Ralph and Jack in The Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Ralph and Jack in The Lord of the Flies Essay Question 1 There are a number of differences and a few similarities between Jack and Ralph. First of all the main similarity is the fact that both boys are roughly the same age. Then furthermore, there is the fact that both pf them are boys. In addition their share the quality of leadership, or in other words both of them have the abilities to be a leader. Then on the other hand there are the numerous differences they in clued; different style of leadership, different believes, maturity, and the symbol that they represent. Jack and Ralph have a very different style of leading. Ralph has a democratic leadership and Jack is more of a dictator figure. Then furthermore, there is the difference of believes, Jack believes that the main objective on the island is to hunt and Ralph believes that it is to be saved. Then there is the maturity, Ralph is more mature that Jack. And the last difference in the symbols that these characters represent, Jack represents the bad side of human nature and Ralph represents the good side or democracy. Question 2 Piggy represents intelligence and thinking. This idea is proven through out the whole book, until his death. Fist of all there is the fact that because of Piggy the boys were able to create the fire. The secondary, idea is the fact that Piggy acts very mature through out the book. He is even more mature than Ralph. Piggy comes up with ideas that not a single other boy had though of. For example there is the fact that Piggy though of the sundial. Furthermore there is the idea that Piggy constantly reminds Ralph of their objective to the island, and which is to be saved.

Children Born Into Families With Mental Illness Social Work Essay

Children Born Into Families With Mental Illness Social Work Essay With an apparent increase in the number of children born to parents experiencing mental illness many issues have been raised concerning parenting capacity and the welfare and development of these children. This has many implications for social work practice in both Childrens Teams and Community Mental Health Teams and also for future policy development and service provision. Within this dissertation it is my intention to explore that the mentally ill are indeed capable of parenting their children safely and effectively and attempt to disprove the suggestion that mentally ill parents are unsafe and incapable. Adults with mental health problems are one of the most excluded groups in society, however many are also parents and may need support to care for their children safely (Garley et al 1997). This means that service provision must encompass the needs of both parents and their children and assessments must take into account the needs of both these vulnerable groups. The human cost for parents with mental ill health is in attempting to parent their children in the face of stigma and adversities. Social Workers do not only need to support these parents but they also need to challenge the stigmas and adversities perpetuated by society. Society has perceptions of people with mental illness and this is largely negative, with the greatest misunderstandings being the perceptions of the more severe mental health conditions. Severe mental health conditions such as schizophrenia although not as prevalent as the depressive disorders are thought to affect one in two hundred adults each year (Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report 2004) and these conditions have a wider impact on the lives of the family, friends and community. It is widely recognised that one in four people of working age experience mental ill health at some point in their life, (Office for National Statistics 2008) but these problems can present in a variety of ways, depending upon the individual and their circumstances. What perhaps is most important to consider is how the person presents in relation to what is normal for them. Any great changes in mood or behaviour can be important indicators of deterioration in mental health, but it is clear that it would be dangerous to view this in isolation. It is therefore important to recognise that we all may experience various degrees of mental difficulty at some point in our lifetime. People with good mental health can; develop emotionally, creatively, intellectually and spiritually. They are able to initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships; they can face problems, resolve and learn from them. They can be confident and assertive, are aware of others and have an ability to empathise; they can use and enjoy fun as well as laugh at themselves and the world. Good mental health is not something we have, but something that we do to take care of ourselves and value who we are as people (www.pmhcwn.org). However people experiencing mental illness do not always possess these attributes therefore need support to achieve wellness. To make the distinction between people who have children and then develop a mental illness or those who have a diagnosed condition before they have children the focus will be on the experiences of those people with mental illness who become parents and so have already been living with their condition or diagnosis. The aim of my dissertation will be to explore these issues by critically examining current research, practice, service provision and policy. This will be in the form of a literature based review where I want to question whether people with mental health issues can indeed parent their children safely. Firstly the Methodology used to assimilate the research will be examined with an explanation of the methods selected. Chapter One will define mental health, then focus on the historical context, policy and legislation and on the theories and approaches to ways of working considering the challenges that the social workforce face in supporting service users with mental health needs. Chapter Two will explore the experience of those parents with mental health problems; consider the capacity of people with mental health problems and the experiences of children of the mentally ill. This will be considered, from both a childs and a parents perspective. Chapter Three will focus on the main theme s to emerge from my research which are stigma, risk, resilience and attachment. The Results and Findings will be explored which will discuss the findings and present an overview of common themes which have emerged. The Conclusion will then draw together all the information gathered. Methodology When approaching this dissertation the decision was made to conduct a literature review of the research currently available. This was because mental health is an area of interest and combined with a placement in a childrens team, where it became obvious that many parents experience mental health issues it was an opportunity to combine the two areas. Previously the author has worked in a statutory provision which was a service supporting children and young people experiencing mental health issues and also had a placement in a community mental health team. All of these experiences have made the author inquisitive to the difficulties that parents encounter when attempting to take care of their children and the views of services of their abilities to do so. The search strategy used to locate appropriate material was to consider the various terms used when thinking about parental mental illness. Therefore a decision was made to search for the following terms; parental mental illness, children living with the mental illness of parents and capacity of parents with mental illness. When further considering what needed to be learnt, the terms; risk of children with mentally ill parents and resilience of children with mentally ill parents were then explored as were attachment of mentally ill parents and stigma and mental health. The concentration was on English speaking countries and so research was drawn together from Great Britain, Ireland, The United States of America and Australia. This was felt to be the most pertinent approach, as to broaden the search to further countries could create too much information and a difficulty in assimilating the research. Various databases were searched which included; Science Direct, Jstor and SwetsWise. T he British Journal of Psychology, The British Journal of Social Work and Social Care Institute for Excellence proved to be invaluable as did the various mental health websites such as MIND. Government reports and Department of Health documentation added a further breadth to the research which was drawn together. This search produced a significant number of journal articles in the area which were appropriate for the purpose, and coupled with mental health websites and books on parenting capacity a rich variety of material was gathered. The information further obtained from legislation and policy documentation was also invaluable. If there had been the time to explore this area in further detail it would have been suitable to have conducted a focus group amongst service users within the mental ill health community. From the research available it is clear that this research method was considered to be the most rewarding as service users felt the least threatened by the process (Garley et al 1997). It also garnered the most honesty from the participants and clarity of their experiences. They had felt safe in the knowledge that their recounting of their experiences would not be judged and their parenting abilities would be afforded due respect. Another option could possibly have been to send out questionnaires to ascertain the level of support service users felt they were receiving from community mental health teams and childrens services. However this method may not have produced such a wealth of results as it would not have been a face to face intervention. When viewing research, non face to face approaches have sometimes not been as well responded to by prospective participants. Chapter One This chapter will focus on how mental illness is defined; look at the historical context of mental illness service provision, the legislation and policy documentation and approaches and theories to ways of working. Defining Mental Illness Mental illness can affect one in four adults of working age at some point in their life, according to the World Health Foundation (2001). This demonstrates how prevalent mental illness is within our communities and how anyone can be affected by it at some point in their lifetime. However mental illness is defined by society in a variety of ways; there is the legal definition, clinical definitions and popular public misconceptions. This sections aim is to identify the three definitions of mental illness when considering the legal, clinical and public meanings. Mental disorder is defined in a legal context as arrested or incomplete development of mind, psychopathic disorder or any other disorder or disability of the mind (www.yourrights.org.uk). There are various definitions of mental health and amongst these the Mental Health Act 1983 offers three different definitions for mental disorder: severe mental impairment, which is defined as a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned (Mental Health Act 1983, Part 1). Mental impairment, which is defined as a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind (not amounting to a severe mental impairment) which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned ( MHA 1983, P art 1). Then psychopathic disorder which is defined as a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned ( MHA 1983, Part 1). However the 2007 Mental Health Act amendments changes the way the 1983 act defines mental disorder, so that a single definition applies throughout and abolishes references to categories of disorder( MHA 2007) The clinical definition comes from ICD-10, which is the International Classification of Diseases which was approved by the forty-third World Health Assembly in May 1990 and came into use in World Health Organisation member countries as from 1994. It is the international model for diagnostic categorisation of all general epidemiological conditions and health management. Within the ICD-10 there is classification of mental illness and mental disorders and this is used by clinicians to diagnose and therefore treat those people with mental illness. The foremost definition used is that any of various psychiatric conditions, usually characterised by impairment of an individuals normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning, and caused by physiological or psychosocial factors (ICD-10 Chapter V). When considering the public perceptions of mental illness, what is clear are the many negative perceptions of mental illnesses and disorders. The stigma that goes along with being labelled as having a mental illness can have far reaching consequences and needs to be challenged as a social injustice for this group (Cleaver et al 1999). Stigma is largely a social construct, in that society reacts negatively as a result of being fed sensationalist stories by the media. The Mental Health Knowledge Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry within the Maudsley Clinic London aims to promote change in public perception by addressing attitudes towards mental health conditions. The aim is that this will be achieved through ongoing public engagement activities and providing information for friends, families and carers of those with mental illness. Also initiatives such as World Mental Health Day endeavour to change public perceptions by bringing the conditions into the public arena. People experiencing mental disorders are often excluded from some societal norms due to a lack of knowledge or fear on behalf of the community as the Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report of 2004 puts this Mental health problems can be both a cause and a consequence of social exclusion (Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report 2004 p11). What is known is that mental health problems can affect anyone at any point in their life. However the debates around the differing definitions of mental health are important to discuss in relation to exploring the issues for people with mental health problems who are also parents. Stereotypical views of people with mental illness are that they are violent, unstable, and irrational and therefore their abilities to parent are questionable. These perceptions have been perpetuated by an ignorant society and need to be challenged. The Office for National Statistics has collected data to illustrate the prevalence of common mental health problems in the general population (see fig 1). Figure 1: Office for National Statistics (2000) Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. According to the Office for National Statistics the average age of early onset psychosis is twenty-two, but up to half of mental health problems start in childhood. For men, the age at which common mental health problems peak is forty-five to forty-nine years and for women fifty-fifty-four years. When looking at the statistics in terms of gender prevalence, women experience higher rates of problems than men and their experiences tend to last longer with greater occurrences of relapse. However what is known is that young men aged twenty-five to thirty-four are the highest risk group for suicide (Office for National Statistics 2000). Mental health illness is referred to in a variety of ways in the literature and research; therefore for the purposes of this paper, mental illness, mental ill health and mental health problems will be used interchangeably with the main emphasis being placed on the conditions of schizophrenia and psychosis rather than the depressive conditions.    Schizophrenia is a diagnosis given to some people who are experiencing severely disrupted beliefs and experiences.  Ã‚  During an episode, a persons experience and interpretation of the outside world is disrupted. They may experience hallucinations, lose touch with reality or see or hear things that are not there and act in unusual ways. An episode of schizophrenia can last for several weeks and can be very frightening (www.rethink.org). An episode of psychosis can be experienced in much the same way. However to appreciate contemporary understanding of mental illness, the historical context needs to be explained and how parents have been viewed by society. Historical Context Historically those individuals who experience mental illness may be treated for their condition by their local General Practitioner in the local community, however those individuals who require more intensive interventions may fall under the support of The Mental Health Act 1983. Following years of the institutionalisation of individuals with mental health disorders came the Mental Health Act 1983, which made provision for these people to be supported in the community. This important legislation made provision for the safety and well being of those people experiencing mental distress. For the first time, mental illness was recognised as a condition that could be managed in the community and newly formed community mental health teams would be the people to assist. The Mental Health Act 1983 made provision for individuals needing treatment to be detained under section, which meant that they could be legally detained to ensure that appropriate treatment was administered either in the fo rm of therapeutic intervention and or medication. This act was further amended in 2007, where one of the main amendments was to make provision for Community Treatment Order (CTO). This declared that a patient could be re-called for treatment in hospital if they had been discharged into the community and were not complying with the restrictions of their order. Policies imposed by local authorities must work within the guidelines of both The Mental Health Acts 1983 and 2007 and The Children Act 1989 in conjunction with the Care Programme Approach 2008. These government laws state how the care and treatment of people with mental health and the care and protection of children should be managed. A comprehensive care plan should address all the issues around the person and allow for their ability to parent by assessing their parenting capacity. Every Child Matters (2002) was one such provision developed to support children, the main duties being to cooperate and improve well-being, and to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in England (www.everychildmatters.gov.uk ). Every Child Matters was developed following Lord Lamings report of 2002 which was implemented following Victoria Climbià ©s death in 2000. He highlighted within his report that a lack of integrative working across the different services and agencies had contributed to Victorias death. Every Child Matters legislates for improving information sharing between agencies to ensure the safety of children known to local authorities and this would be done by reducing the technical difficulties with the different interfaces used by the diverse services (ECM 2002). A huge challenge to overcome with much work still needed in this area as health, education and social services remain largely fragmented (ECM 2002). To attempt to overcome this, a common assessme nt framework was devised across services to ensure the information followed each child and reducing the necessity for duplication of information. These tools were then used to ensure that if a parent came to the attention of mental health services then the worker would be able to instantly determine if their children were also known to childrens services. Legislation and Policy Documentation The National Service Framework for Mental Health, from the Department of Health (1999) document states that local authorities have a duty to provide effective services for people with mental illnesses. Its aim is for individuals, who may or may not be parents, with a severe mental illness to be able to access and receive the range of mental health services that they need and consequently crises will be anticipated and averted. Therefore even if a parent is considered to pose a threat to their child they should be maintained with parenting support in advance. The recommendation being that there will be the integration of health and social care services with a strong emphasis on Interprofessional collaboration and this joined up working will promote the active participation of service users. The Mental Health and Social Exclusion Report of 2004 activated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister detailed in action sixteen better support for parents and their children (Mental Health and Exclusion Report 2004 p105). This challenge was taken up by the Action Sixteen Group who would review its implementation. This body comprised of ;the Social Care Institute for Excellence, Barnardos, the Department of Health, National Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services Support Service, Family Action and the Mental Health Commission. This membership of the Action Sixteen Group brought together professionals who were dedicated to improving outcomes for parents affected by mental illness and their children. The key messages to emerge from their discussions were that the mental health services should think family (www.scie.org.uk). This would be achieved by improved awareness, sharing of information across services and the development of resources for positive practice. Action Sixteen worked together to review the existing provisions for parents with mental health needs, including the needs of mentally unwell parents who were also belonging to an ethnic minority group and or were also disabled parents. It determined that parents need to be enabled to lead fulfilling lives in the way that they chose. That sigma and discrimination must be challenged and the rights of parents must be promoted, social exclusion must be confronted through implementing evidence-based practice and getting the basics in order must be a priority (Fowler et al 2009). This means enabling mentally ill parents to have access to decent housing, advice on finance and benefits, training and employment. (Fowler et al 2009). All of this needs to be approached from an informed viewpoint and the most appropriate theories and ways of working considered. Ways of Working The challenges for the social work profession to assist mental health service users are immense, diverse and complex. When approaching work with any vulnerable service user group it is important for social workers to maintain their social work values and recommend a holistic approach to their interventions with families (GSCC codes of Practice 2002). This would mean balancing practical and emotional support, offering appropriate counselling and working in a therapeutic way to best support parents with mental health needs (Darlington et al 2005). As previously discussed parents with mental health issues may experience social exclusion or isolation and it is a challenge for social workers to support these individuals to maintain a more integrative life. They also need to be aware of the power relationship between those who provide and those who access mental health services and the disempowering consequences of being labelled a mental health service user (Williams and Keating 2000). Re search studies have shown that it is a considerable challenge for people with mental illnesses to sustain and maintain social contacts and relationships (Huxley and Thornicroft 2003). Further research into this area as to how parents with mental illnesses can be encouraged to lead a more integrative life is needed. The requirements for the social work workforce within the mental health sector are clear guidelines for working in an integrated team, with strong leadership and comprehensible policies to enable improved multi agency working. This is further challenged by maintaining and preserving the separate skill bases of each profession within a community mental health team. Community psychiatric nurses (CPN) have trained to specifically achieve a qualification, as indeed have their social work colleagues and the blurring of roles may create disquiet amongst individuals. With the new Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) role being made available to professionals from other disciplines this may create further challenges within multi-disciplinary working. Only those professionals trained to become a health professional have the ability to administer medication and a large part of their role in working with the mentally ill is to ensure medication compliance. However medication is best supported if it works in conjunction with therapies (www.rethink.org) and the most recognised therapy to assist with mentally unwell individuals is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was developed by Aaron Beck (1921- ) in the 1960s as a psychological approach to assist people in changing how they thought and felt (Beck 1975). This approach is widely recognised today as the foremost talking therapy when working with the mentally ill. Any professional will need to approach working with a mentally ill service user from an informed position. The experiences of the vast majority of people with mental health problems are that they are labelled. Labelling theory was first applied to the term mentally ill in 1966 when Thomas Scheffs book- Being Mentally Ill was published. Scheffs claim was that mental illness perceptions needed to be challenged as mental illness was a social construction. He purports that no one is deviant and no action is deviant unless society deemed it to be so and that symptoms of mental illness are regarded as violations of societal norms (Scheff 1966), so to challenge societys view of their perception of mental illness is one way to assist those with mental illness and the stigma they experience as a result of labelling. When considering a parent with mental illness and the approaches to working with these individuals a holistic approach would appear to be the most pertinent to consider appropriate. This means taking into account the persons physical and spiritual health as well as their mental health needs (Hunt 2009). The Care Programme Approach is now recognised as the best way to do this. The Care Programme Approach 2008 or CPA as it is referred to within services is a way of developing a plan of work individualised to each persons needs. The Care Programme Approach has four main elements as defined in Building Bridges: A guide to arrangements for inter-agency working for the care and protection of severely mentally ill people (DoH 1995 p1). It works by assessing a persons needs and then developing a plan in response to those needs; the plan is then implemented and reviewed regularly to ensure that it is continuing to meet the individuals needs (www.dh.gov.uk). The latest development in policy implementation is New Horizons; a government program of action which has been launched to improve the mental well-being of people in England and drive up the quality of mental health care. New Horizons is a comprehensive initiative that will be delivered by local government, the voluntary sector and professionals with an aim of creating a society that values mental health. This will be achieved by ensuring the foundations of good mental health begin in childhood and continue through the lifespan, emphasising the importance of prevention as well as treatment and recovery (New Horizons 2009). All professionals will be encouraged to identify children whose parents may be experiencing difficulties and signpost them to appropriate services. The next chapter will consider how policy and legislation works in supporting parents with mental ill health by considering their experiences, how their capacity is measured and how their children view both their parents illness and treatment. Chapter Two This chapter will focus on the experiences of parents with mental health problems, their ability to parent, their parenting capacity and the experiences of children of the mentally ill. The numbers of parents who experience mental health issues is not clear but it is estimated that in excess of thirty per cent of the population may be affected. Experience of Parents with Mental Health Problems When considering the research available, what is clear is that the focus has been mainly on the female experience as women were found to be the main caregivers, Nicholson et al (1998). In a study, using focus groups with mothers, to explore the problems they faced as a result of their mental illnesses Nicholson et al concluded that the experiences these mothers recounted detailed their concerns, their struggles and their successes (Nicholson et al 1998 p 638). They discussed the anxiety of stigma and the worry of having their children removed by social services as well as the everyday struggles of looking after children (Nicholson et al 1998). In a study, to explore the experiences of new mothers Mowbray et al (1995) found that motherhood was a role of great significance for many women with mental health problems. The mothers in their study articulated just how important the experience of being a mother was to them, the joy that it brought for them and the growth in personal development it produced (Mowbray et al 1995). What is known is that parenting is viewed by society as being highly valued and although this is a common thread to all societies and cultures, most perceptions are that parents with mental illness are viewed negatively, (Mowbray et al 1995). Furthermore as parents with mental health problems are de-valued by society and their parenting capacities and abilities are questioned they fear that their children will be removed from their care therefore they avoid contact with social services even if they are aware they need support. This all adds to the stress that parents experience in coping with their mental i llness and the demands of parenting. Nicholson et al (1998) found that parents felt unable to ask for the support they may need due to the fear that social services would remove their children from their care. This was a great fear for the mothers in this study but further studies have also corroborated this, for example Cleaver et al (1998) reviewed data from research and discovered that forty- two per cent of children who were initially referred to child protection services following an assessment of their parent(s) mental health became subject to care proceedings. This indicates an equal fear on behalf of the professionals involved with parents with mental ill health, the need to protect balanced against the needs of the parent to maintain normal family life. Parents have therefore identified that they will be viewed as flawed by society and perhaps incapable of fulfilling one of societys most treasured roles and have their parenting abilities and capacity questioned (Ackerson 20 03). Parenting Capacity Parents with mental illness may have difficulty in caring for their children because they feel a need to focus on their own needs or are unable to recognise their childrens needs and this can impact on their parenting capacity. Other influences can also impact such as relationship breakdown, poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. There is a real difficulty in attempting to establish just how many parents have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychosis although it is estimated that as many as nine million adults may have a mental health need (www.family-action.org.uk ) Many of these illnesses go undetected with some parents refusing to acknowledge that they have a problem for fear of the consequences for their children (Beardslee et al 1983). For many parents the greatest fear being the removal of their children by social services. This is largely due to much of the current service provision being aimed at protecting children considered to be at risk from harm rather than supporting mentally ill parents to overcome the disabilities that hinder their parenting role. This could be better supported by intervention before a risk to the child becomes apparent (Kearney et al 2003). This is in direct conflict with the Children Act 1989, which recommends that wherever possible parents should be supported to care for th eir own children at home. This all creates a culture of fear for parents, as they cannot be honest about what they are experiencing as this may result in the removal of their children. However what is known is that there is a significant number of parents whose children are known to social services have a mental health problem (Crossing Bridges 1998). Having a mental illness can impact on the parents ability to care for their children in a variety of ways such as; being unable to provide food, clothing, shelter and warmth or indeed be able to keep their children safe from harm (White et al 1995). However if a parent makes what is perceived to be an unwise or eccentric decision this does not necessarily mean that they are lacking in capacity (Mental Capacity Act 2005). All parents are expected to provide; a safe physical and a secure emotional environment for their children, they are expected to demonstrate appropriate behaviour and provide opportunitie

Hawker Centres in Singapore

Hawker Centres in Singapore This paper examines how the success of the hawker centers in Singapore has to do with several factors that we can acknowledge as well in Colombia, even though the two countries are so diverse in cultural aspects. The Hawker Centers have been part of the Singaporean culture since 1950, making them a deeply rooted tradition; that must be adapted in order to fit into the Colombian complex and diverse culture. Here we intend to show how the concept can be implemented in Colombia in a successful way that allows us all to identify ourselves with our roots and matching points as Colombians. INTRODUCTION Hawkers Centers are open-air complexes with many stalls that sell a wide variety of inexpensive food, resembling a food mall. These centers are the most popular and an emblematic place to eat in Singapore; and since the population of the country is so diverse, the food offered includes all the cultures (Chinese, Malay and Indian). People generally go to these places to find something they like and to enjoy the multicultural pluralism of this country, in a context where cultural differences are converted into cultural match points. The Hawkers Centers are considered the CULTURAL METAPHOR of Singapore. According to Martin Gannon, in these places one can find 5 characteristics that described the culture, those being: Ethnic diversity but unity, Efficiency, the power of women, and, Safety and  Synthesizing traditional and new values. Colombia is a multicultural society, and is subdivided in what we can call micro-nations, the most of them are located in the natural geographical regions, The Caribbean Lowlands which culture is the result of a mixture between indigenous and Africans, the Pacific Lowlands where the roots of African culture are exposed, the Andean Highlands where people reflects the strong influence of their Europeans ancestors, and finally the Orinoco savanna and the Amazon rainforest two regions evidencing the pre-Columbian identity of this salad Bowl called Colombia. Mil Sabores, una Identidad Hawker center will be a place where the 5 geographical and cultural regions of Colombia will be represented, and Colombians coming from all around the country will find in food the way to make the cultural differences a reason for unity instead of conflict. COLOMBIAN CULTURE We consider that Colombia is a Salad Bowl, composed by different subcultures which are difficult to classify, Estanislado Zuleta says that Colombia is divided in 3 main groups of people, the coastal, the caribeans, and the people from the high plateaus (altiplanos).bajucol-colombia The multicultural and multiethnic character of Colombia is explained by its history, the Caucasians and the Africans races were brought by the conquest, and these new races get mixed with the indigenous, given birth to new ethnic groups, making possible that today Colombia counting on a population of approximately 44 Million with have an ethnic composition of 58 percent mestizos, 20 percent Europeans, 14 percent mulattos, and the remaining of African descent and mixed African-Amerindian. The geographical regions of Colombia are another way in which we can classify the cultural differences. Due to the difficult topographical situation of the country there is a geographical isolation, each region has developed unique and diverse characteristics, making even more difficult to describe Colombia as one culture. The complex cultural diversity of Colombia is reflected by the different traditions, values, believes but also by the diversity of the gastronomy, the aesthetics such as the music, architecture, painting, dancing, theater and many others. The Andean region for example is cultures where there are strong remains of the European ancestors, people on this region have a strong character and are usually hardworking and big entrepreneurs. inside the region there are also differences and we can divide the cultural groups in the Paisas from Antioquia and from the coffee Region, the Santandereanos from Santander and Norte de Santander, a part of the Vallunos from Valle del Cauca and Cauca, the Tolimenses , the cundiboyacenses from the interior part of the country, the Pastusos form Narià ±o and finally the Rolos from Bogota. The Caribbean Lowlands is the product of a mixture between Indigenous and Africans, in this region you can find tropical and outstanding way of life, the region located in the north of Colombia is composed by the Costeà ±os from the Atlantic coast and the savannas of the north, the Guajiros are also part of this region and are in their majority from the Guayu indigenous group. Then is in Pacific lowlands where we find the strongest roots of the Africans, the region of the Afro-Colombians is characterized by its flavors, colors and ancestral rituals that even other Colombians are not familiar with. This particular region ins composed by the chocuanos from Chocà ³ and the afro-Colombians from Narià ±o. The Orinoco savanna located in the east part of the country is also a different world like every region in Colombia. The terrific landscapes of an eternal green that get mixed with the sky in horizon, and the virgin jungles are the homeland of the llaneros and of many Indigenous tribes that are protected by the forest as their natural barrier. Finally the Amazon rainforest is the natural guardian of the most traditional and ancestral values and beliefs of the pre-Columbian tribes, this region whose population is mainly indigenous is an amazing place, that can be described in only one word DIVERSITY. The most of Colombians are not familiar with this region, maybe because due to our high uncertainty avoidance, our aversion to risk and to what is different, we dont even dare to cross this forest rich in bio- and cultural-diversity. Colombians are so different, regionalist and in a way ethnocentric, we are aware of our differences and the majority is deeply identified with their regional culture and defend it from the others influence; we are a kind of a salad bowl where people is together but never melted. But despite all those differences there are some things that we love about this multiculturalism, things that constitutes the match point of our cultures, making possible that we all feel and enjoy being Colombians, those things are Food, Music and art. Hofstedes analysis The analysis for Colombia is very similar to other Latin American countries; where societies are slow to accept changes, are risk-adverse and have a high concern for rules. This can be because in Colombia the population is mainly catholic, which promotes the idea that there is an absolute truth. According to the analysis that Hofstede made, Colombia has one of the highest rankings in Masculinity, what this means is that there is high degree of gender inequality, and that men are the dominant within the society. Colombia has high uncertainty avoidance, which explains the low level of tolerance for the unknown and the foreigners; this also explains the need for rules and laws. Collectivism is very important for our culture, the family is very influential on each individual, and loyalty is required in order to maintain the harmony. Finally the high power distance shows the huge inequality of power and wealth in the society, which explains the high level of poverty. SINGAPORE CULTURE Singapore is a City State with a population of 4,5 millions, the territory is divided in 65 islands. Singapore has become the way to get into the Asian countries and the place where most of the companies want to have their headquarters because of Singapores economic and political security. This high quality of life is thanks Thomas Stanford Raffles, the founder of Singapore and who created the port that nowadays is between the first by volume and the second by containers busiest port of the world and also created a neighborhood for each ethnic group where each region could be governed by itself. Then lee Kwan Yew, the father of the modern Singapore has implemented a system that implemented the western democratic values but always maintaining the Asian identity. In Singapore people live in harmony, they are usually well educated and really smart. Although there are from different neighborhoods, languages and cultures, the interaction among them is really common, Chinese can marry Indians, in a Hindu temple located in Chinatown, is like a salad bowl of Malays, Indians, Chinese and Europeans. Singapore is a pluralistic place, where they interact between each other, but dont create just one culture, they are Chinese Singaporean, Indian Singaporean, Malays Singaporean, etc., they dont change their roots, although the bulk of Singaporeans do think of themselves as Singaporeans, regardless of race or culture. Each still bears its own unique character  [1]  .worldmap-singapore Each ethnic group has its own religion and its own festivals, but anyone can attend. The tolerance is really important and there is not discrimination toward people from another religion. For example the Chinese are predominantly followers of Buddhism, Taoism, Shenism, Christians, Catholics and some considered as free-thinkers (Those who do not belong to any religion). Malays have the Muslims and Indians are Hindus. There is a sizeable  number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population  [2]  . Singapore has four official languages: Mandarin (comes from china), Malay (comes from Malaysia), Tamil (comes from Indian) and English (comes from Europe). The last one is the most used for communication and business, the others are talk only in their homes in order to keep the roots and traditions of their home culture. In Singapore almost everyone speak more than 2 languages. They have a dialect called Singlish is like a symbol for many Singaporeans and its an influence of Malay and Chinese that have change some words in the informal English language. Whatever the race or religion, the countrys communities unite as one nation, where most religious or racial gaps are being bridged  [3]  . The Hawker centers are considered by Martin Gannon the cultural metaphor of Singapore. There are five features of the hawkers that let us to identify the culture in Singapore. First, Ethnic Diversity but Unity, as we already said, Singapore is composed by three ethnic groups, so Chinese , Indian and Malays live in harmony and are treated as Singaporeans provided with the same rights and Obligations. In the hawker centers the different ethnic groups are represented, each one has a number of stalls depending on their percentage on the total population. The unity between the different cultures in Singapore is highly explained by the five principles imposed by Lee Kwan Yew: Nation before community and society before the self. Family as the basic unit of society Community support and respect for the individual Consensus, not conflict Racial and religious harmony  [4]   Second, Efficiency, in hawker centers there is an unspoken rule, servers and customers must be quick and efficient. Efficiency in Singapore is evident in communication in which people usually prefer quick aswers, and also in the cutting-edge technology present in the different aspects of daily life. Third, the Power of Women is an evident factor in the centers; the number of men and women working in the center is the same and are treated in the same way. Women also play important roles in business, and there are a lot of policies promoting equal opportunities in the workplace. Fourth, the safety is one of the most important aspects of the social system in Singapore, there are rules and regulations governing the simplest aspects of the peoples life, these regulations are also strict regarding the Hawker Centers. Fifth and finally, synthesizing traditional and new values, Singapore is trying to maintain their traditional Asian values while implementing efficiency and practicality. The hawker centers represent this because they offer traditional food, but also western food. HOFSTEDES ANALYSIS According to Hofstede Singapore is a country with a high power distance, where the even if poor people is not so poor, there is a big gap between the rich and the poor. There is also a high power on the leaders, and population is forced to obey the law. The individualism is very low, due to the Confucian values there is a tendency to collectivism, the country cares a lot about family values and cooperativism. The country has male values such as people being worth for themselves and every person should take after themselves, but regarding the role of women, there is an equality of gender and they have an important role in society. Finally, uncertainty avoidance is low, due to the multiculturalism, people is no afraid of what is different. But if we take into account the extreme regulations it should be a little bit higher. SIMILARITIES Colombia and Singapore are as different as a western and an Asian country can be. But even if those differences are so marked culturally speaking, we find some similar situations or conditions in which the two countries have simililarities. First taking the Hofstede dimensions of both countries as reference, it can be seen that three out of the dimensions evaluated are quiet similar, Colombia and Singapore present a high level of Power distance, in both countries the gap between rich and poor people is so big, it has be taken into account that the dimensions and the concept of the richness or the poorness is different in both countries. Individualism is very similar too, the collectivism characteristic of the Asian countries is also present on the Colombian culture. Masculinity is also high, evidencing two goal oriented cultures, were success is synonymous of recognition, but in terms of the role of women in society we can say that even if Colombia is one of the countries of lain America with more women participating in high rank positions, Singapore has advanced more regarding the equality of genders. Finally the difference in the uncertainty avoidance is evident, while in Singapore there is not aversion to new, unknow n or different things, Colombians are pretty scared of change; but in terms of norms we can say that both countries have a huge amount of rules and regulations that evince a high uncertainty avoidance. Then when we talk about similar conditions, we are referring to the multiculturalism. With similar conditions, we mean, respecting the proportions, that in both countries there is a lot of people from different cultural backgrounds living within one state that is trying to build one cultural identity respecting differences and enforcing thins in common. IMPLEMENTATION Business idea We have chosen to bring and to adapt the concept of the HAWKER CENTERS of Singapore, into our country. (Bogotà ¡) The Hawker center is going to be called MIL SABORES, UNA IDENTIDAD. It is going to be located in the North of Bogotà ¡, and it is going to be more fashionable and delightful than the ones in Singapore; this is due to the fact that people in Bogota believe in status, in differentiation and they are willing to pay the price if you are offering something containing this characteristics. The idea is to create a place with different food stalls according to the five Colombian regions which are: The Caribbean Lowlands, Pacific Lowlands, Andean Highlands, Orinoco savanna and the Amazon rainforest. Bogotà ¡ is the capital of Colombia, this makes it the city in which the best universities, jobs and opportunities are found; for this same reason people from all over the country goes there to achieve their goals, and prepare for the future. We can consider Bogota as a the Singapore of Colombia, where people from different cultural backgrounds live an interact with each other in a pluralistic environment. According to the quantity of people from each region living in the capital, a proportionate number of stalls will be installed. And besides this, a small number of stalls will be dedicated to International food, such as Arab, Chinese and Italian. The idea is to offer our customers dishes from their regions but also to offer them dishes that otherwise they wouldnt find so easily. So the experience of going to MIL SABORES, UNA IDENTIDAD is planned to be like a trip trough Colombia, where the costumer can interact with people from different regions and get to know their gastronomy and their culture. The place is going to be decorated with the most typical objects of each region and music from our artist will be played. REASONS FOR POTENTIAL SUCCESS We believe that this project, if implemented, would have success because although we have high uncertainty avoidance (according to Hofstedes) .We do enjoy to try and to get to know different aspects of other cultures. We can say that we are selective in our integration, and that is why we love to go in vacations to the coast and eat excessively, because we enjoy their food, that is very hard to find when being in the interior. Since we are offering the experience of feeling in a trip through out Colombia, some of the difficulties that Colombia has as a state are creating opportunities for our business to thrive. For example: The hard mobilization through our country. The dangers of making a road trip. The difficult economic situation. The unsanitary conditions of the food in some places. The long distances and the poor infrastructure. DIFFERENCIATION Our main concern is for people to believe that MIL SABORES, UNA IDENTIDAD is just like any regular food mall, but as soon as the customer enters in the building it will discover that this innovative project, is nothing like a regular food mall it is an experience for all your senses that you cant find elsewhere in Colombia. The mix of music, food and entertainment will allow the customer to feel in different places at the same time and to experience the richness of our folklore. TURISTIC ATTRACTION As international negotiators we appreciate the foreigners that decide to visit our country and that are interested in getting to know us. Because of this, we have decided to integrate everything that represents us in one single place. Coffee is one of the things that we are known for, so it is clear that we are going to take advantage of this, and build a coffee stall, with a variety of products that contain coffee, such as: caramel, candies, drinks. Etc. Finally we believe that a souvenir store is also required for foreigners, where they can find hand-made stuff from our natives and artisans, such as hammocks, jewelry, musical instruments, clothes etc. CONCLUSIONS We have concluded that with the correct adaptation, the concept of Hawker Centers could have success in Colombia. The implementation is based on the different regions, making this an inclusive project, taking advantage of the contrasting influences that have gathered in the country. The experience in MIL SABORES, UNA IDENTIDAD is going to be like a trip into the different Cities, where all the family can enjoy dishes of the diverse cultures, creating them a sense of awareness for the other. Finally this project is going to awake the sense of a national identity and the patriotism of the people for their country by focusing in how our differences can bring us together instead on breaking us apart.

Music For Torching by A.M. Holmes Essay -- Music Torching Holmes Essay

Music For Torching by A.M. Holmes A.M. Holmes’ critique of the American dream’s malfunction in modern suburbia examines contemporary domestic life through a variety of socially realistic metaphors. No metaphor is a stronger critic of the dark domestic world she presents than the recurring theme of clothing as a mask which her characters use to hide their true identities. The novel focuses on the importance of â€Å"socially acceptable† clothing as an expression of each character’s overall desire to reach a state of normalcy, if not perfection. Yet irony arises out the representation of clothing as both filling its customary role as a cover-up, and simultaneously being used as a medium of exposure. This ironical situation of clothing as a literal and abstract costume to hide physical and mental disfigurement reinforces the assertion that the real desires of Homes’ characters are often shielded from themselves and from others, and yet are ultimately revealed through what they wear. T he juxtaposition of the clothing motif is that clothing, or the lack thereof, serves as to conceal as well as reveal inner conflicts of sexuality, discontentment, or personal esteem. The use of clothing as a disguise is primarily apparent in its role of covering up the secret sexual lives of the characters. Each time she calls, Henry’s date asks the person on the other line, â€Å"What are you wearing?† Her constant desire to know the character’s clothing reveals the importance that outward appearance holds in a sexual connotation; the characters are repeatedly in various states of dress and undress. Nate’s mother, whom Paul refers to as Mrs. Apple, answers her door wearing her husband’s shirt. The incongruity lies in the seeming normalcy of her appearanc... ...ugged off especially by his mother Mrs. Apple, who excuses his frequent absences to conventions and war games as if they were trivial and acceptable behavior for men. Nonetheless, his father’s absence compels Nate to mimic and adopt his father’s appreciation of guns and ammunition with a warped sense of masculinity, concluding in the death of Sammy and the death of the novel’s innocence as a whole. Music For Torching inverts many societal conventions as satirical commentary on the secretly flawed world of American suburbanites. The typical societal convention for clothing’s purpose is covering up one’s own body; however, in Holmes’ novel, clothing’s accepted function is elongated and also reversed. Clothing not only covers up the physical body as well unspoken thoughts and entities, but also reveals such entities through a mixture of subtle and thematic details.

Hypertext and Spatial-Temporal Dimensions :: Internet Essays Writing

Hypertext and Spatial-Temporal Dimensions missing works cited Hypertext affords the user the ability to make decisions based on where he or she intends or needs to go, and to decide what information or images to process and what to disregard as opposed to what the author intends. The user is free to move around from link to link while constantly making decisions about what he wants to explore and what he deems unnecessary in his search; there is no correct path, rather all paths are relative to each individual user to what his preferences are. The electronic reader is encouraged to think of the text as a collection of interrelated units floating in a space of at least two dimensions. Her movement among units does not require flipping pages or consulting the table of contents; instead, she passes instantly and effortlessly from one place to another (Bolter 175.) With hypertext, as opposed to traditional methods of publishing such as books or magazines, information is presented in a space rather than in a physical object. Electronic readers move around a space with expandable dimensions, the reader is more or less in a small world in which he can explore things not confined by a physical book but opened in a room where everything is next to everything else, which is to say that there is nothing that really separates information apart from other information, each item is accessible through links from another item. I visited a hypertext website, an online journal called Kairos dealing primarily with rhetoric, technology, and issues in hypertext, without motive beyond curiosity browsing the list of immediately available articles when one caught my attention. An article by Janice R. Walker entitled, gThe Third Wave: Yes, But Can They Write?h seemed interesting, and having no idea what the Third Wave is or who gtheyh are, I opened the article and immediately went to the Third Wave link. I wanted to read her conclusions and ultimately whether gtheyh could write. Instant gratification. (As it turns out gtheyh are students, and Walker is unresolved as to whether they can write.) It was not until after I had found the information that I sought that I returned to the Letfs Begin Here link and explored the article to

Global effects Essay

Easier to communicate throughout the boundaries Easier to travel Cultural interchange International Trade Better and cheaper products Improvement of new technologies The cheaper products increases the purchase power The transport of the products is easier and faster Globalization creates a political and an economical union, which facilitates the agreement between the countries Delocalization creates unemployment in developed countries Non-controlled circulation of money (free market)Â  no ethics. The businessmen and the big companies are the only winners in globalization Exploitation of the workers in the developing countries incl. children Money problems can easily be spread The mix of cultures can lead to racism, xenophobia, intolerance and loss of national identity Small companies have to go out of business because they cant compete with the multinationals As a result the gap between the poor and the rich people increases 2 In which world you will live in 15 years Our motto Join our forces in the European Union! Positive opinions No more borders. We can pass freely Cheaper, faster and easier transport. The communication there will be faster and cheaper too People will know more about others their languages, culture and habits Thanks to European Parliament guaranteed common laws and human rights for each country Europe will have created their common social system with common guaranteed minimal wage, so that we can mitigate a part of the injustice created the different live standards in every european country Negative opinions There will be more discriminations, because the mix of cultures will increase and people are afraid of what they dont know Every country could lose own cultural identity, habits and traditions Our future depends on us and on our politicians. Without the support of the politicians we cant create a positive future. 3 GLOBALIZATION What can we do as citizens to make the world a better place DAILY BEHAVIOR POLITICAL ACTIONS Making sure people get informed also in alternative ways and taking this information critical The EU have to make sure there are clean water supplies for everybody The EU can try to donate not only money, but also tools which should be directly given to the countries in need Improve education Reduce emission of co2 Promote integration of immigrants Buy guaranteed organic products Try to buy fair trade products whenever possible Recycle everything possible Use cleaner fuels Help the third world as much as possible Dont hesitate to take every opportunity possible to meet new people from different cultures Dont overuse natural resources 4 The role of the EU and globalization Strong countries have to help weak countries. The EU should counter-balance the USA and other emerging global powers The EU has a big responsibility being a model to other countries. The EU has to promote cultural equality, but preserving our identity. The EU can promote our intercultural exchanges. The union makes the force. The EU must globalize Human Rights. The EU must preserve the peace. The EU has to protect the jobs of the EU citizens. The EU must control pollution made by big companies 1. International Business Globalization By Mukesh Mishra Kathmandu, Nepal 2. Topics for the discussion Introduction Agent/Facilitator of Globalization Positive effects of Globalization Negative effects of Globalization 3. Globalizaion Integration of National economies with international Economy. The closer integration of the economies of the world as a result of the reduction of transportation and communication costs and the reduction of manmade barriers to the movements of goods, services and capital throughout the world. Globalization refers to the shift toward a more integrated and interdependent world economy. 4. Globalizaion Globalization of Market refers to the merging of historically distinct and separate national markets into one huge global marketplace. Falling barriers to cross- border trade have made it easier to sell internationally. Globalization of production refers to the sourcing of goods and services from locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production (such as labor, energy, land and capital ) 5. Globalization Advocates of Globalization see not only the increases in incomes but also the spread of democratic values. Opponents of the globalization worry not just about the loss of jobs but about loss of local culture. 6. Agent/Facilitator of Globalization World Trade Organization (WTO) Rule based international Organization deals with free and fair trade among member nations. Currently, there are 153 members in WTO Established in 1995, successor of General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) GATT was formed in 1947. 7. Agent/Facilitator of Globalization United Nations (UN)- Although the UN is perhaps best known for its peacekeeping role, one of the organization’s central mandates is the promotion of higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development all issues that are central to the creation of a vibrant global economy. Agent/Facilitator of Globalization World Bank World Bank is taken as a lending institution, development agency, think tank, forum for international governmental politics and economic diplomacy. Formed in 1944 as International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). From 1970’s bank started the process called ‘Structural Adjustment’ program, under which infrastructure, telecommunications and some social services are privatized, labour, the civil service and judiciary are revamped. Other facets are lowering deficits and tariff barrier, opening the economy to short term capital flows. In return IMF and World Bank provides assistance to the economies. It offers highly leveraged loan to poor countries. 9. Agent/Facilitator of Globalization International Monetary fund (IMF) Its an organization that oversees the global financial system by following the macroeconomic policies of its member countries, in particular those with an impact on exchange rates and the balance of payments. Designer of Structural Adjustment Program. IMF is often seen as the lender of last resort to nation state whose economies are in turmoil and currencies are losing value against those of other nations 10. Agent/Facilitator of Globalization Regional Economic Integration Free Trade Area (FTA)- A free trade area occurs when a group of countries agree to eliminate tariffs between themselves but maintain their own external tariff on imports from the rest of the world. The north American free trade area (NAFTA), South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) are FTA’s. A regional Economic integration agreement is the next step to Regional Economic Agreement (RTA), it can include the free movement of capital as well as goods and services, a common currency and a common economic policy. European Union. 11. Effects of Globalization Industrial- Movement of material and goods between and within national boundaries. International Trade in manufactured goods increased more than 100 times (from $95 billion to $12 trillion) in the 50 years since 1955. Financial- It is the world where $1. 2 billion in foreign exchange transactions are made everyday. Current economic crisis is the example of financial integration Economic- Four Indians were among the world’s top 10 richest in 2008, worth a combined $160 billion. In 2007, China had 415,000 millionaires and India 123,000. 300 million Indians lifted up from poverty during 1991 to 2008. On the global scale, health becomes a commodity. In developing nations under the demands of Structural Adjustment Programs, health systems are fragmented and privatized Political- China and India are emerging as a political power. Their rapid economic growth provided them space in global arena. The most popular language is Mandarin (845 million speakers) followed by Spanish (329 million speakers) and English (328 million speakers). About 35% of the world’s mail, telexes, and cables are in English. Approximately 40% of the world’s radio programs are in English. About 50% of all Internet traffic uses English. 13. Effects of Globalization WHO estimates that up to 500,000 people are on planes at any one time, in 2008. The IOM estimates there are more than 200 million migrants around the world today. Newly available data show that remittance flows to developing countries reached $328 billion in 2008. Around 2. 5 millions people are working abroad. Remittance inflow per year is around 209 bn. 14. Effects of Globalization Farmers are loosing market due to cheaper (subsidized) products coming from outside, mainly in developing nations Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Job insecurity, Increased job competition has led to reduction in wages and consequently lower standards of living. 15. Effects of Globalization Companies have set up industries causing pollution in countries with poor regulation of pollution The benefits of globalization is not universal. The rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer. 20 percent of rich people utilizing 80 percent of resources. 16. Effects of Globalization Poorer countries suffering disadvantages : The main export of poorer countries is usually agricultural goods. Larger countries often subsidies their farmers (like the EU Common Agricultural Policy), which lowers the market price for the poor farmer’s crops compared to what it would be under free trade.

Unprofessional Conduct

In 2005 I started working for a school system and right from the start I could see that there was some unprofessionalism in some of the employees there. To me unprofessional means not acting as if you were at you place of business or acting as though you are at home or out with your friends. That is how the persons I worked with acted; however, to me Mrs. Petit did nothing of the sort. She was not at her place of work; she did not harm any students so I see now unprofessionalism. What she was doing was having a life outside of work which I thought we were all as citizens entitled to do. When I think of the word immoral in the context of the teaching profession I think of teachers like the ones I worked with walking around the school building talking badly about the elementary and middle school students they were teaching during school hours. I do think that Mr. or Mrs.  Petit acted immorally in the eyes of the society around them even though they were just living their own lives for which this country was founded, but not to the extent that any harm should have come to them. Was she teaching the children right from wrong? Well yes and no, she taught the children with this mishap that it was right to follow your feelings and to be a leader in society not a follower not to go with the norm, but she also showed that she had no disregard for the laws of the state she lived in by breaking the law for sexual misconduct. I can not even count on my fingers how many teachers I would deem unfit to teach and Mrs. Petit is not one of them. To me being unfit to teach is a person that thinks that yelling at children is a good thing, or a teacher that is willing to put their hands on someone’s child to discipline them, or most of the so called teachers now who believe that teaching the children to past a test is preparing them for life. What Mrs. Petit did can not be deemed as a person who is unfit to teach, she was proven to be an outstanding teacher and never harmed a student, they were very well educated and that is because of her. In this case the board was justified due to the fact that she was arrested for breaking the law which would cause a problem for the community whom would of course be outraged by this. I personally believe that they had no just cause in terminating her employment because there was no harm to the children and she had learned her lesson which she could have used as a basis to discourage not only her students but persons in general from doing things that are illegal. I do not think that what one does in there personal lives as long as it does not in any way transfer into their professional lives should not be the basis for being deemed unfit for their profession or unprofessional in anyway. For example if Mr.  Carter was a teacher and he never did anything to harm his students or co-workers and he went to a club on a Friday night, while at this club he saw a beautiful woman but did not see her face and he walked up behind her and said something like hey beautiful you are looking fine in that dress, the woman turned around at it was a co-worker of his she gets him fired because he made a pass at her while not at work how is this right? What is this teaching the children? It tells them never to try to get a date because it could cost you your job. This example and the story of Mrs. Petit teach children to never have a life outside of work or never get a job that is all it does the rules need to change. The difference between the two cases was that she got arrested and the other person did not. Do I think that it was consistent absolutely not? To me the courts had not taken into consideration that the board did not prove that she was an unfit teacher they just proved that she had been arrested for being an individual having fun. She did not harm any of her students, she did not hurt any of her co-workers, she was not on school property and she did not violate the rules of her contract as a teacher unless those rules state that you can not have a life outside of work and if you are married it must be monogamous. I think that the courts should have stated that the only true reason they could fire her was because she now had a criminal record and even that should have a fine line because she again did not harm anyone not even her husband because he was there and approved. I think that these so called morals in this country are dumb because everyone has their own mind and should be able to decide what is moral and immoral to them without having to live by a standard of anyone else. The only time I think an employer should know what is going on with an employee’s off the job conduct is when it can directly affect their job or bring harm to other people. If the person has committed a real crime such as murder, child abuse, child molestation, rape, if they are being abused themselves, or involved in other illegal dealings. I think that it is high time society got off of their high horses and stop thinking that they can decide how the person next to them lives their lives. People need to stop worrying about what religion other people practice, who marries whom, who is eating what and worry about real issues like why are so many of our children are going to bed hungry, why our children are out here committing crimes instead of getting an education, and why there are so many people in the streets because they can not get a job. Those are real issues and until people realize that everyone is created equal and that our forefathers came to this country to get away from all of the bull crap that was going on elsewhere society will never change it will only get worse. Things will never get better until we as a people better ourselves. No one should be ridiculed for not being as smart as another, for not eating like someone else, for not having the same religion as another, for not being attracted to the sex you think they should be attracted to, or for having an open marriage we were given these minds to think for ourselves not to think like everyone else. The world is not black and white it is a rainbow made up of browns, reds, greens, yellows and every other color so I think everyone should be free to do like my religions states â€Å"harm none, and do what ye will† meaning do what you want as long as you do not harm anyone else. Unprofessional Conduct UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Introduction Andre Hamilton had spent eight years in the United States Air Force. While in the service, he learned how to conduct himself in a professional manner, and he learned to respect others. He wanted to become a manager so he completed a bachelor’s degree in organizational management at the University of LaVerne. After graduating from school, his confidence soared to a point where he felt he was in a position of great demand by potential employers. In 1996, while looking through Sunday’s Press Enterprise newspaper, he saw an ad for a job fair.Thinking of the companies that would be present at the job fair, he decided to attent. The day of the job fair arrived. His interviews came down to two companies, G. M. A. C. and The Office Supply Store. Both interviews went extremely well. On Friday, September 27, 1996, Andre was interviewed by Mrs. Jane Apple from G. M. A. C. , a mortgage company. At the interview, she explained to him the responsib ilities of a loan officer, the position he had applied for. She also asked him questions about what he thought about the company. Mrs.Apple informing him that although the position only paid commisions. Mrs. Apple looked at Andre and said, ‘’You have the job if you want it. ’’ He tried to hard to contain his happiness. He told her he would accept her offer and thanked her for giving him an opportunity. On Monday, September 30, 1996, when he arrived at work, he was greeted and introduced to the staff members and shown around the office. Mrs. Apple told him to relax. Andre began to feel that he had accomplished his goal of becoming a career person with a good job.Everyone was very friendly and seemed happy to be employed at that company. What he enjoyed the most about this organization was the team style of leadership displayed by Mrs. Apple. On Tuesday, October 1, 1996, he had second interview with The Office Supply Store. He was interviewed by Mr. Smith, d istrict manager, and Maria Smith, human resources director. They were very pleasant and energetic and he got the impression that the work environment at The Office Supply Store was the same as at G. M. A. C.After the interview, he was told he had the position and would receive a letter in the mail telling him the information and the store where he would be working. He decided to accept the job offered from The Office Supply Store, because he wanted to move into management. Also at G. M. A. C. , his only income is commision, while at The Office Supply Store, he would have a steady salary. He also likes the close location to his home. The Office Supply Store would train him to manage his own store. On Wednesday, he returned to G. M. A. C. and informed Mrs.Apple that he had been made an offer by The Office Supply Store and he felt it would be a beter opportunity for him. She listened to him and sounded sincere when she informed him that she understood why he had come to his decision. E nding the conversation, she told him that if it didn’t work out at The Office Supply Store, he should call her and she would gladly give him another opportunity. After receiving the letter telling him where to report the work, he arrived at his training store. Andre was to meet with Mrs. Richards, the general manager, who was also his new boss.When he reached the general manager’s office, he introduced himself and informed her that he was sent to this store by district manager to begin his management training. Her face begin to flush. She just stared at him and ‘’Why are you here? You are supposed to be at the orientation meeting’’ she said sharply. He informed her that according to the letter he received from the district manager and gave it to her. She asked him to have a seat in the break area next to her office, while she straightened out the situation over the phone. He began to get angry at the nasty language she was using.He felt this showed a total lack of professionalism. The more he thought about his reception, the angier he became. He even thought about punching her in face or engaging her with some profanity of his own. In looking at possible options he had in this situation, his first option was definitely to punch her in the face, but he knew that would result in trouble with the police. Another option was just the walk out the door, but he took the attitude that he would overcome this and proceeded to convince himself that this was an isolated event.He felt this was the Standard ‘’grin and bear it’’ method of maintaining a job. After he had calmed down, he viewed the situation from a more practical perspective. He told himself that he should probably just start looking for a new job. He decided he should remain silent on this issue, because he had continuously heard people say throughout the years ‘’don’t rock the boat. ’’Finally, the last optio n he thought of was to talk with the district manager about his experience, but the district manager’s natural reaction would be to defend Mrs.Richard’s behaviour, and label him with an attitude problem. So he did nothing. Over the next few weeks, the general manager continued to display the same level of behaviour. Andre even tried to communicate with her as two mature adults. To his disappointment, he felt that she appeared uncaring and uncooperative. The problem which is emphasized in this topic can be explained with main components of attitudes and major job attitudes, responses to dissatisfaction, job rotation, fundamental attribution error, emotional intelligence, and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory.