How Income Inequality Affects The Health Of The American...

Fusco (2015), interviewed a random sample of 336 women who were currently low income and receiving some welfare assistance. Of the 336 mothers interviewed, Forty-two percent reported a story of family welfare involvement (Fusco, 2015). The forty-two percent that had a childhood history of welfare involvement were more likely to have depression and anxiety than those who were not raised in a low-income family, who relied on some form of government assistance (Fusco, 2015). In the article, Squeezing Blood From a Stone: How Income Inequality Affects the Health of the American Workforce. The researchers presented the new role that the term poverty has brought within the United States, who submits that â€Å"poverty now has deleterious effects on†¦show more content†¦Another study has shown workers who held positions where they lacked job control, and high demanding low reward positions were more likely to gain weight, and live in an unhealthy body weight, including unhealthy body mass index, and waist circumference. The researchers concluded that the effects of the adult workers have a tremendous impact on the children in the household and that addressing income gap could show an increase in the health of the low-income workers. In the article Does a Higher Income Have Positive Health Effects? Using the Earned Income Tax Credit to Explore the Income-Health Gradient. The researcher relied on using several reports and surveys to gather information. The researcher used self-reported health status and the functional limitations indicated on the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), as well as the self-reported health status shown on the March Current Population Survey (CPS), the researcher focused on the low-income population, with an income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.The purpose of the research had been to further investigate the already shown existence of a positive relationship between income and morbidity. The researcher wanted to explore the relationship of increased health in higher-wage workers and wanted to see if the increase was due because of the ability to purchase more health inputs, or if higher wage workers were moreShow MoreRelatedAmerican Upper Class Vs. American Lower Class1743 Words   |  7 Pages American upper class vs. American lower class Income inequality has been seen throughout different societies. It has always been separated with the poor on bottom and the rich on top. Most societies in past and present have had little to no movement between the separations of classes. The reality for the poor in most of those societies is that they can almost never get to the level and quality of life of the rich. America compared to other societies in our past and present is a society that stronglyRead MoreEconomic Inequality And Its Effects On Economic Growth1709 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer† is an aphorism elicited from the topic of economic inequality. Over the past decades, economic inequality has been rising and at an increasing rate, expanding the gap between the rich and the poor. The direct relationship between inequality and poverty has shown that while inequality increases, so too does poverty. Increased inequality is harmful for economic growth and its effects als o bear social implications. Although there are arguments on theRead MoreThe Education and Healthcare Gap1686 Words   |  7 Pagesthe relative equality or inequality in America. Over the past one hundred years, we have seen a sizable shift toward equality in the legal rights of minorities. However, this legal equality is undermined by a pervasive and broadening socioeconomic inequality, especially in regards to healthcare and education. These issues disproportionately affect minorities. This paper will first touch on two other types of inequality: civic and income. Then it will move into how healthcare and educationRead MoreThe Perspective On Income And Privilege Essay985 Words   |  4 Pagesobtaining power and privilege. For example, White households have a higher income than non-White Hispanics or Blacks. The data provided on page 82 illustrates the income gap, â€Å"Black household had the lowest median income in 2013 ($34,598), non- Hispanic White households ($58,270). Median income for Hispanic households was $40,963† (Leon-Guerrero 2016). This data obtained from the U.S. Census reveals there are differences in income and wealth depending on race. Employment is also important when discussingRead MoreIncome Inequality in the United States Essay788 Words   |  4 Pagesof all income, while the richest earned 88.9% of all wealth. A big gap between the rich and poor is often associated with low social mobility, which contradicts the American ideal of equal opportunity. Levels of income inequality are higher than they have been in al most a century, the top one percent has a share of the national income of over 20 percent (Wilhelm). There are a variety of factors that influence income inequality, a few of which will be discussed in this paper. Rising income inequalityRead MoreHigh Rates Among Various Ethnic Backgrounds1060 Words   |  5 Pagesdeterminants such as poor education, low income, limited access to quality care, as well as environmental factors have contributed to healthcare disparities. If society could improve barriers like health education, communication, and healthcare cost, quality healthcare could be successfully provided to every person. Different levels of wellness, the underutilization of available care, and outcomes of illnesses and injuries are all concepts that define health disparities, (Buchbinder Shanks, 2012)Read MoreThe Issue Of Gender Inequality947 Words   |  4 PagesConstitution and passed the Nineteenth Amendment, allowing women to vote. This sparked a wildfire for women’s rights and equality seemed to be on the horizon. Now, in the 21st century, the issue of gender inequality is still being discussed. Feminism is a growing trend among the new generation of Americans, but an aspect that is continually overlooked is the workplace. In the workplace, females are not treated the same as their male counterparts. They receive lesser pay, and because of discrimination,Read MoreThe Structural Functionalist Perspective On Poverty1499 Words   |  6 PagesEven though having the â€Å"poor class† is a necessary evil needed for society to function, most Americans, at some point in time, will expe rience what it is like to live in poverty or live below the poverty line. One main reason for having a high percentage of people living in poverty is because the U.S. policy makers have ignored the poor and have given tax breaks to those with a much higher income. Funding for welfare was slashed and extended unemployment benefits were ended. With little success withRead MoreEssay on wealth inequality in america1518 Words   |  7 PagesClosing the Income Gap In today’s capitalist economy, where economic transactions and business in general is centered on self-interest, there is a natural tendency for some people to make more than others. That is the basis for the â€Å"American Dream,† where people, if they worked hard, could make money proportional to their effort. However, what happens when this natural occurrence grows disproportional in its allocation of wealth within a society? The resulting issue becomes income inequality. WhereRead MoreIncome Inequality : The American Economy Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesIncome Inequality in the Workplace The American economy has been in a constant rise since the economic decline earlier this decade and keeps on being the vigorous beast it was amid the twentieth century. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute concluded that the income wage hole between the wealthiest and the poorest one fifth of families is altogether more extensive than it was two decades prior. The middle class has not seen the advantages of this powerful American

Comparing similarities and differences between Medieval...

Relationships between the individual and society vary between cultures, religions and ethnicities. Nevertheless, throughout history, how the individual is seen in society varies accordingly. In Medieval Europe, China and Islamic countries, religious beliefs and different philosophies greatly contributed and effected how individuals in a community acted and interacted with their society and other countries. Different lifestyles and common norms contributed to the differences in relationships because how the community interacted with each other influenced the way society acted in general. In some societies individualism was stressed where as in others the importance of community was emphasized. As a result, these ideas shaped the way society†¦show more content†¦Like Medieval Europe, the idea of the importance of the society was significantly emphasized. In Islam, God, grants human rights and therefore they can never be taken away or changed, for any reason. As a result, these concepts are part of the way Islamic individuals are portrayed in society. Every Muslim is required to accept them and recognize the peoples right to have them enforced and obeyed. Islam allows complete freedom of thought and expression, provided that it does not involve spreading anything that is harmful to individuals and the society at large. The value of the community and society as a whole is greatly emphasized in Islamic traditions, as the common wealth of the society is important. This in turn reflects on society, because in Islamic culture, it is important to act in a lawful way as it is entrenched not only in their Muslim religion but in their general lifestyle as well. These factors greatly affect society because their customs, traditions and beliefs are embedded in their laws and individuals must act accordingly. Chinese culture is also greatly embedded in religious and philosophical beliefs. The way a relationship is developed between and individual and the society differs according to various beliefs. In China, two common philosophical and religious ideas are Confucianism and Taoism. ConfucianismShow MoreRelatedBible Versus the Toran12356 Words   |  50 PagesCOMMANDMENTS VIII. COMPARING THE LIFE OF TWO AFRO-AMERICANS (1) MALCOM X - ISLAMIC MUSLIM/QURAN PAGE 35-43 8 (2) MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. - CHRISTIAN/BIBLE PAGE 44-48 9 (3) BOTH MENS POLITICAL VIEWS ON VIOLENCE AND PAGE 49-56 CHANGE IN SOCIETY (4) THE STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN BOTH MEN PAGE 57 (1) I am writing this paper based on the comparsion of two religions; the Islamic faith andRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagessystem that resulted from the cold war standoff extended the retreat of globalization, but nurtured the liberation of most of humanity from colonial rule. The collapse of the Soviet empire, and the freeing of its satellite states across Eastern Europe beginning in the late 1980s, marked another major watershed that further problematizes uncritical acceptance of the historical coherence of the chronological twentieth century. And the reunification of Germany and the reemergence of internationalRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesZiel des Weisen von Pseudo-Magriti, Translated into German from the Arabic by Hellmut Ritter and Martin Plessner, London, The Warburg Institute, University of London, 1962 French B. Bakhouche, F. Fauquier, B. Pà ©rez-Jean: Picatrix Un traità © de magie mà ©dià ©val. 388 p., 130 x 210 mm, 2003, Paperback ISBN 2-503-51068-X, EUR 37.91. Newest critical edition. French S. Matton, La magie arabe traditionelle, Paris, 1977 (incomplete) Latin Picatrix: The Latin Version of the Ghà ¢yat Al-Hakà ®m, ed. David PingreeRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesafter the initial purchase. Satisfying Relationships - A key objective of marketing is to provide products and services that customers really want AND to make customers feel their contact with the marketer is helping to build a good relationship between the two. In this way the customer is made to feel as if she/he is a partner in the transaction not just a source of revenue for the marketer. In recent years this has lead to the concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which has emerged

Cultural Intelligence in Organizations Group

Question: Discuss about the Cultural Intelligence in Organizations Group. Answer: Introduction: A collection of workers that is chosen among two countries or more that unite to take control of some business aspects of a firm that operates globally is called a global team. These teams are in place with an aim of enhancing the organization efficiency through effectively using diversity and viewpoints. Since the inception of globalization, here has been a transition in many business concerns (Lipnack, and Stamps, p. 3). The challenges of globalization are being addressed by various organizations by reconsidering their traditional ways of working. With the increasing global business environment teams are being built by companies which cross national borders and are inclusive of people from different countries. People from different racial backgrounds are expected to work together in either a local or multinational organizations. Many of the teams are expected to increase operational efficiencies as well as pool resources together. However, following the diversity of team members cultures there is likely to be a learning curve that is longer in establishing processes that are effective than just culturally homogeneous groups (Sridhar, p. 159). The main challenges faced by business managers in global teams is the ability to access as well as utilize strengths of individual members and still minimize the losses incurred due to language barriers, communication difficulties, variation in work styles and many other misunderstandings. The most reported challenge is the recognition of the cultural causes of conflict and ensuring the intervention gets teams working and still makes members to be able to tackle future challenges (Davis and Khazanchi, p. 58). Why use global teams Diversity in culture is more of a twinned sword an organization can use it to enhance its performance if managed well but if at some point its neglected it can drastically decrease the team performance. Some of the reasons as to why it should be used include (Peters, and Manz, p. 118). Such teams always enable businesses to easily address the demands and needs of various markets. This in return ensures proper relationships are developed with their customers. Through this, global research and development teams are created by multinational corporations where they benefit from scientific expertise that is site specific and may not be available in one location. The businesses also get a number of services and perspectives which can still fulfill the needs of global clients (Shachaf and Hara, p. 85). These teams are able to provide organizations with different viewpoints. This is because the team members belong to different cultures and are in a good position to bring unique views and approaches onboard. This also exposes the teams to new methods of dealing with problems. A reasonable understanding about individual norms and cultures is achieved in global teams. This brings about better managing of employees. An expert team is also easily developed from such groups. Global teams face many challenges that come from differences in language, culture and geography. Some problems are faced by both domestic and global teams and they include but not limited to; dearth of required skills and knowledge, misalignment of team members, lack of clarification regarding objectives of the teams (Badrinarayanan and Arnett, p. 243) When teams fail to win trust of their members, they can easily fail. The failure can also be as a result of not breaking down some formidable barriers to communication. Challenges faced by global teams Failure to win team members trust; since trust leads to cooperation and also reduces conflict, it is very important to the success of the teams that are operating globally. A rare cognitive lens is brought to the team by each member. If these cognitive ideas are harnessed well, the diversity that results from them is able to generate good synergies and generate some unique wisdom which is more superior to an individual contribution (Hunsaker and Hunsaker, p. 96).Members of the team may however be timid in revealing their real benefits to the global team if there is no trust. This can turn team diversity into a liability and not a n asset. Quality of communication, institutional context that is broad and individual characteristics are the factors that determine how much trust can be felt by people. Communication barrier; this results from differences in culture, language and geography and they are likely to sabotage the global teams. For the geographical barriers members live in different countries and are therefore separated conflict schedules and time zones. To arrange team meetings becomes a logistical challenge (Shachaf, p. 131). In as much as technology such as use of emails and phone communication can facilitate team members working despite geographic distance it should only be a compliment and not a substitute to team meetings. This is because familiarity and trust are well fostered through face to face meetings. Failure to see the body language of someone as well as not have an experience of some elses reactions, the dimensions of the emotions which is always important to the success of a tem suffers a setback. For barriers in language the failure to know what someone wants to say is a great hindrance to communication among culture settings. Creation of an atmosphere which is conducive to the sharing of views and hence getting solutions that are creative, is highly lost if the language barrier problem is not dealt with (Kankanhalli, Tan, and Wei, p. 237). Cultural barriers; in a global team members come from diversified cultures and therefore bring different norms, values and assumptions related to decision making. Generally, the culture of nations has often had ahuge impact on the characteristics of people. Lack of unstructured communication prior to meetings global teams in most cases have meetings either online like via teleconferences or Skype. This is unlike the face to face to face meetings where team members have a chance to have a chit chat before the meeting begins. Such unstructured communications are usually positive because they lead to the organic unfolding of the processes which is necessary in all business meetings. This small talk promotes trust (Davis and Khazanchi, p. 61). Failure to access some technology required in global teams; virtual teams can function technically well in other parts of the world. Some employees in different areas may not have access to some new communication infrastructure such as the ISDN mostly those in the rural places. Some employees fall victim of the release of software dates late or incompatible networks, network traffics and slow computers. Solutions to challenges facing global teams To create a supportive environment for global teams there, exist four design techniques as discussed below (Zigurs, p. 341). The task objective should be clearly specified and aligned with the strategic initiatives of the organization The task objective established should be well aligned with the initiatives of the organization in question regardless of whether the said initiatives are in line with the local responsiveness, global efficiency, and creation of knowledge or organizational learning (Badrinarayanan and Arnett, p. 243).For the team members to fully commit themselves in participating in the activities of the organization, they should be able to know how their tasks will fit well in the general objectives as well as their own priorities. Some teams have urgent deadlines to meet and also operate under short life cycles and therefore if the managers can clearly specify and define the tasks these deadlines are met with great success (Brake, p. 117). The leaders in the organization should be known early so that they participate in the identification of tasks for the achievement of alignment across the boundaries of the organization. If basic task boundaries are set up early they can assist the organizations to start off their work with less complexity (Triandis, p. 22). Team members need to be provided with some outlines for their work descriptions by managers and these will give the workers some baseline to begin their exercises well. All new members of the team need to start their work with a small structure which theyll use to adapt to their needs. To avoid the confusion created by ambiguous reporting relationships, guidelines that can assist members of the team to understand where the authority of decision is and what their relationships of reporting are need to be offered (Jackson, Klobas and Gharavi, p. 219). The given boundaries are crucial regardless as to whether the team members are meant to work together for a short period of time or on part time basis. For the teams that are in existence for a short time and have tight deadlines the structures are very necessary because the teams may not have enough time to create such structures by themselves. Therefore task complexity among global teams can be managed by the organization leaders by engaging in some steps which include (Kerber and Buono, p. 8). Active endorsement of the objectives of the teams Provision of a well defined and strategically aligned objective to the teams Offering minimal structure which covers the teams scope of work together with some general guidelines Giving their teams some basic guidance in regards to the responsibilities of the organization and decision to authority relating to objectives. Making resources to be available to the team Teams that are globalin many contexts poses different systems of supporting the organizationwhich include work processes, budgets and policies related to human resource. A major frustration source and complexity for collaboration in the global team is the insufficient or incompatible resources (Howells, James, and Malik, pg 395-409). A resource assessment exercise should be conducted by managers before a team is formed so as to manage the said complexity. This enables them to determine the state of available resources. In case they get an imbalance in the rich and poor resources they may be forced to invest in resources before the teaming begins. Its necessary to invest in collaborative support systems that are global for a firm to remain relevant in this competitive world (Qureshi and Vogel, p. 28). Therefore all the managers are expected to secure many resources in advance before forming a team or clearly state how theyll get the resources so as to save team members time of searching for the resources and instead focus on more relevant issues. This may make them frustrated and fail to execute their objectives. If there is any technology that needs to be used by the team they should be taught in advance so as to avoid the downtime of technology that is likely to distract them from their tasks (Shachaf and Hara, p. 89). The managers should allow team members to negotiate and agree on the shared norms on the means of communication. Managers can easily control the complexity of resources if they (Pihkala, Varamaki and Vesalainen, p. 335). Carry out an assessment on the resources and technology early enough before the starting of the team Make a decision on how to acquire the missing resources early enough before starting up the team Inform the team on how to access the available resources Allow the team members to make decisions on which resources best works for them. Choose members with abilities, skills and experience in working in a global team Most managers select team members basing on professional experience or how available they are to perform the tasks (Sridhar, p. 162). Yet good global team members are supposed to be good at working on various uncertainties, diversity of members and tackling different team situations. Employees work well in an environment where they can freely share information and get feedback. The selected members of the team should be ready to accommodate cultural differences from other team members and seek alternative approaches to various processes. They should be able to handle any uncertainties. They should show commitment to business and be good enough in using various forms of technology (Bergiel, Bergiel, and Balsmeier, p. 99). Some self assessment tools can be used by team members to assess their ability to work in a global team. Such tools include cross cultural adaptability inventory tool. Managers should select team members who are capable of carrying out intercultural communication with ease since its critical to communicate effectively in the global team. Therefore, when selecting people to work in a global team, managers shouldconsider the following (Johnson, Heimann, and ONeill, p. 24). Select members of the teamthat know each other or have ever worked together in another environment especially for the short deadline work Select effective intercultural communicators Seek the help of human resource professionals that are able to use selection tools to measure an individual ability to work in a multicultural environment Select professional expertise as well as those people who have the ability to handle uncertainties in the tasks. Creating a sense of urgency Managers should structure their team in a way that they convey some sense of urgency. They should however be careful so as not to assign a lot of urgency making members to feel anxious concerning their ability to achieve tasks (Lipnack, and Stamps, p. 7). However with pressure people can be pushed to finding solutions to their various differences and also agreeing so as to protect their self interests. There are different ways in which managers can communicate someurgent information to the teams such as listening to the customer who is credible into the extend of the task or coming up with a very good business idea for the organization aims (Peters, and Manz, p. 117) To energize global teamwork managers have to understand what is more appealing to the sense of urgency to team members and exert pressure that is positive so as to carry out collaborative work. In helping team members align with their task objectives managers can use the following actions (Hertel, Geister, and Konradt, p. 69). Issue deadlines, have the objectives connected to peoples careers as a form of motivation, and make the objectives to appear important through selecting credible sources for their endorsement. Conclusion To manage global teams effectively and steer them towards the intended goals is not an easy task. The competitive advantage of every global company is depended on their ability in coordinating the resources that are critical and the information which are usually spread in various geographical regions. Due to the increase in global business environment many teams are being built by different companies which include people from different cultures. These teams are formed with an aim of enhancing the organizations efficiency through making effective use of the available diversities. However various challenges are faced by the organizations running global teams most of which include cultural differences, language and geographical barriers. These challenges may hinder the organizations from reaching their specific goals and its therefore important that strategies are put in place to deal with such challenges in case they arise. References Hertel, G.T., S. Geister, and U. Konradt (2005). Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research. Human Resource Management Review, 15: p. 69-95. Johnson, P., V. Heimann, and K. ONeill (2001).The wonderland of virtual teams. Journal of Workplace Learning, 13(1): p. 24 30. Howells, J., A. James, and K. Malik (2003).The sourcing of technological knowledge: distributed innovation processes and dynamic change.RD Management, 33(4): p. 395-409. Peters, L.M. and C.C. Manz (2007).Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration. Team Performance Management. 13(3/4): p.117-129. Bergiel, J.B., E.B. Bergiel, and P.W. Balsmeier (2008).Nature of virtual teams: a summary of their advantages and disadvantages.Management Research News, 31(2): p. 99-110. Kankanhalli, A., B.C.Y. Tan, and K.-K. Wei (2006).Conflict and Performance in Global Virtual Teams. Journal of ManagementInformation Systems, 23(3): p. 237-274. Lipnack, J. and J. Stamps (2000). Why The Way to Work, in Virtual Teams , Second Edition, John Wiley Sons: New York. p. 1-25. Shachaf, P.(2008).Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratorystudy. Information Management, 45(2): p. 131-142. Sridhar, V. (2007). Analyzing Factors that Affect Performance of Global Virtual Teams, in Second International Conference onManagement of Globally Distributed Work: Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India. p. 159-169. Badrinarayanan, V. and Arnett, D.B. (2008).Effective virtual new product development teams: an integrated framework. Journal ofBusiness Industrial Marketing, 23(4): p. 242-248. Pihkala, T., Varamaki, E. and Vesalainen, J (1999).Virtual organization and the SMEs: a review and model development.Entrepreneurship Regional Development, 11(4): p. 335 349. Shachaf, P. and N. Hara (2005).Team Effectiveness in Virtual Environments: An Ecological Approach, in Teaching and Learning withVirtual Teams, P.a.G. Ferris, S.,, Editor., Idea Group Publishing. p. 83-108. Qureshi, S. and D. Vogel (2001).Adaptiveness in Virtual Teams: Organisational Challenges and Research Directions. Group Decisionand Negotiation. 10(1): p. 27-46 Brake, T. (2006). Leading Global Virtual Teams. Industrial and Commercial Training, 38(3), 116-121. Hunsaker, P. L., Hunsaker, J. S. (2008). Virtual Teams: A Leaders Guide. Team Performance Management, 14(1/2), 86-101. Zigurs, I. (2003). Leadership in Virtual Teams: Oxymoron or Opportunity? Organizational Dynamics, 31(4), 339-351. Triandis, H. (2006). Cultural intelligence in organizations. Group Organization Management.31(1). 20-26. Davis, A., Khazanchi, D. (2007). Does mutual knowledge affect virtual team performance? theoretical analysis and anecdotal evidence. American Journal of Business, 22(2), 57-65. Jackson, P., Klobas, J., Gharavi, H. (2006). Technologies of the self: virtual work and the inner panopticon. Information Technology and People, 19: 219-243. Kerber, K.W., Buono, A.F. (2004). Leadership challenges in global virtual teams: lessons from the field. Advanced Management Journal, 69(4), 4-10.

Marketing Strategies FedEx and UPS free essay sample

An analysis of the marketing strategies involved in entry into the Chinese Market by these express mail leaders. This paper compares and contrasts the marketing strategies of FedEx and UPS for entry into the Chinese market. The areas discussed include market entry strategy, marketing mix and the effects these have on the decisions of client firms on placement of their manufacturing locations. FedExs market entry strategy is what is described as a frontal-assault strategy. FedExs strategy is aggressive, high cost and Americanized. The first thing noted is that their strategy in China is exactly the same as in any location. As the executive vice president of FedEx is quoted as saying weve got a pretty good formula for attacking any marketwhether its China or Japan or Germany, it really doesnt make any difference. Market entry strategies will normally take into account the environment of the market to be entered and develop a strategy that best suits that market. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Strategies: FedEx and UPS or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Considering the high cost of entry into the Chinese market adopting an American approach without considering whether it is the best approach could be concerning.

Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers

Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers Give it away give it away give it away give it away now. Give It Away, Red Hot Chili Peppers Thats four suggestions, in a row, to give something away. Surely the Chili Peppers are onto something you can apply to your blog. If you do a search on with the word free, you get a fair number of results. What are our blog giveaways and other free stuff  here at ? WordPress plugins Headline creation tools Email newsletters and courses calendar training An endless number of infographics, e-books, and worksheets Craziness. But not really. Why You Should Give Free Content To Your Readers #blogging via @JulieNeidlingerThe Power Of  Blog Giveaways Free content builds goodwill, and people love to share free stuff with their friends and followers on social media. Free content is portable. E-books and other downloads are portable. Youre not demanding that people stay on your site to read and access them. Regularly creating free content keeps you familiar with the act of being a creator. Jay Baer wrote about giving content away, and one reason he believes it is necessary is startling: Your audience expects it  now. By not having blog giveaways  on your site, you stand out in a negative light. Freebies have become so prevalent that even if it could be proven to be a negative tactic (which it really isnt), youd still have repercussions if you didnt offer something. #Blog giveaways are  so prevalent, its negative  if you dont give something away for free.4 Ways Blog Giveaways Will Help You Grow Your Audience Start by figuring out what your reluctant readers might need to convince themselves to open their wallet and buy. Chris Garrett, over at Copyblogger, discussed what blog giveaways  will do for you: 1. Build your network. Free content, such as an e-book that knocks peoples socks off, is how you build your network. This happens in two ways. First, your blog giveaway is so amazing it starts getting shared. Second, you mention others in your e-book and pretty soon they are sharing it. 2. Prove youre an expert. You can say youre an expert until youre blue in the face, but sooner or later readers are going to expect you to back it up. Your blog posts do most of that work for you, but if you can offer free resources that supplement and expand on those posts (e-books, worksheets, etc.), then youre giving readers the proof they need before trusting you enough to buy what youre selling. 3. Compare yourself to your competition. Ever noticed how blog copy within an industry starts to sound the same? Its easy enough to be inspired (i.e. copy) others in an industry, but if you create unique resources, you set yourself apart from the competition. 4 ways #blog giveaways help grow an  audience: networking, expertise, comparison, doorway.4. Create doorway content. Giving away something of value is how you get your readers hooked. Just as pro guest bloggers advocate doing your best writing for your guest posts instead of saving it for your blog, you need to do the same for your blog giveaways. It has to be addictive. However, if your best content is free, be sure that any content you sell isbetter. In other words, free content cant be junk, but if youre going to create content and put a price on it, it has to be even better. These reasons are particularly important for new bloggers, or bloggers who are still working at getting a serious readership. You have to show that you have the chops. Once you build a name for yourself, you dont have to give as much away. People already know what you offer is going to be good. 4 Types Of Blog Giveaways That Really Work What might you give away?  Knowing what to give away isnt a trick, but the answer is going to vary for each blogger. 1. Something fun that arrives regularly. Theres a reason subscription services have become popular- people are signing up for boxes to be delivered each month with things like makeup, food, or toys for their dog. We like a little surprise to look forward to. You can do the same with your freebies. Designers, consider giving away a monthly printable design pack. I regularly look forward to several designers who send out links to fun print-cut-assemble projects each month. 2. Something that promotes continued education. Marketers, provide training resources that are actually unique and not a rehash of everything out there already. Writers, give your readers writing help- from writing prompts to handy guides for fleshing out a plot. Give away something fun, educational, reputation-building, and ongoing. #blogging3. Something that gives you a reputation. While on a quest to find or create the perfect weekly planner, I stumbled upon the chronodex. Developed by Patrick Ng, the chronodex was his answer to planning. Its become hugely popular among planner fanatics, and a search on the chronodex will reveal people sharing their versions and how they use it. All of this from something Ng gave away for free. That chronodex created a positive reputation for Ng for those obsessed with planning and organization. If he were to begin selling additional expansions to his chronodex, Ive no doubt people would pony up the money. (Ng does not charge. He gives everything away.) 4. Something you can continue to build on. That chronodex? That is a free item that people look forward to every year because it naturally needs to be re-issued annually. If you can create blog giveaways  that you can build on, you create a loyal audience. You can also create items that can be purchased that add onto the original giveaway. Ng continues to provide updates, and he also highlights how other readers have been putting his chronodex system to work in their lives. He is turning something he gave away for free into a movement. How Much Is Too Much? Some are going to argue this point, butits possible that you can give away too much. The reason there is disagreement on giving things away is because some bloggers are approaching it purely from the viewpoint of marketing, while other bloggers are actually trying to make their living off of content. For example, a blogger who is building a reputation for being a marketing expert might think giving everything away is a great idea. They are focused on establishing a reputation, and the more valuable content they have out there, the better. A blogger who is building a business creating knitting patterns and instructions cant exactly do that. They need to sell the patterns. So how many blog giveaways  is too many? When might you pull back on giving away content? 1. You are trying to make a passive income. If, for example, you are hoping to make a passive income in which you will sell documents, content, downloads, etc., you need to be careful that what you give away doesnt have a negative impact on your sales. In this scenario, you ought to be giving away good content that shows you have the skills and potential for even better content, but you should not be giving away your best content. Thats for sales. 2. Youre using exclusivity as a driver for sales. Lets not forget about the power of exclusivity.  Exclusivity makes people want something, and it works in two ways: Not everyone gets in.  We like to know that we are part of a small group that made it in. We like knowing there are people who are not receiving this special knowledge because it makes our chances of success better. Think of a football game. When you are sitting in a crowd, standing up gives you a better, exclusive view. If everyone stands up, though, your view is no longer special. We like being part of what is special and exclusive both for how it makes us feel (important) and because we get a better view (imminent success). This requires a product that is so good, so clever, so desirable, such a status symbol, that people are frantic to get in on it. Everyone gets in, but only through specific channels.  While no one is turned away, they have to meet certain standards or requirements in order to participate. This helps weed out those who arent as dedicated, willing to pay, willing to work, and so on. It makes the group who has succeeded at getting in know that everyone else is as serious as they are. This requires a product that is excellent, people have to be able to find it easily enough, and you have to have a method for keeping control of how it spreads (think DRM). We like #blog giveaways to feel  something  special,  exclusive, and important.If your sales model is exclusive training for members, you simply cant give everything away, even for an email address. 3. You built a strong reputation and want to bank on that. There is room for a shift in how much you give away over time if your goal was to build a reputation before reigning in your freebies. After a while, it might be time to ask a bit more for your free content. After a while, you might take that popular freebie and put a price tag on it. For example, Copybloggers famous blog post on how to write magnetic headlines now redirects not to the easy-access blog post, but to a section of their site in which they encourage you to sign up for their other exclusive content. That content is still free, but by using the same URL and pointing it to a landing page which funneled readers directly into a sales funnel, they made that popular content work a little harder for them.  It isnt as easily accessible. They now want an email address, and they expose you to the sales pitch of a landing page. Give away enough to prove your other content is worth the purchase. Give away enough to give your customer a chance for small success using your program or content so they trust you enough to make a purchase. Dont give away the cow. Give away about 98% of the cow. That remaining 2% is what will get someone to buy. When it comes to content, people will pay for certain things: Exclusivity. People will pay for the opportunity to be part of something others arent. Sounds cruel, but its true. Detailed guidance. People will pay for detailed how-to instruction that helps them get their job done. Nothing vague, please. Be specific, and give people the know-how to achieve a concrete result. Custom content. People will pay for content created specifically for them. Instead of a generic report on how to get more traffic, theyll pay for a custom report that takes their specific situation into account. Great experiences. People will pay for the opportunity to experience something worthwhile.

The End of Social Security Paper Checks

The End of Social Security Paper Checks The U.S. Department of Treasury began phasing out paper Social Security checks and other federal benefit checks on May 1, 2011. It required anyone applying for Social Security checks and other federal benefits on and after that date to receive their payments electronically. Those who began receiving Social Security checks before May of 2011 have until March 1, 2013, to sign up for electronic payments, the Treasury Department announced. Those who dont sign up to have their Social Security checks direct-deposited by that date would receive their benefits through the Direct Express card program. Getting your Social Security or Supplemental Security Income payment by direct deposit or Direct Express is safer and more reliable, Michael J. Astrue, the commissioner of Social Security, said in announcing the change. Whos Impacted by End of Paper Checks The change applied to Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Affairs benefits, and anyone who receives benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Personnel Management and Department of Labor (Black Lung). You dont have to worry about your check being lost or stolen and your money is available immediately on your payment date, Astrue said. There is no need to wait for the mail to arrive. In 2010, more than 540,000 Social Security and Supplemental Security Income paper checks were reported lost or stolen and had to be replaced, the Treasury Department said. Savings from End of Paper Checks Phasing out paper Social Security checks entirely is expected to save taxpayers about $120 million every year, or more than $1 billion over 10 years. Government officials also pointed out that eliminating paper Social Security checks will provide positive benefits to the environment, saving 12 million pounds of paper in the first five years alone. More than 18 million baby boomers are expected to reach retirement age during the next five years, with 10,000 people a day becoming eligible for Social Security benefits, said Treasurer Rosie Rios. It costs 92 cents more to issue a payment by paper check than by direct deposit. We are retiring the Social Security paper check option in favor of electronic payments because it is the right thing to do for benefit recipients and American taxpayers alike. What You Need to Do Now If you are applying for new benefits, you are now required to choose an electronic payment method, whether its a direct deposit of your Social Security check or other federal benefits into a bank or credit union account. When you apply for your Social Security check or other federal benefits, you will need: Your financial institutions routing transit number often found on a personal check;The account type, checking or savings;And the account number often found on a personal check. You can also choose to receive your Social Security check on a prepaid debit card or Direct Express Debit MasterCard card. What You Need to Do By 2013 If you currently get your Social Security check or other federal benefit payment on paper, you must switch to electronic payments before March 1, 2013. You can switch from paper checks to direct deposit at www.GoDirect.org, by calling the U.S. Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Centers toll-free helpline at (800) 333-1795, or by speaking with a bank or credit union representative. Anyone already receiving federal benefit payments electronically will continue to receive their money as usual on their payment day. No action is required. About Paper Social Security Checks The first monthly Social Security check was received by Ida Mae Fuller on Jan. 31, 1940, according to the Treasury Department. Since then about 165 million people have received Social Security benefits. The movement toward electronic payments has been steadily increasing, the Treasury Department said. By May of 2011, electronic payments made up more than three-quarters of all noncash payments nationwide. There were 5.7 billion fewer checks written in 2009 than in 2006, a decline of 6.1 percent per year - while electronic payments grew 9.3 percent during that same period. Among federal benefit recipients, about eight in 10 receive their Social Security check or other federal benefit payment electronically, according to the Treasury Department. What About Social Security Statements?   On January 9, 2017, the Social Security Administration also stopped mailing annual Social Security Statements to all workers under age 60. The Social Security Statement shows the worker’s expected monthly Social Security benefits based on their current and potential future income. Paper statements are still mailed only to workers age 60 and older three months before their birthday if they don’t receive Social Security benefits and don’t yet have a â€Å"my Social Security† account. Workers over age 60 will stop receiving their statements by mail once they set up their â€Å"my Social Security† account. Workers under age 60 can now view their personal Social Security Statement online only by using their â€Å"my Social Security† account. Using a â€Å"my Social Security† account, workers of all ages can view their Social Security Statement online at any time. With a free and very secure â€Å"my Social Security† account, workers of all ages, retired or not, can view online their personalized estimates of future benefits based on their real earnings, see their latest Statement, and review their earnings history. In addition, â€Å"my Social Security† can be used to request a replacement Social Security Card or check the status of an application, anytime. A â€Å"my Social Security† is free, secure, and easy to create at: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.

Human Resource Management - recruitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Management - recruitment - Essay Example Then, the next step is to select an appropriate channel or media to advertise the job vacancy. An appropriate media would be the one that could reach the potential candidate for this vacancy. With that then the resume received shall be screen through and only those short listed will be call for psychometric test1 and some job related exercise ie. planning2 and analysis3 exercise (UTS, 2003). Such test and exercise would help to eliminate unsuitable candidates to the interview. The interview is administered by the immediate supervisor or the human resource committee. Interview questions are prepared corresponding to KASO (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics) criteria. Thus the interview could be considered structured. Besides the KASO assessment, an understanding on the responsibilities and expectations should be communicated with the candidate during the interview. Sometimes a second interview might be necessary for the interviewer to make a decision of recruitmen t. Finally, appoint the most suitable candidate to the vacancy. (6-5 points) : Response covers in detail all of the elements listed. The situation described is highly complex, similar to what may be encountered in this position. Response indicates that the candidate fully understood and considered the issues involved, and that he/she took proactive steps to ensure timely completion of the assignments. (4-3 points) : Response covers 3 of the elements listed, but is less thorough than an exceptional response. The situation described is similar in complexity to what is routinely encountered in this position. Response indicate

Using the topic, thesis statement, and supporting points from your DB Essay

Using the topic, thesis statement, and supporting points from your DB 1 posting, - Essay Example With this being said, many persons think that children need to stop playing at school so that they can get to the work of learning academics. Although it may appear that play is not important in terms of the academic achievement of early childhood students, in fact, play is vital to their future educational success Through play, young children learn social skills such as taking turns and sharing. They learn communication skills such as listening to others without interrupting and asking for help when necessary. They learn how to make and keep friends and how to compromise. During play, children also learn to lead and to follow. Some children naturally lead, while others naturally follow. Play gives them the opportunity to try out different roles and learn to lead and follow. Children also learn about rules as they play. They determine when rules are necessary and what those rules need to be. They learn when the rules are working for what they need and when the rules need to be revised. They learn to make rules and to follow rules. They may also learn the consequences for not following rules. Academics are also learned through play. As young children engage in play, they reinforce learned skills and are exposed to new skills. While playing store, they make lists, write numbers, add numbers, try out calculators, read store advertisements and get exposure to percents. They also sort and count money. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that young learners have the necessary and appropriate props and supplies to fully carry out a play scenario. Young students also have the opportunity to act as both teacher and learner during play. Academic skills are reinforced when students have the chance to teach the skills to others. Students also learn from one another. In conclusion, play gives students authentic opportunities to learn and practice.

Chinese Somatic Science Essay Example for Free

Chinese Somatic Science Essay In 1984 when the Japan-France symposium was held, scholars of religion, medicine and psychology were gathered from both sides, and they engaged in discussion in order to promote the movement of New Age Science. I included a suggestion, made from the Japanese side, presentations on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Parapsychology, Eastern martial arts and their demonstrations. In the martial arts demonstration there was included the performance of a technique in which a master martial artist, by emitting ki-energy (chi-energy), makes opponents, who are spatially distanced from him, fall down. This technique is called â€Å"distant hitting† [to-ate: é   Ã¥ ½â€œÃ£  ¦], and it became a conversation piece, attracting people’s attention. As a result, many q(g(ng (Chi-gong) masters came to visit me. I studied their techniques, and experienced ki-energy as a subject of their q(g(ng techniques. Afterwards, I went to China to learn about its actual situation. While I was staying in Beijing in 1997, the Chinese Society for Somatic Science (CSSS) was established. The leaders of this society came to see me with a request to make efforts to propagate q(g(ng in Japan. In the following year, I invited scholars and q(g(ng masters from China and held a symposium â€Å"Ki (Chi) and Human Science† in Tokyo.[i] At about this time, a q(g(ng boom was being generated. After this conference, I went to China many times to investigate and study q(g(ng. I will introduce its fundamental ideas, while incorporating my own opinion. Chinese Somatic Science focuses on the three fields of traditional Chinese medicine, q(g(ng and special abilities as its main objects of research. â€Å"Special abilities† refer to what parapsychology calls psi-ability (paranormal ability). A central focus in each of these fields is ki-energy as the object of research. Traditional Chinese Medicine understands the fundamentals of the human body’s organization by means of the network of meridians. Meridians are channels of energy which circulates in the interior of the human body. However, they are an invisible system which cannot be discovered by dissecting a corpse. In other words, they are a system unique to the body that is active while it is alive. I am taking this to mean, for now, like a system that organizes the subject-body (i.e. the lived body) of which Merleau-Ponty speaks. An important point, when it is seen from a theoretical point-of-view, is that the meridians are a system which does not agree with the mind-body dichotomization established since Descartes. That is to say, ki-energy is conceived to be a life-energy which has both physical and psychological characteristics. The fundamental principle of needle therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine lies in activating the circulation of ki-energy within the human body by infusing fresh ki-energy into the human body, while eliminating the stagnant and inferior flow of ki-energy. Next is q(g(ng. Q(g(ng teaches us that the activity of ki-energy can be heightened through a repeated training. Consequently, we can understand that q(g(ng, theoretically speaking, has a characteristic commensurate with the training in martial arts. It is a bodily technique with a tradition stretching from ancient times. In the case of medical therapy, a mature q(g(ng doctor guides patients to train themselves and practice q(g(ng on their own. Here we can discern a methodology different from the therapeutic method of modern medical science. While modern medical therapy leaves patients to assume a passive standpoint of simply receiving doctor’s treatment, q(g(ng lets them assume an active standpoint of training themselves. The point of this training lies in activating the natural healing power latent in the interior of one’s own body. Ki-energy is thought to be the energy that controls the foundations of life-activity. The training means to promote and purify the activity of ki-energy inside of one’s own body, and to transform it to the ki-energy of a better and higher quality. Therefore, it is a therapeutic method as well as a method of maintaining and promoting health. That is, it can become a method of maintaining health by continually training oneself daily, while it is not limited to a time of sickness. Q(g(ng is divided into internal and external q(g(ng for the purpose of convenience. The training which a patient performs after receiving guidance belongs to the inner q(g(ng, while the outer q(g(ng refers to cases in which a mature q(g(ng master performs therapy on a patient or subject. In these cases, the q(g(ng master usually touches the patient’s body with his hand, but there are cases in which a q(g(ng master, distancing himself from the patient, performs a therapeutic technique without making contact. It is probably safe to think that it is based on the same principle as the technique of therapeutic touch, which in recent years is beginning to spread in American. The third field that is called â€Å"special† ability in China, overlaps with the research of what is referred to in the West and Japan as parapsychology. On numerous occasions, I met with q(g(ng masters in China who have paranormal ability, and observed their technique, while engaging them in dialogue. I encountered people who can demonstrate a wonderful technique, not to mention clairvoyance and psycho-kinesis, which Rhine’s research problematized. Insofar as my research can confirm, there are cases of people who innately possess these abilities, and cases of people who have acquired them through training. If these abilities are used in the field of medicine, they can fulfill the same role as the external q(g(ng. Moreover, there are cases among master martial artists who can demonstrate this kind of ability, though its number is limited. One impression I have received when encountering these people is that there is a great difference between the East and the West in the foundational idea, when dealing with this kind of issue. While in the East this kind of issue has been dealt with as part of the issue related to self-cultivation, which traditionally has a cultural and religious background, there was no such historical and cultural background in the West. Consequently, parapsychological research in the West is preceded by an interest and concern from a theoretical point-of-view. This brings in the background of contemporary scholarly research where there is no concern for its relationship to daily activity. By contrast, in China’s case the practical purpose, as in the case of q(g(ng, looms in the purview of research. This kind of stance is based on the traditional ethos found in the history of science and technology in China. (Modern technology of the West emerged as an application of theory, where theoretical research does not take into account the relationship it has with the practical, daily activity of human beings.) When we examine it from a broader perspective, this kind of tendency is rooted in the philosophical tradition of the East which highly values the practical standpoint. However, there is a tradition in the East which admonishes people, as they are prone to fall into an ethically wrong tendency regarding paranormal phenomena. The tradition of East Asia such as that of China and Japan maintains that the bodily technique must conform to an ethical standpoint. Although I could hardly see such a spiritualistic stance in the contemporary situation in China and Japan, there were occasions where I met persons with such a stance, especially among the masters of martial arts, who are living among people, but not related to universities or academic institutions. In the tradition of Buddhism, this kind of â€Å"special† ability has been called â€Å"siddhi† [jints(riki; ç ¥Å¾Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¥Å â€º] and is considered a kind of a by-product that naturally emerges in the course of self-cultivation. Buddhism has persistently maintained that self-cultivation should not aim at acquiring this as its goal. For example, D(gen, a famous Japanese medieval Zen monk, teaches in the chapter of â€Å"Jints(† [Divine Power, i.e. paranormal power] in Sh(b(genz( that although Buddhism recognizes this kind of siddhi, it is a â€Å"small† siddhi, and the true â€Å"great† siddhi exists in the midst of such everyday activities as drinking tea and eating a meal. This reminds me of Yang Xin, a q(g(ng master, who is now actively promoting q(g(ng in America. When I saw him in Beijing some time ago, he told me that he was now studying â€Å"distant q(g(ng† [Chin. yu(g(q(g(ng; Jap., enkaku kik(, é   Ã©Å¡â€Ã¦ °â€"功]. He was accompanied by a twelve-year girl, who was his experimental subject. I asked him why he was conducting such an experiment. He replied: â€Å"I am not trying to become famous by showing off this kind of technique. As I read a description in a classic on the method of self-cultivation that one can perform this kind of technique, I just wanted to know if it is true or not.† Then he wrote on a piece of paper â€Å"Ã¥ ¤ §Ã© â€œÃ§â€ž ¡Ã¨ ¨â‚¬Ã¢â‚¬  [Chin., d(d(ow(y(n; Jap., daid(mugon] This phrase means that â€Å"The Great Dao remains silent and does not speak.† Herein lies, it would seem, a difference in the traditional ethos between the Eastern martial arts and Western sports. The historical origin of Western sports goes back to the Olympian events in ancient Greece. They emerged, based on the demands of a battlefield such as physical strength, stamina, running, throwing, and the handling technique of a house-drawn cart. We might say that the custom of the modern Olympics in which a record is valued more than anything else inherits this traditional idea. By contrast, in the tradition of the martial arts in the East runs an idea which emphasizes spirituality, even though the martial arts developed, like those of ancient Greece, through techniques used on the battlefield. The history of the Chinese and Japanese martial arts was nurtured through the influence of Buddhism and Shintoism. It came to develop the idea that training in martial arts has the meaning of enhancing one’s ethical personality. Consequently, the stance of respecting the opponent’s personality and capacity was sought in performing techniques. For example, Mr. Ueshiba Morihei, founder of Aikid(, states that â€Å"Martial art is love.† The ultimate goal of martial arts is not to win by defeating an opponent, but to harmonize with an opponent such that people can love each other under â€Å"that which is great† transcending humans. It would seem that â€Å"research on the prayer,† which has been recently initiated in America, incorporates this kind of spiritual idea. Incidentally, I came to realize in the course of investigating the Chinese Somatic Sciences that the standpoint of psychology was lacking. In modern China, which used Marxist materialism as its guiding principle for establishing the nation, psychology was not studied until the time of the Cultural Revolution, as anti-thetical to materialism. Even q(g(ng was an object of suppression. Today, however, the study of psychology is recognized to be legitimate, and the exchange with Japan is making an advance. I have practiced meditation since my youth, and have continued to research and study it. Meditation methods in the Chinese tradition were called â€Å"quiet q(g(ng† and stands a pairing relationship with the usual â€Å"moving q(g(ng† which mobilizes the body. However, almost no meditation methods are practiced in contemporary China. This is probably due to the fact that meditation methods such as those of Buddhism and Daoism were developed within the tradition of religious culture, and declined as a consequence of persecution after the modern period. When somatic science was established in Japan in 1991, we used for its English designation the Society for Mind-Body Science (SMBS), as I felt the importance of psychology. The fundamentals of meditation lie, after all, in promoting the circulation of ki-energy. When it is seen from the point-of-view of psychology, ki-energy designates libido. It is life-energy equipped in the unconscious and the body. The foundational idea that is placed in The Secret of the Golden Flower, a meditation text of Daoism, is to transform and sublimate ki-energy from the state of libido (Chin., j(ng; Jap., sei, ç ² ¾) to the state of â€Å"divine subtle energy† (Chin., sh(n; Jap., shin, ç ¥Å¾). Ki-energy changes into a spiritual energy, when the instinct and desire in one’s unconscious region are purified. Freud insisted that neurosis develops when conscience suppresses the activity of libido, while Jung claimed that libido is an energy related to religiosity. When one touches the activity from the dimension of primal origin, the love of others is transformed from the eros of flesh to spiritual love. To summarize the foregoing, ki-energy is an energy that controls the whole of psychology, medicine, and bodily technique, including the relationship between the environment and the human body. The philosophical guideline that comprehensively includes all of these fields is sought in the idea of the y(n-y(ng exchange of ki-energy which has its origin in the Yà ¬j(ng. According to its conceptual paradigm, nature as an environment is endowed with life, and is fostered to grow, by means of the activity of ki-energy issuing from the Dao that exists in the ultimate dimension. Human beings, along with other life activities, are receptive of this energy and are made to live. Purifying it to a sublime level brings about an enhancement of ethical personality.

Duke Basketball :: essays research papers

There are 12240 students at Duke University, and every year 12 out of those 12240 are put on a mission. The expectations are far above the ground, these 12 men and their coaching staff are called the Duke University Blue Devils basketball team. Year after year their mission is to bring home an NCAA basketball national championship trophy. Three of 84 teams at Duke University have reached their goal by winning a national championship. Duke is one of the nations best known basketball programs. Just eight miles away from Dukes campus, one of their toughest competitors and arch enemy, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. The Duke ? UNC rivalry is one of the best in sports, they are usually one of the top teams in the nation. Duke is the forth- winningest program in the nation (1799-792). Under Coach Mike Krzyzweski they have become the winnigest program in the country (648-167). Coach K as they call him, has brought all 3 national championships to Durham, North Carolina (1991, 1992, 2001). Duke basketball dates back to when they were Trinity College, the name was later changed in 1923 to Duke University. Trinity never was as high-quality of a team as Duke has been in the last 20 years. Trinity won 48 games in the 65 years of their existence. In Dukes early years the basketball program did not triumph as in recent years. At the time the power sport at Duke was football. In 1949 a change came when a young man named Dick Groat came around, he became the star of the Blue Devil basketball and baseball team. Groat wasn?t recruited to play basketball he was on an athletic scholarship for baseball. None the less, he was elected as an All- American in 1951 and 1952 for his basketball talents. Unfortunately, he was never able to lead either of his teams to a championship. His basketball number (10) was retired, and now hangs on the ceiling of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The 1980?s rolled around and the ?Cameron Crazies? (Duke Basketball fans) felt as if there were no hope for their Blue Devils basketball program, but that?s where they were wrong. Along came what is arguably the greatest coach to step foot on a basketball court, Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K has had unprecedented success at Duke, winning three national championships, and making Duke the powerhouse basketball school that they are today.

Response to Albert Einstein’s Letter to Phyllis Wright

When Albert Einstein, also known as the greatest scientist of the twentieth century, and a Nobel-prize winner, receives a letter from a sixth-grade girl named Phyllis Wright questioning if scientists pray, – and if so, what do they pray for – Einstein simultaneously uses various rhetoric methods such as SOAPS, ethos, logos, and pathos to respond to Wright’s question in the simplest form possible, and in doing so, Einstein created a rhetorically effective response. Einstein’s rhetorical purpose was to elaborate how scientists perceive scientific and religious elucidations.Considering the fact that Einstein is a name known throughout the world and is one of the most legendary scientists known to man, Einstein establishes ethos right away. He has what you could call, â€Å"automatic ethos. † Most people wouldn’t dare to doubt a Nobel-prize winner. Having that in mind, Einstein has a strong amount of credibility to speak on behalf of science and religion through his perspective. Einstein also uses ordinary jargon that any average human could understand, causing people to think highly of him. â€Å"It must be admitted our actual knowledge of these laws is only imperfect and fragmentary.†By using words such as â€Å"our†, Einstein preserves his ethos by establishing himself as a common man, instead of the Nobel-prize winner. This helps his audience relate to his points. Einstein then continues on to create his idea of logos, which he created by supplying a counterargument. â€Å"Scientific research is based on the idea that everything that takes place is determined by laws of nature, and therefore this holds for the actions of people. † By stating this, Einstein concedes to the controversy of scientists with no religious beliefs.However, while conceding with the scientists that believe in the laws of nature, Einstein was concurrently supporting his own statement by showing that he has given a reasonable a mount of deliberation to this topic of science and religion. Einstein is careful when using pathos to help state his point of view, because if you use too much pathos, it will make your entire purpose look more propagandistic. Einstein appeals to his religious viewers by explaining that there could be â€Å"a spirit vastly superior to that of man† relating to the affairs of science.Einstein then goes on to state that, â€Å"in this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of some sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive†. This was Einstein’s clarification, that whether you agree with science or religion, they all involve faith and hope, they just involve different beliefs. The overt subject of Einstein’s response regarding Phyllis Wright’s letter was whether or not scientists pray and what they pray for. The occasion is Einstein receiving a letter from a sixth-grader looking for clarification a bout science and religion.The audience is a more controversial topic. Some say the audience is obviously Phyllis Wright, since he is replying to her letter. However, other people have suggested that due to Einstein’s ethos and his etiquette structure of his response, Einstein knew his response would be seen not just by Phyllis Wright, but by people all over the world. Einstein’s purpose is intricate, you have to analyze the entire letter to understand what Einstein was trying to achieve in responding to Wright. On the surface, it may seem that Einstein’s purpose was to elaborate the nature of science and religion combined.Ultimately, it seems as though Einstein actually wanted to offer Wright a different perspective, due to Einstein’s failure to directly answer Wright’s question. After Einstein’s receipt of Phyllis Wright’s letter concerning the combination of nature and science, and the nature of faith, Einstein takes a more logical approach to the ideals of religion, prayer, and science while acknowledging the differences from a scientist’s point of view. Einstein creates a rhetorically effective response to Wright by giving examples of multiple different rhetoric methods to meet his rhetorical purpose of science and religion from a scientist’s perspective.

Assessment of Learning Essay

Assessment for Learning and Pupils with Special Educational Needs The aim of this paper is to provide a summary of the key issues that emerged during the Agency project Assessment in Inclusive Settings in relation to the application of the concept of Assessment for Learning to pupils with special educational needs (SEN). A significant aspect of inclusive assessment in practice that emerged from the on-going discussions with Project Experts was the concept of Assessment for Learning. References to this concept can be found in the majority of project Country Reports on national assessment systems (www.european-agency. org /site/themes/assessment/index. shtml). Within these Country Reports, Assessment for Learning can be seen as a ‘qualitative’ type of assessment procedures. This type of assessment – also referred to as ‘formative’ or ‘on-going’ assessment – is usually carried out in classrooms by class teachers and professionals that work with the class teacher. It usually refers to assessment procedures that inform teachers about pupils’ learning and guides them in planning the next steps in teaching. As a central task within the second phase of the Agency project, a decision was taken to explore in more depth the concept of Assessment for Learning and how this can be applied to assessment in inclusive settings. Two activities were conducted: – A review of available literature considering the concept. This was a short review of English language materials (please see the reference list at the end of this document); – Discussions with all Project Experts. Information from the initial review of available literature was presented to Project Experts as a stimulus for their discussions. This led to the Experts being asked to reflect on the differences between Assessment for Learning (formative, ongoing assessment) and Assessment of Learning (summative assessment) using the following parameters: PARAMETERS PURPOSE GOALS ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING Supporting Learning Accountability (linked to predetermined standards) Informs teaching and learning Promotes further steps in learning Focuses on improving Develops pupils’ skills of reflection Collection of information about what has been achieved (a record of marks) Compares with  targets that have been pre-established. Focuses on achievement www. european-agency. org 1 PARAMETERS ACTORS WHEN TOOLS ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING Teachers Pupils Parents Peers Other school professionals On-going ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING Teachers External practitioners At fixed and pre-determined times Discussions, observations, self- Tests, drilling, grading, marking, assessment, peer-assessment, questioning, observation teacher debate, comment-only, dialogue, questioning, feedback, no-grading, portfolio, individual education plan . Adapted from Harlen (2007a) The key difference between Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning can be identified as the purpose for which teachers and other professionals gather evidence of learning. Although some tools may be the same (e. g. questioning) the key issues emerging from the feedback provided by Project Experts indicated that it is necessary to keep in mind that: – Assessment for Learning aims at improving learning; Assessment of Learning aims at ensuring accountability (of schools and teachers). – Assessment for Learning explores the potential for learning and indicates the next step to be taken in order to promote learning and focuses upon the dynamics of teaching and learning); Assessment of Learning shows what has been already achieved, memorised and absorbed and provides a snapshot of the current situation. The actors involved in Assessment for Learning are able to provide insights into progress that a pupil has achieved and how the school contributed to this development; the actors involved in Assessment of Learning include professionals who are external to the school situation (e. g. inspectors) and may be required to provide a picture of a school at a particular point in time, but they may not always know the school context and life in the necessary detail to provide insights into pupil learning. Assessment for Learning and Pupils with SEN? The concept of providing feedback to pupils about their learning is the crucial element in understanding the potential difference between the use of the term Assessment for Learning generally by educators – as it is most often used for example within the project Country Reports – and the use of the term within a research context. Overall, Assessment for Learning is concerned with collecting evidence about learning that is used to adapt teaching and plan next steps in learning. Evidence 2 www. european-agency. org about learning is crucial as it indicates if there has been a shift (or not) in a pupil’s learning progress and possibly learning processes. On the basis of such evidence, teachers can formulate targets/goals and are able to provide pupils with feedback about their learning (see Hattie and Timperly, 2007) clearly indicating to a pupil not just what they have learned, but also giving them information on how they may have learned it and how best they can learn in the future. The feedback provided during Assessment for Learning contributes to a pupils’ reflection on their own learning. Within the research literature reviewed for this investigation, Assessment for Learning is often described as involving this form of self-reflection, or more specifically, as a means by which pupils reflect on their own learning as they are engaged in an interactive ‘feedback loop’ with their teachers. The essential aim of employing the ‘feedback loop’ within Assessment for Learning is to promote pupils’ meta-cognition; that is their own understanding of not just what they learn, but how they learn and can learn in the best way. This is clearly presented by the Assessment Reform Group (2002) who describe Assessment for Learning as: †¦ the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there. (Assessment Reform Group, p. 2) Assessment for Learning within this research-based context involves issues of self-reflection and self-assessment that develops a pupils’ own understanding of how learning is taking place and how it can be developed. This is particularly relevant as Assessment for Learning emphasises assessment as a process of meta-cognition (see for example the notion of Assessment as Learning in Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education, 2006). These notions, however, are not always the main focus when the concept of Assessment for Learning is used more generally (that is as in the project Country Reports). Meijer (2003) suggests that what is good for pupils with special educational needs is also good for all pupils and this maxim is one that has been considered throughout the entire Agency Assessment project. However, when considering the researchgenerated concept of Assessment for Learning, it has to be recognised that the work has been conducted in relation to pupils without SEN. Within the research work on Assessment for Learning considered in the literature review (Lynn and et al. , 1997; Black and Wiliam, 1998), issues around Assessment for Learning and pupils with SEN are only very marginally dealt with. Consequently, a decision was taken to actively explore within the Agency Assessment project the relevance of the research-based concept of Assessment for Learning for the learning of pupils with SEN along with the possible implications for assessment procedures used by teachers, school managers, parents and even www. european-agency. org 3  pupils themselves. Within the Agency Assessment project discussions therefore, the central question emerged as being is what is good for most pupils also good for pupils with SEN? The discussions with project experts essentially explored if the research concept of Assessment for Learning was valid for pupils with SEN. Two main areas were debated by Project Experts: 1. Does Assessment for Learning mean the same thing for pupils with and without SEN? Are same principles applied? 2. Are there differences in the use of Assessment for Learning for pupils with and without SEN? If so what are these differences for pupils, teachers, school managers and educational practice? Assessment for Learning – a relevant concept The most main outcome emerging from the discussions of the Project Experts is the agreement that Assessment for Learning is a significant element in successful teaching and learning of teaching with all pupils, including those with SEN. In essence, the critical question to ask is not whether Assessment for Learning can be applied to pupils with special educational needs, but rather how it can be applied. However, one potential area of concern was highlighted by project experts in relation to using Assessment for Learning with pupils with the most severe needs. In particular, engaging pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties in the ‘feedback loop’ was seen as being challenging. However, project experts’ reflections on this potential difficulty can be summed up as follows: †¦ students with profound difficulties do not need different assessment systems, but only different methods/tools of assessment. Assessment for Learning – methods and tools In relation to tools for Assessment for Learning, Project Experts’ feedback indicates that many Assessment for Learning approaches (such as individualised observation, portfolios and diaries) have been extensively used in special needs education settings for some considerable time. In relation to other potential methods and tools it is necessary to underline the fact that Assessment for Learning methods and tools can be used with pupils with SEN providing that they are modified and adjusted (accommodated) to meet the needs of the individual pupil. 4 www. european-agency. org Teacher observation was seen by Project Experts as a main method for gathering Assessment for Learning information. This approach is seen as particularly relevant for pupils with SEN as it may be the only method available to gather information about the learning of pupils who use non- or pre-verbal forms of communication. However, the Project Experts’ inputs suggested that teachers needed to be given more guidance by specialists in order to improve their skills in observation. Specifically, project experts indicated that more guidance should be given to develop more individualised methods of observation of pupils with SEN. Some suggestions included the use of videos as helpful tools to collect evidence of learning for students with profound learning difficulties and to provide teachers with the best opportunities to reflect upon assessment and discuss the evidence with their colleagues. Questioning is often a crucial part of the teacher pupil interaction that occurs in the Assessment for Learning ‘feedback loop’. Project Experts indicated that questioning pupils with SEN is also possible – and necessary – but only: †¦ if the questions are framed in a way that allows pupils to have enough time to answer (the ‘wait time’) and if different stimuli to support questions (e. g. visual versus verbal stimuli) and ways of responding (e. g. eye contact) are considered †¦ In addition, Project Experts also indicated that the portfolio – if complemented with other information, for example the pupil’s IEP or specialist therapeutic programmes – could be a tool for dialogue with other professionals and parents. Finally, Project Experts expressed their view that approaches that encourage selfassessment and particularly self-reflection are tools within Assessment for Learning provided that they are adequately adapted and modified to meet the needs of individual pupils. The reinforcement of self-assessment skills was seen as a crucial goal for pupils with severe learning difficulties whose personal learning targets may often include autonomy and independence. These competences are fundamental skills clearly supported by the development of self-reflection and meta-cognitive skills (Porter et al., 2000). Assessment for Learning – implications for school managers All Project Experts agreed on the important role played by school managers in creating the opportunities for teachers to discuss and reflect on assessment issues and for parents to participate in the process of assessment of their children. There is a need for: †¦ head and deputy school managers [to] monitor planning and assessment †¦ more home/school diaries, informal chats reviews, phone calls. www. european-agency. org 5. School managers are crucial actors for the development of an organisational ethos that recognises pupils’ involvement as fundamental (Porter, Robertson and Hayhoe, 2000). Without respect for pupils’ wishes and a general school philosophy that supports pupil participation, Assessment for Learning is less likely to develop. Overall, as far as school managers are concerned, Project Experts across different Agency countries indicated there is a real need for them to provide all teachers with more formal time to reflect on their use of assessment in order that they can successfully engage in Assessment for Learning processes with pupils. Conclusions All of the contributions from the project experts were unanimous: the concept of Assessment for Learning as currently understood by countries, but – most importantly for this debate – also as described in the research literature is valid for all pupils: including those with SEN. From the discussions held with Project Experts, this proposition can be developed further: Assessment for Learning concerns all pupils and from an inclusive perspective there should not be any need to differentiate between pupils with or without SEN, but rather to differentiate classroom practice to meet all pupils’ requirements. Building on this assertion, four main findings can be highlighted: 1. The same principles of Assessment for Learning apply to pupils with or without SEN. 2. The only difference in Assessment for Learning between pupils with and without special educational needs is essentially in the type of tools and the assessment/ communication methods used by teachers. 3. The only area of concern relating to Assessment for Learning being applied to pupils with SEN relates to the notion of Assessment for Learning as a tool for pupils’ reflection on their own learning (i. e. the interaction between the pupil and teacher during the ‘feedback loop’). For pupils who use alternative forms of communication this feedback process cannot operate in the ‘traditional’ language based way. In this case, a more individualised approach, new assessment tools and a variety of means for teacher/pupil interaction need to be explored and implemented; for example close observation in structured situations which allows teachers to assess pupils’ likes/dislikes and so forth. 4. Many methods and tools of Assessment for Learning have been developed within special needs education settings and could be transferred into mainstream  settings to improve educational provision for all pupils. In summary, Assessment for Learning can and should be applied to all pupils, including those with SEN, providing that the relevant and necessary changes and 6 www. european-agency. org modifications are made in order to ensure the individual pupil’s full participation in the assessment process. It is clear that the discussions relating to the concept of Assessment for Learning within the remit of the Agency Assessment project have only provided a starting point. More detailed examination – research and also the wider dissemination of examples of good practice in applying Assessment for Learning to meet the needs of pupils with SEN – is needed in the future. It is hoped however, that the reflections from project experts as well as their assertion of the usefulness of the concept in supporting the learning processes of all pupils will inform the work and decision making of educational policy makers and practitioners across Europe. For the full text of this paper – including direct quotations from Project Experts relating to the key findings – please go to: http://www. european-agency. org/site/themes/assessment/index. shtml www. european-agency. org 7 References Assessment Reform Group (1999) Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box. Cambridge: University of Cambridge School of Education. Assessment Reform Group (2002) Assessment for Learning: 10 principles. Research-based principles to guide classroom practice. Nuffield Foundation: Electronic source available online at: http://www. qca.org. uk/libraryAssets/media/ 4031_afl_principles. pdf (Last accessed November 2008). Black, P. and William, D. (2002) Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment London: King’s College. Harlen, W. (2007a) Assessment of Learning. London: Sage. Harlen, W. (2007b) The Quality of Learning: assessment alternatives for primary education. (Primary Review Research Survey 3/4). Cambridge: University of Cambridge. Hattie, J. & Timperly, H. (2007) The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, Vol. 77, N. 1, pp. 81-112. Lynn, S. F. and et al. (1997) ‘Effects of task-focused goals on low-achieving students with and without learning disabilities’ American Educational Research Journal, 34, 513-543. Meijer, C. J. W. (ed. ) (2003) Inclusive Education and Classroom Practices. Middelfart: European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education. Porter, J. , Robertson, C. and Hayhoe, H. (eds. ) (2000) Classroom Assessment for Students with Learning Difficulties/Disabilities. Birmingham: Qualifications & Curriculum Authority. William, D. (2007) Assessment for learning: why, what and how. London: Institute of Education, University of London.William, D. and Leahy, S. (2007) ‘A theoretical foundation for formative assessment’. In J. McMillan, H. (ed. ) Formative Classroom Assessment: Theory into Practice (pp. 29-42). New York: Teachers College Press. Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education, (ed. ) (2006) Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind. Crown Right of the Government of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory: Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education. 8 www. european-agency. org.

Free Essays on Blue Winds Dancing

Homesickness can happen to anyone at a young age. The narrorator in this story was experiencing more than just missing mom and dad and the bed he laid in. The setting helped to illuminate the narrorator feelings toward being and Indian and towards being away from home. His thoughts were souring towards home as he tried study (Paragraph 1) Unable to study he drifts away in his thoughts thinking about the different aspects of his home (Paragraph 2). He is caught in his thoughts battling his present situation with the longing of going home (Paragraph 3). He is very aware of the beauty around him because of him being an Indian raised on a reservation. He can appreciate the orderly fashion of the palm trees and orange trees but continues to sore to his home in his thoughts (Paragraph 3). His thoughts continue to set the setting for where he is and where he longs to be, home. He has the normal thoughts of a college student. Thinking he was not able to keep up with school stating, â€Å"Maybe I am just not smart enough to grasp these things that go to make up civilization† (Paragraph 7). His thoughts turn to action as he decides to catch a ride on a freight train. Throughout the entire journey of this young man, he has very negative thoughts towards being in the white man society stating, â€Å"it is terrible to have to feel inferior†(Paragraph 9). However, he seemed to be very upset when he saw an Indian woman colored in sashes selling bits of pottery (Paragraph 15). This explains his going to college. As he approaches his destination he thoughts brings about a new battle in his mind facing his father in his people (Paragraph 20). At the same time, he describes a very fresh and delightful scene on the way home (Paragraph 22). He absorbs everything he sees along the... Free Essays on Blue Winds Dancing Free Essays on Blue Winds Dancing Homesickness can happen to anyone at a young age. The narrorator in this story was experiencing more than just missing mom and dad and the bed he laid in. The setting helped to illuminate the narrorator feelings toward being and Indian and towards being away from home. His thoughts were souring towards home as he tried study (Paragraph 1) Unable to study he drifts away in his thoughts thinking about the different aspects of his home (Paragraph 2). He is caught in his thoughts battling his present situation with the longing of going home (Paragraph 3). He is very aware of the beauty around him because of him being an Indian raised on a reservation. He can appreciate the orderly fashion of the palm trees and orange trees but continues to sore to his home in his thoughts (Paragraph 3). His thoughts continue to set the setting for where he is and where he longs to be, home. He has the normal thoughts of a college student. Thinking he was not able to keep up with school stating, â€Å"Maybe I am just not smart enough to grasp these things that go to make up civilization† (Paragraph 7). His thoughts turn to action as he decides to catch a ride on a freight train. Throughout the entire journey of this young man, he has very negative thoughts towards being in the white man society stating, â€Å"it is terrible to have to feel inferior†(Paragraph 9). However, he seemed to be very upset when he saw an Indian woman colored in sashes selling bits of pottery (Paragraph 15). This explains his going to college. As he approaches his destination he thoughts brings about a new battle in his mind facing his father in his people (Paragraph 20). At the same time, he describes a very fresh and delightful scene on the way home (Paragraph 22). He absorbs everything he sees along the...

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buy custom Nectar in a Sieve essay The novel Nectar in a Sieve is a fictional work. It is written by Kamala Markandanya. The novel is set in India. It is about a young girl whose name is Rukmani. She is the youngest daughter in her family. Rukmani also known as Ruku is married off by her family at a very early age. The man she marries is called Nathan. Nathan is not wealthy and is a tenant farmer. In India the women usually marry men; therefore they have to pay dowry to a man for him to agree to marry a woman. Ruku's family was not wealthy and therefore they had to settle for an average tenant farmer. The story develops as Ruku continues to lead her life. She struggles with poverty and eviction. Throughout the novel she gets from one problem to another. The novel though ends on a brighter note for her and finally she has hope that life will be better. The author has used several literal devices in the novel. This essay will focus on these literal devices and issues such as culture, politics and human rights in the nov el. Discussion Kamala Markandanya was born in 1924 in a city called Bangalore. She was fortunate to be born in a Brahmin caste. This is the highest level in the Hindu religion. Kamala attended the University of Madras, after which she took a job in a small newspaper, where she was a writer. Kamala was born in the city but she learnt the rural life of India. She later moved to England where she married an Englishman. Kamala had written a few novels but her first novel to be published was Nectar in a Sieve. It was published in the year 1954. She wrote some other novels, which are Some Inner Fury and a Silence of Desire. Most of her novels are about life in India and culture of this country. The setting of the book is in the rural areas. It shows how people in the rural areas lead their lives. The book was also set during a time when India had just emerged from the colonial rule. Nathan, the husband of Ruku, is a farmer and he owns a piece of land, it is this piece of land that the family depends on. They farm here and eat products from this land. In India at this era of time most people were living in the rural areas. They mainly depended on rice and vegetables for food. The people, living in the rural areas, live in simplicity. Most of them are not well of. The book describes how these villagers live in mud huts that are thatched with grass. Development is approaching this rural area and it brings with it negative effects. Ruku is especially against this development. The development comes in the form of a tannery. Its efforts to expand ends up in taking land from the villagers. Nathan is a victim where his land is taken piece by piece until he has none left. The narration of the story is in the first person narration. Ruku is the narrator of the story. She is an old woman when she begins the story. She then proceeds to narrate the story as a flashback or a reflection of her life. She first informs the reader that in the present she is at peace, but things have not always been like that. The first person narration enables the reader to see things through the Ruku's eyes. The reader also experiences the feelings that Ruku is experiencing. The first person narration is also advantageous as it helps the reader develop empathy for the protagonist. The first person narration helps retain the originality of the story. If for instance the book was written in the third person narration, like an observer it would loose its originality. The first person narration is able to portray more than the story. It is through the first person narration we are able to know the thoughts of Ruku. The problem though with first narration is that it overshadows the other characters. Also the narrator may be bias and influence the reader's thoughts about issues in the story. The writer uses characters to help her deliver the story well. These characters usually are of different types. They include; the protagonist. The protagonist is the character whose life the story revolves around. This character creates the plot of the story. They are like the main characters of the story. In this novel, the protagonist is Ruku. The story is about her life from when she is married to Nathan, it continues with the introduction of other characters that help shape the story. There is also the antagonist. This is the character or force that opposes the protagonist. The fact is that the antagonist does not always have to be a character. There are other instances that usually have more than one antagonist. In this story the antagonist is not well developed and therefore not easy to identify. The antagonist though is the forces of change that keep opposing Ruku and her family to lead a good life. The coming of development and the change from the rural life to urban life as the industries continue to grow. These antagonists have made Ruku's life to be full of hardship. She seems to be jumping from one hardship right into another. The other characters in the book are major and minor characters. In this novel the major character apart from Ruku is, Nathan, who is the husband to Ruku. There is also Ira; she is the eldest of Ruku's children. She too struggles in life; she marries then later divorces with her husband. She later turns to prostitution so as to save her smaller brother from dying of hunger. Kenny and Ruku's fifth son Selvam is also major characters. Kenny is a foreigner but manages to get close to Ruku. He is a frequent visitor to the village. He later opens a hospital, where Selvam gets to work. The minor characters are the other sons of Ruku. Two of them join the tannery, where they get jobs. They are shown to embrace modernity by getting jobs at the tannery. They do this knowing that their mother is against it (Snclair 75). There is also Kunthi, who is almost of the same age as Ruku. She is quiet and aloof. To the villagers she is sad to have married beneath her class and unlike Ruku she never accepts her marriage and is therefore not comfortable. Kuli is also a minor character, who is different from Ruku as he has joy and hope amidst his difficulties. All characters in the book have enabled the author to narrate the story well; each character plays a role and all this roles combined help the book to properly develop. The theme of the story is about hope. The author wants to show the importance of hope in times of struggle. This is shown by how Ruku even after all the struggles, has hope that things will become better. In the first part of the book she and her husband are filled with hope that even if they do not own the land they cultivate they will one day. Ruku believes that man was given the sprit to rise above his struggles. The book may have been directed to the struggle that India was experiencing due to the colonial rule. The author wants to show the reader that things eventually get better with hope in life. Another theme looming in the book is that of fear. This is because the villagers do not know what will come tomorrow. Ruku and her husband are in fear of what might happen. They fear of what will happen to them when they lose their land. There is also the fear of the changes occurring in the village. The villagers are worried of what the introduction of the tannery will do to their village. Although some are optimistic that they will get jobs in the factory, Ruku is not happy with the tannery. The villagers live in fear and hope, Ruku says that she is not sure which one was stronger (Markandanya 78). The story is written in a reflective mood. This is demonstrated at the beginning where Ruku starts by informing the reader that she is well at present. She then falls into a flashback of those old times. This mode is used by the author to emphasis its theme of hope. It starts by showing that things are fine at present but it is due to hope that Ruku has been able to endure all the struggles. The mood also shows that the book is set in a historic time, when things were different from the present. If the book was written using a different mood it would not have had the impact the author intended to. The author has also used imagery in the book. Imagery is defined as an author's attempt to create a certain picture in the mind of the reader. Imagery is best displayed by use of images in books, but most novels do not usually have pictures, especially fictional ones. It is therefore upon the author to use the right words and style to bring out the right image. In this novel the author has been able to portray the life that the villagers were living in. The reader can also feel their way of life and what they believe in. Ruku narrates the state of their houses in a way that the reader is able to see the house well in their mind. The author also uses the literal device of symbolism. The book is set at a time when there is massive change all over India. There is an increase in urban development. Also, the British colonists are trying to bring changes to the citizens of India. In the novel the tannery is used as a symbol .it stands for change. The way the characters in the novel react to the tannery shows how they react to change (Sinclair 84). They are those who embrace the coming of the tannery, Ruku's sons included. Others like Ruku are strongly opposing the tannery. Nathan is seen trying to persuade hi s wife to accept this change since it is inevitable. The plot of the story is structured into two parts. The first part is mostly about Ruku's marriage life. The second part is about the efforts of Ruku and her family to seek refuge from their son in the city. The first chapters of the novel start when Ruku is married off to Nathan. They then travel to Nathan's place. In these chapters Ruku narrates to us how her arranged marriage results to an intimate and loving marriage. This chapter shows as Ruku transforms from a little girl to a woman who is now a good wife to Nathan. The plot proceeds to show how, Ruku gets a first born then becomes infertile. After a challenge she is able to give birth to other kids who are all sons. The children grow up and they all take their different routes in life. Some sons get employment at the tannery. Murugan, their third son goes off to the city to become a servant. Ira, the daughter, gets married and later is divorced. Ruku and her husband lose their land to the tannery and they have to move from the village. The second part of the plot shows the attempt of Ruku and her family to go to the city to their son. The son they are searching for is nowhere to be found. They are then forced to take up work at a quarry. Here, they work as stonebreakers to earn money for food. Nathan though dies and Ruku has to go to her home village. She is accompanied by Puli. She settles there with her daughter and her youngest son. The plot has been developed in a way that things moves from being worse to becoming better. Additionally, the author has also used the technique of conflict in the novel. There is conflict present between Ruku and the changes that present themselves. Ruku is mostly in conflict with the introduction of the tannery. There is also conflict between Ruku and her sons. They do not agree with their mother about the tannery. This is demonstrated when the sons seek out jobs at the tannery. Ruku struggles with this conflict until she and her husband resolves the conflict. They do this by moving away from their land, although Nathan later dies, Ruku resettles iin her home village (Markandanya 114). It is while here that things start to look brighter and actually get better. The author has also greatly illustrated the culture of the people in the novel. Culture is a wide term that covers various aspects of life. This includes; food, religion, beliefs and the way of life. Most of the characters in the story are land tenants. Just like Nathan, they do not own the land that they toil on. The tenants also largely depend on food from their farms for food. This is why when floods occur, most of their products are destroyed and they have to endure drought. Their staple food is rice, which they mix with vegetables. The religion of the most of the characters is Hinduism. This people in the book are portrayed to follow their religion faithfully. They will not agree to go out of what the religion demands of them. The Hindu religion requires women to pay for their dowry. Ruku is married off to a poor man, because even if she was the daughter of the headmen they could not afford a richer man. This is because the parents do not have enough money left after marrying off the sisters to wealthy men. Ruku though is able to understand the diversity of religion in the world as she interacts with a Muslim friend (Markandanya 54). The novel is used to show the situation that was present in India. There was a presence of Muslim in the country although they were a minority. Marriage is also a part of culture. Marriage is important as it determines the movement from one caste to another. It also ensures a good future for one's children. In the novel it is important to marry above one's level or a man who is of the same level as a woman. When a woman marries beneath her level, it means that she moves from an upper caste to a lower one. Ruku marries a man who is under her level. At the beginning she is not very comfortable and she gets disappointed upon seeing her husband house. Kunthi too marries below her level. She is so unhappy that she keeps letting everyone know that she married beneath her level. Nevertheless, Ruku is able to get used to her new level. The caste system in India is very important part of their culture. If the writer was to write the novel and not include this in the book, it would lack its originality of being set in India. The problem though is that the author belonged to the highest caste and in the book she focused on the lower ca ste. The novel has been able to portray a history of India. It shows a shift of India's economic and cultural situation. The novel is in a setting when the British have just finished ruling India. Although this is not stated openly, the book does imply this historical time. It shows the movement of younger people from the reliance of farming to industry. Many young people in the book including Ruku's sons seek employment in the tannery (Markandanya 65). It is also a time where rural areas are being transformed to urban areas. The theme of hope is signifies independence of India from the colonial rule. As the book ends on a brighter note, maybe the author signifies that India has finally achieved independence. The political situation after the British rule immensely influenced the story in the novel. During this time the British colonial rule had transformed India. Industrialization was increasing. They also introduced an educational system that was making the youth more liberal. They were more aware of their freedom than before. The British also introduced capitalism, the rich started to own more land while the poor lost property. They became poorer and were living in poor conditions. These aspects are included in the book. The author for instance shows the spread of industrialization with the tannery. It also shows how the poor were suffering due to the changes. The problem though is that the author does not clearly bring out the aspect of politics, which is clearly an issue at the time she writes the book. The book also addresses some human rights issue. The main issue though is starvation or hunger. The novel shows how the characters in the book depend on the farms for their livelihood. The food they eat is received from the farms that they led. The people also depend on the rain for them to grow their crop. When the rain fails or comes in plenty it spoils their crop. This leads to them experiencing famine. There is hunger experienced by the people living in the rural areas. They do not have anyone who comes to their rescue. Instead they are forced to turn to new means of getting food. It should be the government's responsibility to cater for their own in such times; this is not the case in the book. People are left to suffer, others even die of starvation. Ruku's daughter is even forced into prostitution so that she can get food for her siblings. It is unbelievable, the treatment of important human rights like food are taken very lightly. Conclusion The book, Nectar in a Sieve, is about a woman called Ruku and her struggles in life during rapidly changing times in India. The author has used several literary aspects to bring out the story well. These includes: plot, character, imagery, the first person narration and themes. The writer in the book is also able to show the culture of the characters in terms of religion, marriage and practices too. Although not directly, the book also touches on the political issue in India at the time the book was being written. The book is a good fictional book, well written by the author to especially bring out the theme of hope. The book shows the reader the importance of hope and how human beings without hope are not going to lead a full life. It also tells us not to give up easily. Buy custom Nectar in a Sieve essay