the 1980s, the CAP was continuously seeing favorable results and agricultural production continued to increase. The CAP’s long-term goal of self-sufficiency is finally made secure.However, unhampered abundance in agricultural products led to a surplus—more than what the region could consume was being produced. Excess commodities were stored, distributed within the EU, or exported (supported by export subsidies) (The Common Agricultural Policy Explained 4).However, this was not enough—more costs were incurred, prices were dis torted, and negative environmental effects were becoming manifest. There was a growing concern towards environmental sustainability of agriculture and the CAP just had to cope with the changing times and circumstances.The milk quota in 1983 was just the beginning of a series of reforms. To control dairy production and costs, producers were given a certain quota. If producers go beyond their quota, taxes would be appended. Then in 1992, the Mac Sharry reform[5] introduced the vital direct payments. Production was limited and prices reduced, but farmers were given direct payments as compensation (Delayen 2).The EU also began taking the environmental aspect into consideration by providing incentives to farmers who apply farming measures that help in protecting the environment. With the coming of the new century, the food supply is secure and self-sufficiency not an issue anymore. The emphasis of the CAP has changed and therefore, policies must undergo an overhaul.The CAP todayChange wa s inevitable and necessary, thus, Agenda 2000[6] came into being. The reforms initiated focuses on increasing productivity and competitiveness of agriculture in the EU while taking environmental sustainability into account, and establishing clear rural development policies. It was also in Agenda 2000 that the system of funding was reorganized and a specific budget was set.Regarding productivity and competitiveness, the EU remains a strong player in the world market. With the coming of the Agenda 2000, price cuts were implemented (15% for cereals, 15% for dairy products, 20% for beef and veal) so as to stabilize supply and demand in the market (Agenda 2000—A CAP for the Future 1).The quality and circumstances involved in food production and the relationship between production and the environment has replaced the necessity of securing the food supply. In line with this, the CAP established agri-environment measures.Optional cross-compliance was introduced. Incentive is given an nually to farmers who commit to these agri-environment measures. However, non-compliance would mean reduction or cancellation of this incentive. The uncollected funds are then added to funds for rural development or agri-environment measures (Agenda 2000—A CAP for the Future 1).Funding under the Agenda 2000 is now divided into two pillars. Whereas before, funding of the CAP only provided for market management (market-related subsidies) and direct payments to farmers, it now has a second pillar to provide for rural development policies.Funding for the second pillar is financed by both the EU and individual Member States, and encompasses agri-environment measures, aid to farmers working in LFAs, and commitments to higher quality of food, and animal welfare.   (The Common Agricultural Policy—A Policy Evolving with the Times 4).

Strategic management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Strategic management - Assignment Example In fact, through strategic management, businesses are capable of assessing their competitors in the market, setting attainable goals and strategies in order to meet their market demands and stay ahead of all the existing and potential competitors. Of importance to note is that in most occasions, strategic management is dependent of the size of an organization and its overall operations. Thus, scholars such as Rao, et al. (2008) argue that strategic framework ought to address fundamental issues that directly affect the development of an organization. Apparently, a good strategy has been described as one concept that is modest and easy to understand. In other words, Rumelt (2012) refers it to the strength that is mostly applied to any opportunities that present themselves in organizations. As such, any strategizing opportunity must comprise of ascertaining crucial issues that are present in the market and the organization in general. Moreover, these crucial points must be keenly focused to come up with results that are action oriented. In this regard, any good business strategy must have a specific action that aims at giving an ultimate solution based on a defined challenge. Of importance to note is that a good strategy is comprised of numerous analyses, and strong development of thoughts and implemented policies that reduce obstacles for the sole purpose of ensuring that the organization moves ahead in terms of maximizing its profit. In light of this, a good strategy is mainly focused on problem solving activity that handles basic issues and not specific ones through the use of intelligent individuals to achieve new and better heights. Contrary to numerous assumptions, a good strategy does not necessary deal with ambitious goals, vision, innovation, leadership or determination (Cunningham & Harney, 2012). Many business leaders have argued that

The Role of HR as Business Partners in Impementation of Change Essay

The Role of HR as Business Partners in Impementation of Change Management Strategy - Essay Example It is seen that the HR is not involved as a partner and its participation is not sought at the need assessment or change planning and development stage. The HR’s resources and skills are used only as means or tools for implementing the trainings and conducting the evaluation post the change. The research highlights the fact that the organizations are missing out on using the potential of HR to contribute significantly at the planning, implementation and transition phases of change management. The research concludes with making recommendations to involve the HR in providing basic inputs and direction to planning, and autonomy and empowernment during implementation, transition and evaluation phases. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction and Background 1.2 Research Objectives 1.3 Research Methods 1.4 Outline of Chapters 1.5 Summary Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Concept of Change Management 2.3 Introduction to the Role of HR in Change M anagement 2. 4 Human Resources and Change Management 2. 5 Employee Involvement and HR during Change 2. 6 Challenges Faced by HR during Change Management 2. 7 Tools and Strategies that would help HR facilitate the change in a better way 2. 8 Summary and Conclusion Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Research Approach 3.3 Research Methods 3.4 Research Design 3.4.1 Sample 3.4.2 Data Collection Instrument 3.4.3 Data Collection Method 3.4. 4 Data Analysis Method 3.4.5 Validity and Reliability 3.4. 6 Ethical Considerations 3.4.7 Summary Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Findings 4.2.1 Changes in the Market Environment in the Past Five Years 4.2.2 Threats and Opportunities Due to the Changed Business Environment 4.2.3 Assessment of Internal Needs To Change 4.2.4 HR’s Role in the Need Assessment Phase 4.2.5 Challenges Faced By HR during the Need Assessment Stage 4.2.6 HR’s Role in the Changement Management Process 4.2.6.1 Planning 4.2.6.2 I mplementation 4.2.6.3 Transition 4.2.6.4 Evaluation 4.2.7 Challenges Faced and Strategies Employed for the Change Management Process 4.2.7.1 Challenges To HR 4.2.7.1.1 Implementation 4.2.7.1.2 Transition 4.2.7.1.3 Evaluation 4.2.7.2Strategies Used by HR 4.2.8 Reflections on the Role of HR in the Change Management Process 4.2.9 Summary Chapter 5 Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Summary of Findings 5.2 Recommendations 5.3 Research Limitations and Scope of Future Research List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Changes in the Market Environment in the Past Five Years Table 2: External Environment Changes Related Threats and Opportunities Figure 1: HRs Role During Implementation Phase of Change Management References The Role of HR as Business Partners in Implementation of Change Management Strategy Chapter 1: Introduction 1.2 Introduction and Background The modern day business environment has become extremely dynamic and increasingly complex because of the huge transition from a local to a global marketplace. As the world has become a smaller place because of rapid technological advancement, the competition has been increasing continuously; the management is under constant pressure to improve the performance by lowering the cost of operations and improving efficiency, productivity and logistics. Hence, the organizations are invariably forced to rethink their strategies and realign their mode of operations to be able to meet the challenges and to provide the right response to the customers as well as to their

Principle Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principle Management - Essay Example As the essay discusses culture of an organization is said to be strong when the staff respond to the stimulus and it is weak when there is no alignment with the corporate values. Culture is one great key to success. Different views are found on the classification of corporate cultures but those of Handy have been most widely cited. His method of organizational culture links it to organizational structure. According to him, culture can be grouped under four types – power culture, task culture, role culture, and people culture. This paper declares that power culture is an ideal means to map and understand the values of an organization. Power in any organization is usually concentrated in a few pairs of hands. Power culture control radiates from the centre like a web and reaches the staff through the rays. Very few rules and procedures are available and communication is normally direct and verbal. This culture can be found in small businesses culture entrepreneurial organizations. Like minded people are chose to remain in close proximity to the centre. They group takes calculated risks and being cohesive, they react promptly to internal culture external threats. This type of culture does not affect group or project work as the group is normally cohesive and the central figure is autocratic. In a Role culture, people have clearly defined authorities within a defined structure. Role cultures are highly formalized. They are bound with regulations and paperwork. These organizations form hierarchical bureaucracie s and are like a pyramid in structure.

Consumer Behaviour Reporr Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer Behaviour Reporr - Assignment Example Qantas is one of best long distance airlines in Australia that has consistently provided satisfying services to its customers. The company provides both local and international flights to its target customers across the world. The ability of the company to succeed comes from its strong strategy that is based on its efficiency in determining customer behavior and striving to satisfy them. Operating in a friendly business environment has worked well with the organizational strategy. The essay evaluates the Qantas environment and seeks to establish the role it plays in influencing the performance of the company. The external business environment includes all factors that do not fall under the direct influence of the organization. These factors have a significant impact on the way businesses operate and the ability of organizations to establish themselves in the market. IN principle, organizations must adapt to external business factors to promote their business. A PEST model will be employed to analyze the external environment in which Qantas Airlines operates. Australia is one of the countries that have the most attractive political factors for business investment. The Australian federal government provides investors with the incentives to invest by reducing their tax and reducing any barriers in entry. All investors are expected to pay 22% tax to the government which is fair in this country (Weller, 2013). The Airlines industry is one of the industries that the government deregulated and investors have a chance to optimize their profits. However, the growth of this industry is likely to attract the government attention, leading to more regulation. In addition, stabilization of the Australian government has motivated local investor to venture into business, and there seem to be a risk for increase in business competition (Homsombat, Lei & Fu, 2014). Economic development in Australia is one of the factors that have led to the growth on the bubble

Kindly see the instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kindly see the instructions - Essay Example According to McLagan, Human resource development is a systematic integrated use of training and development, organizational and career development to enhance personal and institutional effectiveness (p23). The primary point of focus in HRD is the training and enhancement of employee capabilities. HRD has been adopted as one of the fundamental courses taught at schools in most of the countries. This paper presents the importance of learning HRD, interests developed, the lessons learnt, and the goals of a prospective human resource manager. Human resource development is a crucial component of the school curriculum course. The reason to study HRD is that it assists students to acquire the skills necessary in preparation to hit the industry which involves, influencing the human capital of an organization in order to bring positive effect on the financial results or outcomes of that organization. The market position has dynamically changed to be very competitive and as a consequence of obsolesce in technology; the product cycle has been shorted further annually. These circumstances or incidents demand for constant changes on every virtue of enterprise working, more precisely at the levels of operations. Such changes need lively collaboration of employees and their support in the efforts of reengineering roles and skill up-gradation. In such cases the organizations should come up with new relations to effectively manage and contain the crisis. With the knowledge of HRD being part of studies, one may be at a supreme advanta ge to make wise decisions and judgments on how jobs are to be redesigned. Learning also HRD as part of the courses taught at school enables one to understand the ever-changing labour market, understand the expectations of the people joining the work force before going to the industry. Therefore attending a HRD class is unavoidable if one has to be a resourceful HRD manager in future. Learning HRD leaves important messages in reflection of

Final-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Final-4 - Essay Example In relation to this particular historical event, John O’Sullivan was the foremost critique to coin the term â€Å"Manifest Destiny†. The terms signified that American society was ordained to expand continuously embracing the territories all around the continent. It was in this context that in order to justify the annexation of Texas, democrats began using the term in political debates. Considering these historic principles pertaining in the traditional democratic political system of America during the 1800s, it can be argued that the annexation had been quite significant in obtaining the aim of â€Å"Manifest Destiny† based on the then social segregation and malpractices which certainly weakened the civil society of Texas and all the Southwestern territories of the continent. This gave an opportunity to the United States to acquire other bordering territories including California. Furthermore, this rewarded the opportunity to forcefully include Mexico within the American territory, as through the annexation, the United States could also get involved with the ongoing border dispute between Texas and Mexico, which was considered to be a conservative state and thereby restricted itself to be freely annexed by a foreign territory2. Mount Holy Lake, No Date. â€Å"John L. OSullivan on Manifest Destiny, 1839†. â€Å"Excerpted from "The Great Nation of Futurity," The United States Democratic Review, Volume 6, Issue 23, pp. 426-430. The complete article can be found in The Making of America Series at Cornell University†.

Conflict Resolution worksheet Essay Example for Free

Conflict Resolution worksheet Essay Complete the Resolving Conflicts in Teams simulation located on the SOC 110 student Web page for Week Four. Reflect on the experiences with different conflict management styles at K24, in Ch. 12 of Small Group and Team Communication, and on your own experiences. Answer the following questions. 1. What are your strengths in resolving conflict? My greatest strength in resolving conflict is the ability to bring a team together to focus on the issues rather than the personalities involved. I also come from a neutral standpoint when addressing conflict, and have been successful getting members in the team to remove all assumptions and stereotypes and meet me at the same neutral starting point. 2. What skills do you want to improve? I would like to improve my focus on maintenance behaviors. Although I have strong conflict resolution skills as it pertains to tasks, I want to make sure the team interpersonal relationships don’t take a hit as a result of the resolution. 3. Which of the following conflict management styles did you select in managing conflict at K24? Check all that apply. Briefly describe why you selected each, or why you chose not to try a particular method. XAccommodation Didn’t attempt accommodation as there were two strongly opposing points of view and someone would have been unhappy XAvoidance Didn’t attempt to avoid or nothing would have gotten resolved and there was a deadline XCompromise Compromise was not an option due to the fact that the result had to be choosing or not choosing to go with Emily’s idea XCompetition I selected Competition first, as there were two competing ideas, and I needed to get all the information on the table about each and why the points of view were supported or not. XCollaboration After hearing all of the information from both sides, I got the group to agree on the goal, then we analyzed each viewpoint to see why we should or shouldn’t support them as a team. 4. What was your dominant conflict management style? collaboration Was this style effective? Why or why not? This style was effective because it allowed the team to focus on the important issues at hand and analyze the facts after we agreed what the goal was. 5. Provide an example of how you have used the following conflict management styles in your personal or professional life. Accommodation I’ve accommodated team members when a project had requirements in each individual had their own tasks, but may have felt better suited to perform a task that was assigned to me. Being that I was able to complete several tasks, I switched with team members to accommodate them. Avoidance I have worked with team members who have always wanted to complain about projects after team meetings. I’ve picked up my cell phone right after the meetings and walked off to avoid the negativity Compromise I have wanted to meet with my study group on Fridays because it give me more time to work on our team assignments, but the team didn’t want to work on weekends, so we compromised and chose Monday, therefore it still gives us 2 days to work individually before class on Wednesday. Competition I’ve had a problem that was to be resolved by the team a few members had a different suggestion on how to complete the task. We’ve each went away and wrote down our solutions and then met as a team and let the team decided a whole which idea was best in moving forward Collaboration In working on our week 4 assignment, we all met as a team, discussed our strengths and weaknesses, deciding what we wanted our paper to look like and the time in which we wanted to have it submitted. This allowed us to divide up the work so that everyone would be pleased with his or her portion and the time in which it should be done. 6. What conflict management styles do you plan to use in future team or group situations? Explain your answer. I plan to use competition using the nominal group technique and collaboration. I like the idea of putting competing issues out on the table for discussion. I think it’s important to make sure that, in doing so; each member has the chance to voice his concerns and point of view without interruption. I find it equally important that each opposing member have a chance to address why they oppose. This allows everyone’s point of view to be expressed. Then we can focus on what we expect to achieve then collaborate to get that accomplished.

Political Language Essay Example for Free

Political Language Essay Language is the life blood of politics. Political power struggles, and the legitimisation of political policies and authorities occurs primarily through discourse and verbal representations. Power can either be exercised through coercion or what US commentator Walter Lippman termed in the 1930s the manufacture of consent. Largely unable, and hopefully unwilling, to coerce; political authorities in so called democratic polities often need to manufacture consent in order to undertake their agendas. While this most obviously concerns relations between a government and its wider public, this process has profound effects on the workings inside governments and is an important aspect of socialisation into governmental work cultures. Put simply the manufacture of consent is a language based process of ideological indoctrination. While being astonishingly comprehensive, it is a remarkably subtle process. Discourse carries the very assumptions under which the things it alludes to are known and ordered in the context in which it is used. In concrete terms this means that the content of political language contains the very rationale by which it is to be framed, defined, understood and acted upon. Commonly this produces the manufacture of consent. Political language, as Michael Geis points out in The Language of Politics, conveys both the linguistic meaning of what is said and the corpus, or a part of it, of the political beliefs underpinning any given statement (p7). Whether circulating inside or outside governments this means that political discourse transmits and unconsciously reinforces the ideological foundations and the ways of knowing of the dominant political authorities. Applied to government agencies this means that the language of its official texts contains the means by which things are known and understood within these agencies. This means that official documents are shaped according to the way in which things are known and understood in the context in which they are primarily employed. What is included, excluded and how the document is structured is largely determined by these methods of knowing, understanding, and what these are ideologically deemed to encompass. None of this is to necessarily say that the contents of a document are untrue. In the case of Randolf Pauls report nothing alleged in it has been refuted. However its structure reflects the prizing of particular modes of linear rational thought, empiricism, and ideas of objectivity characteristic of the US bureaucracy. What he represented may well have been far less straightforward than how he presented it. The events Paul portrayed may well have included other significant happenings that were not included because they were either not recognised as such within the knowledge structures of the US bureaucracy, or because they may have contentiously reflected unfavourably on the ideological principles underlying the US government. On the flip side official documents can be used to identify the ideological principles of a government agency and the political authorities it represents. Where there is conflict in political discourse, there is conflict about the ideological and philosophical assumptions underlying political authority. Official texts, and their structures should be analysed to uncover the assumptions of knowledge and ideology at the foundations of the authority producing the text. According to Foucault, the most useful question in such an analysis is something along the lines of how is it that one particular statement appeared instead of another statement . Further reading : Burton, F., Carlen, P. , Official Discourse : On Discourse Analysis, Government Publications, Ideology, and the State, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1979. Fairclough, N. , Language and Power, Longman, London, 1989. Foucault, M. The Archaeology of Knowledge and the Discourse on Language, trans. A. M. Sheridan Smith, Pantheon Books, New York, 1972. Geis, M. , The Language of Politics, Spring Verlag, New York, 1987. HOME DOCUMENT http://teaching. arts. usyd. edu. au/history/hsty3080/3rdYr3080/Callous%20Bystanders/language. html v.

Review Of Motivation In Volunteering Commerce Essay

Review Of Motivation In Volunteering Commerce Essay The objective of this literature is to attempt some discussions of Motivation in Volunteers, a complex difficulty, facing the NGOs and Humanitarian Aid Agencies of today. Studies specifically relating to this area started in the early years to the present day. The actual dissertation will go through a much more comprehensive literature scan. In the concerned world economy and wide blow stricken regions of the world today, Volunteerism seems more relevant today than the more frequently employed tools relating to Typical Employment methodologies of the past and present. In the last century preceded by the great Industrial Revolution and followed by the great Information Age, much has been said and done regarding employee motivation and the ways to augment or harness it to achieve superior organization goals. It started with the Hawthorne Studies of the 1920s (McCarney R, Warner J, Iliffe S, van Haselen R, Griffin M, Fisher P (2007) which in detail were initially carried out to determine the effects of Light on employee output, however by the way reflected the importance of working as a group, having a concerned supervisor and work credit were indeed the real drivers of efficiency. Thus started the long research in Human Motivation, culminating in such great works as Maslows Hierarchy Theory (A.H. Maslow, A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review 1943) and Herzbergs (1959) motivational hygiene theory to name a few. However it wasnt until the 1970s that work on Motivation in Volunteers began. while having much in common with motivation in employees if compared particularly to Herzbergs motivational hygiene theory, there are indeed some unique factors such as reciprocity, self esteem, personal growth, recognition and social understanding (Developing the Volunteer Motivation Inventory to Assess the Underlying Motivational Drives of Volunteers in Western Australia, a research project carried out by Dr Judy Esmond et-al; 2004). Notable work (other than those cited in the quoted study) on this was Motivation of volunteers (Wiehe, Vernon R.; Isenhour, Lenor Journal of Social Welfare. Win 1977, 73-79. Of 490 persons contacting a volunteer recruitment and referral center requesting to be referred to a group of people agency for post as volunteers, 249 questionnaires were returned asking them to spot t heir motivation for seeking to be volunteers. Four categories of motivation were ordered by partakers in the research on the basis of most to least important: personal satisfaction, self-improvement, altruism, and demands from outside. Implications for the assignment and recruitment of volunteers are noted. Motivation is the fundamental element of the theme of this research. The investigation of motivational factors in a group, individual in public sector surroundings is central to developing ways to better performances in an organization. The motive why motivation should be investigate in generic organizational behavior terms as well as public service and volunteer terms for this research is that there are some aspects of motivational theories that are related irrespective of the sector and industry. An understanding of motivation in broad terms, public service terms and volunteer terms in the literature review will go a long way in making sure that there can be a constructive influence on the public sector volunteer workers performance levels. Terpstras model of motivation (1979) drew its inspiration from the motivational model presented as the hierarchy of need laid down by Maslow (1954). Maslow talked about five need levels in a motivational framework known as the physiological need, the safety need, the social need, the ego need and the need for self actualization. According to this model, the most essential needs had to be fulfilled before the next need of the human being comes into the play. Terpstra looked into this theory of Maslow from the angle of the industrialized age. Maslow assumed that the most vital need was the physiological need. It is only after the accomplishment of this particular need that the role of other factors comes to the equation. In the case of our research of the volunteer fire fighters, the want for safety as laid behind in the need hierarchy holds significance. The individual mind and senses are more motivated to do better in an environment where the safety measures are good. This is why the primary research of the fire fighter volunteers and their motivation will also consider the element of safety in their work environment and job design. Gidron (1978) carried out a wide research in an understanding of volunteering motivation. For this reason he based his research on the studies and theories of Herzberg two factor theories. This two factor theory, as reviewed above, focused on both the intrinsic as well as extrinsic motives behind a working person. Gidron was one of the first researchers who believed that extrinsic factors might be found in the general drive to work in volunteers. He believed that volunteers were working for either the intrinsic motives which focused on self accomplishment and working towards the growth of a positive relationship with the society or towards things that are extrinsic, in an indirect way. This might comprise the need to gain some work experience that may come in handy in the future. For this reason he carried out a study which involved 317 volunteers across four different institutions. The call for was to be able to spot the co relationship that might exist between different motivation factors and the age of the individual. He rounded it up that volunteers who were grown-up were actually more interested in volunteer work for intrinsic factors and it was the younger volunteers where work experience and indirect extrinsic factors also played some part on the whole motivation . To better know how to attract and retain volunteers, it is imperative to identify key motives of individual volunteers and their effect on pro-social attitudes toward helping behavior (Bussell and Forbes 2002). (Reed, Aquino, and Levy 2007), theories of altruism and helping behavior suggest that intrinsic rewards and satisfaction from helping others are primary motives for volunteering The theory laid down by Vroom with respect to the performance of employees, efforts made and returns seen is also highly relevant (Vroom, 1964). Vroom believed that the prize that is seen at the end of an effort is the root of motivation in a human being in the work setting. This compensation may come in different forms. A positive compensation will reinforce the behavior of better efforts in the work setting. This compensation may or may not be financial. A compensation can also be something intangible such a recognition of services or a public acknowledgement of the efforts made by an individual. Brewer et al. (2000) built up their research on the grounds of the 40 articles listed down by Perry and verified motivational attributes. They came up with four categories of motivation in the public services two of which are highly relevant in our study as well i.e. humanitarians and communitarians. The subject that often revolves around Public service motivation is whether it can be actually used for the good of positively influencing the motivation level of employees in public service. This work now more looks into the way the human resource management and higher performance could be ensured through better thoughtful of motivational factors in public service. Basics such as recruitment, selection, screening, retention, job performance and satisfaction are important to understand in public service context as per the research scope of this paper. In the case of nonprofit organization, more than 60 percent employees in a research carried out by Paul (2002) said that they worked in the organization with the motive to make a difference in the community. The lesser the economic incentive for working in an organization, the more probability there is that the intrinsic factors constitute the motivational force for the workers. His research concluded that workers in such environments e mphasize on making a difference as well as a shared vision of the work place (Paul, 2002). Compared to workers in the private sector, these employees and workers were more responsive to factors such as being of help to the public, being able to make a difference to the community and doing a job which has meaning. As all these entail commitment to serve the community. The role of fire fighter entails a commitment to doing a job: fighting fires and taking care of communities. Jules Naudet (2002), a filmmaker who filmed the fire command activity in the World Trade Centre, said, Theyre fire fighters, theyll put the fire out, that is what they do. Fire fighters did their job on September 11 because it was their job. They identified with the job and with the role the job of fire fighter imposed on them; they were committed to that identity, and it predicted their behavior. Commitment is a multidimensional construct that links individuals in varying ways to a superior, to a work group, to an organization, and finally, to a served community. We will test this four-dimensional measure of commitment on a small sample of firemen. This study suggests a direction for research into the connection between commitment and behavior. In the CBS documentary 9/11, a probationary fire fighter comments on his very small payroll check, saying that if he wanted money, he would have been a lawyer, but I wanted something that I could live with for the rest of my life. I can live with this. In the same documentary, a fire chief says that when he gets up in the morning he wants to feel good and to look in the mirror and know that I am doing something with my life. Dennis Smith (2002) reports a story about a retired fire marshal who bemoaned the death of a fellow fire fighter who was repelling when a rope broke. Another fire fighter responded by saying, Remember this, its part of the job (50). Fire fighters commit to an identity that requires heroic behavior. Identity theory dictates that they act altruistically because that is what is expected. Fire fighters do their job in order to maintain internal congruence and because others expect them to act as their job requires.1 In these cases, we see commitment directed toward the role-most notably, a job that entails responsibility to safeguard the welfare of others. Fire fighters are not the only professionals in this category. We include other public-sector careers, such as police officers, teachers, and military personnel, and private-sector occupations, such as flight attendants and doctors. These jobs require the person to uphold a higher standard, and they are expected to do what is required to maintain the safety of their charges. They do well because it is their job to serve the community. Volunteerism also plays a critical role in the functioning of marketing systems, and therefore investigating volunteer activities on an individual level has important micromarketing implications (Laverie and McDonald 2007). During the year ended September 2006, 61.2 million Americans volunteered for an organization at least once, representing 26.7 percent of the population (U.S. Department of Labor 2006). In Australia, 5.2 million people (or 34 percent of the Australian population) participated in voluntary work in 2006 by contributing 713 million hours to the community (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007). These volunteers now recognize they have the freedom, capabilities, and confidence to address chronic social problems in their societies, such as inadequate health systems, entrenched poverty, environmental threats, and high-crime rates among other social ills (Bornstein 2004). For example, volunteer numbers at the Olympic Games have gone from almost zero in the 1980s to 40,917 accredited volunteers used in conducting the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney (Green and Chalip 2004). In retrospect, researchers have concluded that without these volunteers, the Sydney Olympic Games could not have been produced. An additional dimension for societies that host special events such as the Olympics is that such events are now used in the economic and social development strategies of cities, regions, and countries to win positioning as a favourable destination for business, investment, and tourism. It is well understood that volunteering can also have a positive impact on the volunteer themselves, as well as on society as a whole. Volunteers live longer, have better mental health, have higher occupational prestige, and have greater employment opportunities than those who do not volunteer (Wilson and Musick 1999). Brooks (2008, 183) notes that charity brings happiness for psychological reasons because it gives individuals a sense of control, while volunteering time can provide an important way to mentally reboot and redirect energy away from personal problems. These benefits translate into reduced health care costs, greater productivity, and higher QOL, directly benefiting society as a whole. DECLINING VOLUNTEERS The National Association of state foresters [1993] affirmed that since the early 1970s, state and local governments have been concerned with the decline in volunteer firefighters. A 1993 study published by the National Association of State Foresters reported a national drop in active volunteer firefighters from 884,600 in 1983 to 815,500 in 1993, an 8 percent decline in 10 years. Explanations for declines in volunteer firefighters have been attributed to national social changes, difficulties in finding new volunteers, and problems with retaining existing volunteers. According to a 1998 National Volunteer Fire Council and United States Fire Administration report, Retention and Recruitment: Problems and Solutions, 11 factors have contributed to reductions in the number of men and women joining and remaining in the volunteer fire service. These 11 factors included time demands, training requirements, increasing call volume, changes in the nature of the business of firefighting, changes in urban and suburban populations, changes in sociological conditions (two-income families and time demands), leadership problems, federal legislation and regulations, increasing use of combination departments, higher cost of housing (in affluent communities), and aging communities. The Pennsylvania fireman [2004] asserted that the impact of these and other factors has made it more difficult for VFCs to recruit and retain members. A 1992 survey by the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs (now the department of Community and Economic Development) found that 79 percent of the responding VFCs reported problems with recruiting, 51 percent reported active membership declines in the prior decade, and 37 percent reported no growth in membership over the prior decade. One implication of this decline was that 61 percent reported problems with insufficient volunteers responding to Monday-to-Friday daytime emergencies. The study concluded: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.requirements on volunteer time has increased. If there are no more or even fewer volunteers, then there are fewer people bearing a larger share of the workload. Prolonged situations like this lead to disenchantment and burn-out. The 1998 National Volunteer Fire Council and U.S. Fire Administration report, mentioned previously, also found that volunteer fire service is a tradition in many generations of firefighting families, but that, unfortunately, it is also a tradition in danger of weakening and possibly even dying out. The report also says: Fire departments can no longer count on the children of current members following in their parents footsteps. Nor can they count on a continuous stream of local people eager to donate their time and energy to their volunteer fire department. Departments cannot even rely on members staying active in the volunteer fire service for long periods of time. Recognizing that many VFCs are facing a recruitment problem, the council noted that recruitment solutions must begin with an assessment of VFCs staffing needs and the volunteer skills and abilities most needed to maintain VFC performance. The report found that person-to-person recruiting by active volunteer firefighters was the most successful recruiting method and that many retention problems could be traced to the following sources: demands on volunteer time and the need for increasing firefighter training requirements, additional call volume, changes in economic and social conditions in suburban and rural areas, and VFC leadership problems and internal conflicts within the fire company. Participants targeted leadership issues as the most important problem for retention across the country. This sentiment was echoed in numerous other studies that pointed to poor leadership and management practices as one of the main reasons volunteers left the fire service. An unpublished State University of New York at Buffalo Ph.D. Dissertation (Sargent, 1992) on satisfaction and retention of volunteer firefighters found that altruism ranked first as the most satisfying reason for volunteering. The eight top reasons for active firefighters to stay on the job were altruism, skills, thrills, work environment, management, social relations, material issues, and recognition. Retention policies identified as important by the active volunteers were management quality and skill development, quality of the work environment, and altruism. The researcher also noted that the lack of VFC leadership and management skills might be retention issues worthy of further investigation. Fire service reports written over the past 30 years indicate Pennsylvania VFCs were experiencing increased difficulties in recruiting and retaining sufficient active fire company members. Furthermore, there is a distinct risk that some rural VFCs lack sufficient active firefighters to adequately respond to all emergency service calls. The Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institutes 2001 report, Funding for Pennsylvania Emergency Services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Beyond 2001, stated a concern that VFCs were experiencing a steep and steady decline in the number of volunteers attracted to these vital services in Pennsylvania. The continuing decline in the number of active rural volunteer firefighters may eventually force Pennsylvanians to pay directly for fire protection. In July 1999, DCED reported that the average wage and benefit compensation for a paid firefighter was $55,000. The Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute (2001) calculated that staffing 2,000 fire companies would cost municipalities about $2.2 billion. Fire service studies [1994] suggested the most serious fire company problems involve recruitment, retention and volunteer availability to respond to calls, followed by a lack of funding sources, absence of community support, issues involving insurance costs, training requirements, and government regulations. Rural VFCs vary greatly in their ability to recruit and retain volunteer staff. To encourage recruitment and retention, most published reports suggested financial benefits be used to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. While volunteer fire chiefs and firefighters encourage public and private financial incentives to support their firefighting mission, financial benefits represent only one part of a complex story. According to the volunteer fire service [1998] although money may assist and encourage volunteer firefighters to join and remain active members in their VFC, financial benefits are not the primary reasons why individuals choose to become and remain volunteer firefighters. While many fire service reports reviewed provided policy suggestions, these reports did not prioritize their suggestions. Furthermore, no field tests were conducted to discover which recruitment and retention policies were most effective in influencing individuals to become volunteers and remain active. Therefore, little empirical data concerning volunteer firefighter motivation exists. Todays Volunteer Fire Companies According to the U.S. Fire Administration [2005], in 2005, there were 17,438 all-volunteer fire companies in the U.S., or 72 percent of the nations 24,294 fire companies. The states with the most VFCs were Pennsylvania, New York, and Texas, each with more than 950 VFCs. On a per capital basis, however, the states with the most VFCs were North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont, each with more than 25 VFCs per 100,000 residents. Nationally, Pennsylvania ranked 17th in the number of VFCs per capital. United States Fire Administration [2001] data showed there were nearly 431,500 volunteer firefighters nationwide. Forty percent of these volunteers were found in Pennsylvania and the six surrounding states of Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. On a per capita basis, the most volunteers were in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont, each with more than 450 volunteers for every 100,000 residents. Nationally, Pennsylvania ranked 8th in the number of active volunteer firefighters per capital. Throughout the U.S., the average VFC had 25 active members. The states with the most active firefighters per VFC were Delaware, New York and Maryland, each with more than 50 active members per VFC. Among the 50 states, Pennsylvania had 33 active members per VFC, or the 8th highest number in the nation. Benefits Provided to Volunteer Firefighters According to National volunteer fire council [1998] among the 50 states, volunteer firefighters received a variety of benefits. Benefits were grouped into five categories: workers compensation, death benefits, retirement pension, property or income tax rebates, and health care benefits. According to data from several sources, 44 states, including Pennsylvania, provide workers compensation benefits for volunteer firefighters injured or killed while on duty. Twenty-seven states provide death benefits, and 20 states provide retirement pensions. Seven states provide income tax or property tax rebates and only one state, Louisiana, provides volunteers with health care benefits. It is important to note that not all benefits were mandated and some VFCs do not participate. According to national fire protection association [2001] survey of State Fire Officials through the interviews with 41state fire officials in 32 states, the researcher found general agreement about the increasing problem of finding volunteers who would respond to Monday-to-Friday daytime emergencies. For example, an official from Illinois estimated that 25 percent of VFCs sometimes were unable to respond to daytime emergency calls, while officials in Delaware, Nevada, and Texas said up to 50 percent of VFCs were sometimes unable to respond during weekdays. To solve this problem, an Ohio official said that his state is looking into paying part-time firefighters to cover trouble areas during weekdays, but funding may be a problem. When asked why there were not enough firefighters available during the weekday, the officials said that in rural areas more volunteer firefighters must commute long distances to their jobs and thus are unavailable for daytime fire emergencies. Current critical issues Willing [1994] asserted that state officials suggested that volunteerism, in general, was decreasing, and thereby negatively effecting recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Other critical issues included funding, firefighter deaths by heart attack, increased firefighter training and qualification requirements, and new responsibilities for homeland security. State officials also mentioned the need for additional technical training for new hazards, such as biological and chemical spills. Many state officials suggested that communication with local community and municipal leaders needs to be improved. Firefighter Training According to the interviews, most states required little or no formal training or qualifications to serve as a volunteer firefighter. Officials explained that since most states do not fund firefighting training, they have no power to enforce any training requirements. VFCs are community-based and do not pay much attention to state training requirements unless there are financial incentives. Most states had a formal state fire academy that provided free or discounted training and certification for volunteer firefighters. State fire academy courses were offered free in 18 states, including Pennsylvania. Other states offered training at low or reduced costs. One of the more innovative education programs was in Kentucky, where a fleet of trucks delivers free comprehensive firefighter training to local VFCs. This mobile fire academy provides local training without the expenses of travel, food, and lodging. Pennsylvania has an Academy on the Road program that has prove d quite popular with rural VFCs. Volunteer Firefighter Incentive Benefits Officials said they believe nonfinancial incentives are more effective at motivating and retaining volunteer firefighters than financial benefits. A common opinion was that financial benefits do not motivate volunteers; however, constant fire service related expenses made it difficult for volunteers, especially those with lower incomes, to continue their volunteer service. One of the most essential research methodologies and survey was done by McEwin and Jacobsen-D`Arcy in 1992. The research methodology and principle will also aid in the research work in assessing motivation of fire fighters as volunteers. The research carried out by McEwin and Jacobsen consisted of around 280 volunteers who came from a wide array of organization. The research was based on three separate stages. The first stage was focused on 40 volunteers who came from two organizations. They were given checklists, asked open ended questions and given the liberty to explain why they volunteers as well. On the basis of the participants and a literature review, there was the development and formulation of the final questionnaire with 15 categories. In the next stage, this survey was distributed to over 200 volunteers based on which the volunteer motivation inventory was developed consisting of forty statements. They came up with 8 motivational factors on a 5 point Likert scale which the research have decided to use in this research work. The eight motivational factors that were utilized include values, career, personal growth, recognition, hedonistic, social, reactive and reciprocity. Let us look into each one of this factor for a better understanding of the inventory Values: The individual might have strong personal or family values which have a relationship with volunteering. Every human being has a set of values and volunteering might be a constituent of this set Career: The individual might be taking part in volunteer services for the purposes of acquiring experience and field. These volunteering services might in the end help them in their professional career or help them in finding jobs Personal Growth: The individuals personal growth needs are often met by the volunteering services Recognition: The individual might be motivated by the ultimate recognition that might be received for the volunteering services that are given. This means a satisfaction of the recognition of contributions that are made to the society Hedonistic: This is associated with the happiness that might come with the act of being of assistance to the community Social: This a way of finding a pleasant feelings in the social construct of volunteering where they interact amongst each other and build their personal relationship network Reactive: The individual might be taking part in volunteer services as a reaction to a past incident. Therefore, this act might in fact be a need to address a personal past issue Reciprocity: The individual might see it as an equal exchange and views it as an act of higher good Pennsylvania Volunteer Fire Companies According to a 2005 report by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, there are 2,354 VFCs in Pennsylvania; 40 percent are located in rural counties. Fire Chief Interviews The researcher interviewed 35 fire chiefs from across rural Pennsylvania. The chiefs were asked to comment on volunteer firefighter retention, recruitment, training, certification, leadership, female firefighters, financial support, and municipal relationships, and to offer recommendations for fire company best practices. The chiefs identified career requirements as the main factor affecting the retention of volunteers. Firefighters who move away for job pursuits or who must commute long distances for work affect volunteer turnover the most. Adding to the turnover rate is the realization of how much time is required to obtain training and assist with fundraising. These requirements put too many time constraints on firefighters and keep them away from their families. Several chiefs offered that both good and poor leadership would affect retention of volunteers. Successful recruitment often stems from a new volunteer having a family member or friend already involved in the fire company. The chiefs offered that active firefighters must make a concerted effort to recruit new community residents and not simply rely on existing residents. Some also noted their success in recruiting college students. The chiefs expressed some skepticism about recruitment programs that rely too heavily on newspaper ads, open houses, or apparatus demonstrations. A personal one-on-one approach was cited as the best recruitment method. A wide variety of perspectives were offered with regard to female firefighters. Some chiefs expressed concerns about the physical demands of the job, while others were confident of a womans ability, citing active and successful recruitment of women. Many volunteer fire companies recruit members in the 14-to-18- year-old age bracket as a result of visiting local schools and youth groups, such as the Scouts. Some chiefs also mentioned that a number of volunteers referenced presentations made while they were in elementary school as having a lasting impact. For many VFCs, part of the recruitment screening effort involves an interview, a criminal background check and, for some VFCs, a drug test. The degree of screening varies among fire companies from a written process to a personal interview. Oftentimes, members vote to accept or reject new recruits. Chiefs said that during the selection process, it is imperative to present a realistic description of the demands of volunteer fire service, including the need to complete the 88-hour training requirement. All chiefs cited the need for physical conditioning and many did not view age as an issue. The cost of maintaining a fire company is of great concern to the chiefs participating in the interview. They said volunteers understand that active service costs money, since many must purchase their own safety gear. This prompted statements about the need for financial support to cover the cost of firefighter training. Chiefs said that while most volunteers do not want to be paid for their services, they would like to have funding for new apparatus and equipment. Some chiefs suggested state income tax credits, educational tuition assistance, a pension program, and free license plates as legitimate incentives and rewards for people to serve as volunteer firefighters. It was evident from the interviews that some rural VFCs have mixed relationships with municipal officials. Some chiefs enjoyed strong working relationships that included significant financial support. Others stated that municipalities within the VFC service area do not accept any responsibility for funding. The chiefs discussed conflicts over how

The Definition of Education :: Education Educating School Teaching Essays

The Definition of Education Education what is it? It is defined as: 1. The act or process of educating or being educated. 2. The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process. 3. A program of instruction of a specified kind or level. 4. The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning, according to the American Heritage dictionary. Its etymology comes from the Latin word "educatio which means to bring up"1 But what does that tell us. It says to me that education is training not learning. Education trains the youth into what society deems as a productive member. We are not educated to seek out what our interests are . We are educated so we can produce things. The age of art and philosophers is dead due to our age of "so called" education. We are being molded into people who can not think for ourselves. An example of this would be the giant "American War Machine." The government says we need all these weapons to protect America. They do not say who we need protection from. In fact there really is no one we need to be protected from. The Soviet Union is no more and the rest of the world is already years behind in technology. Then why do we spend billions of our dollars on weapons. We spend in order to line the pockets of weapon manufactures. If we thought for ourselves then we would realize that the peop[le in power do not pay us enough or that they are doing underhanded illegal transactions. If we thought for ourselves that would cut into their profit and we all know that can not happen. The Savings and Loans Scandal is a perfect example of this. Big business made a mistake and then instead of dealing with it they pawned there massive losses on the American public. Education is a farce, a cruel joke that the people in power attempt to trick us into believing is the "be all and save all" for success. We are not being educated instead we are being conditioned to serve with the prize being the scraps off the table of those who have the power. Where does it say education is to just simply learn? It is stated nowhere. Education should be about becoming enlightened to the works of the world. I am not saying becoming a lawyer or a business person is wrong or inimical. What I am saying is being a artist or philosopher is just as advantageous. In fact art and philosophy should be made standard issue in

Zen in the Art of Archery Essay -- essays research papers

Zen in the Art of Archery, by Eugen Herrigel describes the ritualistic arts of discipline and focus that the Zen religion focuses around. In this book, Herrigel describes many aspects of how archery is, in fact, not a sport, but an art form, and is very spiritual to those in the east. The process he describes shows how he overcame his initial inhibitions and began to look toward new ways of seeing and understanding. In the beginning of the book Herrigel tells us that he is writing about a ritual and religious practice, â€Å"whose aim consists in hitting a spiritual goal, so that fundamentally the marksman aims at himself and may even succeed in hitting himself.† (Herrigel p. 4) Through his studies, the author discovers that within the Zen ritual actions, archery in this case, there lies a deeper meaning. Herrigel explains throughout this book that it is not through the actual physical aspect of shooting arrows at targets that archery is Zen, but through the art and spiritual ity through which it is performed. It is not merely shooting an arrow to hit a target, but becoming the target yourself and then, in turn, hitting yourself spiritually. By meeting this spiritual goal, you will then meet the physical goal. The struggle then is, therefore not with the arrow or the target but within oneself. Archery, in this book, was the way that the author found his way into Zen Buddhism. One of the most important lessons that Herrigel’s master taught him was, to correctly master the art of ar...

Community Service in High School Essay

Community service, work done without pay, is becoming increasingly familiar to high school students nation-wide. Schools are encouraging student to participate in communities that contribute so much to their public education. However, requiring 100 hours of community service is asking too much of students and should be reduced to 50 hours. Students already have their hands full among homework, clubs, sports, and their actual lives. Because the work may not be volunteering if it is required, then students can receive grades and credits that will show up on their transcripts for the community service they volunteer for. It is true of course, that requiring 50 hours of community service would take up students’ time for homework, clubs, and sports, but the service could be completed during the summer and student would have 4 years of their high school career to complete. Wouldn’t requiring the volunteer work make it not voluntary? Well, yes, of course! But it would give stu dents the chance to say, â€Å"I am never doing that again†, or â€Å"I am glad I did that.† Academic gain. Students will tend to do better in school because they would be able to apply what they are learning in school. Increase in self-efficiency for students because they learn that they can all make a difference in what they do, â€Å"Can-do-attitude.† Additionally students will increase their problem-solving skills, while volunteering students will run into problems that requires the use of their brain to solve. Again, applying what they lean in school to use in â€Å"real-life.† Right out of high school, students who volunteer are more likely to vote based on the attitude –â€Å"I can make a difference† – they get from the community service they partake in. Potential employers would see the community service hours attractive. That attraction could lead to a career, not just a job. The hours volunteered in the community could also help students receive future scholarships. The connections students create when meeting new faces or organizations would help with scholarships – the more people/organizations a students know = more possibilities of a recommendation. Community service would be beneficial for all that are involved. Students learning skill that prove beneficial for life. The community being able to receive back what they contribute to public education. So yes, requiring community service hours to graduate high school should be passed.

Alfred Kinsey

Kara Duenas January 27, 2013 2nd period A. P. Psychology Mrs. Gatewood Alfred Kinsey was born in New Jersey on June 23, 1894 to Alfred Kinsey and Sarah Charles. As a young boy he suffered many illnesses such as rheumatic fever and typhoid. In high school, he began his interest in biology and botanical studies with the influence of his teacher. He started his career in biology as a zoologist and entomologist but later found interest in sexology. His parents were very religious therefore not agreeing with his choice of career.Due to this he considered his father’s wishes by studying engineering but decided that he was better off with biology. In 1919 Kinsey graduated from Harvard with a Doctor of Science degree and joined Indiana University. He became a full professor in 1924 but was not satisfied with the offer he was given so he took a change in career paths and began to study sex and marriage. His reason for studying sex and marriage was that he was intrigued by the lack of d etails and inaccuracies of research he read. With his knowledge in biology, he decided to take a biological approach in studying sex and marriage.As his first case studies and research, he started by asking his students (freshman and sophomores) detailed questionnaires but that did work out because he found that some of the answers were too inappropriate. He decided to start one on one interviews. â€Å"Kinsey received research support from the National Research Council and the Rockefeller Foundation, which allowed him to hire research assistants, expand the geographic scope of his work, and found the Institute of Sex Research at Indiana University in 1947†. This sparked his career in sexology.He decided to drop his marriage course and solely focus on his sex research. In 1948 he published his first book on sex called â€Å"Sexual Behavior in the Human Male†, this book, based on over 5000 sexual histories, provided a series of revelations about masturbation, adulterous sexual activity, and homosexuality. In 1953 he published â€Å"Sexual Behavior in the Human Female†, this book was based on almost 6000 sexual histories that contained many revelations about women’s masturbatory practices, premarital sexuality, and orgasmic experiences.In particular, the book reported that extramarital and premarital sex were more frequent than generally believed; that nearly all males, especially teenagers, masturbated and that masturbation did not cause mental illness; and that one in three men reported having at least one homosexual encounter. Alfred Kinsey focused all his research on the following topics: anal sex, bisexuality, coitus, erogenous zones, extramarital sex, fantasy, foreplay, homosexuality, masturbation, nudity, oral sex, orgasm, peak performance/maximum sexual activity, premarital sex and sadomasochism.There are little studies shown in the original Kinsey Studies regarding anal sex. He reported, among the male homosexual, occasional individuals brought to orgasm anally and for females, Kinsey said that good incidence data was not available. Kinsey found that bisexuality is more frequent in males then in females but believed that because a male and a male engage in sexual activity does not mean they are homosexual. Kinsey spent most of his time researching and studying sex that he did not have time for his wife. He began having sexual affairs with children and experimented to deepen his studies and knowledge about sexual behaviors. Kinsey's work has been instrumental in advancing acceptance of pornography, homosexuality, abortion, and condom-based sex education, and his disciples even today are promoting a view of children as â€Å"sexual beings. † Their ultimate goal: to normalize pedophilia, or â€Å"adult-child sex † Kinsey’s health deteriorated under the strain of public attack and uncertainty about the future of his institute. Everyone attacked him for his ways of conducting research an d his methods. On August 25, 1956 Alfred Kinsey died of heart disease and pneumonia. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Kinsey, 1948, W. B.Saunders of Philadelphia, and the book was published while the Indiana legislature was in recess in December 1948. The 804 page book. â€Å"Alfred Kinsey Biography (1894-1956). † Internet FAQ Archives – Online Education – faqs. org. http://www. faqs. org/health/bios/10/Alfred-Kinsey. html (accessed January 27, 2013). [ 2 ]. â€Å"Alfred C. Kinsey: A Pioneer Of Sex Research. † National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447862/ (accessed January 27, 2013). [ 3 ]. â€Å"Alfred C. Kinsey: A Pioneer Of Sex Research. † National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. ov/pmc/articles/PMC1447862/ (accessed January 27, 2013). [ 4 ]. Ibid [ 5 ]. â€Å" The Kinsey Institute – Kinsey Study Data [Research Program]. † The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. http://www. kinseyinstitute. org/research/ak-data. html (accessed January 27, 2013). [ 6 ]. Kinsey, 1948, W. B. Saunders of Philadelphia, and the book was published while the Indiana legislature was in recess in December 1948. The 804 page book. â€Å"Alfred Kinsey Biography (1894-1956). † Internet FAQ Archives – Online Education – faqs. org. http://www. faqs. org/health/bios/10/Alfred-Kinsey. html (accessed January 27, 2013).

Development as a second language teacher

Teaching a second language means teaching a language to learners who are not originally natives to that language. This form of instruction can either be carried out in the learner’s own nation either within the public school system or privately for instance in a part time language school or with a private tutor. The teachers can either be native or non-native speakers of the language. Teaching techniques Reading There is an increasing popularity in teaching that uses literature targeting the young children and teenagers.Teenager oriented literature provides simpler resources especially the reading material printed by major publishers and mostly gives a more comprehensive method than the one found in the adult literature (Tarone et al, 2009). Communicative language teaching Communicative language (CLT) concentrates on interaction as both a technique and an objective of learning a second language. The method is also described as the communicative approach to the instruction of f oreign languages or the communicative method.CLT is often found to be a response to the audio-lingual method (ALM) and a complementation or advancement of the notional-functional syllabus (Tarone et al, 2009). Blended learning Blended learning is an arrangement that incorporates both classroom teaching and online interactions and is also called CALL or computer-guided language learning which is realized through a virtual learning environment. Input and input processing Input and input processing are major components of developing a second language or second language acquisition.The term input describes all the information that the learner actually processes from the information offered to them. It is not possible to acquire second language without input and input processing. Acquisition models vary in the kind of input which is found to be the most significant factor to second language acquisition. Induction models view acquisition as a product from informal message-centered input w hile instructional models view formal instruction as a significant component of second language acquisition.Any of the acquisition models recognizes the direct relationship between language input which the students are exposed to and the language output they deliver. When input is offered by interaction in natural environment learners concentrate majorly on trying to comprehend and produce a message and end up acquiring the second language as a coincidence. Conversely, if learners emphasize on the language itself, they pick the language intentionally. The above analysis of input however suggests that input is always available to the learners whether in their conscious state or otherwise.Though the intention to learn is not vital to the learning process, attention to the input is essential to begin processing the input in order to acquire or develop the second language (Tarone et al, 2009). Social cultural perspective in language learning A social cultural viewpoint in language learn ing is based on theoretical assumptions and empirical investigation of learning acquired from different fields including human development, linguistic anthropology and social theory.According to this viewpoint, language development starts with an individual’s social world which encompasses a diverse mix of regularly appearing goal-oriented intellectual as well as practical activities. Through the learner’s direct involvement in the activities as well as transformations in the learner’s life, the structural components of language are acquired together with communicative intentions and particular perspectives of the language. It is though ultimate internalization of self-regulation of the particular methods of achievement of success in the activities that characterizes growth in language acquisition.From this view point, learning is regarded as the process of altering the patterns of participating in particular social practices among the communities as opposed to internal assimilation of structural features of language structures. Since schools are significant social setups, the activities constituting their classrooms are regarded as fundamental sites of learning a second language (Tarone et al, 2009). Classroom interaction Classroom interaction is a method in which learning is achieved in classrooms.In language classrooms, interaction assumes a significant role in language acquisition in that it’s both a medium of language acquisition as well as an object of educational attention. By interacting with each other, learners and teachers form a common body of knowledge. They also establish mutual understanding of their functions and relationships and the values and anticipations of their participation as members in the classrooms. This implies that through interactions, learners and teachers socialize into specific understanding of what constitutes the formal curriculum.The forms of interactions also assist in describing the values by w hich individual learners achieve their targets (Duff, 2000). Peer-to-peer dialogue in language acquisition In mutual dialogue, learners share ideas to solve linguistic challenges and/or construct language or ay information about language. Language mediates this activity as cognitive equipment to process and control meaning formulation and also as a social equipment to convey information to others. This implies that any word spoken can be viewed as both a process as well as a product.Peer-to-peer dialogue is important in all the four skills acquired in second language development, that is, reading, writing, speaking as well as listening. Peer-to-peer dialogue can thus be considered as a mediator to second language learning (Oxford, 1993). Value of reflection and reflective teaching Reflection or critical reflection describes an activity or procedure whereby an experience is remembered, considered and assessed normally in regard to a wider purpose.It is a reaction to past experiences and entails conscious recall and assessment of the experience as a basis for valuation and decision making and a directive for planning and plan execution. Reflective teaching has various approaches which include study of oneself and others, group teaching and exploring ones perspective of instructing through writing. In spite of the approach chosen, three parts that are a component of the method include: the event, recollection of the event and review and reaction to the event (Abbott, 2000). Errors and error correctionLearning of a second language involves Errors and error correction. Error analysts differentiate between errors, which are logical, and mistakes, which are not. They are concerned with identification of errors in the acquisition of second languages. An error can be categorized as a basic error, covert errors, overt errors or domain. They can also be classified on the basis of the level of the language. The classification of an error is very important since its correc tion is possible if it is positively identified (Corder, 2001). Qualities of a good second language teacherA good second language teacher is a pre-requisite to the learning of a second language. A good and qualified teacher will motivate the learners by making the lessons more interesting and educational. A good second language teacher should have the appropriate qualification and education. For instance, it is not obvious that a person whose native language is English is necessarily capable of teaching English. Teaching the language requires special training to equip the tutor with the necessary skills appropriate for teaching the language.Qualified tutors should have a firm knowledge of linguistics, language skills and the modern teaching methodologies and theories. The tutors should consistently keep themselves updated, for instance, by extensive or wide reading and participating in language conferences (Tarone & Swierzbin, 2009). Dedication and sense of humor A good second langu age teacher should have a passion for teaching and should be dedicated to the teaching career. The tutor should teach with the intention of making a difference in the learner and assist them to learn.A good second language teacher should not be solely be motivated by money but should have the inner motivation to teach and help. Motivation by money would imply that the tutor is more interested with acquiring money rather than the needs of the learners. The teacher should possess a good sense of humor. Such a teacher will be able to make the learning enjoyable and fun (Tarone & Swierzbin, 2009) Four skills in second language acquisition Listening Listening is the language skill which students mostly find the most difficult to comprehend. This is as a result of the students’ feeling that they not compelled to learn every word.To realize their objectives in relation to this skill, the tutor plays a significant role that is described by the following steps: first, it is necessary to assist all the learners prepare for the listening task properly before the text is introduced to them. It is therefore necessary for the tutor to make certain that the learners comprehend the language they require to finish the task and are fully informed of their expectations in the course. The learners need to be reassured that it is not necessary that they comprehend every word but most of the words especially the common ones.The next significant step is to encourage the learners to anticipate the words they would hear. In real life, the condition, the speaker, and the image clues all assist everyone to decipher oral messages (Duff, 2000). Speaking In teaching the speaking skill, the tutor must take into consideration that the language input used in the instructional process is higher than the level of the language production anticipated from the learners. Learners especially those in primary schools should be exposed to several speaking activities to enable them participate w ith little verbal response.At higher levels however, learners are motivated to start to manipulate language and convey themselves in a clearer and more personal means. In the primary school for instance, the two major speaking activities utilized are: songs, chants, and poems to encourage learners to imitate the model they hear on the cassette. Other activities are the game and pair work activities which should at all times emphasize on a particular model. These motivate the learners to start to manipulate the language by exposing them to certain amount of choice, although within a supposedly controlled situation (Duff, 2000).Reading In order to make reading a relaxed and interesting activity as opposed to a boring and tedious duty, it is significant to ensure that the learners do not struggle to read every word they come across, whether they are skimming for the wording for general meaning or scanning it to look for particular information. At this point, the teachers should select texts while considering the difficulty level. They should also consider the interest of the learners as well as their humor so that the learners are encouraged to read as they would do with their native language.The selected texts should be motivating enough to keep the learners entertained as well anxious to read and learn more of the language. As far as the listening activities are concerned, it is significant to invest more time preparing for the tasks by utilizing illustrations (Duff, 2000). Writing In the lower levels, EFL learners progress from writing secluded words and phrases, to short paragraphs about some specific topics or very common topics like family, home, and hobbies and friends. Since most of the learners at this level are unable to either linguistically or intellectually create written text from the start.The writing activities mainly show towards the end of a course to enable the learners have adequate exposure to the language and practice of the major structures and vocabulary they require. At this point, the learners work will invariably contain errors. The teacher should be more sensitive in the correction process and not focus much on every error that is identified. A piece of written work that is full of correction work is de-motivating and usually counter-productive. In as much as possible the learners should be encouraged to make corrections in their own work (Duff, 2000).Difficulties to the learners Language instructing practice often presumes that most of the difficulties that students encounter while learning the language are as a result of the level to which their native language varies from the second language.. An indigenous speaker of Chinese may for instance encounter more difficulties than an indigenous speaker of German, because German is closely related to English more than Chinese is. This may also apply to individuals of any first language intending to study any other language.Language learners commonly make mistakes esp ecially syntax and pronunciation mistakes due to the influence of their first language like mapping its grammatical structure inappropriately onto the second language, pronouncing certain sounds wrongly or with difficulty and confusing certain aspects of the vocabulary, referred to as false friends. This is known as first language transfer or language interference (Richards & Renandya, 2002). Conclusion A good second language instructor is a significant factor when learners are studying a second language.It has generally been agreed that great tutors are those that still recall what it was to be a learner and treat the learners as equals. When teaching a second language, the tutor must establish an open, free and close relationship with each of the learners and motivate the quieter ones or the slow ones to gather enough confident and courage. The teacher should have enough patience and appreciation and an understanding that everyone can make mistakes. Being in a position to teach a second language is the most rewarding job since it involves assisting learners to advance and communicate abroad (Richards & Renandya, 2002). References Abbott, M. (2000). Identifying reliable generalizations for spelling words: The importance of   Ã‚   multilevel analysis. The Elementary School Journal 101(2), 233-245 Corder, S. P. (2001). The significance of learners' errors. International Review of Applied   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Linguistics, 5, 160-170. Duff, P. (2000). Repetition in foreign language classroom interaction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Oxford, R. (1993).Research on second language learning strategies. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 13:175-187 Richards, J. C. & Renandya, W. A. (2002). Methodology in language teaching: an anthology of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   current practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Tarone, E., Bigelow, M. & Hansen, K. (2009). Literacy and Second Language Oracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press Tarone, E., & Swierzbin, B. (2009). Exploring Learner Language. Oxford: Oxford University    Press

Humorist Essay

Humor is all about a person making an amusing observation that in result creates laughter and provides entertainment for the audience. In the book titled Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton, the author makes a statement that the role of humor in society is to allow people to say things that other people cannot or will not say because of their role in the community.I agree with de Botton’s statement because humor secretly allows people to get a message across without having to worry about others looking down upon you because of what you said, as well as providing people with more awareness of the wrongdoing in society by making them easier to understand through the use of humor. In basic comedy, humor is effectively used to bring forth a message that is possibly serious or controversial by making it amusing and easier to understand.De Botton clearly makes a stand that humorists are not only here to amuse and amaze, but are here â€Å"to convey with impunity messages that might b e dangerous or impossible to state directly†. In this quotation, de Botton states that comedy can and is frequently used as a secret method to give thoughts and observations that may be thought of as insulting if brought up in a serious manner. Steven Colbert for example, uses humor to make serious comments about our country. He states his opinions about the government and major news stories however does so with comedy to back him up.When talking about the war in Syria, Colbert said that â€Å"Only 29% of Americans want the U. S. to attack Syria — which on the plus side means that 29% of Americans know there is a place called Syria†. Colbert uses humor to convey a message about how ill-informed people in our country are. He says this with a tone that also implies that the vast majority of people who are â€Å"ill-informed† simply don’t care at all. The basic component of what makes humor and comedy an essential factor in a society is that although t he presentation is not necessarily taken seriously, the message and ideas behind the material are always easy to recognize.In regards to humor, humorists don’t have to worry about being polite or caring for their audience. They are allowed and accepted as being funny for having quality material that contains offensive and explicit language. Their notable reputation for being indiscreet to its own audience is what makes humor an effective tool in society. For one, humorists have the ability and responsibility of making its audience laugh. But it also has the capability to allow the audience to relate the humorist's material to their own thoughts, thus allowing them to openly express themselves through laughter and enjoyment.It also has the potential to inspire people to think in a different sense. Through comedy, a humorist can quickly change one's views or opinions of a certain subject or argument by making that argument more entertaining and funny. By making an underlying me ssage laughable, it makes it easier for the audience to understand what the message of the material is actually conveying. De Botton's opinion of the vitality of humor in a society is true in that it is necessary, because it helps not only fulfill people's entertainment and expressive needs, but it also serves a purpose as an instrument of spreading a message to its audience.